Clean Shaven
No beard. Sometimes that is the recommendation.
What it is
A bare face shows the jawline exactly as it is and removes all added width from the lower third. When the jaw is already well defined and the face already broad, adding hair usually costs more than it returns.
Who it suits
- Square
Jaw, cheekbones and forehead are close in width, with a pronounced jaw angle. The structure is already strong, so the job is either to show it off or to soften its corners.
- Rectangle
A square jaw on a longer face. Height on top works against you here; width, fringe and side volume bring the proportions back.
- Diamond
Cheekbones dominate, with a narrower forehead and a narrow chin. Width at the brow and along the jaw evens the outline out.
- Oval
Slightly longer than wide, with the cheekbones as the widest point and a gently rounded jaw. The most forgiving shape — most cuts work, so the decision comes down to hair texture and how much effort you want to spend.
When to think twice
- soft jawline
- receding chin
- round face
Show this to your barber
Pre-shave oil, sharp blade with the grain, then across. Balm, not alcohol.
Related styles
- Short Boxed Beard
Full but close-cropped, with defined cheek and neck lines.
- Heavy Stubble
Three to five millimetres, everywhere, all the time.
- Extended Goatee
Chin and moustache connected, cheeks clean.
- Full Beard
Grown out, shaped, not sculpted.