Some men are clean shaven, others like to have beards. Depending on the individual, the beards may be long or short, bushy or scanty for those who belong to the beard gang. Yet some men end up settling for a moustache.
For those that belong to the beard gang, there is more to keeping beards. Unkempt beards does not look presentable. Worse still, having beards that don’t suit your face shape is a complete no-no.
To get this right, you should understand your face shape and what beards works well with it. To determine this, get a flexible tape measure. Then, take the following measurements, recordings:
- Forehead: Measure your face. Start from the peak of one eyebrow arch to the peak of the opposite eyebrow arch.
- Cheekbones: Measure across your cheekbones. Start and end at the pointiest part below the outer corner of each eye.
- Jawline: Measure from the tip of your chin to below your ear at the area at which your jaw angles upwards. Multiply that number by 2 to get your jawline measurement.
- Face Length: Measure from the centre of your hairline to your chin tip.
After taking these measurements, note which is the largest of the four. Then compare this to the seven main profiles below to find out your face shape.
You have an Oval shaped face shape if your Face length is greater than the width of the cheekbones. Also your forehead is greater than the jawline and the angle of the jaw is rounded. You can get away with a variety of beard styles that other men can’t.
You have a Rectangular face shape if your face length is the greatest measurement. Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are similar in size.You have a longer face shape. Therefore, having your beard styled long, triangular or pointy at the chin won’t be fitting. Give your beard some width and, if you can, grow facial hair higher up the cheek to stop your face from looking too elongated.
You have a triangular face shape if your Jawline measurement is greater than cheekbones, which is also larger than the forehead. The aim is to take the attention away from a more prominent chin. Avoid anything too full and thick on the cheeks, that gives an unwanted impression of an even wider jawline. Keep hair off the cheeks to bring some well-established sideburns further down your face.
You have round face if your cheekbones and face length have a similar measurement. They are larger than the forehead and jawline, which are similar in measurement. The angle of the jaw is soft. A rounded face shape benefits from having a triangular-shaped style. So opt for a beard that is shorter on the cheeks and longer towards the chin.
For a heart-shaped face, the forehead measures greater than the cheekbones and jawline. The chin is pointed. Opt for designer stubble on the sides without overpowering your natural bone structure. Leave more length in the chin and moustache to add depth and volume to your jawline
A Square-shaped face has all measurements fairly similar. The angle of the jaw is sharp rather than rounded.To complement this face shape, you need to ensure that the chin area is rounded or triangular. Length the chin with a goatee-style beard to soften your thick, wide jawbone. This will create a chiselled look. This will also focus the eye on other features of the face.
Then a diamond shaped face has the face length measurement largest. Then, in descending order: cheekbones, forehead, and smallest is jawline. The chin is pointed. This is a smaller face shape, so a beard will only make your face appear smaller. Go too long on the chin – anything too pointy tends to accentuate this face shape. You can go wider on the cheeks and wider on the edge of the jawbone. However,ensures it squares off the bottom half of your face. Then going lighter on the moustache will give further emphasis to your cheeks and jawline.