Most men fit into the six classic face shapes, here is our quick guide to which face shapes will suit which haircut:
ROUND
A classic round face shaped person is Zac Efron, the proportions of the face are equal all around.
The best hairstyles are well structured and angular, this will offset the rounder features so well-tailored and angled haircut work well to give the face shape a perception of more length/height. A little corner weight and boxiness over the curve from side to crown can also help to define the face’s features and draw attention to the center of the face, rather than the face as a ‘round’ whole. Softer shapes create an overall blend and you lose the features as seen on the left.
When a steep graduation is used, with a quiff, it creates height and more of a rectangular feature, which puts more emphasis on the facial feature like the eyes and month, as seen in the second image.
At Ruffians, we suggest you ask your barber for a tapered graduation cut increasing the weight on top for volume. Avoid soft round shapes and longer hair styles which tend to be floppy and lead to a flat shape, which over emphasises the roundness.
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SQUARE
The action man of face shapes, the face is quite structured and longer than it is wide, a perfect example is Cam Gigandet.
For the most flattering haircut go for something softer and with the edges blurred and rounded out, to add a curve rather than ‘pointy’ Lego man style corners.
Square faces can work well with hair swept back or to the side and avoid shaping the fringe too high. A shorter fringe means the face is more uniform and square, rather then overly rectangular.
Ask your barber for a softly tailored rounder shape, swept sideways, away from the face, like the examples here.
We suggest you try to avoid a blunt fringe and or square cuts that are the face look more angular and like a box-style.
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OVAL
Perceived by many a barber as the Holy Grail of face shapes! As seen on Jake Gyllenhaal.
If you have the oval shape, you have the fortune to try almost any hair style you chose. There is literally no limit to the options. The dimensions and geometry of an oval face shape means that everything works, you can add volume through a pompadour, take it tight in a crew cut, style to the side, or take on a blunt fringe with texture. All of these styles will work because of the curve around the chin balancing that of the curve around the temple and cranium.
When visiting the barber shop, it is up to you and how experiential you want to be with your style. If they are passionate about their craft, as we are at Ruffians, them your barber should be equally as excited as you about creating your own unique style.
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HEART
Slightly longer in the chin and higher along the top of the head than oval, the heart look is almost as versatile because of the balance between the jaw and hair lines.
As seen on Nick Jonas there are a few caveats with cutting the hair of a person with an heart face shape, and we train our Ruffians team to avoid too much height as it will elongate the face.
A long hairstyle can work very well, although be sure to ask your barber to ensure they cut the angle and texture of the hair to allow it to move around the face and ears, rather than to fall in a heavy around the ears and act to ‘shadow’ the face.
Ask your barber for tailored shapes and hair on the forehead, this helps to break up the longer heart shape.
Avoid high hair and big sweeps which elongate the length of the face. It’s also a good idea to avoid pointy beards or a goatee with this style, as it also accentuates the heart nature of the chin.
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DIAMOND
A great example of a diamond face shape is Ryan Reynolds, who shows you have plenty of scope to get a style that suits you.
With this style, it is important to have a good balance in length between the sides and top of the hair. So, if you want lots of hair on top it’s best to have a fair amount of hair around the back and sides to balance and frame. If you want the sides super short, then the top is best to keep the top shorter and neater too, to avoid creating a pyramid-style shape.
Ask your barber for a uniform layered scissor cut, with plenty of texture on top and natural lines around the sides and nape. Or to take it tight with the clippers, with a short crop on top.
Avoid tight sides and long tops or any equally imbalanced shapes as they tend to detract from the facial features.
Facial hair works brilliantly with a diamond shape, light stubble with a cropped style, or a little more of a groomed rugged beard if you’re going for more texture and length on top. Again, it is key to balance the beard-length with hair length.
The new mullet revolution that we’re seeing is a personal thing but does work best with a diamond shape, if you’re brave enough to carry it off!
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TRIANGLE
Ryan Gosling has the conventional triangular face shape. The triangular shape has a wide forehead and narrow chin.
Textured hairstyles work best with a wider forehead and narrow chin. Where you have straight hair, like Ryan, sweeping your hair back and across it the best option. You can elevate the top, gaining some volume, to round the points, which balances the pointed chin.
Avoid tapering the sides, which will draw the line of the face down towards the point of the chin. Keep some volume on the sides, with straight texture, rather than the taper/fade. The loose texture will blur the sides around the ears, and again improve the face shape with a balanced, round appearance.
Ask for texture crops with a natural hairline.
Avoid styling it straight back with a gel or pomade, which reduces volume. You need the height with this style, not a flat style.
