What hairstyle suits me and my face shape?
If you’ve found yourself aimlessly Googling “what hairstyle suits me” then chances are you’ve had a cut go wrong recently – or you’re lacking inspiration. Let us help
I f you’ve ever shown your barber a photo of men’s hairstyles in the hope you too could look like Ronaldo, David Beckham, or Chris Hemsworth – and you’ve been left disappointed – you’re not alone.
The number one mistake made when deciding which cut to go for is choosing a style that doesn’t suit your face shape. In some cases, you can even end up choosing a style that accentuates parts of your face that you’d rather it didn’t!
To help you determine what your face shape is, and in turn, which hairstyles will suit you best, we’ve spoken to Jim Shaw – award-winning men’s hairdresser and owner of Toni & Guy Billericay. We’ve also put together an at-a-glance visual guide to help you narrow things down.
Knowing what your face shape is will also help you find hats and glasses/sunglasses that will suit you, so it’s worth doing at some point.
FURTHER READING: Men’s hairstyles 2022: The best hairstyles for men you need to ask your barber for
Face shapes: Men
The first step to finding out which hairstyle will suit you is by determining what your face shape is. You can either watch the video below, for an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide, or scroll down to read the written instructions.
How to find your face shape: Step-by-step guide
1. Using a flexible tape measure, start by recording the length of your face from the bottom of your chin to your hairline (or where your hairline would be normally). Make a note of the measurement.
2. Measure the width of your forehead at its widest part, which is usually about halfway between your eyebrows and hairline. Note down the measurement.
3. Measure the width of your face across the top of the cheekbones. Your nose will make it longer, so hold the tape away from the face and use a mirror to establish where the sides are. Write down the measurement.
4. Finally, measure your jaw. Take one measurement from your ear to the edge of your chin. Repeat on the other side and add the two measurements together. If you include your chin, you’ll be left with a larger reading and this may mess things up.
5. Note down which measurement is the largest. This will be used to determine your face shape.
FURTHER READING: 5 of the best long hairstyles for men: How to style your long locks
What is my face shape?
If your forehead is wider than your cheekbones and jawline, you have a heart-shaped face
If your face length is the largest measurement, followed by your cheekbones, you have a diamond-shaped face
If your face is longer than it is wide, but the rest of the measurements are around the same width, you have an oblong face
If your face is longer than it is wide, your forehead and cheekbones are the same/similar width but your jawline is narrower, you have an oval face
If all of your measurements are the same, or similar, your face is round but if you have a strong and defined jawline (you can tell this by looking at your face side on), this becomes square
And if your jaw is wider than your cheekbones, and your cheekbones are wider than your forehead, you have a triangle-shaped face
FURTHER READING: 5 of the best short haircuts for men: How to pull off short hairstyles for any occasion
What hairstyle suits me?
Now that you know your face shape, you can narrow down which hairstyles suit you using the visual guide below. This guide also gives you an indication – albeit a basic one! – of what those styles will look like with your face shape. Click the image below to open it in a new tab if you want to zoom in.
Mbman Jim Shaw has also given us the following advice for each individual face shape:
Hairstyles for round faces
Avoid: Fringes
Opt for: Quiffs, faux hawks, pompadours
“If you have a round face shape, you will want a haircut that creates the illusion of an elongated face shape and disguises the width of your face. With that in mind, you should try to stay away from fringes that will accentuate your face shape and instead look at haircuts with height on top to take the eyes up and away from your face, such as quiffs and pompadours.”
Hairstyles for square faces
Opt for: Buzz cuts, close fades, crops
“If you have a square face shape you will want to showcase your strong, chiselled appearance and therefore may be interested in shorter cuts such as buzz cuts, close fades, and crops that bring attention to your face.”
Hairstyles for diamond/rectangle faces
Opt for: Cuts with volume and texture on top
“For diamond and rectangle face shapes that have longer jawlines, you will want to opt for a haircut that will give the face balance. Haircuts that have more volume and texture on top are a great choice.”
Hairstyles for diamond/heart-shaped faces
Opt for: Fringes and layers
“If you have a diamond or heart face shape you will have more width at the top of your face, therefore adding a fringe to your haircuts is a good choice, as well as layers, as these will help add softness to your face. Longer hairstyles also work well with these face shapes and will add softness to your forehead. Longer hairstyles are also great for accentuating diamond face shape’s bone structure.”
Hairstyles for oval faces
Opt for: Side partings, short back and sides
“If you have an oval face shape you will find you can get away with a lot of haircuts and styles, however, you will want to avoid looks that will make your face seem rounder in appearance. Hairstyles with volume on top are a fantastic choice, including deep side partings, as well as haircuts that have length on the top and shorter sides like the on-trend and classic short back and sides.”
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