When you look at your face in the mirror, can you tell if you have a diamond face, square face, or heart-shaped face? Or would you know an oval faced person just by looking at them? Knowing your face shape can help with everything from how to contour, to which haircuts suit you best, to figuring out what shape of glasses will look right.

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What face shapes are there?

The answer will vary depending on what you read, but there are some common shapes to be aware of. They include square, rectangle, oblong, diamond, heart, and pear. Everyone will have slight variations which may see them having a mixture of face shapes. I would recommend looking at different image guides online to get an idea of what your face shape is.

How does someone figure out their face shape? 

It is easy to figure out your face shape if you have a tape measure and a mirror. There are four areas you’ll need to measure:
 
●        Forehead (width)
o   going from one side of your hairline to the other
●        Cheekbone (width)
o   going from the top of the cheekbone (it helps to smile) and measuring to the same point on the other side
●        Jawline (width)
o   going from the gap below your ear (where you can feel your jaw), along the jaw to the chin, before multiplying by two
●        Face (length)
o   going from the middle of your hairline to the tip of the chin
Write down the measurements of each, and you’ll quickly be able to form an idea of what face shape you have. If one area is longer than the others, this helps you focus on a specific face shape. Examples of this include:
 
●        Round Face – where widths and lengths are very close together
●        Square Face – where forehead has a similar length to the jaw
●        Diamond Face – where cheeks are widest
●        Oval Face – where the face is longer than other features and all width are similar
●        Heart Face – where the face is longer than wider, but forehead and cheeks are wider than the jaw

Can someone change their face shape?

The way you wear your hair can change it. Some people with square faces will wear hair down to round out the face, while those with diamond faces can have a fringe to draw the cheeks in.

 And for guys, it’s much easier to change shape entirely if they can grow a beard. A man with a pear shape can square or make it look more of a diamond if they trim their beard and hair in a particular manner.

Need help figuring out your face shape?

Glasses brand Kanturo has recently launched a face shape finder quiz, which helps you figure out your face shape by answering two simple questions. If you’ve ever wondered which style of glasses works best for you, give the quiz a go.

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