Walking into a barbershop with a picture of your favorite celebrity and leaving disappointed is a common experience for many. Often, the issue isn’t the barber's skill but that the hairstyle wasn’t suited to your face shape. In this guide, we’ll explore the nine basic face shapes and help you determine which hairstyles will work best for each one. By understanding the unique characteristics of your face, you can make better grooming decisions and leave the salon feeling confident.
1. Oval Face Shape
Celebrities: Justin Bieber, ASAP Rocky, Ryan Gosling, Henry Golding
An oval face is one of the most versatile shapes, with softer angles and an angular jawline. The width of the brow and the height of the face are balanced, which makes this face shape perfect for various hairstyles.
Best Hairstyles: Oval face shapes benefit from hairstyles that are swept back and lean on the sides, as seen with Justin Bieber. This creates a more angular appearance, highlighting the jawline. Avoid fringe styles that bring the hair forward, as this can make the face appear rounder. A clean mustache can further emphasize the angularity of the face.
2. Round Face Shape
Celebrities: Michael Cera, Jeremy Renner
A round face shape is almost as wide as it is tall, with the widest point being the cheekbones. These face shapes typically have full cheeks and a softer jawline, so the goal is to elongate and add definition.
Best Hairstyles: Avoid styles that add volume to the sides, as this will emphasize the roundness. Instead, opt for a lean cut on the sides with height on the top. Jeremy Renner’s hairstyle is a good example, as it creates an angular look, adding height and stretching the face. For facial hair, a beard with angular lines helps to balance the shape.
3. Square Face Shape
Celebrities: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Pattinson, Pedro Pascal, Michael B. Jordan
Square face shapes have strong angles, characterized by a broad forehead and a defined jawline. Features tend to sit lower on the face, which can create a more solid, masculine look.
Best Hairstyles: Styles with soft, voluminous layers can help balance the sharpness of a square face. Leonardo DiCaprio’s classic parted hairstyle softens the angles, while Robert Pattinson’s tousled, natural look adds volume. Keep the facial hair neat and close to the face to avoid overwhelming the strong jawline. An anchored mustache-goatee combination, like Michael B. Jordan's, elongates the face while adding balance.
4. Oblong Face Shape
Celebrities: The Rock, Jake Gyllenhaal
Oblong face shapes are longer than they are wide, often with a strong jawline. These shapes can handle less hair height since the face is already elongated.
Best Hairstyles: Avoid high fades and slicked-back styles that add more length to the face. Instead, keep the sides softer and the top shorter, as seen with Jake Gyllenhaal. If you’re bald, as in the case of The Rock, embrace it. Baldness suits oblong face shapes because the strong jawline provides balance.
5. Rectangular Face Shape
Celebrities: Joe Alwyn, Chad Michael Murray
Rectangular faces are angular like oval shapes but with a higher forehead and broader chin. These faces are longer, so the goal is to soften the sharp angles and avoid adding length.
Best Hairstyles: Opt for styles with volume and texture on the sides to create balance. Joe Alwyn’s textured hairstyle adds fullness to the sides, while Chad Michael Murray’s side-swept look rounds out the angles. Short stubble facial hair will complement this face shape by highlighting the jawline without overemphasizing it.
6. Triangle Face Shape
Celebrities: Cillian Murphy, Timothée Chalamet
A triangular face shape features a jawline that’s wider than the forehead, with a pointed chin. This can make the forehead appear narrow, so the key is to balance the width of the lower part of the face.
Best Hairstyles: Hairstyles that create coverage near the forehead work well for triangular face shapes. Timothée Chalamet’s longer, curtain-style hair helps de-emphasize the forehead and balances the jawline. For facial hair, clean-shaven is usually the best choice, as a strong jawline doesn't need further emphasis.
7. Diamond Face Shape
Celebrities: Jason Derulo, James Harden
Diamond face shapes are widest at the cheekbones with narrower foreheads and chins. These angular faces can appear sharp, so the goal is to soften and balance the width.
Best Hairstyles: Avoid adding too much height to the top of the head, as this can exaggerate the narrowness of the forehead. Jason Derulo’s fuller, wider hairstyles balance out the angles, while keeping facial hair short and natural adds softness. James Harden’s full beard is a great example of how facial hair can broaden a narrow chin, balancing the diamond shape.
8. Heart Face Shape
Celebrities: Nick Jonas, Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes
A heart-shaped face is characterized by a broad forehead and cheekbones with a narrow chin. This gives the face a distinct shape that can benefit from softer, textured hairstyles.
Best Hairstyles: Styles with curl, movement, or texture work best for heart-shaped faces. Harry Styles and Shawn Mendes often wear their hair in looser, natural waves that add volume around the forehead and soften the chin area. Keep facial hair minimal or clean-shaven to prevent overwhelming the narrow chin.
9. Pear Face Shape
The pear face shape, though less common, has a broader jawline and a narrower forehead. The goal with a pear face shape is to add balance by minimizing the jawline's prominence.
Best Hairstyles: Add volume and texture to the upper part of the head, such as a pompadour or side-swept look, while keeping the sides lean. This draws attention upwards and balances the face. Facial hair should be kept to a minimum to avoid accentuating the wide jawline.