How to find your face shape
Pull your hair back, look straight into a mirror (or at a photo taken at arm's length) and compare four distances: the width of your forehead, your cheekbones and your jawline, and the length of your face from hairline to chin. Then look at two details: whether your jaw has a defined corner or a soft curve, and whether your chin is rounded, pointed or broad.
The face shape detector does this from a photo and draws the measurements on it. It runs in your browser, so the photo is not uploaded. If you prefer not to use a photo, it also has a four-question version for measuring in a mirror.
- 1Forehead
Across the widest part, halfway between brows and hairline.
- 2Cheekbones
Across the highest points, below the outer corners of the eyes.
- 3Jawline
Corner to corner, from below one ear to below the other.
- 4Face length
From the middle of the hairline to the tip of the chin.
The 7 face shapes compared
Most faces sit between two shapes, so read the table as a set of tendencies rather than strict rules. If two rows both sound like you, read both guides: the advice for neighboring shapes overlaps a lot.
| Shape | Length | Widest point | Forehead | Jaw and chin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | About 1.5 times the width | Cheekbones | A little narrower than the cheekbones | Narrower than the forehead, softly rounded chin |
| Round | Close to the width, up to about 1.3 times | Cheekbones and the cheeks below them | Slightly narrower than the cheekbones, rounded hairline | Wide, soft jaw with no clear angle, rounded chin |
| Square | A little longer than wide, about 1.3 to 1.4 times | Even: forehead, cheekbones and jaw close in width | Broad, often with a straight hairline | Wide jaw with a defined angle, broad flat chin |
| Oblong | Clearly more than 1.5 times the width, often 1.6 or more | Fairly even: forehead, cheekbones and jaw close in width | Often tall, with a straight or slightly rounded hairline | Jaw close to the cheekbones in width, chin can be long |
| Heart | About 1.4 to 1.5 times the width | Forehead and temples | Broad, with the cheekbones close behind | Clearly narrower, tapering to a small or pointed chin |
| Diamond | About 1.5 times the width | Cheekbones, by a clear margin | Narrow, close to the jaw width | Narrow, angled toward a defined or pointed chin |
| Triangle | About 1.4 to 1.5 times the width | Jawline | Clearly the narrowest of the three widths | Strong, angled jaw and a broad, often flat chin |
What face shape changes, and what it doesn't
Face shape is useful for three decisions: where to put volume and length in a haircut, which glasses frames to try first, and how to shape brows and beards. The principle is the same everywhere: add width where the face is narrow, add length where it is short, and soften or sharpen angles as you like.
It does not tell you anything about how you look, and no shape is better than another. "Oval" is often called ideal in old style guides, but it is only the shape with the fewest rules, not a goal. Your hair texture, your lifestyle and your taste matter just as much. Use face shape to shortlist, then decide.
If you want a recommendation that combines your face shape with your hair type, brows and the cut you have now, the free AI glow-up analysis previews a haircut on your own photo.