Have we met? Do I know you? Are we friends? So, how do I know these things about you? You want to improve yourself, and you’re motivated—enough to sit down and sift through the internet and find out how to find the right men’s haircut for your face.
Anyway, what this article doesn’t have is pictures or words by robots. What I have is experience, more than 25 years. So, read it. Then schedule a cut because I’m better with clippers than a keyboard.
What is a good haircut?
A good cut is the right cut for you. It’s a cut that makes you look good and feel good. Everyone looks different. People with the same face shapes will look totally different with the same cut.
There are no specific cuts for now—just concepts. I’m going to give you the fundamental dos and don’ts. That way, you’ll know how to find the right men’s haircut for your face shape anywhere with any barber.
This is how bad haircuts happen.
Everyone’s face has a shape, right?
Well, when you pick a cut from a magazine and say, “Make me look like this dude,” you’re not going to look like that dude. One of the mistakes we see is guys who focus on a particular style without considering whether it’ll look good on their faces.
Don’t do that. Learn the face shapes.
There are six main face shapes.
Some folks will quibble about the specific shapes — you may have heard of these by different names — but these are the six shapes I use:
- Oval
- Round
- Square
- Heart-shaped
- Oblong
- Diamond
So — here’s my guide to the six face shapes and how you can use them to find the right men’s haircut for your face.
1. Oval face shape cuts keep the sides tight.
This is the most common face shape. An oval face has balanced proportions and wider cheekbones that taper to a narrow chin.
Here’s the good news: Almost any style will suit an oval face. Avoid anything resembling bangs since they’ll shorten your face. Slicked-back medium or long hair works well. You also can’t go wrong with a classic cut fade that’s tight on the sides.
2. For round faces, put the hair up top.
Round faces don’t respond well to angles, waves, or shapes. Take advantage of your proportions: equal height and width and no jawline issues to get in the way.
So, from the front, the proportions of the face are “round.” By definition, a round face is most “round” with no hair or hats attached. You start looking sharp when you take that roundness and make that your base.
Go high on top—a high-top fade or a pompadour fade—and go until you have as much hair on top as head on bottom. Avoid buzzcuts and faded crops.
3. Square faces should be less square, so we gonna take off the sides.
The prized square face shape: you know the look — it’s symmetrical, with a strong jawline and broad forehead.
To soften the jawline, try something a little messy on top, like a textured crop. A shaved look works, too. Avoid cuts that add volume to the sides, and don’t think you need too much volume on top. Sure, high pompadours are “trending” now, but looking good has nothing to do with trends.
4. Heart-shaped faces need full sides.
Heart-shaped faces have a wider forehead with a narrower chin.
To soften your forehead, choose haircuts that are fuller on the sides and top. A quiff or pompadour will do the trick.
5. Oblong faces look good with short hair.
These are longer than they are wide, with narrow chins and cheeks.
The key to choosing a haircut for an oblong face is to either reduce length or add width. Shorter styles like a crew cut or buzz cut will shorten your face. Styles that are longer on the sides, like a classic scissor cut or a side part, help with width.
Avoid looks that are shorter on the back and sides than the top.
6. Diamond faces can experiment with any top-heavy fade.
Think narrow foreheads and chins with wide cheekbones.
If you have a diamond-shaped face, a tight fade or undercut will complement your features nicely. Similar to round faces, any style that’s high on top and close on the side creates a sense of symmetry, and that’s a good thing.
Visit The Classic Barber.
Still not sure how to find the right men’s haircut for your face shape? No problem.
You can schedule an appointment with The Classic Barber or just stop by our shop. We’ll walk you through your options and give you a clean cut that fits your face.
– George
