The beard secret

THE RIGHT LOOK FOR EVERY MEN'S FACE SHAPE

Which beard actually suits me? Many men ask themselves exactly this question when they let their facial hair grow ‘properly’ for the first time. Even Google doesn’t know the answer: an online search yields over five million results – you could spend ages clicking through them. Often, it’s your face shape that determines which look suits you best. But let’s be honest: who actually knows their own face shape? That’s why I always recommend working with a professional to find the right style. To get you started, we’ll introduce you to the most common styles.

The jackpot

Men with an oval face shape have nothing to worry about: everything suits them, from a full beard to stubble to a Henri IV. The only pitfall is the hairstyle – if the hair is styled upwards, you should avoid a long goatee to prevent the face from appearing too elongated. As the oval face shape is the ideal male face shape, we always try to work towards achieving it: angular or round faces can easily be balanced out with a few tricks – I always compare it to filling a wall.

A well-rounded look

Round faces can be made to appear longer and look much more defined with clean-shaven edges. A sharply defined line below the cheekbones and around the neck works wonders, for example, with a three-day stubble. A goatee further elongates the face; the hair on the outer areas – particularly at the temples and cheeks – should be kept shorter, as extra volume here accentuates the roundness. If the back of the chin is naturally narrow, I leave the beard wider here to prevent the lower part of the face from looking too thin.

A Heart for Beards

For heart-shaped faces, I always advise against thin styles such as narrow goatees, as they often make the head appear larger than it is. A three-day stubble without harsh lines is much better, as this makes the cheekbones appear softer and gives the face gentle features. A musketeer or full beard also suits this face shape, but should not taper too sharply; instead, they should be rounded.

Corners, edges, moustaches

To give a long, rectangular male face shape a softer look and avoid emphasising the already prominent features, the beard must not taper to a point. A three-day stubble with gentle transitions in the contours, on the other hand, makes the face appear much rounder. Or why not be a bit daring: the classic moustache suits this face shape well and is a stylish eye-catcher.

A diamond-shaped face can also conceal its pointed chin with rounded full beards, Lincoln beards or chin-straps; a few extra millimetres at the sides also pay off. Of course, there are also customers who want a chiselled military-style cut paired with a neat, angular beard – that is, of course, a matter of taste.

Square, practical, good

To soften the angles of a square face, we might, for example, trim the hair on the chin for a full beard whilst leaving it longer on the cheeks – or simply opt for a low-maintenance three-day stubble with soft edges. The more daring might grow a moustache or bring back sideburns, which artificially lengthen the face.

The triangular face shape, by contrast, has a broad chin and a tapered hairline. Here, we aim to make the very prominent lower area appear visually narrower. Styles such as the Van Dyke help with this – who hasn’t always wanted to look like the actor Robert Downey Jr.? The combination of a thin goatee and a moustache makes the chin appear narrower straight away.

Every beginning is easy

When men grow a beard for the first time, they are often unsure whether they are on the right track. No wonder, after all, they are breaking new ground. To get off to a confident start right from the beginning, I recommend popping into the barber’s every two to four weeks. Here, your beard and contours will be trimmed and neatly defined – ensuring you always look well-groomed. With a bit of experience, you can also trim the contours yourself, as otherwise the contrast between your beard and regrowth will quickly become blurred. Depending on your beard style, this line should be refreshed every two or three days so that it doesn’t need to be redrawn from scratch.

The most important thing comes last: no matter what face shape you have, ultimately you can wear any beard as long as you feel comfortable with it. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Do you have a round face and want to let the hair on the sides grow out? Then do so with a sense of proportion. When customers come into our salons with a specific image in mind or even a photo, we first discuss the intended look in detail. With a few simple tricks, we can achieve almost any look you desire.

Not sure which beard suits your face shape? Why not pop in and we’ll show you just how many options you have.

Yours, Behar

Behar is a master hairdresser and beard expert at Eric:Barbier