What Facial Hair is Right for Your Head Shape

by Garrick Dee | Last Updated: June 15th, 2020

The Amish tend toward that epic chin strap and Rockabillies go for long sideburns, but if you don’t have a culture of facial hair to fall into, what should you use to determine the best look for yourself?

Well, science has an answer, and it has to do with the shape and contour of your head.

Armed with a specific shape, there are scientifically proven facial hair configurations that will naturally match your face and make you the best looking you possible.

What shape is my face?

Figuring out face shape may sound like an offshoot of phrenology. Still, in fact, it points toward a set of measurements that anyone can figure out with determination and a soft measuring tape (don’t try to use the metal kind or you’ll risk nasal injury).

Knowing your face shape is about more than just facial hair configuration. It can help you determine your best glasses style and recommend a particular haircut too.

Start by pulling back your hair to expose your forehead – if you’re baldish, you are one step ahead of the pack!

Experts recommend using an eyebrow pencil or similar to outline your face to make the contour more prominent.

A sharpie marker is less recommended.

Measure the widest part

It might be obvious just by looking, but if you need to grab the measuring tape to assess the widest part of your face, make it happen.

My forehead is widest: You likely have an oval head, mainly if your face tends to get thinner around your chin.

My cheekbones are widest: This generally points to a circular head shape — usually, you can tell if your face is just about as wide as it is in height.

My jaw is widest: You might have a square face, where all your features are relatively even (but a prominent jawline might point to a heart or triangle shape).

Check your jaw shape.

Round Jawed? You are likely looking in the mirror at a round face or an oval if your face is longer.

Pointy Jawed? Probably you’re talking about a heart shape

Square-Jawed? Usually, this means you have a square face, mainly if your chin is not very prominent

How’s your face length?

Short-faced people tend toward the round or square shape.

Long-faced people tend toward the oval and rectangular.

Now that you’ve identified a head shape, and washed the eyebrow pencil off your face, you’re ready to decide on the facial hair situation that fits.

YourBestDigs put together a handy chart that matches a face shape to its best hair configuration with scientific precision.

Basically, you want to balance your bone structure to make your face look the best it can.

For example, if your face is small, you may want to make it seem longer with long beard hair, if your face is triangular, you might want to make it seem less so using facial hair contouring. Some great facial hair ideas include:

Lengthening: You can elongate a round face by shaping hair around your cheeks and allowing the chin hair to grow longer.

Not so pointy: Grow a goatee on a heart-shaped face for better chin definition.

Triangular: If the bottom of your face is widest, create balance by growing a longer beard with shorter contoured sideburns.

Whatever your face shape, we guarantee that you’re never going to be able to look into a mirror every again without thinking about it. You have the tools to make sure your facial hair matches up perfectly.

See the visual below for more keen insight on how to match the face with hair in perfect harmony.