Stand in front of a mirror and observe your facial features closely. Look at the width of your forehead, cheeks, and jawline, and note the length of your face. Is it more round, square, long, or tapered? By analyzing these proportions, you can determine which face shape category you fall into.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common face shapes to help you identify yours:
Facial Shape Brief Description
Narrow forehead and wider jawline, like an upside-down triangle. Hairstyles with more volume near the top work best.
A long face with a broad forehead and strong jaw. Soft, layered haircuts make it look more balanced.
Jawline is the widest part, and it gets narrower at the top. Adding volume to the top of your hair can balance it out.
Narrow forehead and chin with wide, sharp cheekbones. Styles that soften the cheeks and add fullness at the forehead or chin work well.
A longer version of a rectangle face with straight cheekbones. Haircuts with side volume can make it look more even.
Wide forehead and cheekbones with a narrow, pointed chin. Side-swept bangs and soft waves look great.
Broad forehead and jawline with sharp angles. Long layers and waves help to soften the face
Balanced shape with slightly wider cheeks and a soft jawline. Almost any hairstyle looks good on this face shape.
For men, make side tight cuts such as pompadour or flat top works well. Alternatively, leaving a full square beard also complements the look.
For this type of face shape for women, you can try a haircut to sharpen your facial edges with layers cut, step cut, or a feathered fringe to add movement and texture to the hair. The haircut based on face shape, that are mentioned above, help show your strong jawline and facial features.
For men, subtly tweaked hairstyle makes the face apt, without elongating it even more. Another look is the falling of hair towards a side, that can add width to the face.
For men, minor caveats are suitable, wearing your hair off the forehead and side parting are good options.
For men, avoid tight cuts as it may narrow the chin even more, mid-length hairstyles and long ones are best suited for this type that will give a soft sweep look.
This shape is similar to the rectangle or oblong shaped face type, where you may consider softening your forehead area with a few haircuts like wavy shags, slight side-swept bangs. These types along with others like long layers with a fringe work best to show prominence of the strong jawline in women. Short length and wavy strands also cover the forehead slightly, complimenting your squared jaws.
For men, French crops, quiffs, or buzz cuts complement the squareness of the face. Along with this, side parts and short layers also suit well.
This type of face shows sharp features, and the haircut based on face shape for women, with sharp features near the forehead and the jawline goes well. A short, cropped hair, or long hair with bangs go well and accentuate the face type.
In men, given the width of the cheekbones, softer layers giving natural angles, and covering the large ears is a wise choice. You can also try a side sweep or deep parting for those with a narrow chin.
While choosing the haircut according to face shape, also keep in mind to take the suggestions of your stylist based on your hair texture, as they may also impact the style of haircut you are about to choose.