What every woman should know before getting a haircut

Not only can a good hair-cut banish your bad hair days, but your new added layers can boost your self-confidence. But get the wrong haircut and you’ll feel more inclined to sob for weeks following your appointment — except, once you distinguish your face profile, you can figure out what cut will compliment your face.

As compiled by beautyhigh.com, thehairstyler.com, Good Housekeeping and Allure magazine, figure out your face shape and pick the style that suits it best. 

Oval



The oval face shape (like Jessica Alba’s) is considered to be ideal — the reason being they are well-balanced. Since they’re not overly sharp or angular, and not overly rounded or full, it tends to look proportionate and nice with pretty much any hairstyle or length. The oval face shape is widest at the cheekbones, but not by much. It narrows a tiny bit at the jaw-line and at the forehead. Long or short, curly or straight, bangs or no bangs, there’s really not much you can do with the hair that will make the face shape itself look unbalanced. “A centre part on hair that’s shoulder-length or longer is especially nice against an oval backdrop,” says hairstylist and New York and DC salon owner Ted Gibson. To avoid looking too severe, add some soft waves, he suggests. If you’re feeling daring to go noticeably short, a pixie cut or side swept bob looks best on oval faces.

Square



The square face shape (like Olivia Wilde’s), does not narrow much from the cheekbone to the forehead, nor from the cheekbone to the jaw-line. The square shape may also look angular with the jaw-line appearing sharply-angled at the corners, and even the forehead may be squared off. The way to enhance a square face is to steer clear of blunt bangs, centre parts, and blunt, jaw-length bobs. Try side-swept bangs, curls or waviness, and layers to bring softness to the angles of this face. Also, part your hair on the side, and if you pull your hair back, leave some buoyant and messy pieces hanging around your face. Because of the strong jaw, medium length hairstyles suit the square face shape best.

Round



Round face shapes (like Selena Gomez) are widest across the cheekbones, narrowing some at the forehead and jaw-line. This face shape is not angular at all, and is wider than the typical oval or oblong face. When working with a round face shape, you may want to avoid any hairstyle that’s ear-length since it’ll give your face a wider appearance. Also, avoid blunt-cut straight bangs and styles that add volume or curls to the sides without any up on top. The most balanced and flattering styles on a round face are those that add fullness at the crown of the head, as well as longer styles with little width. Wispy or side-swept bangs are best, and very short styles can work as well. Just steer clear of ear-length hair. An easy way to add definition is with a sleek ponytail secured at or above the height of your ears. If you’re not a ponytail fan, a side swept braid will work just as well.

Heart



The heart shaped face (like Reese Witherspoon’s) is widest at the forehead and it narrows toward the jaw-line. The jaw is the narrowest area of the face. Again, it may be angular or more rounded. People with heart shaped faces may want to avoid blunt-cut, straight bangs, as they will make the face appear shorter and the forehead wider. Slick-backed styles will have the same effect. Chin-length and jaw-length bobs look fantastic on this face shape. Texture such as curl, wave and long layers also accentuate its features. Try side parted styles and wispy layers to create balance to this pretty face shape. “If you want to go super short on a heart shaped face, a pixie with soft side-swept bangs softens any hard features,” says celebrity hairstylist Jimmy Paul.

Oblong



The oblong face shape (like Liv Tyler’s) is rectangular, and has similar qualities as the square face shape except that it’s longer. It tends to be angular, but not always. Oblong faces are pretty straight, with the cheekbones not any or much wider than the forehead and jaw-line. What to avoid: centre parts, no-bangs or slicked-back styles, chin-length styles with no texture or fullness, and styles that add volume on top but not at the sides. The best styles for this face are full, textured styles. Think curls or waves, and layers. Short and medium length styles work well on this face, like ‘wedge’ cuts and graduated bobs that are shorter than the jaw-line. Shoulder length cuts with layers that kick out or have texture are flattering, as are side parts and blunt cut bangs.

Compiled By: Umnia Shahid

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.

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