The Guide To Finding Your Best Beard

Recently, there's been an increase in the number of men interested in growing and maintaining their beards. Obviously, the right beard style is a huge part of this effort and should not be taken lightly.

A starting point is knowing the beard style that compliments your face by first knowing the shape of your face. Why is this necessary, you may ask? It’s a simple answer; not all beard styles suit you.

There are 4 major facial structures;

• Oval 
• Round 
• Rectangle 
• Square 

With the knowledge of the shape of your face, picking an ideal beard style that best compliments your facial appearance is easier.

Before going into the type of beards that fit specific face shapes, it's important to list some of the most common beard styles.

Common beard styles

• Van Dyke (Goatee and moustache that are not linked together)
• Goatee (A small beard covering only the chin)
• Circle ( A form of goatee linking with a moustache to form a circle)
• Balbo (A well-trimmed moustache with a sideburn that is not long)
• Full beards (These are full grown beard of diverse shapes which include the stubble)
• Mutton Chops (moustache with a long side burn)
• Chevron (Moustache that fills up the upper lip)
• Original Stache (Neatly trimmed moustache above the upper lip)
• Anchor (A pointed beard with hair along the jawline coupled with original moustache)
• Chin strip ( A vertical strap of air across the chin)
• Beardstache ( Beard similar to stubble but with a full moustache)

Described below are suitable beard styles for various face shapes.

• Rectangle-shaped face: This type of face is  long with a wide jaw and square-shaped chin. However, this type of face gets more attractive when it gets fuller. The best beard style for this face is the circle and goatee beard. Also great for this face shape are the horseshoe moustache, chevron, and chin strip.

• Oval-Shaped face: This type of face is somewhat similar to the rectangular face but with a narrower jawline. It’s a typical shape of a large percentage of people, and the unique thing about this type of face is that it looks good with most beard styles. However, trying out a short beard with clean lines can make a distinct difference in for this facial structure.

• Round-shaped face: A round-shape face is fuller than the oval face but has a short chin. Some of the beard styles that bring out the manliness of this type of face are the Van Dyke, goatee, Balbo and anchor beard. 

• Square-shaped face: The square face gives the perception of a small face but comes with a jaw that can become much more enviable with the right beard style. It's advisable to go for beard styles that accentuate your jawline. The beard styles that fall in this category include the circle beard, stubble, or Balbo beard without the normal long sideburn. 

Multipurpose beard styles

Besides the styles listed above, there are beard styles which tend to suit all face shapes. These include:

The Classic Shave

A good clean shave can also be the perfect choice for you. It is ideal for those who want to look younger, and for those going for a more youthful look. No matter how careful you are, a beard always tends to make you look older, so shaving completely does the opposite.

The Hipster

Although almost every beard of a certain size is called a hipster, the true hipster consists of a full beard with a circular shape on the lower part of the jaw. This combines perfectly with opposite style faces; the squares, and the ovals. The beard growth takes this form naturally, so it does not need extreme care to keep it well. However, every week or two you should cut and style to make it look better.

Full Beard

As its name suggests, this type of beard is allowed to grow in all directions. Although it works best for all types of faces, only those men who have a uniform growth in the lower third of the face can carry it off. Unlike other versions where greater care is required in the maintenance, the complete or full beard requires much less care. Of course, do not leave your beard unkempt with this style because it gives off the vibe that you do not pay enough attention to your image.

Not all faces usually have the same shape, and it is important to take into account the proportions of your face to choose the best beard style for you. Your beard softens the lines of your face to make it look much more harmonious while looking manly. When you pick the perfect style, nothing is impossible.

Cheers.