How to choose a haircut for your face and head shape

Have you ever seen a haircut that looked perfect on someone else, asked for the same cut, and realized it did not look the same on you?

There is a reason for that.

Choosing a haircut is not only about finding a style you like. Your face shape, head shape, hair type, hairline, density, beard, and the way your hair grows can all change the result. Before I start a cut, I look at how the finished style is going to sit on the person in the chair. A good haircut should still work with your features after you leave the shop.

This is the same guide I use as a starting point. You can tap through the shapes on the home page too. It is a starting point, not a rulebook.

Face shape and head shape are not the same

Your face shape comes from the proportions of your forehead, cheekbones, jaw and the length of your face.

Your head shape is the skull itself. How round or flat the back is, how the crown sits, whether one side grows differently. With a skin fade, a buzz, or a high fade, that shape shows. With more length, I have hair to build balance with.

Neither one means you have a bad head. They just change where the weight should sit.

How to tell what you are closest to

Stand in front of a mirror and push your hair off your forehead. Look at four things:

• Forehead. Wider or narrower than the rest of your face?
• Cheekbones. Are they the widest point?
• Jaw. Broad and angular, narrow, or soft?
• Length. Noticeably longer than it is wide, or close to even?

You do not need a tape measure. The shapes I see most are oval, round, square, oblong, diamond, heart and triangle.

Oval

Longer than it is wide, with a jaw a little narrower than the cheekbones. You can wear almost anything: low, mid or high fades, tapers, textured crops, pompadours, slick backs, side parts, crew cuts, quiffs.

One thing to watch is a heavy fringe hanging straight down. It can shorten the face. Other than that, experiment.

Round

Similar width and length, softer angles, fuller cheeks. The goal is usually height on top and tighter sides, so the face reads longer. High or mid fades, pompadours, quiffs, brush-ups and side parts do that well.

A wide, rounded shape with full sides can emphasize the roundness. A little extra beard length at the chin can lengthen the lower half too. Beard work lives on the beard page.

Square

Broad forehead, strong jaw, similar width from top to bottom. This shape can handle very short hair. Buzz cuts, crew cuts, skin fades, mid fades, textured crops and slick backs all sit well.

If you want it softer, leave texture and length on top. If you want the jaw to read even stronger, keep it tight and clean.

Oblong

Noticeably longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheeks and jaw in a similar width. Extra height on top plus very short sides makes it longer. Keep some fullness on the sides.

Low fades, tapers and scissor-cut sides are usually kinder than a high skin fade. Fringe, side-swept styles and textured crops help too. If you want a fade, a low fade or taper is the first thing I would try.

Diamond

Cheekbones are the widest point. Forehead and jaw are narrower. Add a little width at the forehead and keep some weight at the temples. Textured fringe, messy medium length, side-swept hair and low tapers tend to balance it.

Very tight sides can make the cheekbones look even wider.

Heart

Wider at the forehead, narrowing toward the chin. Do not exaggerate that difference. Textured fringe, medium length, side-swept styles and low tapers keep some weight at the sides. A short beard can add width to the jaw, which balances the top.

Triangle

The opposite of a heart. Wider jaw, narrower forehead. Build volume on top and at the temples. Textured quiffs, pompadours, side parts with lift, and longer styles with movement. A flat, tight top makes the jaw look wider.

Where the fade starts changes the head

Face shape gets the attention online. Fade placement changes the silhouette just as much.

A low fade keeps darkness and weight around the sides. That holds shape, and it keeps a long face from looking narrower. A mid fade takes more weight off and still keeps structure. It is the most versatile placement I do. A high fade shows more of the head, sharpens the contrast, and makes the top look taller. A taper only cleans the sideburns and neck and leaves the sides full. It grows out the cleanest.

The best one is not whichever fade is trending. It is the one that works with your hair and the shape you already have. The fade guide on the home page shows each placement.

Hair type, hairline and beard

Thick straight hair and fine hair are different jobs. Curly hair wants a different outline than wavy hair. Coarse hair makes a bigger silhouette than soft hair. If a cowlick splits in the same place every morning, a style that fights it will annoy you by Wednesday.

A mature hairline does not automatically mean a shaved head. Sometimes the move is less length, more texture, a different direction, or a fade that makes the hairline look intentional instead of hidden.

And the beard changes the face you think you have. Length at the chin lengthens a round face. Fullness at the sides widens a narrow jaw. I would rather shape the beard with the cut than treat them as two separate appointments.

Bring the photo, then let me adapt it

A reference picture is the easiest way to show me the direction. Bring one. Just do not expect a photocopy.

The person in the photo has a different head, hairline, density, texture and routine. I take the part you actually like and fit it to you. That version usually looks better than a literal copy.

If you are in Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Port St. Lucie, Hobe Sound or Jupiter and you are not sure what to ask for, you do not have to know. I am at El Barbershop, 612 S Colorado Ave. Bring the pictures. We will choose the cut before I start.

face shapefadeshaircuts