8 Manly Beard Styles for Round Faces (With Expert Growth Tips)

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Barber Michael DiGregorio shares how a beard can elongate a round face

Co-authored by Barry Hairston and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: February 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Best Beard Styles

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Benefits of a Beard

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Growing & Trimming

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Determining Face Shape

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Men with round faces sometimes struggle with how wide and youthful they look compared to men with oval, square, or diamond face shapes. The good news is that a beard can both lengthen and square off your face, so your cheeks look slimmer. Keep reading to discover the 8 best beard styles for a round face, the benefits of a beard for men with round faces, and how to grow and trim your beard, with tips from barbers and a licensed cosmetologist.

How to Choose a Beard for a Round Face

An illustration of 8 beard styles that suit round faces

Barber Michael DiGregorio recommends longer beard styles that elongate the face. For example, the short boxed beard has squared-off edges on the jawline and lower cheeks, and a thick, connected mustache. Another great option is the extended goatee, which is a short chin beard that tapers to a slight point.

Section 1 of 4:

8 Best Beard Styles for a Round Face

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A short boxed beard has neat, squared-off edges on the jawline and lower cheeks, providing much-needed structure to a round face shape. The mustache in this style connects to the facial hair on the chin in two thick lines.^{[1]
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Meet the wikiHow Experts

Michael DiGregorio is a barber and men’s grooming expert based in New York City. He specializes in barbering, men’s hair and style, fine fragrance, and styling tips.

Craig Whitely is a master barber and men's grooming consultant with over 15 years of experience. He's also the CEO of a skincare line called Burke Avenue and the founder of TheMensRoom.com.

Mark LoBiondo is a licensed cosmetologist with over 9 years of experience. He specializes in providing barber services reminiscent of classic barbershop experiences.

Juan Sabino is a professional barber with over 20 years of male grooming experience. He specializes in combovers, barber fades, and tapers, as well as improving men's overall wellness.

Marlon Rivas is a facial hair specialist and the owner of a barbershop called MGX Professional Men's Grooming. He has over 15 years of experience in managing and providing barber services.
A Van Dyke beard combines a slightly pointed beard on the chin with a thick, unconnected mustache. The jawline and cheeks are shaved down to stubble or the skin for this style. By centralizing your facial hair this way and keeping your beard pointed, you'll draw attention to the front of your face, rather than your rounded cheeks or jaw. The pointed beard also makes your face appear longer, so it doesn't look as wide.

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The Balbo beard is short and sports a soul patch and a thin, unconnected mustache. Facial hair is allowed to grow on the jawline in this style, but it's cut very short and close-fitting. Meanwhile, the sideburns are shaved off completely. The overall effect is a V-shaped look, which elongates the round face shape and makes it look slimmer.
The extended goatee features short hair hugging the jawline and coming together in a short, slightly pointed beard on the chin. The mustache is thin and connects to the beard, and the cheeks and sideburns are shaved.
A circle beard is a style where the mustache and rounded chin hair connect to form a roughly circular shape around the mouth. The jawline, cheeks, and sideburns are shaved, so the facial hair is concentrated in the front. This look minimizes the softness of a round face shape.^{[2]
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An anchor beard features a short, rounded goatee on the chin and jawline, a soul patch, and an unconnected mustache that stops at either corner of the lips. Its name comes from the fact that when you look at this style on a man dead-on, it somewhat resembles a ship anchor!^{[3]
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A French beard is a neat, sparse style, with a short goatee on the chin, a thin, connected mustache, and a connected soul patch. The hair on the jaw and cheeks is closely shaved down to stubble or the skin, as is the hair on either side of the soul patch. This look deemphasizes your round cheeks and brings the focus to your mouth and chin.
In this distinctive long beard style, the beard is grown out about 4–6 in (10–15 cm) to a tapered or rounded point. The hair on the jawline is full, but tightly trimmed and connected to the sideburns, and the mustache is connected to the hair on the chin. Meanwhile, the cheeks are clean-shaven. It's called a ducktail beard because it's pointed at the end and curves upward slightly, like a duck's tail. This produces the effect of lengthening and slimming a rounded face.

Section 2 of 4:

Benefits of a Beard for Round Faces

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It can make your face look more square. Round face shapes tend to look wider than oval or square face shapes. For some men, this is a problem, but master barber and men's grooming consultant Craig Whitely says a beard can help "square off that jawline."^{[4]
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Expert Source

Craig Whitely
Master Barber & Men’s Grooming Consultant

Expert Interview}
- DiGregorio says the best beard shape for a round face will “accentuate the jaw.” He adds that wearing the beard a little longer will add volume that can help elongate the face.^{[5]
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  Michael DiGregorio
  Barber & Men's Grooming Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
- Looking for a new haircut, too? Check out our article on the best haircuts for men with round faces!
Men with round face shapes tend to look more baby-faced and youthful. While some men may prefer this look, others would rather give off a more mature vibe. Growing a beard is a simple way to lend masculinity to your face and boost your confidence, so you can actually look your age (or older, if that's what you desire).
Men who carry a little extra weight in their face may have a weak chin or a double chin. If you're insecure about this, focus on growing a beard to a medium length of 0.5–3 in (1.3–7.6 cm) or a long length of 4–6 in (10–15 cm), so it covers more of your chin and neck.^{[6]
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Barry Hairston
Barber and Men's Grooming Content Creator

Expert Interview}

Section 3 of 4:

How to Grow & Trim a Beard for a Round Face

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Grow your beard out longer than you want it before trimming it. Licensed cosmetologist Mark LoBiondo recommends waiting until your facial hair is longer than you want it to be before you trim or shape it.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Mark LoBiondo
Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Interview} That way, you have some room to play with and won't be as likely to cut off too much.
- If your beard starts growing in patchy, professional barber Juan Sabino recommends shaving your beard "down to a shadow" with clippers, and keep doing that until you notice it growing in fuller.^{[8]
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  Juan Sabino
  Professional Barber
  
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Keeping the facial hair near your ears trimmed will help your round face look slimmer, says facial hair specialist Marlon Rivas. He also recommends shaving your cheekbones "in a blend," which will help narrow it even further.^{[9]
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Marlon Rivas
Facial Hair Specialist

Expert Interview}
Rivas says that shaving your neck while growing your beard "is one of the better things you can do to maintain a clean, groomed appearance."^{[10]
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Marlon Rivas
Facial Hair Specialist

Expert Interview} Look in the mirror, lift your head, and look for the round shape of your Adam's apple in the deepest curve of your neck. Shave all the hair below that deep curve, says Rivas, and even up the edges above it with your razor.^{[11]
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Marlon Rivas
Facial Hair Specialist

Expert Interview}
According to Sabino, "healthy hair follicles grow out of healthy skin," meaning you need to moisturize your skin and keep your beard clean if you want it to grow.^{[12]
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Juan Sabino
Professional Barber

Expert Interview} LoBiondo recommends shampooing and conditioning your beard once a week, then combing it out with a detangler brush or a boar bristle brush.^{[13]
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Mark LoBiondo
Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Interview} Apply 3-10 drops of beard oil after every shower to nourish your hair and the skin underneath.

Section 4 of 4:

Determining if You Have a Round Face

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To determine your face shape, measure your forehead, cheekbones, jawline, and the length of your face from your chin to your hairline. Then, compare your measurements. A round face will have almost equal measurements in face length and cheekbone width. You may also have a less defined jawline, which gives you a more youthful appearance.^{[14]
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