How to match beard and hair style

A common question we get is "How do I match my beard and hair style ?" So in order to  give some pointers we asked the fine folks over at BoldBarber.com to share some of their hands on wisdom. The following is their post on how to match things. Enjoy!

Many of us are constantly thinking of ways to make either our hairstyle - or our beard - as attractive as possible. Less often do we consider how the two match up. In this post we let you know just how to match your hairstyle up with your beard, achieving the perfect balance between the two of them. Read on to find out more and check out the best hair clippers for men on BoldBarber.com.

Which should you focus on first or primarily?

That depend entirely on where your strengths lie! For example, if you've still got a thick, full head of hair, don't adapt IT to suit your budding beard just because you'd like some facial hair to go with it. On the other hand, if your crown is starting to thin out, decide on a beard style that will suit your facial features and draw attention away from your head

What about color?

If your hair is starting to go grey, yet your beard still retains its original color, what should you do? Leave things as they are, or (for example) die your hair to match the beard? In the same vein, if you’ve already died your hair a certain color and now want to grow a beard, should you eventually die it also so that the two match? In truth, you should in most cases try to match your hair to your beard color – in some situations this may involve using dyes, but a good rule of thumb is that you should avoid using light color dyes on naturally dark hair. For then, you are faced with the prospect of dark roots showing through the (eg peroxide colored) bleach. You want your head hair to match the color of your beard, but if you end up with multi colored head or facial hair, then the whole purpose is defeated.

What if you are bald or your head hair is thinning out? In that case, should you grow a beard?

It depends on whether the thinning out of your head hair bothers you! If it does, and you want to draw attention away from it, then by all means try growing a nice beard. Be warned though: if your facial hair doesn't grow all that well, then this might not be the best idea.

What sort of facial hair is best for different hairstyles?

Again this depends on how a person's facial hair tends to grow. But generally speaking...

• Buzz cut: by getting a buzz cut you run the risk of looking too plain or like an 'egghead', or lacking texture or contours on your head. So in this case, having a little bit of stubble or short beard is a good move, as it will give your look a bit more character, bringing out the rugged and Spartan quality of that cut

• Short hairstyles: given that this hairstyle if quite conservative, and better suited to formal and professional work settings, your best bet is probably to remain clean shaven here.

• Medium length hairstyles: this is where things begin to get a bit interesting, and you start having a lot more options regarding your facial hair. Any facial hairstyle can be suitable here, from a clean shaven look to a big beard - but always try to achieve a balance, ie. if you already have thick, full hair on your head don't grow a beard that's too lush.

• Long hairstyles: this is probably the hairstyle that's MOST compatible with having a beard, particularly if you don't want to look too feminine (unless you already have a facial bone structure that's already very masculine/square).

There you have it then! Matching your hair with your beard is not a difficult task, once you take into account the factors considered here. Follow the pointers presented in this post, and you will achieve the complete look, head hair and beard combined.