Face Shape Detector: How to Find Your Face Shape
To find your face shape, compare four things: your forehead width, cheekbone width, jaw width and face length. Then check whether your jaw corners are sharp or soft. Those answers point to one of seven shapes: oval, round, square, heart, diamond, oblong or triangle. This page shows you how to measure each one with a tape or a photo, gives you the chart, and lists the haircuts that suit each shape. In the Lookist app, Hairstyle Tester then tries those cuts on your own photo.
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How to find your face shape by hand
You need a soft tape measure and a mirror, or one straight-on photo and a ruler app. A photo is easier, because you can zoom in and the tape does not slip. Pull your hair back first so you can see your temples and jaw corners.
- Measure your forehead across its widest part, from one temple to the other, about halfway between your brows and hairline.
- Measure your cheekbones across the widest point, just below the outer corners of your eyes.
- Measure your jaw from one jaw corner (below your ear) to the other, following the jaw line straight across.
- Measure your face length from the middle of your hairline down to the bottom of your chin.
- Note which width is largest, and whether your length is clearly bigger than your cheekbone width.
- Look at your jaw corners in the mirror. Decide whether they are sharp and angular or soft and rounded.
- Match your answers to the chart below. If you sit between two shapes, read the haircut ideas for both.
The four measurements that decide your face shape
Stylists describe face shapes with a few comparisons: is the face long or short, which part is widest, and are the jaw corners sharp or soft. Compare each width with your cheekbone width, so the size of the photo does not matter.
Face length
The distance from your hairline to the bottom of your chin, compared with your cheekbone width. Oblong faces are clearly longer than wide. Round and square faces are close to even.
Forehead width
The width across your upper forehead, compared with your cheekbone width. Heart faces have a wide forehead. Diamond and triangle faces have a narrow one.
Cheekbone width
The widest line across your face at cheekbone level. Every other width is compared with this one. Diamond faces are clearly widest here.
Jaw width
The width between your two jaw corners, compared with your cheekbone width. Square and triangle faces have a wide jaw. Heart and diamond faces narrow toward the chin.
Jaw corner angle
How sharp the corner is where your jaw turns up toward your ear. A sharp, angular corner points to square. A soft, rounded corner points to round or oval.
Face shape chart: the 7 shapes
Match your measurements to the closest row. No scientific standard for face shapes exists. These are the usual stylist descriptions, and many faces sit between two shapes.
| Shape | Length vs. width | Widest part | Jaw | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | A little longer than wide | Cheekbones | Soft, slightly narrower than forehead | Balanced, with a gently rounded chin. |
| Round | About as long as wide | Cheekbones | Soft, rounded corners | Full cheeks and a rounded outline. |
| Square | About as long as wide | Even across forehead, cheekbones and jaw | Wide with sharp corners | Strong, angular jaw. |
| Heart | A little longer than wide | Forehead | Narrow, with a tapered chin | Wide forehead narrowing to a pointed chin. |
| Diamond | Longer than wide | Cheekbones, clearly | Narrow, with a narrow forehead too | High, wide cheekbones. |
| Oblong | Clearly longer than wide | Fairly even widths | Similar to forehead width | Long and straight-sided. Also called rectangle. |
| Triangle | A little longer than wide | Jaw | Wider than the forehead | Narrow forehead, broad jaw. Also called pear. |
Try haircuts for your face shape in Lookist
Knowing your shape is the start. Seeing a cut on your own face is what tells you if it works. Hairstyle Tester in the Lookist app puts new styles on your own photo, so you can compare cuts before you book one.
The Lookist report also gives you an overall score out of 10 and 15 feature scores with written notes. The jawline, cheekbones, forehead, chin and hair scores describe the same areas that decide your face shape. Future Me shows a preview of how you could look after your glow up.
Haircuts for each face shape
These are common stylist guidelines. They aim to balance a face by adding visual height or width where the face has less of it. Treat them as starting points. Hair texture, hairline and what you like matter just as much.
Oval face haircuts
Most cuts work, because the proportions are already even. Try a textured crop, a quiff, a side part, a long bob or long layers. Just avoid heavy fringes that hide the forehead and shorten the face.
Round face haircuts
Add height and keep the sides tight to make the face look longer. A quiff, pompadour, faux hawk or high fade works well. For longer hair, try long layers that fall below the chin and a side part. Chin-length rounded bobs add width, so skip them.
Square face haircuts
A strong jaw pairs well with both sharp and soft cuts. To keep it bold, go for a buzz cut, crew cut or undercut. To soften it, use textured layers, a messy fringe, side-swept bangs or waves that fall past the jaw.
Heart face haircuts
Balance a wider forehead with volume lower down. Side-swept fringes, chin-length bobs, medium cuts with layers at the jaw, and a longer textured top that falls forward all help. Very short sides with lots of height on top can make the forehead look wider.
