As Beards Grow into Mainstay, Style Your Fuzz to Your Face Shape

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Symbols of masculinity, beards have grown into a millennial mainstay. From modern-day hippies and lumberjacks to accomplished professionals and celebrities, a swelling number of men are now framing their personalities behind a jawline, thick with facial hair.

“We see that guys, particularly younger guys, are comfortable using facial hair as a fashion accessory,” said Emily Dalton, co-founder of the men’s skincare brand Jack Black, to the Vancouver Sun. “They may have a beard this week, and be clean-shaven the next. And then next month, have a goatee and sideburns. It is a much more fluid approach for men.”

Even if The Independent proclaimed 2017 to be the year when beards finally get shaved off, fuzzy chins continue to rise up relentlessly. Yet, their style is shifting. Trimmed away are scruffy, overgrown beards. In are moisturized, kempt bristles that enhance the features of the face, rather than blur them in a tangle of coarse hair.

To achieve full beard mojo, here are the styles that best complement different face types:

Square Face

Square faces are often considered the apex of masculine appeal. Beards that attractively underscore firm jawlines follow their contour - short sides and full hair on the chin.

Round Face

Oval faces frequently evoke an innocent look, especially when kept stubble-free. To avoid descriptions like “baby face,” style a beard that gives your visage a square appearance by puffing it up around the chin.

Rectangular Face

Use your beard to visually shorten your face – full sides and a short bottom.

Oval Face

Oval faces are the golden middle – almost any beard style looks good on them.