A beard changes the outline of the lower half of your face. Used well, it adds a jawline where there isn’t one, slims full cheeks or balances a wide forehead. Used badly, it adds bulk exactly where your face is already widest.

The logic is the same as with a haircut, just turned upside down. Length at the chin pulls the face downwards and makes it look longer. Fullness on the cheeks and along the jaw pushes the outline outwards and makes it look wider. Every recommendation in the finder is a mix of those two moves.

That is why there is no single best beard. A long, full beard looks powerful on a face that needs width at the bottom, and heavy on one that is already wide there. Matching the beard to your face shape is the quickest way to make it look deliberate rather than accidental.

Find your shape in the left column. The aim tells you which of the two moves you need; the styles are the easiest ways to get there.

Face shape	Aim	Best beard styles	Skip
Oval	Keep the balance	Short boxed, stubble, Italian, goatee	Very long, wide beards
Round	Add length at the chin	Goatee, Van Dyke, boxed beard longer at the chin	Full cheeks, mutton chops
Square	Frame or soften the jaw	Stubble, chin strap, goatee, short boxed	Wide, squared-off full beards
Rectangle	Add width, not length	Short boxed, stubble, short Italian beard	Long pointed or Viking beards
Diamond	Add width at the jaw	Short boxed, Italian, faded beard	A goatee on its own
Heart	Add fullness at the chin	Short boxed, Italian, rounded long beard	Thin chin strap, pointed goatee
Triangle	Keep the jaw light	Stubble, goatee, faded beard	Wide full beards, mutton chops

Oval Face

Almost any beard works on an oval face, so choose by how much upkeep you want. A short boxed beard or stubble is easy to keep sharp, while a groomed Italian beard suits a dressier look. Only very long, wide beards upset the balance. For more ideas, see our full guide to oval face beard styles.

Round Face

Keep the cheeks short and let the chin grow longer. A goatee or a pointed French beard adds length and an angle that a round face lacks. If you prefer a full beard, ask for it to be faded tight at the cheeks and squared or pointed at the chin. Full, round cheeks and mutton chops make the face look wider.

Square Face

Your jaw already does the work. Stubble or a neat chin strap keeps it on show, while a goatee shifts focus to the chin and softens the corners. Avoid wide, squared-off full beards that turn a strong jaw into a block.

Rectangle (Oblong) Face

Grow fuller at the sides and keep the chin short, so the beard adds width rather than length. A short boxed beard or a short Italian beard works well. Long, pointed beards and Viking styles make a long face look longer still.

Diamond and Heart Faces

Both shapes are narrow at the chin, so a fuller lower beard balances them. A short boxed beard or a groomed Italian beard adds width where you need it. Heart faces can also carry a rounded longer beard. Skip a thin chin strap or a lone goatee, which point attention at the narrowest part of the face.

Triangle Face

With a wide jaw, keep the sides short. Stubble, a goatee or a faded beard defines the jaw without making it heavier. Pair it with some height in your haircut to balance the top of the face. Wide full beards and mutton chops add bulk at the widest point.

Face shape tells you what the beard should do. How your beard grows tells you which styles are realistic, and it is worth being honest about it before you commit.

Patchy growth looks best kept short. At stubble length the gaps blend in, and a style built around the areas that grow well, such as a goatee or a moustache with stubble, looks deliberate. Growing it longer rarely fills the gaps; it usually makes them more obvious. See our patchy beard styles.

Medium growth handles most short and medium styles. The difference between average and sharp is almost always the lines: a clean neckline, a tidy cheek line and an even length.

Full growth lets you wear any style, including long beards, as long as your face shape suits the length. The challenge is shape rather than coverage, so regular trims matter more than for anyone else.

A beard that suits your face shape still needs upkeep to keep doing its job. Most of it comes down to three lines and one length.

Pick one guard length for the cheeks and stick to it, so the beard looks even from week to week. Set the neckline about two fingers above your Adam’s apple; going higher makes the jaw look softer, and leaving it lower makes the beard look untidy.

Keep the cheek line natural and only tidy the stray hairs above it. A cheek line cut too low and too straight looks drawn on. If you want to lengthen your face, trim the chin a guard or two longer than the cheeks.

Finally, look after the hair and the skin underneath. A few drops of beard oil after a shower soften the hair, stop the itch and make the beard look darker and fuller. Want to mix your own? Try our beard oil blends to make at home.