Face shapes: how to tell yours, with a chart and what suits each one
There are seven common face shapes: oval, round, square, rectangle (oblong), heart, diamond and triangle. To tell yours, compare four numbers: forehead width, cheekbone width, jaw width and face length. Then note which part is widest and whether your jaw is soft or angular. Most people are a mix of two shapes, so pick the closest match and use it as a starting point for haircuts and glasses.
See your hair score and the note behind it in a Lookist face report, then try new cuts on your own photo.
Download Lookist for iPhoneWhat are the 7 face shapes? (face shape chart)
Barbers, stylists and glasses shops use the same seven labels. Each one describes two things: how long your face is compared to how wide it is, and where the widest part sits. The jaw line is the tie-breaker between shapes that look alike.
Use the chart below as a quick check. Find the row where both the length and the widest point match your face. If two rows fit, you are a blend, which is normal. A round-square or oval-heart face is common.
| Face shape | Length vs width | Widest point | Jaw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | About 1.5 times longer than wide | Cheekbones, slightly | Soft, narrower than forehead |
| Round | About as long as wide | Cheeks | Soft and curved, no sharp angle |
| Square | About as long as wide | Forehead, cheeks and jaw are all close | Strong, flat and angular |
| Rectangle (oblong) | Clearly longer than wide | Forehead, cheeks and jaw are all close | Angular or slightly rounded |
| Heart | A little longer than wide | Forehead | Narrow, with a pointed chin |
| Diamond | Longer than wide | Cheekbones, by a clear margin | Narrow, with a pointed chin |
| Triangle | A little longer than wide | Jaw | Wide, with a narrow forehead |
How to tell your face shape with a tape measure
A soft tailor's tape and a mirror give you the most reliable answer. Pull your hair back off your face first. Keep the tape flat on the skin, but do not press it in.
Write each number down in the same unit. You only need to compare them, so inches or centimeters both work.
- Measure your forehead across its widest part, about halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline.
- Measure your cheekbones across their widest points, just below the outer corner of each eye.
- Measure your jaw from the tip of your chin to the corner of your jaw below one ear. Double that number.
- Measure your face length from the center of your hairline down to the tip of your chin. If your hairline is receding or shaved, use where it used to sit.
- Find the largest of the three widths. That is your widest point.
- Divide face length by your cheekbone width. Near 1.0 means round or square. About 1.5 means oval. Clearly over 1.5 means rectangle.
- Look at your jaw corners in the mirror. Sharp corners point to square or rectangle. Soft curves point to round or oval.
How to know your face shape from a photo
A photo works if you take it the right way. Hold the phone at eye level, about an arm's length away, and look straight at the lens. A close selfie makes the center of your face look wider, which can push you toward round when you are oval.
Pull your hair back and keep a neutral face. A big smile widens the cheeks. Then trace the outline of your face on the photo with an editing pen, or measure the same four lines on screen.
The Lookist face shape tool does this check in your browser. It reads one front photo and gives you the closest shape, and the photo stays on your device. Treat any result, from a tool or a tape, as the closest label and not a fixed fact about your face.
Oval face shape: the balanced all-rounder
An oval face is about one and a half times longer than it is wide. The cheekbones are the widest part, but only just. The forehead is a little wider than the jaw, and the jaw curves gently into a rounded chin. Beyoncé and Jake Gyllenhaal are often named as oval examples.
Oval is easy to style because nothing needs to be balanced out. Most cuts suit it. The main mistake is a heavy fringe or a lot of height that makes the face look longer than it is.
- Haircuts: almost anything. Textured crop, quiff, side part, long layers, a bob or curtain bangs all work.
- Glasses: frames as wide as or slightly wider than your face. Square and geometric frames add some edge.
- Beard: a light stubble or a short boxed beard. Avoid a long beard that adds length to the chin.
Round face shape: how to recognize it and what suits it
A round face is about as long as it is wide. The cheeks are the widest part, and the jaw curves with no clear corner. The forehead and jaw are close in width. Selena Gomez and Leonardo DiCaprio often appear on round face lists.
