UrbanUpdate

It might sound counterintuitive, but the shape of your head—are you more of a basketball or a football or a...rugby ball?—should actually dictate your beard style and how you grow your beard. You don't want to end up looking like a badminton shuttlecock. Listen, all face shapes are wonderful and unique—and should be celebrated as such. You should grow your beard however long or fat you please. But if you want to put your faith behind geometry and symmetry, then we’ve got some tips to help you out.

First things first: The oval is, generally speaking, the most aesthetically pleasing face shape. It strikes a happy balance between long and short, narrow and wide. It graduates softly with no sharp angles. These traits are all important to note, because they dictate how guys with other face shapes might consider growing their beards: It’s soft angles and not-too-harsh lengths and widths that help even things out. So remember that rule above all else: Try to make your face and beard as oval-like as possible.

Oval Faces

Andrea Chronopoulos

Considering that oval faces are already the most symmetrically pleasing, guys with this shape can attempt just about any type of beard style, with little risk for how it will affect the symmetry. Bushy on the sides and short on the bottom will usually look just as flattering as short sides and a fuller length. So long as you don’t go trimming sharp angles into it, you should find that most beard styles complement your bone structure.

Round Faces

Andrea Chronopoulos

A lengthy beard will flatter you most, since it will elongate your as-wide-as-it-is-round face. Keep the sides short and let everything under the chin grow fully.

Oblong & Rectangular Faces

Andrea Chronopoulos

A beard with a short bottom and fuller sides will add width to your naturally more narrow face. This is a much better option than growing a long, narrow beard that counters all laws of symmetry.

Square Faces

Andrea Chronopoulos

Similar to guys with round faces, you want a long but narrow beard to add length to your face without widening it. Because your face is more angular than a round one, it’s important to shape the beard as it grows. Try sculpting it into a rounded, more oval shape as it becomes fuller.

Triangular Faces

Andrea ChronopoulosMost Popular

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Your face graduates outward, with a wider jaw and a narrower forehead. And that creates a tricky situation, since you’re already fullest in the place where you want to grow a beard. So, no full beards. You have two good options, though: The first is to keep everything short and cropped. The second is to grow a long beard but to keep it short on the sides, then sculpt it inward to give your face and beard an overall oval effect. This will be harder to pull off, but we hope you’re up for the challenge.

Diamond Faces

Andrea Chronopoulos

You’ve got wide cheeks and a narrow forehead and jaw. That means it’s best to keep the sides short, while growing out the bottom of your beard. But since your cheeks jut more sharply toward your chin, you may want to keep the chin hair slightly shorter than the rest of the bottom. You can also give this illusion by sculpting the beard into an oval shape with a good beard wax or oil.

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQBeardsGrooming