If you read our section on makeup, then you know we said that there have been tons of books written on the subject. Guess what? This goes tenfold for hair. And not only books, when it comes to hair, but also magazines, and brochures, and pamphlets, and an endless stream of websites. So we’re faced with the problem again: what do we say about hair that, either you can’t find in books and mags etc., or that is worth reading because it will give you solid, not fad-based information?

So we’ll start with the basic fact about hair: Not every hair style suits everyone. Mostly, the style that suits you, even the best length, depends on the type of face you have--is it round, or oval, or square, or pointy at the chin, and so on. So in this section, we’ll just show you how to determine what type of face you have, and tell you about the sort of styles that would look best on you. Once you have this basic information down, it’s up to you to find the specific style you like, or to visit your hairdresser and get yourself a professional hairdo.

On the other hand, if you're too impatient to read all the noise we made on face type, then visit HairBoutique.Com and take a look at over a thousand pictures of hairstyles--you'll find the one that's right for you. To go now, click here.

You’ve probably heard about all those methods that supposedly exist to help you figure out your face type--you know the ones, like outlining your face in lipstick on the mirror and so on. Well don’t bother, they don’t work all that well (and, not only is lipstick expensive, but it doesn't come off mirrors too well). The safest thing to do is the following, mainly because it provides an objective measurement of the sort (although a little more primitive) than what graphic artists do when they do computer modeling of faces for video games and other VR stuff. So this is it:

1. Start by taking the following measurements of your face:
   
   
   • Take the measurement across your forehead where it’s widest.
   • Take the measurement from the top of one cheekbone to the other cheekbone (just level with the outside of your eyes).
   • Take the measurement across your jaw line (just past the corners of your mouth).
   • Take the vertical measurement from where your hair starts in the middle of your forehead, to the bottom of your chin.



2. Figure out your face type:
   
   
   • Oval: The widest measurement is two thirds the length of your face.
   • Round: The width and the length are pretty much the same.
   • Oblong: your face is longer than it is wide, but there is no specific ratio such as you get with oval faces.
   • Heart: Your chin is the narrowest of the three measurements, and your cheeks are wider than your forehead.
   • Diamond: Like the heart shape, but your forehead and jaw line are the same width (or very close), and both are less than your cheek width.

So now that you know which is yours, what works best on you? Here’s the story:

Oval. Main characteristics: The jaw line may be slightly narrower than the temples, the hairline is probably gently rounded and may be high up on the forehead.

You have the most proportional of all the face types--ever notice how all the best models have oval faces? I couldn’t tell you why, but for some reason the entire world considers the oval face the closest to the "perfect" facial type. The good thing about an oval face, all questions of perfection aside, is that with this facial type, you can wear virtually any hairdo. You can also wear it at any length--that is, short, medium, or long (or shaven). What you should not do, is wear it with bangs or with the ends of your hair hanging in front of your face. Of course you can do this if you like, but it might not be the best look for you because it may make your face look pudgy or out of proportion.

Round. Main characteristics: Your chin is round, as is your hair line. Your cheeks are approximately the same width as the measurement from hair line to chin.

Shorter hairstyles work best. You want to wear them with an off-center part. You also want to wear them swept back or so that they are higher than they are wide, since this will elongate your face. If you want to wear your hair longer, then be sure that you wear it at more than chin-length--you might even consider having it layered so that it’s fuller on top. The things to avoid, are fullness around the ears, center parts, or short hair that’s cut with the same sort of circularity as your face, because any or all of this will make your face look wide and heavy.

Oblong. Main characteristics: Your face tends to be long and slender, about the same width at the forehead as at the cheeks. Your chin may either be pretty much the same width as the cheeks and forehead, or it can be smaller. And sometimes your forehead itself might be very high.

Short to medium hair lengths work very well. It’s okay, and encouraged to have fuller hair at the sides. A good way to do this is to have wispy bangs or curls that float outward and around both your forehead and the ear area. Updos that cultivate this wispiness are very flattering on your face type. What does not look good is if you leave your hair too long, since this will make your face look even longer--past your shoulders is probably already too long. Also, don’t wear your updos too high, since again, your face will look longer.

Heart. Main characteristics: Your hairline may have a peak down front. Your forehead is wider than your cheeks, and these are wider than your chin, which is usually small and delicate.

The best styles for you are chin length or longer. Like the oblong face, bangs work very well, although you want to keep them wispy and floating. Your updos are best when you leave a few wisps of hair trailing around your ears and down to your chin. It’s best not to wear your hair all puffed up at the top because it will only exaggerate your heart shape and make you look top-heavy.

Diamond. Main characteristics: Your cheek bones are widest, and your forehead and chin may be pretty much equal in width, or your chin might be only a little smaller than your forehead. Your hairline may be straight, or peaked in the front.

Like the oval face, most hair styles also work on yours, basically because it’s a very balanced face type. All hair lengths are fine, too. And the only thing I would recommend, is that you try not to cover up your features too much with hair. If you’re wearing an updo, an all-gathered up look without trailing wisps will suit you beautifully. You might even want to experiment with tiaras.

Of course, it's not enough to just know what type of face you have. At some point you also want to see some pictures, so you can get some ideas. Below is the link to the largest hair picture archive on the Internet. There's more than a thousand updos on all of the face types described above. If you don't find what you're looking for here, then it probably does not exist and cannot be done.

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