What is a triangle face shape?
A triangle face is widest at the jaw. The cheekbones are a little narrower, and the forehead narrower still, so the outline widens from top to bottom. The jawline is usually strong, with defined corners below the ears, and the chin is broad rather than pointed.
You will see it called triangle or pear in face shape guides; the names mean the same thing. Be careful with one mix-up: some guides use "inverted triangle" for what others call a heart face. That is the opposite shape, with the forehead wider than the jaw.
Triangle is the least commonly reported face shape, and it is often labeled square. Styling it is about adding width and volume at the top of the head and the temples, and keeping the jaw area clean and free of extra bulk.
How to tell if you have a triangle face
A jaw wider than the forehead, a narrower top, and a strong, often flat chin.
- 1Forehead
- 2Cheekbones
- 3Jawline
- 4Face length
- Length
- About 1.4 to 1.5 times the width
- Widest point
- Jawline
- Forehead
- Clearly the narrowest of the three widths
- Jaw and chin
- Strong, angled jaw and a broad, often flat chin
- Your jaw is wider than your forehead, and often wider than your cheekbones.
- Your forehead looks narrow, especially at the temples.
- Your jaw has visible corners below the ears.
- Your chin is broad or flat rather than pointed.
How to measure a triangle face
Pull your hair back and look straight into a mirror, or take a photo at arm's length with the phone at eye level. Then compare four distances:
- Forehead: across the widest part, roughly halfway between your brows and hairline.
- Cheekbones: across the highest points, just below the outer corners of your eyes.
- Jawline: from the corner of your jaw below one ear to the same point on the other side.
- Length: from the center of your hairline to the tip of your chin.
For a triangle face, the jaw is the widest measurement, the forehead is clearly the narrowest, and the length is around 1.4 to 1.5 times the width. If all three widths are close, you are probably square. If you would rather not measure, our face shape detector does it from a photo, on your device.
Best hairstyles for a triangle face (women)
Add width and volume at the crown and temples so the top of the face meets the jaw. Keep fullness away from jaw level.
Choppy layers and a wispy fringe add width and texture at the temples, where a triangle face is narrowest.
A deep side part lifts the crown and puts volume high on one side, which balances the jaw.
A fringe that sweeps out toward the temples widens the forehead visually.
Long hair with layers that start above the jaw carries the eye past the widest point instead of stopping there.
Best haircuts for men with a triangle face
Height and some width at the front add volume at the top, where the face is narrowest.
A side part with fullness on top widens the upper head and keeps the look tidy.
A textured top adds width across the forehead; keep the sides a little longer than a skin fade.
Curls on top build width at the temples; a soft taper keeps the sides from looking too tight.
Haircuts to think twice about
None of these are rules. They are the cuts most likely to work against a triangle face, and why.
A heavy bob that ends right at the jaw adds bulk at the widest point and draws a line across it.
Very short all over shows the narrow forehead next to the wide jaw, with nothing to balance them.
Flat hair hugging the narrow forehead makes the jaw look wider by contrast.
Glasses for a triangle face
A heavy top bar adds width and fullness at the brow line, where the face is narrowest.
Upswept outer corners widen the upper face and draw the eye up.
A strong top rim and light bottom balance a wider jaw.
Weight in the lower rim echoes the wider jaw.
Small rimless frames add nothing at the top, where you want a little presence.
Choose frames at least as wide as your cheekbones, with a strong top line and a lighter bottom.
Brows, beard and contour for a triangle face
Brows
Full, well-defined brows suit triangle faces, because they add emphasis to the upper face. A soft, slightly elongated arch widens the forehead. Avoid very thin or very short brows, which make the forehead look narrower.
Beard styles
On a triangle face, a beard should not add width at the jaw. Keep it short and neat on the sides, trimmed close at the jaw corners, and let the chin carry slightly more length if you want definition. Pair it with some volume on top so the head reads balanced from crown to chin.
Light stubble softens the jaw corners without adding width at the widest point.
A short, neat beard keeps the jawline clean; trim the sides tighter than the chin.
Keeping the hair at the chin only leaves the wide jaw corners clear.
Makeup and contour placement
If you contour, use a soft shade along the jaw corners, just under the jawline and blended down onto the neck, so the angle softens. Highlight the center of the forehead and the temples to add width at the top. Place blush high on the cheekbones and blend it up toward the temples rather than down toward the jaw.
A triangle face is one where a little highlighter at the temples genuinely helps, because it widens the narrowest part. Keep jaw contour soft and diffused; a hard line along the jaw makes the corners more visible, not less.
Celebrities with a triangle face shape
Names commonly cited for the triangle face shape in style guides and magazines, not measurements. Lists differ between sources, and hair, angles and makeup change how a face reads in photos, so use them for the overall impression only.
Triangle or another shape?
The shapes most often confused with this one, and how to tell them apart.
If your forehead, cheekbones and jaw are all close in width, you are more likely square.
If your jaw is soft and rounded rather than angled, and your length and width are close, look at round.
Heart is the opposite outline: forehead widest and jaw narrowest, which is why some guides call it an inverted triangle.