The goal for a round face is to add some length and some angles. Volume on top and tight sides make the face look longer. Hair that ends at the widest part of the cheeks does the opposite.
- Haircuts: a quiff, pompadour or textured top with a low or mid fade. For longer hair, layers that fall past the chin, or a side part.
- Avoid: a blunt chin-length bob, a bowl cut or a straight fringe across the forehead.
- Glasses: rectangular or square frames that are wider than they are tall.
- Beard: a short boxed beard or a goatee that is a little longer at the chin. This adds length and draws a jaw line.
Square face shape: strong jaw, equal widths
A square face has a forehead, cheekbones and jaw that are almost the same width. The length is close to the width. The jaw is the giveaway: it is flat along the bottom with sharp corners under the ears. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are common square examples.
On men, this is the shape people tend to want, so most cuts just keep it clean. Women often choose softer, layered hair that rounds off the corners. Both are valid, and it depends on the look you want.
- Haircuts: a buzz cut, crew cut, side part or short textured crop show off the jaw. Soft layers and side-swept bangs soften it.
- Glasses: round or oval frames balance the angles.
- Beard: short stubble keeps the jaw line sharp. A full, rounded beard softens the corners.
Rectangle or oblong face shape: long with straight sides
A rectangle face, also called oblong, is clearly longer than it is wide. The forehead, cheeks and jaw are close in width, so the sides of the face run fairly straight. Some charts split this into rectangle (angular jaw) and oblong (rounder jaw). Adam Driver and Sarah Jessica Parker are often given as examples.
The goal here is the reverse of a round face. You want width at the sides and less height on top. A fringe or bangs also help because they cut the length of the forehead.
- Haircuts: a French crop, a fringe, curtains, a side part with some fullness at the sides, or waves at cheek level.
- Avoid: a tall pompadour, a high skin fade with a tall top, or long straight hair with no layers.
- Glasses: deep frames with a strong top line. Aviators and oversized frames help.
- Beard: a fuller beard on the cheeks, kept short at the chin, adds width.
Heart face shape: wide forehead, pointed chin
A heart-shaped face has the forehead as its widest part. The face then narrows through the cheeks to a small or pointed chin. Many heart faces also have a widow's peak. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Gosling are often named as heart examples.
The aim is to add some width at the jaw and to keep the top from looking heavy. Hair with fullness around the chin works well. Very short sides with a lot of volume on top make the forehead look wider.
- Haircuts: a mid-length textured cut, a side part, a lob, a chin-length bob, curtain bangs or side-swept bangs.
- Glasses: frames that are wider at the bottom, light rims, or rimless frames.
- Beard: a full beard or a chin strap adds width and weight to the lower face.
Diamond face shape: cheekbones are the widest point
A diamond face has wide, high cheekbones with a narrower forehead and a narrower jaw. The chin is often pointed. It looks like an oval with sharper cheekbones. Robert Pattinson is a common diamond example.
The goal is to add width at the forehead and the chin so the cheekbones look less sharp. Fringes, side parts and textured tops do this. Tight, flat sides above the ears can make the cheekbones stand out more.
- Haircuts: a textured fringe, a messy crop, a side-swept cut, a chin-length bob or curtain bangs.
- Glasses: oval frames or rimless frames. Cat-eye frames also work.
- Beard: a fuller beard at the chin adds width to the lower face.
Triangle face shape: wide jaw, narrow forehead
A triangle face, sometimes called pear, is the rarest of the seven. The jaw is the widest part and the forehead is the narrowest. The cheeks sit in between. It is the opposite of a heart face.
You want to add width and volume at the top. Hair with height and fullness at the temples balances the jaw. Very tight sides and a short top make the jaw look wider still.
- Haircuts: a quiff, textured top, side part with volume or layers that start above the chin.
- Glasses: frames that are heavier at the top, such as browline or cat-eye frames.
- Beard: keep it short on the jaw corners. Stubble works better than a wide full beard.
Best glasses and beard for each face shape
Glasses and beards follow the same rule as haircuts. Add what your face lacks and do not repeat what it already has. A round face gets angles, a square face gets curves, and a long face gets width.
