If you’ve ever shown up to the hair salon without the slightest idea of which haircut to choose, you’re not alone. But, what you should know, is that your face shape is the easiest way to determine what haircut might be best for you. If you have no clue which hairstyles are the best and the worst for your face shape—heck, if you don’t know your face shape at all—this one’s for you.
Knowing your face shape makes all the difference when it comes to finding the most flattering cuts. And if you have fine or thin hair, it’s next-level, code-red important. (Those strands aren’t going to lift themselves.) Specializing in low-density, volume-challenged hair, the team at BosleyMD, a company that provides thinning and regrowth consulting and products, told us exactly which haircuts will give you the full, voluminous, and healthy-looking hair you’ve been dreaming of. And it all comes down to face shape. Read on to find the best and worst haircuts for every face shape.
Square Faces
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What to avoid: Stay away from wide or blunt bangs, as well as blunt bobs that hit your jawline. Both will over-emphasize the sharpness of the corners of this face shape, making it look wider.
Oblong Faces
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What to avoid: Don’t grow those locks out too long. Very long, flat hair can be too much for a long face shape to handle. In fact, most one-length styles will drag the oblong face down—and that’s the last thing you want.
Square Faces
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What to get: You’ll want to ask for styles that soften angular features and any fullness at the temples. Add movement and dimension with mid-length and long layers, which will mellow the squareness of the face.
Oval Faces
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What to avoid: Lucky for you oval-faced ladies, there’s not much to avoid. Though, any styles with too much volume up top will elongate the already-proportionate shape, making it look more oblong.
Heart-Shaped Faces
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What to avoid: Never—we repeat never—ask for short bangs or excessive short layering. Those styles will only accentuate the wider top half of a heart-shaped face.
Oval Faces
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What to get: Most styles are universally flattering on this face shape. Proceed with caution, and have some fun.
Oblong Faces
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What to get: Know that bangs are your best friend, and framing your face is something akin to magic. Bangs create the illusion of fullness on the sides (especially above the ear line), which will balance out this narrower face shape. Strong fringe covers the forehead, making your face shape look more akin to the ever-proportionate oval face. And it’s always a flattering touch to use a side part to break up the shape, as well.
Heart-Shaped Faces
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What to get: A jaw-length bob will highlight the chin and balance out the narrowness there, and heart-shaped faces can also rock long styles with bangs like nobody’s business. (Reese Witherspoon, we’re looking at you.) These styles show off cheekbones and create the illusion of fullness and width.
Round Faces
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What to avoid: It’s all about staying away from both extremes of the spectrum. One-length cuts are too angular, which emphasizes the roundness of the face shape. But over-softening a round face shape with too many layers will only enhance the rounded effect.
Round Faces
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What to get: Be strategic. Ask for long layers that frame the face without being too harsh or too soft. The ultimate cut for round faces is a layered lob complete with a side part. (Trust us!) To elongate the face shape, go for strong angular fringe or add additional height at the top of the style.
