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Face Shape & Hairstyle Finder

Measure your face in four places to find your face shape, then see which cuts, parts, braids and wigs flatter it on textured hair.

Pull your hair back and use a soft tape measure in front of a mirror.

in

Widest point, hairline to hairline

in

Across the highest points, below the outer corners of the eyes

in

Corner to corner, below the ears

in

Center of the hairline to the tip of the chin

How to measure
  1. Tie or clip all your hair back, edges included, and face a mirror in good light.
  2. Hold the tape flat and straight across. Do not wrap it around the curve of your face.
  3. Forehead: the widest point, usually halfway between your brows and hairline.
  4. Cheekbones: from the highest point of one cheekbone to the other.
  5. Jawline: from one corner of the jaw (below the ear) straight across to the other.
  6. Length: from the center of your hairline down to the tip of your chin.

No tape? Take a straight-on selfie and measure the same four lines on the screen with a ruler. Only the proportions matter.

What is your jaw and chin like?

How to use the Face Shape & Hairstyle Finder

  1. Pull your hair back and grab a tape measure

    Clip all your hair away from your face and stand in front of a mirror. Choose inches or centimeters.

  2. Enter four measurements

    Measure straight across your forehead, cheekbones and jawline, then from the center of your hairline to the tip of your chin. Open “How to measure” for the exact spots.

  3. Choose your jaw shape

    Pick rounded, angular or pointed, whichever looks most like your jaw and chin.

  4. Press “Find my face shape”

    You see the shape you are closest to, a runner-up if it is a near tie, and what flattering styles try to balance.

  5. Read the style ideas

    Browse cuts, parts and bangs, braids and protective styles, and wigs for your shape. Use them as guidelines, not rules.

How to use the Face Shape and Hairstyle Finder (58 s)

How the tool works out what hairstyle suits your face shape

Face shape is a shortcut stylists use to decide where a style should add volume and where it should stay sleek. The tool takes four straight-line measurements and the shape of your jaw, turns them into proportions, and scores how closely those proportions match six common shapes: oval, round, square, heart, diamond and oblong. 

length-to-width = face length ÷ widest of (forehead, cheekbones, jawline)

1.2 or less   → short face  (round or square)
about 1.45    → medium face (oval)
1.7 or more   → long face   (oblong)

Length first, then where the width sits

The first number is how long your face is compared with its widest part. A face that is nearly as wide as it is long is round or square. A face about one and a half times as long as wide is the classic oval. Anything close to 1.7 times or more reads as oblong.

Next the tool compares the three widths. If forehead and jaw are both within 15% of the cheekbones, the face has even sides, which points to square or oblong. A forehead at least 10% wider than the jaw points to a heart shape. Cheekbones that are clearly wider than both the forehead and the jaw point to a diamond.

Why the jaw question matters

Numbers alone cannot tell a round face from a square one, because both are short with similar widths. The difference is the outline: a soft curve or clear corners. That is why you choose rounded, angular or pointed. Your answer is worth up to 20 of the 100 points each shape can score.

Runner-up shapes

Few faces are a textbook example. When the second-best shape scores within 12 points of the winner, the result names it, so you can borrow ideas from both. Small measuring errors of a quarter inch can also move a borderline result, so measure twice.

What the tool cannot tell you

These thresholds are rules of thumb from styling practice, not science, and the suggestions are guidelines, not rules. The tool does not see your hairline, features, hair density or texture, and it has no idea what makes you feel like yourself. Use the result to narrow your options, then take the short list to your stylist. Once you have a direction, the protective style quiz helps you pick a specific style, and the wig size calculator makes sure a unit fits before you buy.

Face shape chart: how to spot each shape and what to balance

Shape How to spot it What to balance Go easy on
Oval About one and a half times as long as wide, forehead a little wider than a softly rounded jaw. Very little. Your proportions are already even, so the goal is to show them rather than cover them. Heavy bangs and lots of hair pushed onto the face, which make an even face look shorter.
Round Nearly as wide as it is long, widest at the cheekbones, with a soft rounded jaw. Add height at the crown and length below the chin, and keep the sides closer, so the face reads longer. Chin-length round bobs and wide volume at the cheeks, which end at the widest point of the face.
Square Nearly as wide as it is long, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw about the same width and an angular jaw. Soften the corners of the jaw with curves, waves and pieces that fall around the face. Blunt jaw-length bobs and straight, heavy bangs, which repeat the straight lines of the jaw.
Heart Forehead is the widest part, the face narrows through the cheekbones to a small or pointed chin. Add width around the jaw and chin, and keep the forehead light. Tall volume at the crown and slicked-back styles, which widen the top of the face.
Diamond Cheekbones are clearly the widest part, with a narrower forehead and a narrow, often pointed chin. Add width at the forehead and the chin, and keep the cheekbone area sleeker. Extra volume right at the cheekbones and tight high ponytails with nothing around the face.
Oblong Clearly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw about the same width. Add width at the sides and break up the length. Keep height on top low. Very long, sleek center-part styles and tall top knots, which make the face look longer.

Shapes are stylist rules of thumb. Measure straight across, not around the curve of the face, so the four numbers can be compared.

Frequently asked questions

What hairstyle suits my face shape?
It depends on what you want to balance. Round faces usually suit height on top and length below the chin, square faces suit soft curves and layers around the jaw, heart faces suit width near the chin, diamond faces suit bangs and fullness at the jaw, oblong faces suit width at the sides and bangs, and oval faces can wear almost anything. Measure your face above to see which group you are in.

How do I measure my face shape at home?
Pull your hair back and use a soft tape measure in a mirror. Measure straight across the widest part of your forehead, across your cheekbones, across your jaw from corner to corner, and from the center of your hairline to the tip of your chin. Keep the tape flat rather than wrapping it around your face.

What if I am between two face shapes?
That is normal. Most faces are a mix, for example oval with a square jaw. When your measurements are close to a second shape the tool names it as a runner-up, and you can borrow ideas from both lists.

Can I find my face shape without a tape measure?
Yes. Take a straight-on photo with your hair pulled back and measure the same four lines on the screen with a ruler. The tool only uses the proportions between the numbers, so the unit does not matter as long as all four are measured the same way.

Do face shape rules work for natural and textured hair?
The idea is the same for every texture: put volume where the face is narrow and keep it sleeker where the face is wide. Textured hair makes this easier, because an afro, twist-out or set of braids can be shaped to add width or height exactly where you want it.

Do I have to follow the suggestions for my face shape?
No. They are guidelines that stylists use as a starting point, not rules. Your features, hairline, hair density, lifestyle and what you feel good in matter just as much. If you love a style that is not on your list, wear it.

Which protective style suits a round face?
Styles that add length and height tend to flatter round faces: long knotless braids or twists worn down, feed-in cornrows into a high ponytail, or a top knot with a few face-framing pieces. The protective style quiz can narrow it down by budget and upkeep.

Sources

Last data update:

This page relies on the reasoning described above rather than external studies.

How we research and update pages: editorial policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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