THE BEST BEARD STYLES FOR YOUR FACE TYPE

A definitive guide on how to choose, shape and trim your beard based on the shape of your face. Avoid looking awkward while you experiment with your new look.

 

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When most men grow out their beard, they take a “let’s see how it goes” approach to the whole process. It begins by simply not shaving for a few days, then weeks. After a while its plain to see that the goal of growing a beard is achieved, yet it looks off and doesn’t seem to fit. This realization normally comes in the form of a well-intentioned but heavy comment from a female friend, which lands with a thud!

 

If you’ve experienced this, it’s likely because you didn’t take a moment to make a quick plan of attack towards growing your beard. Having an idea of what style you’re working towards makes the growing phase less prone to awkward & ego knee-capping comments.

 

In this guide we will cover 5 primary face shapes and their variations. Many others list anywhere between 4 - 9 different face shapes but they’re only a derivative of the primary 5, not a unique shape. Also included, is a listing of all major beard style families so you’ll have more options than you ever thought were possible. This guide is meant to provide you with beard tips, best-practices and help you choose a style that truly expresses your unique personality.

 

If you want to skip right to the visual guide you can get that HERE.

 

FACE SHAPES & STYLES

Before trying to definitively decide which geometric crew you belong to, bear in mind that not everyone fits neatly into any shape category. It’s not uncommon to mostly resemble one while having features from another. The best approach is to identify which shape you mostly fit into, point out your major facial features and build a plan from there.

 

The main features used to identify face shapes is the forehead, cheekbones, jawline and chin. Secondarily, the nose and mouth effect the details of the beards styling.

 

ROUND: Face Shape

There’s a rounded forehead, fullness below the cheek bones, Plus the width & height of the face is roughly the same. This shape benefits from elongating the face by keeping the sides of the beard very short and adding length to the chin. Play around with Van Dyke Moustaches or Pointed beards. Avoid wide puffy beards.

 

OVAL: Face Shape

Wider cheekbones, a rounded tapering forehead and jawline with no glaring sharp angles on the face. This face is longer than it is wide because the forehead and jaw are slightly narrower than the cheekbones. The oval face shape benefits from being the most versatile. Oval faces can dabble in almost any style and look good doing it, so experiment! Dependable go-to’s are the always attractive stubble and Boxed or long beards

 

Oval Variation - Heart: Face Shape

The forehead is wider than the jawline (or the same), with an apparent “V” shaped hairline. Rounded cheekbones that taper down to a comparatively narrow chin. This shape looks good when paired with a style that add some length and width to the face. In addition to the suggestions for oval, the imperial beard family provide solid options.

 

OBLONG: Face Shape

A longer pill-shaped face where the forehead, cheekbones and jawline are all similar widths. Usually paired with a large strong chin. This face shape works well when adding full sides to the beard and keeping it short in length. It also looks great with a simple but powerful moustache. Boxed, circle and imperial beards are a good choice, a Chevron moustache might be even better.

 

SQUARE: Face Shape

A wide forehead with a fairly straight hairline. The forehead is nearly the same width as the jaw and the cheekbones stick out only slightly. This shape looks great when showing off the prominent jawline. Add some length and don’t cover the sides, taper the hair before reaching the corners of the jaw. Handlebar moustaches, Circle and Inverted T beards do well here.

 

Square variation - Rectangle: Face Shape

This is a noticeably longer face with the same characteristics of the square face shape.

The same ideas as the square face shape apply here too. Keep the sides slim-to-none and add length.

 

DIAMOND: Face Shape

Wide angular cheekbones and a prominent chin stand out in this face shape. The forehead is closer to the chin in width, while the strong jawline creates clear lines. Avoid adding too much length by keeping the sides of the beard proportionate to the chin. Test out full, inverted T and boxed beards with this one.

Diamond Variation – Triangle: Face Shape

Similar to the Diamond shape, only this face features a broad forehead causing all angles of the face to point towards the narrow chin. The same beard dynamics are at play here with the triangle shape as the diamond. The prominence of the forehead effects how high the beard should reach on the cheeks

 

Make it your own:

Something that makes it challenging to determine face shape may be the overall size of the face. If they have a larger or smaller face, it may be easy to pick a feature that seems off when compared to someone else’s. The key is to compare features only to the individual face, and since no two faces are exactly alike (except for twins) the unique face shape will be easier to identify. People with larger faces should focus on filling up “space” with thicker more aggressive beard styles while people with smaller faces should consider keeping a more trimmed and proportionate form.

 

Keep in mind that not everyone is a single face shape. If you notice that you have features from two groups, make the most of it by combining styles to create a new look. Once you decide on what kind to grow you might wonder, how to take care of a beard? Making use of the best beard care products you have access to will greatly aid in the growth and maintenance of your new mane. The focus during the growth phase is to keep it soft and packed with nutrients so you promote growth and minimize the itchy, annoying feeling that prevents many men from keeping their beard long enough to see results.

 

It all begins with NOT using regular body wash on your new manhood and instead using a beard wash that’s designed to clean and not dry everything out. A dry beard itches, causing you to scratch and end up with patches as a result. The best way to achieve the softness that most women enjoy in a man’s beard is with an effective beard conditioner. That is followed by a beard balm or oil to create the perfect beard treatment system. What does beard balm do? It provides an all-day dose of nutrients, prevents dryness by making the hair super soft and smells great. At the end of the day, no woman is going to touch your beard if it’s tough as a Brillo pad and smells like your lunch. If you make use of these beard grooming tips, you’ll achieve a powerful new look that’ll build confidence, turn heads and attract the attention you want.

 

Click here for the full visual guide – (SHOW ME)