Not only is virtually every Hollywood actor sporting a meticulously groomed beard, now even corner office CEOs are bristling, too. Facial hair is all the rage now; a fashion trend I joined nearly 20 years ago.

The best thing about beards is that they don’t have to be a permanent feature. In fact, athletes and sports fans alike break them out for sports playoffs. Jon Hamm seemed to grow one after every season of Mad Men; as if going full Sasquatch were his true resting state. Thus, a great beard can just be a break from the usual.

“The most desirable face shape on a man is square… so the goal is to try to achieve this shape using facial hair.”

However, you should know that not all men are equal, at least when it comes to shape and size anyway. When growing facial hair, some men are able to grow a full and respectable look, while others will be stricken with patchy growth. One thing is for sure, you shouldn’t let your facial hair grow without some boundaries.

In order to teach us how to do it right, Mashable, with the help of LA-based grooming expert Craig the Barber, has created the following infographic. In it are some pointers to see which type of beard best suits the shape of your face. Take a look:

The best beard types for your face

Triangular

Your face shape has a wide hairline, broad jawline and narrow chin. To create balance, the lower half (just below the cheekbones) has to be “filled out”. You want a full beard designed to take away from the pointy chin. Avoid too much fullness along the sides of the face as this will give the appearance of an even wider jawline.

Round

A neatly trimmed beard designed to slim the face is best for this face shape. Hard lines along the cheekbones and a slightly “squared off” neckline create the final touch towards a slimmer, oval-looking face.

Long face

The best way to give the appearance of a shorter face is to stick with neatly trimmed beards or scuff. Similar to rectangular/oblong face shapes, this takes the attention away from the narrow jawline.

Rectangular

Keep your facial hair short and trimmed, you already have strong lines.

No chin

No chin? Not a problem, if you can grow facial hair. Keep your beard full while shaping it to give off the appearance of a strong jawline and pronounced chin.

Square

A short beard with hard lines or a scruffy beard will help accentuate your square jaw.

Oval face

You win! Most styles of facial hair will work well with this face shape, so you can experiment a bit more to find which one best suits you. The world is your bearded oyster.

Small face

Skip the beard and go clean shaven. Any facial hair you wear will only make your face look smaller.

Large face

If you’ve got a large face, and you can grow a beard, stick with full beards that you can style to make your face appear smaller. Scruff will only show that you can grow a lot of it, so it’s better to avoid.

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Learn from the mistakes of those who have bearded before you, and bearded unwisely.

Quick beard tips

1. You’re beard isn’t a shrub, so don’t treat it like one. Keep it trimmed up.
2. Don’t trim away the beardiest parts.
3. Goatee? Unless you want your lips to look like a vagina, don’t even think about it.
4. Please don’t accessorize your beard; especially with glitter or baubles.
5. Try not to trim your beard into a point.
6. Don’t short-change the moustache. It’s your friend too.
7. It’s hard to keep things even, but don’t shave the cheeks down too deep.

Now that we’ve taken care of the facial hair, lets get you to start looking like the perfect gentleman.

Source: http://mashable.com/2014/09/13/best-beard-for-your-face/