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Most men have no idea what shape their face is, but having the knowledge can not only enhance it
but help you avoid the mistake of opting for a style that doesn’t suit you. From haircuts and facial
hair to eyewear and even hats, understanding what shape your face is can help elevate your entire
look.
For example, with three sons, I’ve watched their haircut and style trends evolve over the years. Some they have managed to pull off and others have basically been a flop. With regards to the latter, a
love of David Beckham led my eldest two to request his infamous buzz cut on a visit to the barber, only to be left disappointed when that cut didn’t suit them at all.
Why? They have round faces, which meant the buzz cut did nothing for them. We learned it brought more attention to their circular face, and they would have benefitted from hair height and definition to give them a more angular and defined look. Lesson learned!
There’s many things to consider when finding the right style of hair and beard for your face shape, but all that is useless if you don’t know what your face shape is to begin with.
The 6 Primary Men’s Face Shapes
While faces come in all shapes and sizes, they tend to fall into six different categories. To bring out the best in each of them, you need to pay attention to what individual features they all have, and whether you should bring attention to them or balance them out elsewhere.
- Round face shape: Your face looks circular with full cheeks and no sharp angles.
- Oval face shape: Your face shape is longer than it is wide, with softly rounded features, a forehead that is slightly broader than the jawline, and cheekbones that form the widest point.
- Square face shape: Your face shape is angular and defined with the forehead, cheekbones, and jaw all the same width.
- Heart face shape: A heart-shaped face is defined by a wide forehead, prominent cheekbones, and a narrow, pointed jaw.
- Rectangular face shape: A rectangular face shape is often characterised by angular features, a strong jawline, and a long silhouette.
- Diamond face shape: A diamond face shape is widest at the cheekbones and narrows sharply at both the forehead and a pointed jawline.
How To Find Your Face Shape (Without A Tape Measure)
There are two tried and true ways men can figure out what face shape they have without needing a tape measure. In fact, you can find all you need for both methods right in your bathroom.
The Mirror-Trace Method
This is the oldest face shape test and is pretty simple to do: all you need is a mirror, and something to trace your reflection with (preferably a bar of soap or your partner’s old lipstick).
If your hair is long or covers your face, tie or clip it back so you get a clear reflection of the face in the mirror. Look dead-on and trace your reflection directly onto the mirror with your chosen tool that will give you the outline of your face. Without the distraction of facial features, you’ll be able to tell your face shape immediately.
The Hat Maker’s Secret
“Men can determine their facial shape by examining their jawlines, cheek bones, foreheads, and the
lengths of their faces,” Louisiana-based hat maker Amy Grammer told Man of Many.
“It is not important to determine the exact shape of the face, but rather the
areas of softness and angles along the face and where the face has width and length.”
This method is a little more nuanced than simply tracing your face, but it gives you a more detailed insight into the intricacies of your facial structure. It’s all about studying how each part of your face (jawline, forehead, cheekbones etc) and how they align with one another.
“Square faces have strong jaws and balanced widths of the foreheads and cheek bones,” Grammer says.
“In comparison, oval faces are longer than they are wide and have softer edges. Round faces are fuller
and have less angular structures. Heart shaped faces are wider at the foreheads and have narrow
chins.”
What To Do Once You Know Your Face Shape
Understanding what your face shape is only gets you so far. It’s the basis around which you can style everything else, from hair to beards to hats to glasses and more.
Locking In Your Ideal Haircut
Having the right hairstyle that best compliments your face shape can, according to Grammer, “draw out the best features of the face and create balance or, if needed, add contrast.”
With each face shape, there are things that are worth aiming for and styles that are worth avoiding. But, rest assured, you can read more here about how to nail the right hairstyle for your face shape.
Choosing Beard Styles To Subtly Correct Profiles
Just like with your hairstyle, choosing how to grow and style your facial hair should also take your face shape into account.
In this case, how you style and grow your beard can help balance out the parts of your face you can’t change.
“For example,” Grammer says, “round faces tend to have fuller structures and so benefit from height at the hairline along with… longer chin beards or moustaches.”
You can learn more about what beard works for what face shape here.
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