Defining your beard cheek line: How low do you go?

1 min read

Whether you’re sporting stubble or a proper beard, those last finishing touches to your beard cheek line can take you from scruffy to sophisticated in a just a few strokes.

But now you have some decisions to make. Are you a natural or a more defined kind of guy? Where do you draw the line when it comes to facial hair on cheeks? How low can you go before you’re essentially wearing a chin strap?

Basically, you’ve got two options:

The natural cheek line

This is a friendly and natural look, but not suitable for everyone. It’s softer than a defined cheek line, and makes your beard and face look bigger. One strong advantage of having a natural beard cheek line is that it requires less upkeep. You’ll only need to take care of your beard neckline, so you can spend less time on your daily grooming routine.

The defined cheek line

For a neater, sharper appearance, you can opt for a defined cheek line. It looks cleaner and gives your face angles and edges. Where you place it is up to you. Start by creating a straight line from your sideburn to the corner of your mouth.

That done, you can soften the look and make it feel more natural by dipping down into your beard to make the line slightly rounded. But be careful: dip too low and you will end up with that chin strap beard.

If your face is round, a straight cheek line at a steep angle will help offset the roundness. On the other hand, if your face is long and angular, a curved beard cheek line can soften the sharper contours of your face.

That’s really all there is to it. Defining the beard on your cheeks isn’t rocket science. But it can have a big impact on the look of your beard and the impression you make. So it’s well worth spending a few minutes to get it right!