The Ultimate Guide to
Matching Your Haircut to Your Face Shape
Have you ever wondered, “What haircut suits me best?” At Harold’s Barbershop in Irvine, we believe the right haircut isn’t just about following trends—it’s about balance, proportion, and highlighting your best features. This evergreen guide walks you through identifying your face shape and choosing a haircut that complements it perfectly. Whether you’re considering a sharp fade haircut, a longer textured style, or something in between, our expert barbers will help you find a look that’s tailored to you.
How to Identify Your Face Shape
Before choosing a style, you need to know your face shape. Here’s a breakdown of the most common ones and how to measure yours.
- Round Face
- Characteristics: Full jawline, soft angles, face length and width are similar.
- How to Measure: Use a tape measure. If your face is almost as wide as it is long, with rounded edges, you likely have a round face.
- Oval Face
- Characteristics: Balanced proportions, slightly narrower jawline than cheekbones.
- How to Measure: Your face length is greater than your width, and your features are evenly proportioned.
- Square Face
- Characteristics: Strong jawline, broad forehead, angular features.
- How to Measure: Width of forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are similar.
- Heart Face
- Characteristics: Wide forehead, narrow chin.
- How to Measure: If your forehead is the broadest point and your chin tapers to a point, you likely have a heart-shaped face.
- Oblong Face
- Characteristics: Longer than it is wide, often with a long chin or forehead.
- How to Measure: If your face length is significantly greater than its width, you may fall into this category.
Recommended Hairstyles
for Each Face Shape
- Best Haircuts for a Round Face
- Goal: Add definition and elongate the face.
- Great Styles: Pompadour with volume on top, Textured quiff, Classic side part.
- Avoid: Bowl cuts or full fringes—they emphasize roundness.
- Check out our Haircut Styles Gallery for inspiration.
- Hairstyles to Complement a Square Face
- Goal: Enhance masculine features or soften sharpness.
- Great Styles: Close-cropped buzz cut (sharp look), Layered styles with movement, Side-parted styles to balance angles.
- Pro Tip: A square face pairs beautifully with a sharp beard trim to accentuate the jawline.
- Best Haircuts for an Oval Face
- Goal: Take advantage of versatility.
- Great Styles: Slick back, Textured crop, Classic side part, Longer flowing styles.
- Pro Tip: Oval faces can pull off trending looks—see our Get The Look blog for inspiration.
- Hairstyles for a Heart-Shaped Face
- Goal: Balance wider forehead and narrow chin.
- Great Styles: Crew cut, Buzz cut, Medium-length styles with texture.
- Pro Tip: A fuller beard (see our Beard Trimming & Shaves services) can balance out the chin.
- Hairstyles for an Oblong Face
- Goal: Avoid adding extra length.
- Great Styles: Side-part with volume on the sides, Medium-length textured styles.
- Avoid: High pompadours.
- Pro Tip: Pair with a neat fade haircut to maintain proportion.
Barber-Approved Tips for Choosing a Style
- Lifestyle Matters: A corporate professional might prefer a clean taper, while creatives may opt for textured or longer styles.
- Hair Type Counts: Wavy and curly hair create different effects than straight hair—your barber will adapt the cut.
- Maintenance Level: Some styles require daily effort, others look good with minimal styling. Ask your barber about upkeep.
Need help finding a style that fits your features and lifestyle? Our team at Harold’s is happy to provide personalized men’s haircut recommendations during your haircut appointment.
Common Mistakes Men Make When Choosing a Haircut
- Picking a style just because it’s trending without considering face shape.
- Not accounting for natural hair type or texture.
- Forgetting that styling products matter just as much as the cut. (Explore our Men’s Grooming Guide for product advice.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Measure length vs. width, and observe jawline/forehead proportions. Or ask one of our barbers during your next haircut.
Yes. The right haircut enhances your features, while the wrong one can exaggerate imbalances.
No problem—our barbers adapt almost any style to suit your features.
