Measure four things
Pull your hair back and face a mirror straight on. Compare the width of your forehead, your cheekbones and your jaw at their widest points, then compare the widest of those with the length from hairline to chin. Those four numbers decide the shape.
- 1Forehead at its widest point
- 2Cheekbones at their widest point, usually just below the eyes
- 3Jaw at its widest point, measured below the ears
- 4Length from the hairline straight down to the bottom of the chin
The six shapes
Oval is longer than wide with cheekbones widest. Round is close to equal with soft edges. Square has a strong jaw as wide as the forehead. Heart is wide at the forehead and narrow at the chin. Diamond peaks at the cheekbones. Oblong is noticeably longer than wide.
- Oval
- Length about one and a half times the width, cheekbones widest, chin gently rounded
- Round
- Width and length close to equal, soft jawline, fullest at the cheeks
- Square
- Jaw as wide as the forehead, with a strong, angular jawline
- Heart
- Widest at the forehead, narrowing to a pointed chin
- Diamond
- Narrow forehead and jaw, widest at the cheekbones
- Oblong
- Clearly longer than it is wide, with the three widths similar
Using a selfie instead
A photo works if it is honest. Face a window in daylight, hold the phone at eye level rather than above you, pull hair off the forehead and keep a neutral expression. Angle is what ruins most attempts: shooting from above shortens the jaw and invents a different shape.
What your face shape actually changes
It is a starting point for three decisions: how a haircut sits, which glasses sit well on your proportions, and how a beard reshapes the jawline. The underlying idea is balance rather than a rule, and personal taste outranks it every time.
- Oval face shapeAn oval face is slightly longer than it is wide, with a forehead a touch broader than the jaw and a softly rounded chin. It is the most versatile shape: most haircuts, frames and beard styles suit it, so choose by taste and keep proportions balanced.Read the guide
- Round face shapeA round face is about as wide as it is long, with full cheeks and a soft jaw. To add definition, choose styles with height on top and angular lines: side-swept or layered hair, rectangular frames, and a beard that is fuller at the chin than at the sides.Read the guide
- Square face shapeA square face has a strong, angular jaw and a forehead of similar width. To soften the angles, pick textured or layered hair, round or oval frames, and a beard with softer, rounded lines rather than sharp corners.Read the guide
- Heart face shapeA heart-shaped face has a broad forehead and cheekbones that taper to a narrower chin. Balance it by adding width lower down: side-swept fringes, styles with volume around the jaw, bottom-heavy or oval frames, and a fuller beard at the chin.Read the guide
- Diamond face shapeA diamond face has high, wide cheekbones with a narrower forehead and chin. Balance the cheekbones by adding width at the forehead and jaw: fringes or volume on top, layers around the chin, oval or cat-eye frames, and a beard that is fuller at the jaw.Read the guide
- Oblong face shapeAn oblong face is noticeably longer than it is wide, with a fairly straight cheek line and a long forehead or chin. Shorten and widen it: fringes, volume at the sides rather than height on top, deeper or oversized frames, and a beard that is fuller at the sides.Read the guide
Get a routine for your own skin
Saundarya AI is an AI skin analysis and grooming app that reads a single selfie and returns a personalised report: face shape, skin type, detected skin concerns with the visual evidence behind them, a morning and night skincare routine, product picks at three budgets, and an 8-week improvement plan.
Generic advice is a starting point. A scan reads your face shape and proportions on your own face, shows the visual evidence and a confidence score, and builds a morning and night routine around it. The first full analysis is free.
This is general cosmetic guidance, not medical advice. See a dermatologist for skin that is painful, spreading, scarring or not improving after 8-12 weeks.