The Best Haircut for Your Face

The Answer's in the Mirror

When it comes to getting great hair, don't look any further than your own mirror. Whether you're a "heart," "round," or "oval," your best cut is determined by your face. Everyone's face is different and it's important to understand that every hairstyle is not for every face shape. To accentuate balance and beauty, strive for a hairstyle that works with your particular face shape. That strategy will not only give you your best look, but also emphasize your best features. Be sure to bring this up with your stylist and make it an important determination in your new look.

Sorting Shapes

Figure out your face shape by pulling hair back into a tight, structure-revealing ponytail. Look at the outline of your face -- the size and shape of your forehead as it compares to your cheeks and chin determines its shape.

If your face shape is: Oval -- jawline narrower than temples, rounded hairline Dos: Add volume to the top of head to slim. Don'ts: Stay away from a spiky and short topside. Avoid width or volume on sides. Click to view celebrities with oval face shape

If your face shape is: Square -- with strong jawline and hairline Dos: Take the edge off with a softening style featuring a side part and length at nape of neck. Don'ts: Don't center-part hair or cut square, straight bangs. Avoid geometric lines.   Click to view celebrities with square face shape

If your face shape is: Round -- full with round chin and hairline Dos: Add volume to the top of head to slim. Don'ts: Stay away from a spiky and short topside. Avoid width or volume on sides. Click to view celebrities with round face shape

If your face shape is: Heart -- wide temples and hairline, narrowing at chin Dos: Try bangs and a length that frames the jawline. Don'ts: Don't go too short at the nape of the neck. Click to view celebrities with heart face shape

If your face shape is: Oblong -- narrow jawline and hairline Dos: Layer it on for fullness on sides. Don'ts: Skip short cuts, jaw-length bobs, or styles that add height on top. Click to view celebrities with oblong face shape

Hair Cut for Face Shape

Choosing the right hair cut style is ultimately about your personal taste there are some basic rules you should follow. At the top of this list is considering what styles suit your face shape.

Finding the Right Hair Cut Style for Your Face Shape

 
• Oval faces are considered to be the ideal shape by hairdressers. People with an oval face shape can wear most hair cut styles and lengths with it still looking "right". The oval face is mathematically 1.5 times as long as its width, with the forehead slightly wider than the jaw.
 
• Square faces have a square jawline and hairline at the forehead. They are 'too short', so a suitable hair cut style seeks to create height elongating the face. Hair should be layered around the face to soften the jawline. Jaw and brow nearly same width. Hair should wisp around face to reduce squareness.
 
• Round faces are characterized by a round chin. Because they lack the length of the oval face, the hair should be cut to create the illusion of length in the face. This is achieved by creating height on top of the head, and minimizing hair width by keeping it flat at the sides and around the ears.
 
• Heart shaped faces are widest at the temples and narrowest at the jawline. Usually the chin is small and delicate. The hair cut style's objective should be to create an oval by adding width at the jawline.
 
• Oblong shaped faces are longer than their width, with narrow jaws and rounded hairline. The hairstyle objective is to add width to the cheekbones, giving the visual of a fuller instead of a long, slender face. 
 
• Diamond shaped faces are widest at the cheekbones and narrow in the forehead and chin. By creating width at the forehead and minimizing it at the cheekbones, the illusion of an oval face can be achieved.
 
• Rectangular faces have a square chin and hairline, and are long and narrow. The ideal style of hair cut is one which creates width at the sides disguising the narrowness. A fringe can also shorten the face, and a style with a side part will help to reduce the square appearance.
 
• Pear shaped faces have a narrow forehead and are widest at the jawline, with a round chin. The objective of a suitable style of hair cut is to give the illusion of an oval face by creating width at the forehead and temples.

While it's not uncommon for someone to walk into a salon and say, "Give me a Jennifer Aniston", the key to finding a style that works for you is having a hair cut that works with your face shape, not against it.