FASHION

Does Your Face Shape Really Matter?

Face shape is the Number One Factor in determining a good or a bad hairstyle.

Yes that’s true!


Knowing your face shape can be important for a person who has features she'd like to work around, like a pointy chin. Or a skinny face with a big forehead. Or a chubby, round face with a short neck. Or even a super square face with an angular jaw.

After all, you don't want to bring even more attention to your round face or your forehead or your short neck. You want todownplay those features (which some women call "flaws" but I never go there). Really, what you want is a stylist who's a magician and can give you a cut that makes you look as if you have a perfect oval face shape.

But....
Yes, there's always a but.

Chances are good your face shape doesn't actually matter. Here's why.

What You Think is a Flaw is Some Made Up Thing You Have in Your Head

For years I thought I had an IMAX forehead because some frat guy in college said I did. He wasn't being mean because, as he pointed out, he had gigantic forehead himself. It's true. His was Frankensteinian.

So for years, I've gotten hairstyles that work around my long, skinny face. I've even written about my long, skinny face.

And then I got older and my face shape changed. This is very common, actually. Face shapes can change due to age and weight fluctuations. Women who had round faces lose 30 pounds and end up with an entirely different face shape. Angular features can soften, turning asquare face into an oval one.

My own face is more angular than it used to be because as I've aged, I've lost some of the fat in my face. And my forehead doesn't seem quite so large, especially after my hairstylist looked at me like I was insane when I mentioned it. To him, I just have a normal forehead. To you, it might seem IMAX gigantic, but really it's because the photo I have on here isn't very good and I needed to change it 5 years ago.

We women tend to be hard on ourselves. We like to label ourselves. It can be dangerous to your self-esteem to find and fixate on what you think is a flaw but is truly something not one person notices when they look at you.

If You Can't Figure out Your Face Shape...

I get so many emails from readers asking me what face shape they have because they can't figure it out. These emails always come with an attached picture.

If you have absolutely no idea what your face shape is, then there's a very good chance yourface shape doesn't really matter when it comes to getting a great haircut. This is because you don't have any obvious features to hide.

Signs you don't need to worry about your face shape:
• You ask 10 friends what shape they think your face is and you get 3 or more different answers.
• When you look in the mirror, you sometimes think you have a round face. Other times you think it might be oval. But maybe it's long?
If you wanted to go all scientific and measure your face as I show you how in this article, How to Measure Your Face to Determine Your Face Shape, then maybe you can place yourself in a little square face or long face or heart-shaped face box.
But you really don't need to. There are other things you should consider before settling on a new hairstyle.

The 5 Things Other Than Face Shape You Should Consider

While many women fixate on their face shape, there are other factors you should consider as well before getting a new hairstyle.
You should consider your hair texture, your lifestyle, your personality, your body shape and your wishes.
Get the full scoop on these in my article How to Pick the Right Haircut for You: 6 Things to Consider.

So Who Should Consider Their Face Shape?
There are people who could benefit by knowing their face shape and what hairstyles work best for that shape. If you can say yes to any one of the items below, then you are a good candidate:
1. Your face is obviously longer than it is wide and you have a big forehead (this means you are a long face shape).
2. You have a wide face and a pointy chin like Reese Witherspoon (you are likely a heart shape).
3. Your face is really round and you might have a short neck or a double chin (you probably have a round face).
4. Your jaw is really angular and if your kid drew your face he might draw a perfect square (square face, duh!)