Should a Mesh Beard Be a Separate Object or Part of the Face?

I’m modeling a character for practice and ran into a question about best practices for game-ready models. If a character has a mesh-based beard (not just textures or normal maps), is it better to keep it as a separate object (parented to the face), or should it be merged into the head mesh?

Right now, I’m mostly focused on edge flows, pole management, and general topology, but I want to keep an eye on industry standards, especially since my long-term goal is indie game development.

Keeping the beard separate makes it easier to maintain a clean, quad-based topology without forcing extra edge loops into the face. But in actual game development, could this approach cause issues with rigging, animation, or performance? Or is it actually a common practice?

Here’s my current progress (I’d love feedback on edge flow and topology as well!). The beard and eyebrows feel a bit off—I tried to keep the core mesh clean without overcomplicating the beard shape, but now it just looks kind of… boring. 😅