Beard Care Tips: Picking a style to suit you

beard styling

Choosing a beard style is just like choosing a hair style, a pair of jeans, or a girlfriend.  If you're going to have it, you may as well make sure it suits you and makes you happy.  Not every style of beard is going to match every head shape so you'll need to do some homework to pick a style. We recommend doing a Google image search for "celebrity beards" and picking an "A-lister" or sporting hero with a head shape similar to your own and adopting a style like theirs.  After all, they usually have a team of publicists and stylists advising them on their look.  Why not grab some of that insight for yourself.

Another way is to let your stubble grow out for a few days and then experiment with shapes and angles to get an idea of the beard 'foot print' that will be most flattering for your face before growing it out.  
A lot of guys will just let their hair grow out and see what happens.  This is another perfectly valid approach, especially if you've got a patchy beard and need a good 6 months growth to get an idea of how full it's going to get.  However, after a while the temptation to add some personal touches to the beard will be irresistible to most.

Done right, a beard can enhance your face and hide imperfections that you may not be happy with.  Done badly, it can give you a double chin, make your head look like furry ball or enhance a weak jaw or thin lips.  We've been meeting with a lot of barbers in our local area to discuss all things beard and they've given us some great styling tips.  Here's some of the things we've learnt about shaping beards to suit the face:

  • Round heads tend to suit straighter lines through the cheek area and around the borders.  For some, it may be preferable to shave the hair from the cheeks entirely, leaving just a thin line of hair connecting the goatie to the side burns.  Having the side burns trimmed slightly shorter than the chin area can also shape the beard to elongate the face.  Often a goatee by itself is a good option to consider.  
  • If you are a really thin guy with sunken cheeks, you can fill in that area with some longer hair to fill them out.  If you've got a long face, try do the opposite of what the round headed chaps have to do and make the beard thicker on the side and shorter around the chin.  Generally a fuller beard will suit a long face.
  • Unless it's Movember, Moustaches by themselves tend to cop a lot of flack in this day and age, although that will change over time.  For those sensitive to fashion trends, pick your time to grow a 'tash' or face overhearing whispered murmurings of words like "creepy", "porn star" and "gross".
If you're still having trouble trying to nut out an option, consult with a good barber, one that deals with a lot of beards.  They will see a steady stream of bearded faces every day and have a fair idea of what works. When choosing a beard, it's also a good idea to take into account your appetite for looking after it.  If you choose a really high maintenance beard with lots of angles and cropping, then it's best to have a think about whether you're willing and able to keep it in shape. 

Above all else, don’t forget that your face will change as you age, so will your beard and your preferences.  Whatever you go for, you aren't locked into the decision.  Hair can be cut off and it'll grow back so have some fun with it.  Beard on.

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