How to Choose a Haircut for Your Face Shape

"What haircut suits my face?" is one of the most common questions we get, and the honest answer is: it depends less on trend and more on proportion. A cut that photographs beautifully on someone with a long face can overwhelm a round one, and vice versa. Here is a practical breakdown by face shape, followed by what actually happens in a real consultation.

Round Face

A round face has soft, curved lines with width and length roughly equal. The goal is to add the illusion of length and angles. Layered cuts that fall below the chin, side-swept fringes, and styles with height at the crown all work well. Very blunt, chin-length bobs and center-parted styles with width at the cheeks tend to emphasise roundness rather than balance it.

Oval Face

An oval face is considered the most versatile shape, longer than it is wide, with a gently rounded jaw. Most cuts work here, from blunt bobs to long layers to full fringes, because there is no strong angle to correct. The main thing to watch is not covering up naturally balanced proportions with too much heavy, face-hugging length.

Square Face

A square face has a strong, angular jawline and a wide forehead. Soft layers, side-swept fringes, and styles with movement around the jaw help soften the angles. Very blunt, straight-across cuts at jaw length can make the jawline look more pronounced, which some people want and others don't, so this is a case where personal preference matters as much as "rules."

Heart-Shaped Face

A heart-shaped face is wider at the forehead and narrows toward the chin. Chin-length to shoulder-length cuts with volume near the jaw help balance a narrower chin, and a side-swept fringe can soften a wider hairline. Very short, cropped styles can sometimes draw more attention to forehead width.

• Round face: layers below the chin, side-swept fringe, height at the crown
• Oval face: most cuts work, from blunt bobs to long layers
• Square face: soft layers and movement around the jaw to soften angles
• Heart-shaped face: chin-to-shoulder length with volume near the jaw

This is exactly why we start every haircut with a real consultation rather than jumping straight to the chair. Our Haircut by Senior Stylist with Wash includes a proper consultation on face shape, hair texture and how you actually want to style it day to day, before a single cut is made.