How do I decide what beard style I want? by Dave Smith

The decision to grow a beard may seem like the easiest choice for men who can’t be bothered with the monotonous routine of shaving every day, but before you throw away the razor you need to know beard maintenance takes just as much thought and care.

The shape of your face should make you stop and think about whether or not you can pull off the style you’ve got your eye on. Like the hair on your head, your genes will have an influence on how well your hair grows, so getting the right amount of growth and style of beard to suit your facial features is worth planning in advance.

To help you with this decision we’ve put together a basic blueprint for you to avoid a facial faux-pas.

Prominent chin


A full well-groomed beard works well to compliment a prominent chin. Keep it full and thicker at the sides to create the illusion of added width if you so desire.

Curved facial features


Invest in a good beard trimmer to create a neatly trimmed beard. Keeping hard lines along the cheekbones will suit you well. This style will help slim your face if that’s what you’d like to achieve. Squaring off slightly around your neckline will create a more oval face shape overall.

Elongated facial features


Longer faces are better suited to short-trimmed beards, this helps to avoid elongating the face even further. Try to avoid anything too angular, as your face has strong masculine lines already.

Oval shape


Having a symmetrical face allows you to be more versatile. You can pull off a neatly-trimmed goatee, or a full-on Viking look, if you want to, as you have nearly all styles available at your fingertips.

Smaller in size


You may want to avoid a full-on large beard here if you especially if you don't want to hide your features further. A neat goatee with a bit of length could be the way forward or keep some length at the sideburns and square off below the jawline to add some girth.

Larger in size


A larger face can cope with a large beard but keeping it neat and trimmed is important if you want to avoid enlarging your face further. Keeping it trimmed well at the sides will help do this and will give you the strong facial features of Geoff Capes.

Square jawline


Having a strong, square jawline creates undoubtedly an iconic look, and should be embraced rather than buried. However, if you’re not a fan of your facial feature, then keep the hair fuller on the chin, and shorter at the sides in order to slim the face. A full-bodied beard you will cope with also. If you are proud of your manly features then keep the edges squared-off so as not to lose your natural shape. However, your strong jawline gives you the luxury of being able to pull off any type of beard you fancy.

The hair on your head style will play a vital role too so if you’re still unsure speak with a reputable barber about your concerns and ideas and they can help you on your path to groomed awesomeness.

Got the secret to a beautiful beard? Tried any other beard growth techniques that have worked for you? We’d love to know! Comment and tell us what’s on your mind.

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