Beard Styles to Ask Your Barber For

There is truly no doubt that a good beard can work wonders. When properly styled, your facial hair can significantly change your appearance, sharpen and/or soften your features. That’s why finding the right beard style for your face shape is a good idea—especially if you have no idea where to start. With all the beard shapes out there, finding the right one can prove to be challenging. So before you get on your barber’s books, let’s talk about beard styles.

Start with your face shape

No two people have the same face. While we may not be clones, we do share common features. It’s these features that allow us to determine characteristic of the face that define its shape. Some of these elements include the visibility of your cheekbones, the natural curve of your chin, the size of your jaw, and the width of your forehead.

To make it easy, after deciding you want to start growing a beard, determine what shape your face is. This can help you decide what beard style could suit you the best. And before you head to the barber, make sure your face is clean and ready to be styled. This will make their job a lot easier.

Best beard shapes for different faces

Round face

As the name suggests, a round face is, well, rounded. Additionally, it doesn’t have clearly defined angles. In this case, a great beard for a round face will visually slim it.

To help define the angles on your face,  opt for a contoured beard. This way, all lines will be clearly visible. Good options are short patterns centered around the mouth, or an anchor emphasizing the chin. You can also go for neatly trimmed sides with stubble near the cheeks.

As for what to avoid, definitely don’t go for rounded lines that wrap the face from the sides to the center. This will only make your face appear more round.

Oval face

The oval face is characterized by being longer, rather than wider. This face shape is often what others strive for when styling beards on round or square faces. So, if you’ve got an oval face, congratulations— you’ve got many options to choose from that will compliment your face shape.

To give you an idea, go for short stubble on the cheeks, contoured in a semicircle. Or, tell your barber to keep thick stubble on the cheeks, and a short cut at your chin level. But if you like to keep things uniform, opt for a mustache or a full beard of equal length. See? Options!

Triangle face

In the case of a triangular face, the most visible characteristics are a high, broad forehead and a strongly defined, sharp chin. Here, if you want to even out facial proportions, go for a beard style that will match the width of your forehead.

With this philosophy, it’s no wonder this face shape goes perfectly with long beards. For instance, if you want to draw attention from a narrow chin,  choose a wide mustache.

Square face

This type of face shape can be recognized by the strongly defined jawline. Another characteristic feature are the cheeks, which come in line with the forehead. For this type of face shape, a common beard style will soften the sharpened edges of your jaw. Ask your barber to keep rounded stubble around the mouth, as it will draw attention to the center of the face. 

Rectangle face

This face shape is characterized by being on the longer side, so to achieve favorable facial proportions, ask your barber to visually shorten it. For this, a good option consists of light stubble with a high cheek line. What you’ll want to avoid? Any styling that will further lengthen your face visually, for example beards loosely released in the middle of your face.

Diamond face

Also known as hexagonal, the diamond-shaped face has wide and clearly pointed cheekbones. With the cheeks being the widest part of your face, you may want a clear chin and to smooth out sharp lines. Remember, the goal is even facial proportions. You can also ask your barber about any facial hair style that will visually round your face. 

If your facial hair is in dire need of a trim, or if your beard is making your face lose its proportions, Booksy has always got you covered. Just visit our website or open our app to book an appointment with an experienced, professional barber in your area. Or, do it whenever you have time—booking is 24/7.