An Expert Guide to Choosing the Perfect Hairstyle for Your Face Shape
Finding the perfect hairstyle can be challenging, especially when trends seem to move faster than ever. However, Lauren Pope, reality star and founder of Hair Rehab London, believes the secret to achieving the most flattering hairstyle may already be in your hands—or rather, in your face shape. Whether your face is oval, round, square, heart, diamond, or long, understanding your facial proportions is key to discovering styles that enhance and elevate your natural features.
“Understanding your face shape is crucial for making the right hairstyle choices,” Pope explains. By measuring and identifying your face shape, you can unlock the styles that will suit you best—whether you’re considering soft layers, textured lobs, or anything in between.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to determine your face shape, the best hairstyles for each, and expert tips from Pope to ensure that no matter your face shape or hair goals, you can confidently embrace the most flattering styles. Plus, Pope shares how hair extensions and styling techniques can help you achieve the look you want, even if it’s not traditionally suited to your face shape.
How to Measure and Identify Your Face Shape
According to Pope, measuring your face is simple and requires only a flexible tape measure. Start by measuring the width of your forehead, from the peak of one eyebrow arch to the peak of the other. Next, measure across the top of your cheekbones, from the outer corners of one eye to the other. For your jawline, measure from the tip of your chin to just below your ear, then double that number. Finally, measure your face length from the centre of your hairline down to the tip of your chin.
Once you have these measurements, you can determine your face shape by comparing the proportions:
- Oval: Your face length is greater than the width of your cheekbones, and your forehead is slightly wider than your jawline.
- Round: Your face length and cheekbone width are nearly equal, with a softer, more rounded jawline.
- Square: All your measurements are relatively equal, but your jawline is more angular.
- Heart: Your forehead is wider than your cheekbones, and you have a narrow, pointed chin.
- Diamond: Your face length is the longest measurement, with a narrower forehead and chin and wider cheekbones.
- Long: Your face is longer than it is wide, with a straight jawline and forehead, giving an elongated appearance.
Choosing Hairstyles to Flatter Your Face Shape
Once you’ve determined your face shape, selecting hairstyles that flatter your features becomes easier:
Oval
As seen with Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Bella Hadid, oval faces are incredibly versatile and can pull off almost any hairstyle, from sleek updos and blunt bangs to voluminous waves.
Round
Round faces benefit from long layers, asymmetrical styles, loose updos, and side-swept bangs, which elongate the face and create the illusion of angles. Celebrities like Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, and Jennifer Hudson highlight how best to enhance this face shape.
Square
With square faces, the goal is to soften a strong jawline. Face-framing layers, side-swept bangs, and textured bobs work well. Olivia Wilde, Angelina Jolie, and Margot Robbie are great examples of celebrities who embrace styles that enhance their angular features while adding softness.
Heart
For heart-shaped faces, wider foreheads and narrow chins can be balanced with long bobs, flowing layers, or pixie cuts. Look to Lily Collins, Reese Witherspoon, and Taylor Swift for inspiration on how to complement this angular face shape.
Diamond
Diamond faces, seen on A-listers like Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna, are best balanced with long and tousled locks, textured updos, and layered pixie cuts. Side-swept bangs also soften the angles of the forehead and jaw.
Long
Considered one of the easiest face shapes to flatter, long faces—think Liv Tyler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Zooey Deschanel—benefit most from bangs, face-framing layers, and lots of volume, as they help balance the elongated shape.
Breaking the Rules with Hair Extensions and Styling Hacks
What if your favourite hairstyle doesn’t suit your face shape? Pope reassures us that face shape doesn’t have to be a limiting factor. “While face shape can be a helpful guide, it shouldn’t stop you from embracing and enjoying a style you love,” she says. If you want a style that doesn’t naturally complement your face shape, Pope encourages you to go for it—with the reassurance that hair extensions can help if the look doesn’t turn out as expected. “If your cut is too short, extensions can add length. If you’ve lost volume from too many layers, extensions can restore fullness,” she explains.
In fact, Pope believes that you don’t even need a drastic cut to achieve a flattering style, as most people can enhance their face shape with extensions alone—whether it’s adding volume to balance the face, using a clip-on ponytail for on-trend updos, or adding length to complement a round face shape, for example. Finally, Pope stresses that even the most minimal of styling changes can make a significant impact. “Small changes like introducing centre parts or deep side parts, curling your hair, or adding texture can dramatically enhance your look,” she advises.
Hair Rehab London offers a wide range of hair extensions, including clip-in, ponytail, tape-in, and micro ring extensions in both high-quality synthetic and human hair. Products are available to purchase online at hairrehablondon.com, with clip-in hair extensions starting at £132.99 ($165) and professional extensions from £41.99 ($56).