The Fade
Like haircut’s progress with fades on top of the head, the beard fade has a gradual decrease in length leading up to the ears. This style can slim the face when done correctly but doesn’t necessarily have to (if you’re comfortable with its current shape and state). The trick is where to start the fade (could be close to the years or closer to the jaw), and the best way to tell is just to ask your barber.
Black Tie Scruff
There is also a traditional scruff, but this one is more similar to a regular short beard than its classic cousin. It’s short enough to show skin, but it’s neatly trimmed and maintained. It requires some length to begin with, and a heavy hand trimmer after achieving the required size. Make sure you highlight the whole way around, and the cheek and neckline crips.
Full Chin Beard
Hugh Jackman is rocking the full chin beard. To achieve the effect, you should let all your hair cover your chin to grow long (instead of trimming it into a sharp point at the tip). Adding extra length on the chin will make any face look longer, and if that’s your goal, the full chin beard is something to try.
Viking Beard
While not everyone could pull the Viking beard off, this is the king among rugged manly styles that deserves a mention in the top five. It’s long, it’s flowing, it’s decidedly unshaped. The best thing about it? It doesn’t require much trimming, just occasional cuts, and focus on growing it wild. As soon as you get to at least a couple of inches of length, you could use scissors instead of a trimmer.
Well-Groomed & Defined Beard
The last style is a combination of two, but they’re just like cousins. Both have to be short and defined but long enough so that errant hairs won’t look shaggy. The only difference between the two is that the defined beard needs a sharp razor every other day to keep the lines defined. If that’s too much trouble for you, a well-groomed beard is still classy but requires less maintenance. Despite that, many prefer the well-groomed over the defined one. How to tell which will suit you better? Start with the defined, take a picture, wait a few days, trim your beard but don’t line it up and see for yourself.