A Guide to Your Perfect Beard Style

When it comes to finding the best beard styles for men, it’s all about personalization. After all, the right beard for you isn’t just about what’s trending or what your favorite celebrity is rocking. Instead, it really depends on your unique face shape and hair thickness. A style that looks great on one guy might not work for someone else. So if you’re not sure whether short or long beard styles suit you best, fret not. Ahead, we’ve got a few tips to help you discover the perfect beard style for your face shape and facial hair type.

How to Pick a Beard Style That’s Right For You

There are tons of different beard lengths and styles men can choose from, but before you decide on one, there are a few factors to consider. This includes the thickness of your facial hair, the direction in which your beard grows, and of course, your face shape. That being said, no matter where you stand, a good starting point is to grow out your beard for about 4 weeks. This gives you a solid base to work with and lets you see what kind of growth pattern and thickness you have.

Selecting a Beard Style: Facial Hair Thickness

The first thing to assess is how thick (or thin) your beard grows. Some men naturally have fuller beards, while others might have more sparse growth. Either way, you don’t have to worry — there are various men’s facial hair styles to suit every type.

Thick Beard

If you’re lucky enough to have a thick, dense beard, congratulations — you’ve got plenty of styling options. A full beard gives you the freedom to experiment with everything from a classic full beard to a sculpted look like the goatee style. The key is to keep your beard well-groomed with regular trimming and conditioning to prevent it from looking unruly. A thick beard also pairs well with bold beard and mustache styles.

Tip: Invest in a quality Beard Balm and Beard Oil to keep that lush facial hair soft, hydrated, and shiny. For medium or long beard styles, be sure to focus on conditioning the ends — read this article to find out all the advantages of using a beard conditioner.

Patchy Beard

For those dealing with patchier, more sparse facial hair, you may want to stick to shorter beard styles for men. A short beard or well-groomed stubble are recommended styles for patchy beards as they give you a clean look without drawing attention to uneven growth. The key here is balance — don’t try to grow it out too long, as it can make patchiness more obvious.

Tip: Keep it short and well-shaped. A short beard style or even a goatee style can help minimize patchy areas and highlight your facial structure. Though you may be prone to beard itch, using a nourishing Beard Oil can help. Discover several key benefits of using Beard Oil in this article. 

Consider the Shape of Your Face

Your face shape plays a big role in determining which beard style will suit you best. Remember that no matter which face shape you have, the goal is always symmetry and proportion. Hence, go for a beard style that creates balance and enhances your facial features. And don’t forget — your hairstyle should complement your beard too, so it all works together for a polished look.

 

Round Face

 

Characteristics: Full cheeks, rounded jawline.

Recommended beard style: The best beard styles for rounded faces are those that elongate your face. A fuller beard on the chin including an anchor beard, boxed beard, Van Dyke, and a goatee style can help balance the roundness.

What to avoid: Avoid styles that make your face look even rounder, like a full beard with heavy sides, super short beards, or a stubble.

 

Oval Face

 

Characteristics: Balanced proportions, slightly rounded jaw.

Recommended beard style: You’re in luck — an oval face can pull off most beard styles. Try a full beard, medium-length beard, or even popular beard and mustache styles such as a balbo beard.

What to avoid: Nothing too extreme. Overly sharp or too short styles might disrupt the balance of your face.

 

Square Face

 

Characteristics: Strong jawline, wide cheekbones.

Recommended beard style: Soften your angles with rounded beard styles like a circle beard. Your masculine face shape can also afford to have a buzz cut and stubble combo. Meanwhile, a beard and mustache style like the royale beard can add length to your face. 

What to avoid: Sharp, square beard lines, as they can overemphasize your jaw and make it look even wider.

 

Oblong/Rectangular Face

 

Characteristics: Longer face, narrow width.

Recommended beard style: A fuller beard on the sides with shorter length on the bottom — such as mutton chops, the extended goatee, and the chin strap beard — will help reduce your face’s length.

What to avoid: Avoid long, pointy beard styles that will make your face appear even longer.

 

Diamond Face 

 

Characteristics: Narrow forehead and chin, wide cheekbones.

Recommended beard style: A medium-length beard including the chin strap, goatee, and short boxed beard would work well. You can go for a fuller chin and jawline to soften those sharp angles.

What to avoid: Avoid overly short beard styles or anything that highlights your cheekbones too much.

 

Triangle Face

 

Characteristics: Narrow forehead, wider jaw.

Recommended beard style: Create balance by adding volume to the sides of your beard. A full beard, short boxed beard, or goatee with mustache will help broaden your chin and jaw area.

What to avoid: Thin, pointed beards that make your jaw appear wider.

Beard Length Chart

Thinking of going for a low-maintenance stubble or a short beard and mustache style? Or perhaps you’re considering growing out your facial hair into a medium or long beard? With so many different beard lengths out there, it can sometimes be confusing as to which is the most ideal beard length for yourself. So here’s a quick guide to some of the most common beard lengths and their respective growth time as well as pros and cons:

	Length	Growth Time	Pros	Cons
Clean-shaven	0mm	Instant	Professional look, no upkeep.	Requires frequent shaving.
Stubble	1-3mm	1-7 days	Low-maintenance, masculine, enhances facial features.	May feel rough or scratchy.
Short beard	4-12mm	1-2 weeks	Balanced, versatile look for all occasions.	Needs regular trimming to avoid looking untidy.
Medium-length beard	12-25mm	4-6 weeks	Adds fullness, complements many face shapes well.	Requires more upkeep, prone to beardruff.
Long & full beard	25mm+	6 weeks & above	Bold, attention-grabbing look, can slim face.	High maintenance, can feel heavy or unmanageable.

Beard Care Guide Based on Beard Length

Once you’ve decided on the best beard length to go for, you can keep your beard looking neat and well-groomed with these key tips:

• Clean-shaven: Keep your skin hydrated and exfoliated with Scotch Porter’s Beard & Face Exfoliating Cleanser, which gently scrubs away dead skin cells and prevents ingrown hairs. A smooth canvas means less irritation when the stubble starts to grow in.
• Stubble: Apply Scotch Porter’s Beard Oil to lock in moisture, add shine, prevent itchiness, and maintain soft stubble.
• Short beard: Wash weekly with the Moisturizing Beard Wash, soften with the Beard Conditioner, and use Scotch Porter’s Beard Oil to keep it hydrated and shiny.
• Medium-length beard: Trim regularly, use the Conditioning Beard Balm to style and add a light hold, then finish with the Beard Oil for added moisture and smoothness.
• Long & full beard: Condition, soften, and tame your longer strands with the Beard Balm, then style with Beard Wax, and add shine with the Beard Oil. Also, trim regularly to avoid split ends.

The Takeaway 

Choosing the perfect beard style and best beard length is all about understanding what works best for your face shape and hair thickness. Whether you're going for a bold beard and mustache style or a short beard style, don’t underestimate how a proper beard care with products from the Scotch Porter Beard Care Collection can make a big difference for all male facial hair styles and beard lengths.