Use this table as a shortlist before you go to a shop. Try on at least two frame shapes, because bridge width and lens height matter as much as the outline.
| Face shape | Best glasses | Best beard |
|---|---|---|
| Oval | Most shapes, square or geometric | Stubble or short boxed beard |
| Round | Rectangular, square | Boxed beard or goatee, longer at chin |
| Square | Round, oval | Stubble or a rounded full beard |
| Rectangle (oblong) | Deep frames, aviators, oversized | Full on the cheeks, short at the chin |
| Heart | Bottom-heavy, rimless, light rims | Full beard or chin strap |
| Diamond | Oval, rimless, cat-eye | Fuller at the chin |
| Triangle | Browline, cat-eye, top-heavy | Short stubble, keep jaw corners tight |
Face shapes for men vs women: is there a difference?
The seven shapes are the same for everyone. What changes is the goal. Many men want to show off a square jaw line, so male guides lean toward cuts that add angles. Many women's guides lean toward softening angles with layers and bangs.
Those are trends, not rules. A woman with a square face can wear a sharp blunt bob, and a man with a round face can wear soft curtains. Pick the look you want first, then use the shape to fine-tune length and volume.
Can your face shape change with weight loss or age?
Yes, a little. Your bone structure sets the base shape, but the soft tissue over it changes. A 2013 study found that people can see a change in face weight from a body mass index shift of about 1.3 units in men and 1.6 units in women. So losing or gaining weight can make a round face look more oval or a square jaw look sharper.
Age also changes the face. A 2012 review of skeletal studies found that parts of the facial bones, mainly around the eye sockets and the upper jaw, lose bone with age. This is one reason faces look different at 60 than at 20. Your shape at 18 is a good guide for now, but it is not locked for life.
How Lookist fits in
Lookist does not give a face shape score. It scores 15 features from one front photo, including jawline, cheekbones, chin, forehead, facial harmony and hair, with a written note for each. Those notes help you see which parts of your face a haircut or beard should balance.
The Hairstyle Tester then lets you try new styles on your own photo before you sit in the chair. To find your shape first, use the face shape tool on this site, then compare cuts in the app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common face shape?
Oval is the shape most guides list as the most common, followed by round and square. There is no large published survey that settles this. Most people are a blend of two shapes anyway, so pick the closest match.
How do I know my face shape if my cheekbones are the widest?
If your cheekbones are the widest part, you are oval or diamond. If your forehead and jaw are only a little narrower and your chin is rounded, you are oval. If your forehead and jaw are clearly narrower and your chin is pointed, you are diamond.
What is the rarest face shape?
Triangle, with a jaw wider than the forehead, and diamond are usually called the rarest. Like 'most common', this comes from stylists and not from a large study. Rare does not mean better or worse.
What face shape is most attractive?
No single shape wins. Oval is often called balanced because most styles suit it, and a defined jaw is often rated well on men. Hair, skin, grooming and how the features work together matter more than the outline.
Do face shape detectors work?
They give a fair first guess if the photo is good. A front photo at eye level, with hair pulled back and a neutral face, gives the best result. A close or tilted selfie can change the answer, so check it with a tape measure if the result surprises you.
Can my face shape change?
The bones set the base shape, so it does not change completely. Weight change, muscle, swelling and age change the soft tissue, and that can move you between neighboring shapes, for example from round to oval.
What face shape do I have for glasses?
Use the same four measurements as for haircuts. Then pick frames that contrast with your shape: angular frames for round faces, round frames for square faces, and deep frames for long faces.
Is a long face the same as an oblong face?
Yes. Long, oblong and rectangle all describe a face that is clearly longer than it is wide, with straight sides. Some charts use rectangle for a sharper jaw and oblong for a rounder one.
Sources and product details
- Re and colleagues, 2013: How much weight is in the face? Perceptual thresholds for facial form changes
- Mendelson and Wong, 2012: Changes in the Facial Skeleton With Aging (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery)
- Lookist on the App Store
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Put your report to use
See your hair score and the note behind it in a Lookist face report, then try new cuts on your own photo.
Download Lookist for iPhone