First things first: you need to determine your actual face shape. The quickest way to do this is to stand in front of a mirror, pull back your hair and trace the outline of your face on the mirror using a bar of soap. The shape you see outlined is the general shape of your face. You’ll be able to identify if you have a pointy chin, pronounced jawline, or any of the other characteristics that make your face unique. Of course, if you’d rather take a more rigorous approach, by all means, grab a tape measure and get to work measuring the following areas:

Now that you’ve got either a bold geometric outline on the mirror or some precise measurements, determine your face shape using the following guide:

Now that you’ve determined your shape and made your old grade school math teacher proud, please use the following male face shape and hairstyle guide to determine the cut that’s right for you. And don’t take anything we say as gospel because there are simply too many variables. For instance, some men with heart-shaped faces want to cultivate the natural pointedness of their chins rather than conceal that pointedness. What’s most important is that you get a good sense of the relationship between face shapes and male hairstyles, and then proceed accordingly. It’s not as simple as oblong vs oval face, there are A LOT of options in between.

Since your face is somewhat long, seek a balanced hairstyle that lends a uniform vibe. Avoid tapered faux hawks or pompadours with deep fades or anything that pairs long hair on top with much shorter length around the sides. Instead, opt for a quality side part if your hair is short or a voluminous slicked back look if your hair is longer.

The square is a desirable face shape among men and it lends itself to plenty of hairstyles. That said, most experts suggest males with square faces keep their hair fairly short and traditionally neat. Consider a short pompadour or faux hawk with a close fade or a classic layered side part. If you want to add facial hair, you’re best off going really short (i.e. stubble) or fairly long. You’ll probably want to go short on top if pairing with a beard. Also, try to keep those sideburns short.

As a well-proportioned face shape, the oval works with lots of men’s hairstyles. However oval faced men are typically advised to leave hair off the forehead as much as possible and completely avoid fringe haircuts. Instead, go for a short quiff or pomp with maximised volume, and pair that with a modest undercut and/or striking side part. A shaved head also goes really well with an oval face. Great for a classic military look,

Since round faces tend to lack hard lines or definition, a nice angle-heavy haircut can do wonders. That means emphasising structure and volume as much as possible, rocking plenty of definition up top to make up for the lack below. You can do no wrong coupling a quality pompadour with a hard side part or even a part on both sides–anything to give that head more definition. Finish off the stylish look with a square beard and suddenly no one will be able to tell you have a severe case of babyface. So finding a haircut for round-face men might at first seem difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible.

Having a diamond-shaped face means getting to rock those bangs and long side sweeps. A messy fringe will add some nice texture to the forehead of narrow face men. The key is to keep the hair relatively long and layered and the angles soft, which will play off the pointy facial features.

A triangular face shape means a wider jaw and narrower forehead, and you want to balance all that out by going big with volume up top. A thick quiff or pomp will work wonders. What’s most important is that you keep the hair thick and flowing, even if that means using a little extra volumising hair product. Most experts also agree that beards and triangle face shapes don’t necessarily match so opt for some light stubble or a clean shave instead. Always remember, short haircuts for a strong jawline.

A heart-shaped face means a pointed chin, thus a narrow haircut will emphasise literal sharpness. If pointy is not what you’re going for, pursue longer, softer styles like a mid-length side-swept part, layered quiff, or textured fringe. Employ a lightweight hair product to ensure no hard angles emerge. Grow a nice beard to create a sense of fullness on that narrow jawline. Short to medium-length hair is welcomed.