There’s a moment many dads have where we look in the mirror and think: is now the time? Maybe it’s the sleepless nights, maybe it’s the dawning realisation that disposable razors are a tax on our patience, but the urge to grow a beard arrives like a mid-season transfer request.
And yet, despite the fantasy of emerging three weeks later looking like a mountain guide with wise eyes, what we actually get can be… mixed.
The trick is choosing a beard that suits your face and your life, then giving it enough time to become what it’s meant to be.
Know What You’re Working With
First, a reality check. Beards are heavily influenced by genetics.
Some blokes seem to sprout a full Viking in a fortnight; others produce a thoughtful scattering that looks like it’s still drafting plans. Patchiness, growth direction, and density are largely down to DNA. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a style that works, it just means you’ll get better results choosing a beard that suits the coverage you actually have, rather than the one you wish you had.
Also worth knowing: many men find beards mature as they do. Your growth often thickens through your 30s and 40s, so what failed at 24 might sing at 34. The big message is patience over perfection: play the cards you’ve got, and you can still win the hand.
The Awkward Stage Everyone Hates
Every great beard has an ugly duckling period. It’s the two to four weeks where your face looks undecided, the edges don’t align, and you question your choices.
You might feel like you’ve spent the night face-first in a bush. This is normal. If you’re aiming for anything beyond tidy stubble, you have to push through it. Think of it as scaffolding: it’s not the final building, just what has to be there while the structure goes up.
Make a simple decision to stick it out to week four before making any big calls about shape or style. You’ll be judging a half-finished project otherwise.
Finding The Right Beard For Your Face Shape
This is the meat of it: matching beard types to face shapes and growth patterns, with realistic timelines and expectations. You don’t need a barber’s diploma to get this right; you need an honest look in the mirror and a style that balances your features.
Square Faces
A square face usually has a strong jaw and broad cheekbones. You want to keep width under control and encourage a bit of length.
Good options:
• Short Boxed Beard: Neat on the sides, a touch longer at the chin. This keeps the jaw sharp without making your head look like a cube.
• Circle Beard (goatee plus moustache): Brings focus to the centre, softens angles, and works well if your cheeks are less dense.
• Extended Goatee: Adds verticality without adding side bulk.
Timeframe: Four to eight weeks for a short boxed beard to look purposeful; two to four for a circle beard.
Who it suits: Men with decent chin growth and at least moderate coverage around the mouth. If cheek growth is patchy, lean towards circle or extended goatee styles.
Round Faces
Round faces benefit from vertical emphasis to create definition.
Good options:
• Beard With Chin Emphasis: Keep sides tighter and allow more length under the chin.
• Van Dyke: Detached moustache with a pointed goatee can visually lengthen the lower face.
• Short-to-Medium Full Beard With Tapered Sides: Enough depth at the chin to elongate, sides reduced to avoid ballooning.
Timeframe: Six to twelve weeks for a medium beard; two to six for goatee-based looks.
Who it suits: Men who want sharper lines and a stronger profile. If cheeks are weak, go for the Van Dyke; if coverage is solid, the tapered full beard is a winner.
Oval Faces
Congratulations: the oval face is the universal adaptor. Most styles work.
Good options:
• Designer Stubble: Looks good on nearly everyone and can be maintained at almost any stage of life.
• Short Boxed Or Corporate Beard: Balanced, clean, and versatile for home and office alike.
• Full Beard: If you’ve got the density, you can enjoy a fuller look without throwing off proportions.
Timeframe: Stubble is a few days; short boxed is four to eight weeks; full beard is three to four months.
Who it suits: Anyone with oval proportions; choose based on commitment level and workplace vibe.
Long Or Rectangular Faces
Here you’re looking to add width and avoid too much vertical length that could make the face look even longer.
Good options:
• Fuller Sides With A Softer Chin Line: Adds lateral balance.
• Shorter Chin With Moustache Emphasis: Shifts attention upward and keeps the lower face from stretching.
• Mutton-Chop Adjacent (Modern, Not Victorian): Not full chops, but allowing some side presence can work surprisingly well if done subtly.
Timeframe: Six to ten weeks for meaningful side fullness.
Who it suits: Men with strong lower-face growth who can carry width without it turning bushy.
Heart Or Diamond Faces
Narrow chin, wider cheekbones or forehead. The aim is to add weight to the jaw and keep the top from feeling too dominant.
Good options:
• Beard With Rounded Or Square Bottom: Adds visual mass to the chin area.
• Short Stubble With Defined Edge: If growth is limited at the chin, crisp edges can fake balance.
• Balbo: Moustache with a separated chin beard adds structure without bulking the cheeks.
Timeframe: Four to eight weeks for real chin presence; quicker if opting for the Balbo.
Who it suits: Men who need the beard to do some architectural work for the jawline.
If Your Beard Grows Patchy
Plenty of men have strong growth around the mouth but patchier cheeks. That doesn’t rule you out.
Good options:
• Goatee Family (Circle, Van Dyke, Extended): Plays to strengths and looks intentional.
• Viking-Light With Natural Cheek Lines: If patches are small, letting them sit within a broader, natural line can still read as full at a slight distance.
• Persistent Stubble: A day-three to day-five shadow often disguises patchiness better than you think.
Timeframe: Two to six weeks for goatee variants; ongoing for stubble.
Mindset: Choose a style that looks deliberate. A confident goatee beats a half-hearted attempt at a full beard every time.
Classic Lengths And What They Signal
Sometimes the choice is less about geometry and more about what you want your face to say.
• Clean Stubble (1–3 mm): Effortless, slightly roguish, universally flattering. Great if your workplace is conservative or you’re time-poor.
• Heavy Stubble (4–6 mm): That just-before-beard look. Adds definition to the jaw, hides a tired night, and still works in most offices.
• Short Beard (Up To 2 cm): The grown-up sweet spot. It says you meant it, without a manifesto.
• Medium Beard (2–5 cm): Personality forward. Good for adding gravitas, but it demands more patience and a clear shape.
• Long Beard (5 cm+): A lifestyle, not an accessory. Choose it if it genuinely feels like you.
How Long Will It Take?
Rough guide, being honest about biology:
• Stubble: 3–7 days depending on your growth rate.
• Short Boxed: 4–8 weeks to look complete.
• Medium Full: 8–16 weeks to fill and settle.
• Long: 4–6 months before it stops looking like a project and starts looking like you.
Remember, if your growth is on the slower end, double the patience. That’s not failure; it’s your tempo.
Beards Take Commitment (But Not The Kind You Think)
We’re not diving into products or techniques here, but there’s still a commitment cost.
You need the patience to let a style reach maturity, especially through the awkward stage. Short stubble is instant gratification, but anything beyond that needs calendar time. Know your maintenance tolerance. If you rebel against structure, a soft, medium-length beard might suit your temperament better than a razor-straight jawline you’ll resent keeping tidy.
If you enjoy small routines, the short boxed beard will reward you with consistency and a quietly sharp look. Most importantly, decide in advance how far you’re willing to go. There’s no shame in saying you’re a heavy-stubble man and owning it forever.
Growing a beard is partly biology and partly attitude.
You can’t rewrite your genetics, but you can choose a style that flatters your face and fits your life, then give it long enough to become itself. Accept the awkward phase as a rite of passage, remember that beards often thicken in your 30s and 40s, and pick the level of commitment you’ll actually keep.
The right beard isn’t the flashiest one on Instagram; it’s the one that makes your reflection look exactly like the man you feel you are.