Choosing a hair style can be daunting. You have probably noticed how there are styles that make you glow while others simply do not suit you. At times, the face shape you possess is what determines the hair style that really flatters you.
How to Identify Your Face Shape in 2 Minutes
Identifying your face shape is easier than it sounds. You only need a mirror and a couple of minutes.
Pull your hair back so your face outline is visible. Now, observe: Is your face longer than it is wide? What’s the widest part – forehead, cheeks, or jaw? Is your jawline curved, pointy, or angular?
These clues tell the story:
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Oval: Looks like an upside-down egg shape. Face longer than wide, with the forehead just a little wider than the curved chin. Cheekbones are usually the broadest.
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Round: Nearly as wide as it is long, with a rounded chin and hairline. The cheeks are full, and your face has no sharp curves.
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Square: Width about equals length, but with a strong, angular jawline and broad forehead. The face sides are straight, and the chin is not much tapered.
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Rectangle: Identical to a square but longer, obviously wider than longer. Same width across the forehead, cheekbones, and jaw. A wide forehead or a wider chin will appear rectangular.
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Heart: Wider forehead and cheekbones, narrowing to a small, pointed chin (like an inverted triangle). You might have a widow’s peak hairline, but not always.
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Diamond: Cheekbones are the widest, with a narrower forehead and jawline. Jaws are pointed or angular.
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Triangle: Also called pear-shaped face. The jawline is the widest part, with a narrower forehead. The face may be longer than wide, and the chin can be square-ish or slightly round.
Universal Styling Rules for Every Face
Volume Placement Is Key
Where you add volume in your hair can change your face’s appearance dramatically. The trick is balance. Add volume where your face is narrower, and keep hair sleeker where your face is wider.
Layer Logic
Layers are your friends when used right. The logic of layers is to remove bulk where you don’t need it and add movement where you do. If you have strong jawlines or prominent cheeks, soft, graduated layers can break up the hardness and add softness around those edges.
Parting Makes a Difference
Never underestimate the power of a hair part! A center part creates symmetry, which is great for oval faces. However, it can make a heart-shaped face look wider at the top by drawing attention to a broad forehead.
A side part, particularly a deep side part, is nearly always flattering. It disrupts the symmetry and introduces angles, which can make a round face longer and break up a square face by softening the jawline. Side parts are even suggested by designers for long or oblong faces, as a diagonal line across the face adds width and shortens the length.
Heat Protection – Always, Always, Always
When you use heat for hair styling, never skip heat protectant. High heat literally breaks the hydrogen bonds in your hair. It also saps moisture and weakens the cuticle over time.
A heat protectant product forms a protective shield on the hair shaft to minimise this damage. For instance, GK Hair’s ThermalStyleHer is a popular two-in-one styling cream that guards your hair from heat and nourishes it with Juvexin and natural seed oils.
Tame the Frizz
Pakistan's humid climate can be a nightmare for your hair, particularly in the monsoon or if you are living near the coastal regions like Karachi. Humidity causes the hair to balloon out and bond with hydrogen molecules present in the air. This often causes that dreaded frizz.
Reach for a moisturizing shampoo or conditioner. A good hydrating formula will reduce frizz and flyaways. For example, GK Hair’s Moisturizing Shampoo/Conditioner promises up to 60% less frizz. It also nourishes your hair and improves manageability.
For more insight on how to deal with frizzy hair, here’s a guide on What Causes Frizzy Hair and 5 Expert Tips to Fix
Face-Shape Playbooks: Best Styles for Every Shape
Oval Face Shape
The oval face is considered the most versatile shape. It can rock almost any hair style. The goal is simply to enhance your favorite feature (maybe your eyes or lips).
Long layers, soft waves, sleek straight styles, and even blunt bobs – all can complement an oval face. So, feel free to experiment with trends.
Round Face Shape
The aim for a round face is usually to elongate and add definition. Round faces are about equal in width and length with fuller cheeks. So, hair styles that add vertical lines or movement are ideal.
Go for hair styles that are longer than chin-length. Styles like shoulder-length lobs, long layers, or even super long hair. The key is to avoid too much bulk at cheek level and draw the eye down or up.
Square Face Shape
A square face has very angular features. The goal here is to soften those angles. The best hair styles add softness and some vertical length. Think textured, wavy styles and lots of layers.
For example, medium to long hair with layers starting around the jawline or below can really help mellow out the jaw’s appearance. The layers should be curved inward around the face to counteract the square outline.
Many Pakistani women with square faces find that colouring techniques like balayage around the front also soften the look by adding dimension – but that’s optional.
Oblong/Rectangle Face Shape
Oblong faces are long and relatively narrow, so you want to shorten the appearance of the face and add width. The best styles will create horizontal volume or break the length vertically.
Waves and curls are fantastic for you because they add volume to the sides of your face. Chin-length bobs or curly bobs can also look super cute on oblong faces, as they stop around mid-face and add width there.
Just be cautious. If you go for a short bob, don’t add too much height to the hair style.
Heart Face Shape
The best hair styles for heart-shaped faces usually are those that balance the top and bottom. That is, they provide some width or fullness around the jawline and downplay a wide brow.
A fashionable chin-length bob or a lob with inner layers toward the ends can broaden the look of your jawline slightly, evening out that beautiful, wide forehead.
You might also enjoy a layered haircut. Consider long layers that begin just below the cheekbones or at jaw level, which adds movement and fills out that area.
Diamond Face Shape
Great styles for diamond shapes include chin-length bobs, shoulder-length lobs, and pretty much any cut that brings attention to the chin area.
Side-swept bangs or side parts look very chic on diamonds. They break up the symmetry of the pointed chin and draw attention to your eyes.
Diamonds also can pull off a lot of trendy looks: a shoulder-length shag with curtain bangs, a wavy lob with a deep side part, or long hair with big curls. This is because your cheekbones give you that model-esque structure; the hair’s job is mostly to frame and not add width there.
Triangle Face Shape
Great hair styles for triangle faces are ones that have layers or fullness around the crown and mid-face. The strategy is to add volume up top and lessen it at the bottom to balance the jaw.
Short to medium lengths are usually the best. For instance, a layered chin-length bob is wonderful, particularly if the ends are tapered inward or textured, which will slim the jawline. You can also use waves and curls, but stretch them straight from the ears upwards rather than from the ends.
Now You Know Your Shape, Here’s What to Do
By now, you should have a clear idea whether you’re an oval, round, square, oblong, heart, diamond, or triangle. More importantly, you’ve got practical tips to style your hair in ways that flatter you.
The second half is applying this knowledge and putting it into practice. A good stylist will love that you know your stuff; it makes their job easier.
Also, don’t forget the haircare side of things. Use quality products from GK Hair that suit your needs.
