We are talking all about sideburns today. Sideburns area an incredible way to add interest, detail, and dimension to your face as well as finish off a hair cut. But what makes a good sideburn? What sideburn is best with what face shape? What works best for you? There’s a lot to consider.

First, Aaron Marino of alpha m. talks about sideburn trends. Having no sideburns looks funny as the hair style has no defining line where it stops. A little sideburn is required. Your hairstyle leads the way for the length and fullness of the sideburns. The sideburn should balance and compliment your hairstyle. If you have a short hairstyle, a long busy sideburn doesn’t make sense- what makes sense is a longer hairstyle with those fuller and longer sideburns.

Another key aspect when determining the sideburns is genetics. Some of you have been growing luscious and thick facial hair since the 8th grade. Others, like Alpha, don’t have fantastically even nor dense follicle activity. It wasn’t until Alpha’s 30s that he started materializing some sideburns. Genetics play a major role in what sideburn style you’re able to wear.

The two aspects of sideburns that you should be most concerned about are length and width. Alpha describes the length categories: short, medium, long, and extra long. He also covers width which include conservative / standard as well as wider and thinner styles.

You can play with and experiment with sideburns to find something that you totally love. But when experimenting, consider your face shape. The four basic face shapes: round, square, oval, and triangular / heart. Reference this article about the best sideburns for face shapes. The idea is that you want to contrast and balance your face shape:

Round : slim with longer sideburns to elongate your face. Keep tight to face.

: slim with longer sideburns to elongate your face. Keep tight to face. Oval : medium length and medium width. Avoid super long and super thin because they will make your face look longer.

: medium length and medium width. Avoid super long and super thin because they will make your face look longer. Square : medium-to-long sideburn that is thinner. The visual illusion is a narrow jaw.

: medium-to-long sideburn that is thinner. The visual illusion is a narrow jaw. Triangular or heart: wider (standard) and longer sideburn which will strengthen your jaw.

Another tip: instead of cutting your sideburns straight across and blunt, give them a slight angle that follows your jawline. It all comes down to personal preference. Express your individual style and flair.