Choosing between different types of facial hair styles isn't just about what looks cool on a celebrity or what’s trending on TikTok this week. Honestly, it’s mostly about geometry. Most guys walk into a barbershop or pick up a trimmer with a vague idea of "wanting a beard," but they end up with a shape that actually makes their face look rounder or their chin look weaker. It's a mess.
You’ve seen it. That guy with the patchy jawline trying to force a lumberjack look? Or the person with a very long face who grows a pointed goatee, making them look like a stylized villain from a 90s cartoon? Stop.
The reality is that facial hair is basically makeup for men. It’s contouring. You can literally hide a double chin, create the illusion of a stronger jaw, or balance out a massive forehead just by knowing where to leave the hair and where to take it off. But you have to be honest about what you're working with. If your hair grows in thin on the cheeks, don't try to grow a Verdi. It won't work.
The Science of the "Power Beard" and Heavy Stubble
When we talk about the most popular types of facial hair styles, the "Corporate Beard" or the "Short Boxed Beard" usually tops the list. It’s the safe bet. This style keeps the hair closely cropped on the cheeks and fuller around the chin and jawline. It’s professional. It says, "I have a job, but I also own a saw."
According to various grooming experts at Beardbrand and historical surveys from Psychology Today, women and men both tend to rate "heavy stubble"—roughly ten days of growth—as the most attractive facial hair phenotype. It provides the ruggedness of a beard without the maintenance nightmare of a long one.
However, heavy stubble is actually the hardest to maintain. If you don't neck-line it properly, you just look like you're going through a rough patch. You have to shave the neck. Find the spot two fingers above your Adam's apple and draw a "U" shape from ear to ear. Anything below that goes. If you go too high, you look like you have a double chin you didn't even have before. If you go too low, you look like a werewolf. There is no middle ground.
Why the Van Dyke is Making a Weird Comeback
The Van Dyke is often confused with a Goatee. They aren't the same. A goatee is just hair on the chin. A Van Dyke is a floating mustache and a pointed chin beard with no connection. It’s named after the 17th-century painter Anthony van Dyck.
It’s a bold choice. It’s for the guy who wants people to know he has a "personality." It works wonders if you have a weak chin but a strong mustache growth. Since the two parts don't touch, you don't have to worry about those awkward bald spots at the corners of your mouth that plague about 40% of the male population.
Matching Types of Facial Hair Styles to Your Actual Head
Look in the mirror. Forget what you want to look like for a second and look at the bone structure.
If you have a Square Face, you already won the genetic lottery for jawlines. Don't hide it. You want to keep the sides short and the chin slightly fuller. This elongates the face without widening it. Think of a "Circle Beard"—the classic mustache-meets-chin-hair look.
Round Faces need angles. If you grow a big, bushy beard on a round face, you just become a circle. You need to trim the cheeks very close and grow the hair longer at the bottom of the chin to create a faux-jawline. It’s basically an optical illusion.
Oval Faces are the chameleons. Almost any of the types of facial hair styles will work here. You can do the "Ducktail," where the beard tapers to a point at the bottom, or a full-on "Bandholz" if you have the patience to wait six months for it to grow.
Then there’s the Heart-Shaped Face. This is where you have a wide forehead and a very pointy chin. You actually need a beard. A full beard adds bulk to the bottom half of your face, balancing out your forehead. Without it, you can look a bit top-heavy.
The High Maintenance Reality of the "Low Maintenance" Look
People think growing a beard is the "lazy" option. It’s not.
If you want a clean-shaven look, you shave for three minutes every morning. Done. If you want one of the more intricate types of facial hair styles, you are now a gardener. You need:
- A high-quality trimmer with multiple guards.
- Beard oil (unless you enjoy "beardruff" snowing on your black t-shirts).
- A boar bristle brush.
- The patience of a saint.
Let's talk about beard oil for a second. It’s not for the hair. It’s for the skin under the hair. When you grow a beard, the hair sucks the natural oils (sebum) away from your face. Your skin gets dry, it itches, you scratch it, and then you get red bumps. It’s gross. Two drops of oil a day prevents the "itch phase" that kills most beard-growing attempts at the three-week mark.
The Mustache: A Risky Gambit
The "Chevron" mustache—think Ron Swanson or Tom Selleck—is back. But it’s a trap.
Most men cannot pull off a standalone mustache without looking like they’re wearing a costume. To make it work, it has to be thick. If you can see skin through the hair, shave it off immediately. A "Pencil Mustache" is even more dangerous; unless you are an actor in a period piece set in the 1920s, it usually just looks like you forgot to wash your face.
If you're going to do the mustache, own it. Keep it trimmed so it doesn't hang over your lip. No one wants to watch you eat soup with a mustache that acts as a strainer. It’s a bad look.
Real Talk on Growth Stimulants and Myths
You’ve seen the ads for "Beard Growth Serums" and pills. Most of them are garbage.
Beard growth is almost entirely determined by genetics and your body’s sensitivity to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If your dad couldn't grow a beard, your chances are slim. However, some people have had success with Minoxidil (Rogaine) on the face, though it’s not FDA-approved for that use and can cause skin irritation or heart palpitations. Proceed with caution.
Biotin supplements might help if you have a deficiency, but most people don't. The best thing you can do for your beard? Sleep, lift weights (to boost testosterone naturally), and stop touching it. Constantly pulling on beard hairs can cause traction alopecia—literally pulling the hair out until it stops growing back.
Tactical Grooming: The Tools You Actually Need
Don't buy the $15 plastic trimmer from the grocery store. It will pull your hair, give you split ends, and die in six months.
Invest in a professional-grade trimmer like the Wahl Professional 5-Star Detailer or something from the Bevel line. You want sharp blades that give a crisp line. For the actual beard length, a Brio Beardscape is widely considered one of the best for its ceramic blades and long battery life.
Also, get a pair of small, sharp scissors. Trimmers are great for bulk, but for those three stray hairs that stick out sideways from your cheek? You need scissors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The Neckline Traversal: I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating. Do not follow your natural jawline with the razor. It looks ridiculous when you open your mouth.
- The Cheek Line Over-Shave: Many guys shave their cheek line too low, trying to get a "sharp" look. This makes the beard look like it's sliding off your face. Keep the cheek line as high as possible, only cleaning up the stray "pioneer" hairs.
- Ignoring the Mustache-Beard Connection: For many, the mustache doesn't connect to the beard. That’s fine! Don't try to draw it in with a brow pencil. Just style it as a "disconnected" look.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Look
If you’re ready to change your style, don't just stop shaving and hope for the best.
- Week 1-2: Let everything grow. Don't touch it. It will itch. Use a tiny bit of moisturizer or oil.
- Week 3: Define your neckline. This is the moment you go from "homeless" to "intentional." Use the "two fingers above the Adam's apple" rule.
- Week 4: Evaluate the patches. If you have huge bald spots on your chin after a month, a full beard isn't in your cards right now. Switch to a "Stubble Look" or a "Mustache and Goatee" combo.
- Maintenance: Trim once a week. Wash with a dedicated beard wash (not hair shampoo, which is too harsh for facial skin) twice a week.
Choosing between types of facial hair styles is a trial-and-error process. Most men go through four or five different looks before they find the "one." Just remember that hair grows back. If you mess up the symmetry, shave it down to stubble and try again in ten days.
Start by identifying your face shape today. Use a dry-erase marker to trace your face in the mirror if you have to. Once you know if you're a square, circle, or triangle, the "right" beard style usually becomes obvious. Stop fighting your genetics and start working with them.