Diamond face haircuts
Add width at the forehead and the chin so the cheekbones don't take over. A fringe, a textured crop, a side part or a chin-length cut that flares out at the ends works well. Avoid slicked-back styles that show the narrow forehead.
Oblong face haircuts
Add width and skip extra height. Fuller sides, a straight or curtain fringe, a medium-length cut with waves, or a classic short back and sides with a low top all work. Tall quiffs and very long straight hair make the face look longer.
Triangle face haircuts
Add volume at the top and temples to balance a wider jaw. Try a textured quiff, a side part with volume, layers that start above the chin, or a longer fringe. Cuts that end right at the jaw draw attention to its width.
Can your face shape change?
Your bone structure stays mostly the same as an adult, but your outline does not. Body fat sits in the cheeks, under the chin and along the jaw, so losing or gaining weight can move a face from round toward oval, or the other way. A 2012 review of facial aging found that the bones of the face also change slowly with age: the eye sockets widen and the jaw loses some length and angle. That is part of why faces often look softer and wider in the lower half later in life.
Facial hair changes the outline too. A full beard with a squared-off line makes a round or oval face read more square. A beard that is fuller at the chin and tight on the cheeks makes a face look longer. Glasses change it as well: angular frames sharpen a soft face, and round frames soften a square one.
So treat your shape as a snapshot. Measure again after a big weight change or a new beard style, and pick haircuts for the face you have now.
| Change | Effect on the outline |
|---|---|
| Losing body fat | Narrower cheeks and jaw. Often reads longer and more angular. |
| Gaining body fat | Fuller cheeks and jaw. Often reads rounder. |
| Full, squared beard | Wider, sharper jaw. Reads more square. |
| Beard full at the chin only | Longer lower face. Reads more oval or oblong. |
| Aging | Softer jaw angle and fuller lower face over many years. |
| Haircut with height | Longer-looking face. |
| Haircut with side volume | Wider-looking face. |
Limits of face shape rules
Face shape is a styling idea, not a medical or scientific category. Two stylists can call the same face oval and oblong. A 1985 anthropometry study of 153 young adults found wide variety in facial proportions and few faces that fit the classic rules. Expect your face to sit between two shapes, and treat the result as a guide.
Hair can hide the edges you need to measure. A heavy fringe hides the forehead, and a full beard hides the jaw corners, which makes the jaw read wider and softer.
Expression and pose change the outline too. A wide smile widens the lower face. A raised chin shortens the face. A slight head turn narrows one side.
None of this says anything about how attractive a face is. Every shape shows up on famous faces.
Tips for measuring your face shape from a photo
Your outline is the whole measurement, so the photo matters a lot here.
- Tie your hair back or push it behind your ears. Your temples and jaw corners need to be visible.
- Shave or trim if a full beard covers your jaw corners, or expect your jaw to read wider and softer.
- Keep your chin level. Tilting up shortens your face, and tilting down lengthens it.
- Hold the phone at eye level and at least an arm's length away. Close-up selfies stretch the center of the face.
- Keep a neutral expression with your mouth closed.
- Use even light from the front so both sides of your jaw are clear.
Frequently asked questions
How can I identify my face shape?
Compare four things: how long your face is compared with its width, whether your forehead, cheekbones or jaw is widest, and whether your jaw corners are sharp or soft. Measure them on a straight-on photo and match them to the chart on this page.
What is my face shape if I'm between two shapes?
That's normal. Read the haircut ideas for both shapes and pick what you like. Mixed shapes usually suit cuts from either list.
What is the most common face shape?
We don't know of a reliable study that counts face shapes in the population, because the categories come from styling and nobody defines them the same way. Treat any claim about the most common shape with caution, and use the chart to find yours.
Can a photo tell my face shape correctly?
A photo works well if it's straight-on, with your hair off your face and the phone at eye level. Measuring on a zoomed photo is more consistent than eyeballing a mirror. Hair over your jaw or temples, a beard, or a tilted chin can change the result.
Is there an app to try haircuts for my face shape?
Yes. Hairstyle Tester in the Lookist iPhone app tries new styles on your own photo, so you can compare cuts before you book one. The app also scores your jawline, cheekbones, forehead, chin and hair.
Can your face shape change?
Your bone structure stays mostly the same as an adult, but weight changes, aging and facial hair can change your outline. A beard can make a round or oval face read more square. Measure again after a big change.
What haircut suits my face shape?
Use the haircut section on this page. The general idea is balance: add height to round and square faces, add width to oblong faces, and add volume near the jaw for heart faces. Your hair texture and hairline count as much as the shape.
What face shape is most attractive?
No shape is best. Every shape shows up on famous faces. A haircut that balances your shape, clear skin and good grooming change how a face reads far more than the shape itself.
References
- Farkas, Hreczko, Kolar and Munro (1985). Vertical and horizontal proportions of the face in young adult North American Caucasians: revision of neoclassical canons. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 75(3)
- Mendelson and Wong (2012). Changes in the facial skeleton with aging: implications and clinical applications. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 36(4)
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