How Do I Find My Face Shape?

A guide on how to find your face shape and what to avoid and what to get for a haircut.

The easiest way to find your face shape is to first find the following face measurements. You will need a measuring tape.

Face Length: Measure from the top of your hairline to the lowest part of your chin.

Forehead Width: Keeping the measuring tap flat and not following the curve of your head measure the distance from the center of your forehead from hairline to hairline.

Cheekbone Width: Feel for the highest part of your cheekbones, then measure from one cheekbone across your face to the other cheekbone. Make sure to keep the measuring tape flat, do not curve.

Jawline Width: Hold the measuring tape just below your ear and bring it down to the center of your chin. For this measurement you can bend the tape so it sits against your skin.

Once you have your measurements you'll be able to confirm which areas are wider or more narrow. Read on to learn the visual characteristic for each face shape and what to avoid and what to get for a haircut for each face shape.

Square Face Shape:

Squared jawline.

Minimal cheekbones.

Wide chin.

Forehead, cheekbones and jawline are the same width.

Minimal curves.

What to avoid: Wide or blunt bangs, as well as blunt bobs that hit your jawline. Both will over emphasize the corners of your face making it look wider.

What to get: Mid-length to long haircuts with layers and face framing angles. Keep length below your jawline. You will want a haircut with movement to soften the corners of your face.

Rectangular Face Shape:

Squared jawline.

Your face length is longer than the width of your face.

Forehead, cheeks, and jawline are equal in width.

Minimal cheekbones.

Wide chin.

Minimal curves.

What to avoid: Short or blunt bangs, fullness at the crown without volume on the sides and long one length haircuts with a middle part will make your face look longer. You don't want to add extra length to your face.

What to get: You will want to add width to your face to balance out the length. You can do so by getting piecey bangs, layers, or curls. With curly hair you can get away with longer hair because curls naturally have more width. Bob haircuts need to be longer then your jawline with bangs and short haircuts need bangs with softening pieces around your face.

Diamond Face Shape:

Narrow hairline. Tends to come to a point.

High cheekbones.

The width of your cheekbones are slightly wider than your forehead.

Narrow jawline.

Pointed chin.

What to avoid: Blunt bobs, middle parts, blunt and heavy bang.

What to get: You want to get a hairstyle that adds fullness around your forehead and chin to balance your face shape, having the most width in your cheekbones. Side bangs, curtain bangs, face framing layers, curly lobs with bangs, long hairstyles that have long bangs or face framing angles, piecey pixie, long pixie, shag with fringe.

Heart Or Inverted Triangle Face Shape:

If you have a widows peak hairline you have a heart face shape.

If do not have a widows peak hairline but match the other characteristics listed you have an inverted triangle face shape.

Wide forehead.

Cheekbones are wider than your forehead.

Forehead is wider than your jawline.

Narrow jawline.

Pointed Chin.

What to avoid: Short bangs or blunt bangs and short layers. They will accentuate the wider top half of your face.

What to get: A jaw-length bob or side swept long pixie will highlight your chin and balance out the narrowness. Or you could get a long layered lob or long style with piecey bangs like curtain bangs or side bangs. These styles will show off your cheekbones and create the illusion of fullness and width.

Round Face Shape

Rounded hairline.

Fuller cheekbones.

Rounded jawline.

Round chin.

Face width and length are equal.

What to avoid: One length cuts are too angular which emphasizes the roundness of your face and too many layers will make your face look rounder.

What to get: long hair styles with face framing and long layers, curtain bangs, a side parted lob with layers, or an asymmetrical lob.

Oval Face Shape:

Pronounced cheekbones.

Narrow jawline.

The width of your forehead is smaller than the width of your cheekbones.

Your face is longer than its width.

Rounded chin.

What to avoid: Too much volume on top without any volume on the sides will make your face look longer.

What to get: Chin bob, long styles with face framing pieces, layered shoulder cuts, pixie cuts, bangs, shag, asymmetrical cuts, most cuts will flatter an oval face shape.

I hope you found this guide helpful and if you live near Portsmouth NH I would love to do your hair! For more guidance on what haircut will look best, book an appointment with me. During your haircut appointment I will further discuss your face shape and help you pick a haircut that will work best with your personal style. Click here to book online. Until next month.

Creatively,

Jessalyn