Let’s face it. Facial hair is not for everyone. You might prefer as little hair below your nose as possible. Or, you might decide to let it grow out a bit more. Different facial hair styles serve different aesthetic functions. Bottom line is, facial hair when properly trimmed could put forward your most appealing features or improve on your best ones.
The trick is to go for a beard that suits your face. Some formulas are to be observed, such as small face = small beard, or large face = large beard. But there’s more to it than just size: facial shape also comes into play, and must be considered:
Round face
A round face is exactly that – almost globe-like, smooth lines; just a little chin; fuller at the cheeks.
To achieve the idea of making your face appeal longer and less round we suggest that you go for a full beard. Avoid sideburns, as they will make your face look wider. In lieu of a beard, grow a goatee. You could also go with a closely-cropped beard, connected with the mustache by thin lines reaching out from the side.
Celebrity reference: Kanye West
Long face.
A long face is the exact opposite of a round one. You’ve got more chin and less cheek, more often than not resulting in a thin, gaunt face.
Therefore, you will want to add sideburns and keep the chin hair light and short, thereby making your cheeks look fuller.
Celebrity reference: Hugh Laurie
Square face.
A square face features a chin and jaw almost of the same width as the forehead, making the entire face look strong and angular.
To accentuate this, you need to keep your beard short and stubbly. Sideburns might help make your face seem longer, but keep the subtle. A goatee would be a good option as long as you don’t make it too narrow.
Celebrity reference: David Beckham
Triangular face.
The triangular face has a pointed, narrow chin and a wider forehead.
To balance out your face, we suggest that you maintain a dense layer of hair along the sides of the chin, with a mustache of the same length. Keep some hair extending downwards from the lower lip to the tip of the chin, but make sure it is well-trimmed.
Celebrity reference: Ryan Gosling
Diamond face.
The diamond-shaped face is a triangle in reverse – narrow forehead, more prominent cheek and jaw.
With this, you can try more hair on the sides, with long, closely-cropped sideburns. Shave out the space between your lower lip and chin, and make your mustache well-defined.
Celebrity reference: Dane Cook
Oval face.
The length of your face is equal to about one and a half times its width. This shape is considered perfect and proportional, making all sorts of beard style ideal.
A chin curtain might yield interesting results: let the hair grow all throughout your jaw line, covering your chin. In this case, you can lose the mustache.
Celebrity reference: Tom Ford
Click here for a guide to men’s grooming products.
