Hair Styling Tools

So how do you know whether or not your face is considered square shaped?  First of all you could measure your head from top to bottom and side to side and you would find that it measures about the same.   Take a good look in the mirror and if your face has a parallel width at the jaw, cheeks, and forehead, then consider yourself one of the lucky ones because you share this trait with a host of celebrities such as, Ellen Barkin, Jessica Biel, Rosario Dawson, Keira Knightley, Demi Moore, Mandy Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Simpson and many more  A distinguishing trait of a square shaped face is that it has strong angular features.

Ok, now that you have determined that your face is square, what type hair style is going to look the best on you?  It can depend a lot on what length hair your have as well as the texture and thickness.  Some general do’s and don’ts for square faced hair styles are as follows:

HAIRSTYLE DO’S FOR SQUARE SHAPED FACES:

 1)  Stick with a short to medium length haircut

2)  Try some long wispy bangs – make sure they are swept to the side and longer on the sides

3)  Lightly layer the hair as this helps soften the square look and adds volume to the head – the result is a rounder looking face

4)  Wear an off-center part

5)  Have your stylist incorporate some curved lines along the edges of your style to balance out the angles of the face

6)  Try some choppy ends

7)  If your hair is long have the hair layered that drapes the sides of your face ad apply some curl or wave

 If your face is square and narrow, add volume to the sides of your hair to help your face appear wider and fuller

9)  If you have curly hair, consider keeping the length of your hair below your jawbone – if too short hair tends to frizz – if cut is longer it weighs down the curls

10) If your hair is super straight spritz your hair with a spray-in hair protectant and using a curling iron, wrap two inch sections around the barrel – run your fingers through your hair and then apply hair spray

HAIRSTYLE DON’TS FOR SQUARE SHAPED FACES:

 1)  Do not wear blunt bangs or straight bangs

2)  Avoid center parts

3)  Don’t wear long straight hair styles

4)  Do not wear a chin-length style – this draws attention to the jawline

5)  Avoid any type of geometric lines in your style

6)  Do not pull your hair back as this accentuates the squareness of the face

7)   If your hair is short do not wear it all in one length – taper it

Do you know if you have a round shaped face?  If you are having trouble determining this, a simple rule of thumb is that if the length and width of your face are almost the same dimensions, then you have a round face.  Another way to validate this is if you don’t have strong cheekbones, your cheeks are full (chubby cheeks), you have a rounded chin, and lastly your neck appears to be short.

So, if your face is round,  first and foremost you want to wear a hairstyle that diminishes the fullness of your face and make your face appear as if it is slimmer.  If you want to go short, you need volume at the top of your head either via layering or if you have bangs by increasing their height.  When going short, the best length is above the chin or a few inches below, but above the shoulders.  If you want to go really short, consider a pixie haircut.  Also, if you part your hair, be sure to do it off to the side as this will also help in lessening the roundness of your face.

What if you have long hair?  You are already off to a good start.  Keep in mind that a center part will accentuate the length of your face.  If you have a layered look be sure that the layers fall in long lines along the sides of your face.  If you don’t already have layers, consider asking your stylist to layer your hair with longer layers until the layers pass below your chin.

HAIRSTYLE DO’S FOR ROUND FACES

1. Do wear a side part and if you have bangs make sure they are wispy and layered.
2. If your hair is long enough, do wear it in an updo or pulled back as shown above in the picture of Cameron Diaz. The long side-swept wavy bangs can be achieved by using a large barrel curling iron if you don’t already have some wave to your hair.
3. If your hair is fine and straight, do consider wearing a long bob that you can either use a flat iron on or a curling iron for a semi-curled look as shown below in the picture of Tori Spelling.
4. Do wear hair styles that keep the sides of your hair short or closer to the face. 

 HAIRSTYLE DON’TS FOR ROUND FACES  

1. Do not wear your hair in a short bob style as this style only ends up drawing attention to the cheeks.
2. Wearing curls next to your cheeks is also a no-n0 because the curls will make your face look fuller.
3. Stay away from blunt ends near your cheeks as they will widen the look of your cheekbones.
4. Don’t wear heavy, blung bangs as they will add volume to your facial appearance.