There are a lot of guys out there who do one of two things: one is that they pay enormous attention to their hair, and totally neglect the look of their facial hair, or they spend each day carefully taking care of and styling their beard, while completely neglecting the hair that’s on their head.
If you’re going to maintain good personal style, it is important to make sure that your hairstyle and beard style have some sort of sense of cohesion so that they complement each other stylistically. There are endless combinations of compatible hair and beard styles, so much so that it would be useless to simply list each one.
Tips for Creating a Cohesive Look
There are some easy tips that can ensure that your beard and hairstyles are complementary, so that you do have a cohesive look that is stylish overall.
Tip #1: Know Your Hair Type
Many men do not realize that there are specific hair types that both refer to the hair on their head and their facial hair. To figure out the right look to match your hairstyle to your beard style, you need to understand what type of hair you have. First, determine your curl pattern. Curl patterns range from type 1a, which is stick straight, to 4c, which is incredibly kinky-curly. Then, determine whether you have fine or coarse hair. Does your hair fall down in a smooth way, or does it stick out or upwards? Fine hair is weightless, while coarse hair is heavier, and therefore grows outward rather than down.
Establishing your hair type, both in terms of your beard and the hair on your head, gives you an idea of what types of styles will work for you. Different hair types are favorable for certain styles.
Tip #2: Know Your Face Shape
Everyone has a unique face shape, which plays a big role in determining which beard styles and hairstyles will complement you. For instance, a round face shape can give a man a younger appearance, so if he wants to look more masculine and chiseled, he’ll want to style his beard and hair in a specific way. Emphasizing beard volume along the jawline can narrow the face, while growing the hair longer than average can do the same.
The seven basic face shapes are oval, heart, square, round, diamond, pear and oblong. Figure out what your face shape is, which will help you understand which hair and beard styles will flatter you the best.
Tip #3: Maintain a Daily Routine
To keep your beard and hairstyle looking cohesive, it’s important to give equal attention to both on a daily basis. Both your beard and hair need daily love, in the forms of adequate moisture from the use of beard oils, conditioners and the like, and styling that lets your beard and hair look their absolute best. The uses of products like pomades and beard balms can do wonders in transforming your look, and keeping your beard and hair looking nice and cohesive.
Tip #4: Be Mindful of Overdoing it
If you are a particularly style-conscious guy, you may be tempted to overdo things in the styling department. A lot of trendy looks today are more architectural or structured in nature, such as undercut hairstyles that create a very noticeable shape, and make you stand out.
We know that having a unique look can be a good thing, but you want to maintain a sense of balance between your beard and your hair. For instance, if you have a very structured hairstyle, applying the same look to your beard can be overkill, and take away from the appearance of your actual face by serving as a distraction. Therefore, try to practice some restraint when styling your beard and hair so that you’re not engaging in style overkill.
Tip #5: Determine Your Personal Look
When figuring out how to match your hairstyle to your beard, it’s important to have an established personal look that you’re going for. Any beard style can look good with a number of hairstyles, and each one will give off a certain image that will end up defining you to others.
Let’s say you have a medium-length, full beard. Well, you have several options for a hairstyle. You can go with a completely shaved head, which will give you an edgier, harsher quality. You can grow your hair shoulder-length, which will give you a softer, more sensitive look. Or, you can go with a fade that makes you look trendy. When considering different hairstyles, ask yourself what type of image you want to project to the world.
Tip #6: Maintenance is Key
Once you’ve established the right hairstyle to match your beard style, you need to make sure that you stay on top of maintenance. Putting so much effort into coming up with a cohesive style will go to waste if you don’t put in the work to keep both your hairstyle and beard looking as good as can be. Stay on top of those trimming and shaping sessions, and make sure to use the right products each day to keep things looking fresh.
Tip #7: Get a Professional Opinion
If you’re still struggling to figure out which hairstyle is best to complement your beard, get a professional opinion from a barber. Barbers understand hair type, face shape and all of the other factors that determine which looks will flatter a man the most.
Quick Hairstyle Thoughts
Caring about your appearance is a good thing, as people see it as a favorable quality. This is why you should make the effort to create some kind of cohesion between your beard style and your hairstyle. You have many hairstyle options to choose from regardless of how you style your beard, so figure out what will flatter you the most as well as what type of image you want to maintain for the rest of the world to see.