Do Beards Change the Shape of the Face? Best Beards by Face Shape

Confidence. Style. Success.  

Feeling good about the way you look is a game-changer. Part of the reason beards are coming back into style is that the right one can absolutely change the shape of your face, enhance your features, add definition and elevate your overall look. Understanding the way facial hair impacts appearance means that you can completely transform the way you’re perceived. Add a more structured jawline, soften harsh angles or balance out your cheeks.  

To get started, you just need to choose the best beard style for your face shape. 

How to Choose the Right Beard Style for Your Face Shape 

Understanding Face Shapes

Before getting into the specifics of different beard styles, you’ll need to know what the basic face shapes are. Otherwise, how could you pick out your own? There are tons of shape variations, but these five will get you started. 

• Round: Round faces are equally long and wide, with softer angles. 

• Oval: Oval faces have balanced proportions and are longer than they are wide.  

• Square: Square faces feature a strong jawline and a broad forehead. 

• Rectangular: Rectangular faces have strong cheekbones and are longer than they are wide.  

• Heart: Heart-shaped faces have a wide forehead with a chin that comes to a more narrow point. 

You may be closer to one of the other shapes — diamond, oblong, triangle, etc. — but these are a solid foundation. (In fact, understanding how proportions affect perception is a key part of facial hair design, which we cover in our barbering program.) 

Keep in mind that all these shapes have unique features and strengths; none are better than the others! But depending on what you want to highlight, consider mixing up your style of beard for an ideal look. 

How to Figure Out Your Face Shape 

Figuring out your face shape isn’t an exact science. Many people are somewhere between two categories. Someone who has a round face and a pointier chin could benefit from the guidelines for both round and heart-shaped faces! 

Figure out the widest part of your face. Is it your forehead, your cheekbones or your jaw? Then identify the narrowest part. If there isn’t an obvious answer, that’s okay! Keep reading to find where you fit in best.

Beards for Round Faces

This is a pretty easy category to self-identify. If your face is about as long as it is wide and is missing the sharp angles of a square jaw or especially pointy chin, you’ve probably got a round face. 

An important note about round faces is that they aren’t inherently tied to weight, although it’s true that both weight and age can affect face shape. Jeremy Renner, Jack Black and Aziz Ansari all have very different looks and are grouped into this category together. 

The goal for most people with round faces is to add definition and elongate your appearance.  

Stick to beards that create the illusion of a more angular face, either through defined lines and tight grooming or with facial hair like goatees, which draw the eyes vertically instead of toward your cheeks. A Van Dyke style can balance out roundness, too.  

Try to avoid big, full beards if you want to create a more balanced appearance. The bushy look hides your bone structure and accentuates the widest part of your face. 

Beards for Oval Faces

If your face is noticeably longer than it is wide but without sharp angles, you probably have an oval face (or something close to it). 

Idris Elba, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. all sport oval-shaped faces. 

Oval faces are usually considered one of the most versatile face shapes — you can get away with a lot of different facial hair styles because you’re starting off with a balanced canvas. 

That gives you license to experiment a little! Try out a neat, full beard, which can add some dimension and highlight your natural symmetry without throwing it off. Alternatively, just a little bit of stubble is a great way to add texture and ruggedness without overwhelming your face. 

The biggest kind of beard to avoid with an oval face is anything excessively long or unkempt. It’ll throw off your natural balance. 

Beards for Square Faces

Faces that aren’t overly long but have a strong jawline and a broad forehead are square. If you’re stuck on figuring out which shape your face is, it’s probably between round and square. The deciding factor is usually the jawline, but square faces also tend to have more angular features in general.  

Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum, Kumail Nanjiani and Sebastian Stan all have square faces, in varying degrees of intensity. 

You might want to try out a short boxed beard, which can soften the sharper angles of your face without losing your jawline. An extended goatee can do the same thing, if you want to add some vertical lines to make your face feel a little longer. In fact, most facial hair styles that include a moustache will probably help balance out your proportions. 

Avoid super full beards, which can hide your most striking features.  

Beards for Rectangular Faces

Much like square faces compared to round faces, the rectangular shape is similar to an oval. If you have a rectangular face, it will be longer than it is wide. The difference is that a rectangle suggests prominent cheekbones and a “square” jawline.  

Lots of leading men have rectangular faces, although they’re often styled to enhance balance and reduce the appearance of length in their faces. 

Celebrities like Brad Pitt, Henry Cavill and Orlando Bloom all have rectangle-shaped faces. 

To enhance the best features of this look, you might want to try out a full beard with side beards. This can add some width to the sides of your face, which evens out your proportions. A beard with rounded edges can do the same thing by softening any harsh angles. 

For the most facial harmony, avoid long facial hair. Whether it’s a beard or a goatee, they will emphasize and exaggerate length instead of balancing it out. 

Beards for Heart Faces

Perhaps the most interestingly named category, the heart shape can be easily misidentified as round or square. These are shorter faces, with a wide forehead. The unique factor is the narrow chin, which juts out more than it does for a round or square face. Some guides also suggest that a true heart-shaped face has a widow’s peak, like the top of a heart — that isn’t required, but does make it easy to see!  

Heart-shaped faces are very popular on male celebrities who end up as teen heartthrobs — Harry Styles, Justin Timberlake, Nick Jonas and Leonardo DiCaprio (especially back in the 90s) are great examples to see some of the differences. 

Because they have pointier chins in comparison, people with heart-shaped faces can end up looking like they have foreheads that are even wider than they actually are. Choosing a beard style that emphasizes volume in the chin area, like a goatee or even a Balbo beard, can minimize the “big forehead” effect. Just make sure you aren’t adding a lot of bulk, which can backfire. 

Tips for Choosing the Right Beard Style

You might not really care about the “ideal” facial hair for your face shape. Rock the look you’re most comfortable in! 

Personal Preferences 

In addition to the shape of your face, you need to consider your personal style and maintenance preferences. Choose a beard or kind of facial hair that fits your grooming habits and lifestyle. Don’t set yourself up for failure by picking a beard you don’t love or won’t maintain.  

Talk to a Pro 

For personalized advice and shaping that complements your face shape, talk to a professional barber. They’ll be able to help you find the right look in addition to knowing exactly how to do it. Plus, they’ll be able to recommend techniques and products to keep it looking fresh every day. 

A beard can be a powerful tool for enhancing your appearance and balancing your face shape. Whether someone has an oval, round, square, rectangular or heart-shaped face, the right beard style can make a significant difference in not only appearance, but confidence.  

The people who do this kind of work can truly change someone’s life through improved self-esteem — interested? Check out our barbering program for more information today!