Written by Paddy Maddison in Grooming on the 25th October 2016

So you’re thinking of growing some facial hair but you’re not quite sure what kind of thing to go for. Not to worry, but there’s something very important that you’re going to want to consider before picking a style and we’re here to walk you through it. Just as you pick out the clothes that best suit your body shape, you should also be picking out facial hair based on what will best suit your face shape. In the same way that you use your hairstyle or the shape of your glasses to flatter your face, you can and should do exactly the same thing with your beard.

The first step is to determine what shape category your face shape falls into by taking a look in the mirror. Does it most resemble an oval, a square, a circle or a heart? Good, now that you’ve got that information you can start scrolling down to discover what facial hair will be the best fit for you.

Oval shaped faces 

Probably the most common face shape is oval and if you have it then characteristically your forehead will be slightly wider than your chin, and the length of your face will be approximately one and a half times the width. The good news if you have this face shape is that as far as your facial hair is concerned pretty much anything goes, but if you still can’t decide then we’d suggest going for either a full beard, a short boxed beard or some stubble.

Square shaped faces 

Those of you with a square face will have a prominent square chin, broad jawline and forehead and angular features. The goal here is to soften the features of your face and this is best achieved by wearing one of the following styles: A scruffy beard, a full beard (without hard lines), a goatee or a moustache.

Circle shaped faces 

The main characteristics of the circle face shape are soft lines, a rounded chin and an unpronounced jawline. If you have a rounded face then you should be aiming to create a more angular, masculine look. You’ll notice that other round-faced gents such as Kanye West are big fans of a stylised circle beard, which is a great option for adding a bit of balance. Another good choice is a goatee, which can be paired with a moustache to help draw the pace to a point at the chin.

Heart shaped faces 

The visible features here include a forehead which is wider than the cheekbones and a pointed chin. The goal is to add balance to your chin, given that it’s not as broad as your forehead. To achieve this, the best option is going to be a full beard, and you don’t need to hold back either. If you have a heart shaped face then you can grow it out to your heart’s content. Just make sure to keep it trimmed.

We discuss how to pick the correct shape and type of beard in this article which explains how to pick Facial Hair according to your Face Shape.