It’s no secret that a well-groomed beard is one of the most desirable traits in men. But, achieving that coveted full, luxurious look requires more than just regular trimming and brushing. In fact, a lot of the time it’s the little things that go unnoticed by the average guy that have the biggest impact on the final result. One of those little things is how you shape your beard.
If you’ve ever struggled to figure out the best way to style your beard, you’re not alone. There are actually a few different ways to do it, and each has its own pros and cons. The key is to find a beard style that complements your face shape. There are five major face shapes: round, oval, square, rectangular/oblong, and triangular (where your jaw is wider than your forehead). Once you’ve figured out which face shape you have, you can then determine what styles will flatter it most.
For example, if you have a round face, fuller beards that add definition and length work well. If your jaw is narrower than your forehead, you might want to try a more trimmed look like a stiletto beard hair or van dyke beard. If you have a square or triangular face, you might benefit from a beard that’s fuller on the chin and a bit thinner around the sides and neck.
After you’ve settled on the style that works best for your face shape, you need to make sure your beard is shaped properly. This means trimming any loose hairs and shaping the neckline of your beard. Shaping the neckline is a big deal, because it’s where your beard meets your skin. Get this part wrong and you could end up with a double chin or looking like you have the neck of a feral animal. Get it right, however, and you’ll be on your way to a perfectly proportioned beard.
Start by tiling your head back and pointing to the spot on your Adam’s apple where you feel the natural dividing line between your beard and your neck. Use your trimmer to follow this line downward, making sure that you aren’t getting too close to your jawbone or leaving too much room below it. Once you’ve got this part nailed, you can either leave it chiseled and angular to create more of a macho look or gently round it off for a less extreme result.
To finish up, you should also touch up the area around your nose and mouth, making sure that no hairs extend over the top of your lips or into your nostrils. Finally, you should comb your beard to remove any tangles or flyaways and to identify any rogue hairs that need to be trimmed. Don’t forget to use beard oil to keep your beard healthy and shiny! You can even consider using beard balm, which is similar to beard oil but is thicker and gives you more styling options.