Hairstyles for Different Face Shapes: Ideas to Explore

Maybe you have a folder of saved haircut photos on your phone. Maybe it has forty photos in it, and they have nothing in common. You sit down in the salon chair, your stylist asks, “So what are we doing today?”, and your mind goes blank.

Face shape can help here, not because it tells you what you’re allowed to wear, but because it gives you a way to sort through all those ideas. And once you understand the one simple idea behind most face-shape advice, you won’t need to memorize any lists.

Start by identifying your face shape

If you’re not sure of your shape yet, our guide to how to find your face shape walks through the mirror and tape-measure methods. Or you can take the Face Shape Finder, which takes a few minutes and doesn’t need a photo. If you land between two shapes, read both sections below.

The one idea behind most face-shape advice

Almost every hairstyle suggestion you’ll see for a particular face shape is about balance. Hair can add width, length or softness to different parts of your face, and stylists often use it to even out whatever stands out most.

Height at the crown makes a face look a little longer.
Bangs make a face look a little shorter, and can add width at the forehead.
Volume at the sides makes a face look wider.
Volume or length around the jaw adds width to the lower half of the face.
Soft layers and waves soften angles. Sleek, blunt lines emphasize them.
A side part breaks up symmetry, which can soften round or square shapes.

That’s really it. Everything below is just this idea applied to each shape. And balance is only one option: if you love a feature, such as a strong jaw or high cheekbones, you can choose a style that shows it off instead.

Oval face shape

Oval faces already have balanced proportions, so this shape gives you a lot of freedom. You can choose mainly by your hair texture and how much styling you want to do.

Ideas to explore: long, soft layers; a blunt bob or lob; curtain bangs; a pixie cut if you like short hair.

Worth knowing: if your face is on the longer side of oval, very long, sleek hair with lots of height can make it look longer still.

Round face shape

Round faces are about as wide as they are long, with soft curves. Many people like to add a little length or some vertical lines.

Ideas to explore: layers that fall past the chin; a side part; long, side-swept bangs; a little lift at the crown; an angled lob that’s slightly longer at the front.

Worth knowing: a chin-length bob with lots of volume at the sides widens the face, which you may or may not want.

Square face shape

Square faces have similar widths at the forehead, cheekbones and jaw, with an angular jaw. You can soften those angles or embrace them.

Ideas to explore: soft waves or layers that frame the jaw; wispy or side-swept bangs; a textured bob that falls just below the jaw; longer lengths with movement at the ends.

Worth knowing: blunt cuts that end exactly at the jaw draw the most attention to it. That’s great if it’s the look you want.

Heart face shape

Heart-shaped faces are widest at the forehead and narrow toward the chin. Adding some fullness around the jaw can balance the shape.

Ideas to explore: a chin-length or shoulder-length bob; side-swept or curtain bangs; waves or curls from mid-length down; layers that start around the chin.

Worth knowing: lots of volume at the crown and temples makes the top of the face look wider.

Diamond face shape

Diamond faces are widest at the cheekbones, with a narrower forehead and chin. Styles that add a little width at the top or bottom tend to balance them, and many people with this shape like to show off their cheekbones.

Ideas to explore: a fringe or side-swept bangs; a chin-length bob; tucking hair behind the ears; soft layers around the chin and neck.

Worth knowing: volume placed right at cheekbone height adds even more width there.

Oblong face shape

Oblong faces are noticeably longer than they are wide. Many people like to add width at the sides or shorten the look of the face.

Ideas to explore: bangs, from full to curtain; waves or curls that add volume at the sides; shoulder-length cuts or a lob; styles with more width than height.

Worth knowing: very long, straight hair with a center part and height at the crown makes a face look longer.

Don’t let face shape become a rulebook

Face shape is one input. These matter at least as much:

Your hair texture. A sleek bob takes very different effort on curly hair than on straight hair. If you’re not sure of your texture, our guide to telling your hair type can help.
Maintenance. Bangs and very short cuts usually need more frequent trims. Be honest about how often you’ll book them.
Your daily routine. If you wear a ponytail most days, a cut that looks great only when styled may frustrate you.
What makes you feel like yourself. This one beats every chart.

Plenty of people wear styles that “aren’t recommended” for their face shape and look fantastic, because the style suits their personality, texture and confidence.

Use face shape as a starting point

Here’s a practical way to use everything above before your next appointment:

Edit your photo folder. Keep three to five photos of people whose hair texture looks similar to yours.
Notice the pattern. Do your favorites have bangs? Layers? A certain length? That’s your real preference.
Tell your stylist what you like and dislike about your current cut, not just what you want.
Ask one question: “How would you adapt this to my face shape and hair?”
Test before you commit. Try a side part, pin your hair up to fake a shorter length, or try clip-in bangs.

The best haircut isn’t the one a chart picks for you. It’s the one that suits your face, your hair and your life, and face shape is just a helpful way to start narrowing it down.