Where to put the volume and the length

Hairstyles for your face shape

A hairstyle changes the outline of a face more than any other styling choice. It can add height, add width, cover a forehead, or leave the whole face exposed. The useful question is not which cut is fashionable, but where you want the eye to go.

This guide explains the three moves a haircut can make, then gives a short reading for each face shape, with links to the detailed pages for women and men. Every shape has its own page with named cuts, the length to ask for and the styles that work against it.

All seven shapes

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Shape by shape

The seven shapes, and what suits each one

Hairstyles for an oval face

An oval face is the most forgiving shape, so the choice is about the effect you want. A blunt bob adds width at the jaw, long layers keep the length, and a pixie with height on top changes the balance completely.

The one combination to avoid is height at the crown and volume at the jaw at the same time, which can make an oval read longer than it is. A side part with soft bangs is a reliable way to break the symmetry without hiding the cheekbones.

Ratios: length to width about 1.3 to 1.55.

Hairstyles for a round face

A round face needs a vertical line or a diagonal. Length below the chin, height at the crown or side-swept bangs all do the same job: they stop the eye traveling straight across the widest part of the face.

A wide, blunt cut that ends at the jaw repeats the line the face already has. If you want that length, ask for a slight A-line or inward curve, and keep the layers below the chin rather than at the cheekbone.

Ratios: length to width under about 1.2.

Hairstyles for a square face

A square face has a strong jaw and a broad forehead. Soft waves that begin at the jaw corner, a deep side part and an angled bob all add a curve or a diagonal to a very straight outline.

Keep the volume away from the jaw if you want to soften it. A blunt cut with a flat crown is the silhouette that repeats the square, so add height on top or a diagonal at the front.

Ratios: length to width about 1.2 to 1.35.

Hairstyles for a heart face

A heart face is wider at the top and narrower at the chin. Length at the jaw and a little volume at the sides balance the point, while diagonal bangs reduce the visible width of the forehead.

Avoid volume at the crown with tight sides, which makes the top-heavy outline stronger. A chin-length bob with soft fullness at the jaw is the simplest correction.

Ratios: length to width about 1.3 to 1.5.

Hairstyles for a diamond face

A diamond face has prominent cheekbones, a narrower forehead and a narrow chin. Side bangs or curtain bangs add width at the forehead, and a chin-length cut adds weight where the jaw is narrow.

Keep the volume moderate at the cheekbone. A cut that is very wide at eye level repeats the widest part of the face, which is the opposite of what most diamond faces want.

Ratios: length to width about 1.3 to 1.5.

Hairstyles for an oblong face

An oblong face is long and fairly even in width. Bangs does the most direct work by covering part of the forehead and shortening the visible face, while layers at the cheekbone add the width the face lacks.

Keep the crown low. Height at the top makes a long face longer, which is the one move to avoid. A chin-length bob with soft bangs is the classic answer.

Ratios: length to width above about 1.6.

Hairstyles for a triangle face

A triangle face is narrow at the forehead and wider at the jaw. Volume at the crown and side bangs add width where the face is narrow, and a layered bob that ends above the jaw keeps the lower face light.

Avoid a flat crown with a heavy, jaw-length cut, which repeats the triangle. A little height and a diagonal at the forehead change the outline quickly.

Ratios: length to width about 1.2 to 1.45.

The detail

What changes the reading

The three moves a haircut can make

Almost every useful haircut does one of three things. It adds length below the face, which makes the face look longer and narrower. It adds width at the sides, which makes the face look shorter and fuller. Or they add height at the crown, which lengthens the face and lifts the whole outline.

Bangs is a fourth move: they cover part of the forehead and shortens the visible face. Once you know which of these you want, the cut follows. A stylist can then place the layers, the part and the volume to produce it.

Length, layers and where they start

The starting point of a layer matters more than the number of layers. Layers that begin at the cheekbone add volume at the widest part of most faces. Layers that begin at the chin or below keep the volume low and the outline narrow.

For fine hair, a blunt line adds the appearance of density. For thick hair, point cutting and soft layers remove weight without removing shape. Neither rule depends on face shape, which is why the two conversations are worth having separately.

What to ask for at the salon

Take a photo of the length and a photo of the volume, because they are different decisions. Ask where the shortest layer will sit and where the widest part of the cut will be. Those two answers describe the silhouette better than a style name.

If you are changing a lot, ask for a dry cut or long bangs you can live with for a week. Hair grows, but a very short layer at the cheekbone takes months to leave.

Questions

Hairstyles for your face shape questions

What hairstyle suits a round face?

One that adds a vertical line: a long layered lob, a textured pixie with height, or a cut with diagonal bangs. Length below the chin and layers that start below the jaw are the most reliable choices.

Do bangs suit every face shape?

Most shapes can wear some kind of bangs, but the type matters. Curtain bangs suit oval, heart and diamond faces, soft side bangs suit square and triangle faces, and straight bangs work best on an oblong face.

Should I add height at the crown?

Add height if your face is round, square or triangle, because it lengthens the outline. Keep the crown low if your face is oblong, because height makes a long face look longer.

Does hair length change a face shape?

It changes how the shape reads, not the shape itself. Hair ending at the jaw adds width there; hair ending at the collarbone pulls the eye down. The bone structure stays the same.