Choosing the Best Haircut for Your Face Shape

For many, going to the salon is a relaxing experience. The only thing you have to do is sit in a comfortable chair and let your stylist work. However, if you’re planning to try getting your hair cut a different way, you may not be as relaxed as the rest. What if it doesn’t look like you envisioned? What if it looks exactly the way you envisioned and you hate it anyway? What if you have to wait months for it to grow into something you actually like? These worries may plague you when you’re making this decision, but they don’t have to.
 
A great place to start when choosing a new haircut that will look great on you is with your face shape. This will help you establish a baseline for what complements you well. In general, women’s facial shapes tend to fall into one of six categories:
 

• Oval
• Round
• Square
• Heart
• Diamond
• Long

 
Each face shape is slightly different, and therefore, each haircut looks different on the various shapes, with some being more complementary than others. This means that what looks great on your friend may not look so great on you simply because of your bone structure. That’s nothing either of you can change. It just means you should be looking for inspiration from people whose faces are similar to yours.
 

How to Determine Your Face Shape

Determining your face shape is easier than most people think. It’s all comes down to the proportions of your face. There are eight distinct points on your face, creating four distinct lines you’ll need to pay attention to.
 

• Forehead line, connecting the top corners of your forehead
• Jaw line, connecting the places where your jaw creates a corner
• Horizontal center, connecting the ends of your cheekbones
• Vertical center, connecting the tip of your chin to the top center of your forehead

 
The various lengths of these four lines make up your face shape. If you’re having trouble figuring out the shape of your face, consider looking at celebrities with faces similar to yours. You might also consider asking your stylist next time you visit a salon, since they have an eye for this sort of thing.
 

Oval

An oval face shape is when the top and bottom halves of your face have similar proportions, while the middle of your face is slightly wider than both. In this case, the length of your face (vertical center) is longer than the width (horizontal center). Some celebrities with an oval face shape include Cameron Diaz, Courtney Cox, and Julia Roberts.
 
If you have an oval face shape, you’re in luck. Oval faces are the most versatile when it comes to haircuts. Nearly every style will look great! Everything from chin-length bobs to longer, layered hair complements oval faces. You have many options to experiment with if you want to.
 
When you’re choosing, however, try to steer away from any harsh haircuts. Heavier bangs will make your face appear shorter than it is, and one-length cuts will make your face appear longer.
 

Round

A round face shape is defined by the length (vertical center) and width (horizontal center) being the same, or at least very similar. Faces like these are often referred to as “baby faces.” Some celebrities with a round face shape include Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, and Mila Kunis.
 
A round face shape is often flattered by more youthful haircuts. Short hair looks great, so don’t be afraid to chop your hair if you want. Try to avoid softer haircuts, like wispy bangs, because they bring attention to the youthfulness of your face (unless that’s what you want).
 
For many people with a round face shape, their focus is on downplaying their youthful features. This is often done by making their face seem longer than it is. There are several ways to do this using optical illusions via how you style your hair. Try curling your hair away from your face (outward) or leaving a piece of hair untucked on one side to draw attention away from the roundness. You can also pull your hair up into a high ponytail or top knot to elongate your face, making it seem more oval.
 

Square

A square face shape is primarily defined by all four lines being of similar length, though the vertical center is often slightly longer than the other three. These faces are usually described as strong or angular by others. Some celebrities with a square face shape include Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, and Demi Moore.
 
For people with square faces, the focus is often on making their faces seem longer and narrower than they are. In order to achieve this, go for longer cuts to achieve the look you desire. Shoulder-length hair or longer looks great, and long layers can help with the optical illusion as well. If you’re interested in bangs, try a more subtle bang that ends at your cheekbone to draw out your face.
 
If you’re looking to accentuate the angles of your face instead, your haircut can help with that as well. Things like chin-length cuts or blunt bangs are what you’re looking for, certain to make your facial features stand out in the way you want.
 

Heart

A heart face shape is defined by the forehead line being longer than the jaw line. This often leads to you having a pointed chin as well, though not always. Some celebrities with a heart face shape include Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, and Nicole Richie.
 
There are two common schools of thought when it comes to styling hair with a heart face shape: accentuate the bottom half of your face or use an optical illusion to make it appear wider. If your choice is to draw attention to the bottom half of your face, you should prioritize cuts that are shorter than the chin. This will draw eyes where you want them to be. If your choice is to make the bottom of your face appear wider via optical illusion, you’ll want to keep your hair shoulder-length or longer.
 
When it comes to styling, curling your hair toward your face (or inward) flatters your face shape. Additionally, pulling your hair back from your face into styles like a high pony or top knot will highlight your face as well.
 

Diamond

A diamond face shape is defined by your cheekbones (horizontal center) being the widest part of your face. Your jaw line and forehead line are both equally shorter than the horizontal center. Some celebrities with a diamond face shape include Vanessa Hudgens, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez.
 
Similar to an oval face shape, diamond face shapes are symmetrical and don’t often make people feel as if they have something to hide or obscure about their face. A wide variety of haircuts suit diamond faces, from a short cut to long layers that highlight your cheekbones. Make sure your cheekbones are front and center as the focus when styling.
 

Long

A long face shape is defined by the length of your face (vertical center). While this is similar to the oval face shape, long faces are, as the name suggests, longer (usually in the chin area). If you’re struggling to figure out if your face is oval or long, look at a picture of each for comparison. Some celebrities with a long face shape include Sandra Oh, Liv Tyler, and Lisa Kudrow.
 
In most cases, your goal with a long face shape is to make the face appear wider than it is. This can be done through a number of different haircuts, including thick bangs and long, layered hair. You’ll want to avoid anything that’s too long or keeps your hair at one length, as these styles elongate your face rather than focusing on the width of it.
 
Curls are a great way to style your hair in a way that accentuates the width of your face as well. Curling your hair as close to the root as possible (or at least starting at your cheekbones) gives volume to your hair and extends the width of your face through an illusion.
 

Other Factors

While the shape of your face is a main factor in whether your haircut looks good or not, it’s not the only thing that makes a fabulous haircut. There are a multitude of other factors to consider before heading to the salon.
 

Hair Type

Your hair type affects how your haircut looks. A bob looks completely different on someone with coily, 4C hair than on someone with thin, pin-straight hair. Your natural hair texture is something you need to keep in mind when choosing your next haircut.
 

Hair Goals

What do you want from your haircut? If you’re looking to grow out your hair, you’ll want to choose a cut that limits breakage (or plan to have regular cuts every couple of months). If you’re looking to increase the volume of your hair, layered hairstyles are a great way to do that. If you want to make a big change, chop it off! Your hair goals have just as much impact on your decision as anything else.
 

Lifestyle

You should also take into consideration your lifestyle when choosing your haircut. If you’re incredibly busy, you should choose a low-maintenance haircut, such as long layers and simple, blunt bobs, that doesn’t require much effort to look good. If you have more time in your day and want to experiment more with your hair, then go wild! Just make sure you have the time to dedicate to making your hair look fabulous.
 
 
Knowing your face shape is only the beginning of choosing the right haircut for you. Hair health, color, and style can also affect what “looks best.” However, the biggest thing for you to keep in mind before heading to the salon is that everything is subjective. If you love the way you look with a certain haircut or style, you should wear it with confidence, even if it isn’t “perfect” for your face shape according to other people. The important thing is that you feel confident in yourself and the way you look, so you’re prepared to take on the world every day.