Facial Hairstyles That Work With Facial Hair Types

Just like the hair that grows on our heads, facial hair can have many different types. Thick, thin, wavy, curly hair, or a mix and match of these qualities, can describe your head of hair and your beard. Today, we will look at the three main facial hair types and the best facial hairstyles that work with each type.

Genetics and Follicles: What Determines Facial Hair Types?

Our hair, whether from our scalp, bodies, or face, grows out of tiny holes in our skin called follicles. The texture of our hair is determined by our genetics and the shape of the hair follicle itself. While all facial hair tends to grow the same amount, the follicle shapes on your body vary. The varying follicle shapes are why you might have straight hair on your head and a curly beard, or a head of curly hair with a straight beard, for example. 

Straight hair grows from a round follicle, wavy or kinky from an oval-shaped, and curly hair grows from either a flattened oval or a half-circle follicle, dictating how your hair grows.
While textures, curls, and hair types can vary widely, most facial hair types can be broken down into three general categories: straight, wavy, or curly.

Straight Facial Hair

Straight facial hair grows the longest and fastest. Since there's no looping or waves, a straight beard will appear roughly three times longer than an equally grown-out curly beard. As someone with a beard full of straight hair, you have a few advantages, such as easier brushing and fewer steps to grooming, but you also have some disadvantages. During the growth process of straight beards, you'll likely be more prone to spots where the hair is sparse and thin at first. These patches will take time to fill as your beard grows. So, whether it is your first time growing out of your straight facial hair or your fifth, remember to be patient while it grows, as it may look patchy at first.
Also, note that your face is not a flat object but three-dimensional. You have cheeks, a chin, a jawline, and a neck—all of which have curves and angles. While growing downward, not every part of your facial hair will be the same length.

What's the best way to care for a straight beard?
• Use a comb, not a brush.
• Condition it frequently as well as the skin beneath the beard. For instance, Cut Buddy's After Shave Butter doesn't necessarily have to be used after a shave. The After Shave butter is full of skin and facial hair moisturizing ingredients that soften and soothe.
• Make sure to keep the Cut Buddy Trimmer and Shaper tool at hand to keep your neck and chin hair aligned with your cheek growth.

Wavy Facial Hair

If you have a beard that is neither straight nor fully curly, that's a wavy beard. Wavy beards work best if you embrace their natural look as it grows, as straightening them with heat or creams could damage them or cause them to frizz. Wavy hair sometimes gets a bit out of control, so if you have wavy facial hair, you need to groom frequently to keep it tamed.

What's the best way to care for wavy facial hair?
• Use the Wash and Style detangle hair brush gently to avoid tearing out beard hair.
• Styles can be set using beard balms or wax.
• Tough tangles can be gently removed with a comb.
• Don't try and force your wavy beard into unnatural styles


Curly Facial Hair

You've got curly facial hair if your beard looks like a fully loaded spring or coils tightly. The advantage of curly facial hair is that it will usually look fuller and thicker. The downside is that curly beards require more maintenance as they tangle easily and can get dry fast.

• Use moisturizing butter and oils daily to prevent your beard hair from drying.
• Regularly brush beard gently to detangle
• Avoid unnatural straightening methods that damage and further dry out your curly beard

Which Facial Hair Styles Look Best for Each Type of Facial Hair?

The good news is that your facial hair type doesn't influence what facial hair style would look best. The bad news is that it does depend on two things: the thickness of your facial hair and the shape of your face. Once you know these two things, you can easily pick a facial hair style that suits you ideally.

Once you know whether you have thick or thin facial hair, the next consideration is your face shape. The eight general face shapes are:
• Square
• Oval
• Rectangle or Oblong
• Round
• Diamond
• Triangle

Recommended Round Facial Hair Styles:

1. Pick a style that gives length to your face. Longer beards are great.
2. Avoid short bears or stubble.
3. Consider: faded beard styles

Recommended Rectangle/Oblong Facial Hair Styles:

1. Keep it short. Your face is longer than it is wide, so avoid longer beard styles that make your head look longer.
2. Short beards that don't go too far past the chin.
3. Consider: Stubble beard, Stubble beard with Moustache

Recommended Square Facial Hair Styles:

1. Keep it short and closely cropped.
2. Short at the chin, neck, and cheeks. Think almost stubble beards.
3. Consider: Short Boxed beard

Recommended Diamond and Triangle Facial Hair Styles:

1. A full beard that expands the jawline. Long beards work well here.
2. Triangle-shaped faces can also benefit from a beard style that adds definition and width to a narrow jawline, so a full beard longer at the chin, stubble, or a goatee would work well.
3. Consider: The Hollywoodian beard, the Verdi beard

Of course, the easiest way to maintain great-looking facial hair is to have the right tools! Take a look at our Beard Shaping Tool and Hair Trimmer Guide- Plus Version to get you started growing and grooming a fantastic beard. Have you any more questions about facial hair types or styles for us? Feel free to reach out and contact our Cut Buddy Pros. They'd love to help!