Beard styles & types for men's face shapes

Looking in the mirror and wondering what beard style would work best for you? There are plenty of styles of beards out there, but not all of them suit every person. You should choose a type of beard to complement your face shape.

There are seven main face shapes: square, oval, rectangular, round, diamond, heart, and triangle. Each face shape is suited to several beard styles that will make you look your best.

Let’s delve into beard styles by face shape to help you choose one that suits you, plus how to achieve the styles with Braun’s beard trimmers. But first, let’s look at how to tell what shape your face is.

The first step to finding your perfect face beard is finding your face shape. While every face is different, most should fit one primary shape. The best way to find yours is to measure it.

Take out a tape measure and record measurements for:

• Your face length from your hairline to the bottom of your chin.

• Your forehead from one outer eyebrow corner to the other.

• Your cheekbones from below the outer corner of each eye to the other, across the bridge of your nose.

• Your jawline from the bottom of your chin to the corner where your jaw angles upwards.

When you’ve measured your face, use this guide to determine your face shape:

Square Face Shape

All measurements are a similar length, and your jaw is sharp rather than rounded.

Round Face Shape

Your face length and cheekbone width are similar and longer than your forehead and jawline, which are also similar in length. Your jaw is soft angled rather than sharp.

Oval Face Shape

With oval face shapes, your face length is longer than your cheekbones, and your forehead is longer than your jawline. You’ll have a rounded jaw, not a sharp one.

Rectangle Face Shape

Rectangle face shapes are similar to the oval shape but with a sharp, angled jaw. Your face is longer than it is wide, with similar-width cheekbones and jawline.

Heart Face Shape

If you have a heart-shaped face, your forehead has a longer measurement than your cheekbones or jawline and your chin is pointed.

Diamond Face Shape

With diamond-shape faces, your face length is the biggest measurement, followed by your cheekbones, forehead, and jawline last. Your chin is pointed rather than soft.

Triangle Face Shape

Triangle face shapes have a jawline that measures longer than your cheekbones and cheekbones wider than the forehead.

Square faces have sharp angles, so you don’t want to exaggerate the definition that your face already has with a square beard.

Instead, the goatee beard style is an ideal candidate for this face shape. The rounded look of a goatee beard works to soften the angles of your face shape. For the full lowdown on how to shape this look with a Braun electric shaver, explore our step-by-step guide to getting a goatee beard style.

The golden rule for square face shapes is to keep your beard short – you don’t want to hide that chiselled jawline. The soul patch beard is a great short beard style for square-faced men. As it’s just a small patch of hair below the lips and above the chin, it’s easy to grow and can soften the angular lines of your face without hiding them.

The top beard styles for round faces are pointed beards, which give your cheekbones a more angular edge and elongate your face.

The best face shape for Van Dyke beards is round. Van Dyke beards take inspiration from the goatee, but instead of fully covering the area around the mouth, this style pairs a pointed chin beard with a moustache styled however you like. Braun’s precision trimmer attachment makes the perfect tool to keep the area around your pointed beard well-trimmed for a defined look.

Round-face medium beard styles like the anchor beard suit this face shape. The anchor beard mirrors the shape of the moustache flipped upside down on your jawline. This look is similar to the chin strap with a lighter touch. Sported by Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the chin strap is another great round-face beard style.

The oval shape suits almost all facial hair styles, as bearded looks are much less likely to make your face appear overly angular or squashed.

Oval face short beard styles include the three-day beard or stubble beard and the short-boxed beard. The stubble beard is generally between 1mm and 3mm in length – the precision wheel on a Braun Beard Trimmer makes a great assistant here.

If you want a full-face beard, opt for the Viking beard. This bold look can be grown down to meet the chest.

To fill out your rectangular face, opt for face beards like the hipster beard and the ducktail beard.

In terms of beard styling, these looks are all about thickness. You’ll want to let your face beard grow for at least a month or even two before styling. Remember to keep your beard trimmed – if it gets too long, your head can end up looking longer.

Another good beard for rectangular faces is the chin strap beard, a rugged classic that emphasizes your jawline if you’ve got the harder lines of a rectangular face. This style can vary between 2mm in length up to 2cm for a thicker look.

If you’re looking at beard styles by face shape, heart-shape faces suit styles that add some width to the jaw. Keep your upper beard trimmed short to avoid padding out the cheekbones more.

The best beard styles for heart-shape faces include the Garibaldi, wide and rounded with short sides, and the classic full-face beard with short sides and a full moustache. You’ll need to grow out your beard before you can trim these styles – check out our tips to grow a beard faster.

For a more minimal look, a mutton chops beard can make your slim jawline appear wider without the hassle of a full beard.

The best types of beards for diamond-shaped faces are ones that round out your pointed chin. Similar to heart-shaped faces, opt for the Garibaldi and the classic full-face beard to flatter your features.

The Verdi is also a great beard style for diamond face shapes. This style pairs a medium-length full-face beard with a bushy moustache curled upwards at the ends.

Keep your sideburns trimmed to avoid accentuating your cheekbones further.

If you have a triangle-shape face, beards that highlight your jawline while softening your pointed chin are the best. It doesn’t take a lot – stubble beards and short-face beards can work well.

Short-boxed beards are also a great choice to frame the face if you want a little more hair than just stubble. This beard style is a full beard with closely cropped sides to keep it neat.

Not sure what beard style will suit you? Different styles complement different face shapes – for example, Van Dyke and anchor are flattering beard styles for round faces but won’t suit angled face shapes like diamond and square. There are so many kinds of face beards out there, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your look to find the beard that suits you best.

When it comes to beard styling, Braun’s All-in-One Style Kits and Electric Shavers have all the tools you need to succeed. For the wide range of beard styles that might be best for you, Braun’s AutoSensing Motor adapts to any length and thickness of hair. The included guards for long and short beards are also great styling tools and the precision dial technology will let you contour the edge of any beard styles with ease.