How to Determine Your Face Shape

By Aniela / March 24, 2008

Almost everything you read in a magazine or anywhere else, asks you to choose your face shape in order to determine which hair style looks good on you, but how can you really know? Learn how to determine your face shape by reading below! Determining your face shape is actually quite easy, and today we'll guide you through that!

How to Determine Your Face Shape

Step 1: Gather Your Tools

tape measure

Before we get into it, you'll need a few tools. Sure, you can simply look at your face in the mirror, but in reality, that's not an exact way to determine your face shape. You'll need a few things:

  • a tape measure (the soft type that tailors use)
  • a pen and paper (or you can just use the notes in your phone)
  • a mirror

These things are important because you'll need to measure your face in order to really determine the exact shape, so let's get to it!

Step 2: Measure Your Forehead

The best way to figure out the face of your shape, is to measure it! You'll need to figure out which parts are longer and which parts are shorter. Start by measuring the widest part of your forehead. This is usually halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline. Once you've measured the widest part of your face (the forehead), write it down.

Step 3: Measure Your Cheekbones

When it comes to choosing the perfect hairstyle for your face shape, the width of your cheekbones plays a crucial role. To measure your cheekbone width, place the tape measure across the pointiest part of your cheekbones, just below the outer corners of the eyes.

Step 4: Measure Your Jawline

Measure your jawline from the tip of the chin to below the ear at the point where your jaw angles upwards. Once you've measured one side, multiply that by 2 to get the jawline length.

Step 5: Measure the Length of Your Face

Did you know that the difference between a square face and a rectangle face is only about two inches? To measure to length of your face, lay the tape measure from the center of your hairline right down to the tip of your chin.

Step 6: Determining the Shape of Your Face

determine face shape

Now that you've (hopefully) written down all of your measurements, check to see which of these parts is the largest. Compare your numbers to the profiles below to see which will best described your face shape.

Oval Face Shape

oval face shape

For this face shape, the face length is greater than the width of the cheekbones and the forehead is greater than the jawline. The angle of the jaw is more rounded than sharp.

Round Face Shape

round face shape


Circular shaped. Length is approx equal to width, meaning cheekbones and face length have a similar measurement. They are both larger than the forehead and jawline, and the angle of the jaw is soft and less defined.

Oblong/Rectangular Face Shape

oblong face shape


For those with oblong faces or rectangular face shape: face is longer than it is wide with a long straight cheek line. The forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are similar in size. Usually, this is a long face.

Square Face Shape

square face shape


Strong and broad forehead with angular jaw. For the square shape, all measurements are fairly similar.

Heart Face Shape

heart face shape


The heart shaped face is wide at the forehead and cheekbones, narrow at the jawline. The forehead will measure greater than the cheekbones and jawline and the chin will be pointed.

Diamond Face Shape

diamond face shape


For the diamond shaped face, the forehead and jawline are narrow with wide and high cheekbones. For the diamond face shape, the length will have the largest measurement, and in descending order the following areas: cheekbones, forehead, and jawline (which will be smallest). The chin will usually be pointed.

Triangular Face Shape

triangular face shape


Forehead and cheekbones are narrow with a wide jawline. The jawline will measure greater than the cheekbones which will measure larger than the forehead.

Still not sure how to measure correctly or which shape your face is? Check out this YouTube video courtesy of Ellabangs for more help!

Courtesy of EllaBangs

So now that you know which face shape you have, you can go out and choose a hairstyle based on that shape, the right type of eyebrows to sport, and much more!

determine face shape
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5 from 1 vote

How to Determine Your Face Shape – Measuring Your Face

Learn how to determine your face shape by measuring your face and comparing your results against the guide.
Prep Time5 minutes
Course: Skin Care
Cuisine: Face Shape
Keyword: DIY, face shape, skin care
Cost: $0

Equipment

  • Tape Measure
  • Pen and Paper
  • Mirror

Instructions

Measure Your Forehead

  • The best way to figure out the face of your shape, is to measure it! You'll need to figure out which parts are longer and which parts are shorter. Start by measuring the widest part of your forehead. This is usually halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline. Once you've measured the widest part of your face (the forehead), write it down.

Measure Your Cheekbones

  • When it comes to choosing the perfect hairstyle for your face shape, the width of your cheekbones plays a crucial role. To measure your cheekbone width, place the tape measure across the pointiest part of your cheekbones, just below the outer corners of the eyes.

Measure Your Jawline

  • Measure your jawline from the tip of the chin to below the ear at the point where your jaw angles upwards. Once you've measured one side, multiply that by 2 to get the jawline length.

Measure the Length of Your Face

  • Did you know that the difference between a square face and a rectangle face is only about two inches? To measure to length of your face, lay the tape measure from the center of your hairline right down to the tip of your chin.

To see more posts like this one, check out our Beauty Tips Section!

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Marisa
16 years ago

Thanks but I’m not sure I agree with the photo for Triangular. Her face looks more square to me.

kate
15 years ago

I think that the way you can determine their face shape is by looking at the cheekbones forehead and cheeks

Ana
15 years ago

gosh, this cant help me. im pretty stupid when it comes to determining my own features… i think mine is some weird mix with round and heart. ha

Natasha
14 years ago

Mine is square.

violet
14 years ago

um im not sure whats mine, i’ve always thought it was oval
but now its either a heart or a diamond x]

Hannah Y.
14 years ago

I have an oval face shape, just need to know what eybrow shape would siut me best then i’m good to go 🙂

Katie
14 years ago

Definitely heart shaped.

Thanks =]

laura
14 years ago

mine is in between oval and round.

Sarah
14 years ago

And mine is between oval and heart shaped. I wish we could upload our photo and have a free generated software automatically detect it.

sally
13 years ago

it’s weird; my face doesn’t seem to fit into either one of these categories. My cheekbones and jawline have the exact same width (I just measured). The width of these is much wider than my forehead. So Im kinda confused here…

M
13 years ago

I have an oval face shape, but the hint of cheekbones, lie under the fact that I have natural shadows under my cheekbones, which happen to be start at my temples before their apples stop just under my eyes (Or near them) but they don’t protrude. Front on, you can see them, but not as a much as when I hold my face at a certain angle.

stephanie
13 years ago

i just wanted to leave a comment. i dont have a face shape. chealsi said it was diamond. now my chin is swollen. so i dont know nowww

Jayden
13 years ago

I think I’m a heart or circle. Hmm… Maybe a circle and heart mixed lol

Cici
13 years ago

I think I’m either oval or round. I”m still not sure.

Dana
13 years ago

one way to figure out what face shape you are is to get some one too draw the out line of your face in the mirror 😀

13 years ago

I think mines a cross between a circle and a square.. is that possible?

13 years ago

I ain’t sure which face shape I’ve got.Maybe it’s diamond or heart.But anyway,thanx.That helped!!

Chelsea
13 years ago

I’m soooo confused! I don’t know if I’m oval or oblong… *sigh*

Anonymous
12 years ago

If you’re confused, the four MAIN face shapes is oval, heart, square, and round.

anu
12 years ago

Mine is oval 😛

Meggghan!
12 years ago

My face literally looks like those one weird parentheses.. you know, the { } things! How do I classify THAT? I’ll just call my face the “weird parentheses shape” {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Alicia
4 years ago

Cool, thanks! Just measured mine and it’s oval!


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