Shape Up: How to match your haircut to your face shape

Matching your haircut to your face shape is one of the most important parts of any final decision in the barber’s chair. Playing to your face’s strengths and bringing out its subtleties can make all the difference to your outward appearance. Lucky for you, we’ve got together a list of face shapes and the hairstyles that suit them best.

Rectangular face

Good haircuts: low volume, ivy league, slicked back

If you have a rectangular shaped face, the main goal when looking for the right haircut is not to exaggerate length. You could keep an equal, balanced and low volume style with a luscious side part or even try a smooth slicked back look. A bit of extra advice is to avoid long beards - rectangular faces really suit short or stubble facial hair that don’t accentuate length or narrowness.

Round face

Good haircuts: side parting, pompadour, flat top

Got a rounder face shape? If that’s the case, we’ve got to try and create some angles to compliment your shape. In direct contrast to rectangular shapes, round faces suit cuts that elongate the face. A pompadour or a flat top can create those angles and a well cut beard will keep things distinct.

Heart face

Good haircuts: side parting, textured fringe, mid-length style

Congratulations - you share a face shape with the one and only Leo DiCaprio! Heart shaped faces tend to suit hair cuts that avoid drawing attention to the narrow chin and wider forehead. We’d recommend a light, mid-length cut that eases the strong forehead. A textured fringe will also ensure that the chin doesn’t appear too narrow. A relatively full beard can add some bulk to the lower half of your face too.

Square face

Good haircuts: buzz cut, mid-length style, ivy league

Square faces always have strong and distinct jawlines, which have to be considered when picking your next haircut. The good thing about this face shape? Versatility. Whether you want a style with plenty of volume or prefer a shorter buzz cut, there’s lots to play with here. Depending on the strength of your jawline, we’d suggest softening things up with a mid-length style or ivy league (unless you’re thinking of joining the army).

Diamond face

Good haircuts: messy fringe, side part, wavy

As the name suggests, diamond face shapes are particularly rare. Wide cheeks and a narrow brow are complimented well by a messy side part. Also, a textured fringe will make your brow appear wider and keep your facial features nicely in proportion. A big no-no with a diamond face shape is short sides, as this will unnecessarily accentuate the width of your cheeks.

Aligning your hair cut with how your face sits is all part of the game and it’s always best to have a quick discussion with your barber beforehand too. If you can get your face shape well complimented by your haircut, you’ll be surprised just how much of a difference it can to your appearance.

All of our blog articles are reviewed by our Medical Director before publication.