Have you ever loved the short haircut you saw on your friend, only to request it at the salon and realize it’s not as flattering as you imagined? Surprisingly, the structure of your face could be to blame. Considering your face shape can unlock your most complementary hairstyle, especially for a more demanding cut like bangs. Since the ‘wrong’ bangs can make or break your new ‘do, we asked Redken artist Laura Frazier to break down the best bang style for you according to your features.
“Every face shape is beautiful and has something different to show off,” says Frazier. “It’s all about how you feel!”
Keep scrolling to discover how to find your face shape, how to pick your most suitable set of bangs, and our best professional products to style them to perfection. But first, watch Frazier’s cutting tips below.
What face shape looks good in bangs?
If blunt, old school bowl-cut bangs are the first thing that comes to mind when you envision bangs, you may write them off and assume there’s no way to make them work for you. However, today there’s are so many new styles of fringe to play around with. From curtain and side-swept to wispy and long, bangs are not as severe or restricting as they once were, making them a flattering option for all face shapes.
Good hair day by @kristakstorm
Do bangs change your face shape?
Manipulated by a savvy stylist, bangs are a great way to create the illusion of a facial silhouette you don’t otherwise have. Depending on the style chosen, they can help slim your features, balance your face, add width, and more.
If you’re using bangs to influence the shape of your face, your stylist will either add or deplete volume from your strands through cutting techniques like layers or graduation (hair that gradually goes from long to short on an angle). Whether your cheeks are round and rosy or your features are long and narrow, there’s a style of bangs that are sure to be a home run for your mane. Just be sure to let a professional guide you in creating your most flattering look—bangs are not something you want to DIY and later regret.
Good hair day by @thebangsbabe
How to Determine Your Face Shape
You’ll need to determine your face shape first to understand which style of bangs will work for you. Grab a measuring tape, then measure the following:
- The distance across your forehead
- Cheekbone to cheekbone
- Across your jawline from ear to ear
- From your hairline to down under your chin
With these measurements handy, you can now identify which shape category your face falls into.
Round Face Shape: The width of your face is the same as the length. You have a round forehead and a round jawline.
Square Face Shape: Your forehead is the same width as your jaw, and the length of your face is the same as your width. You also have a square jawline with minimal curves to the cheekbones.
Diamond Face Shape: Your cheekbones are wider than your forehead. You have a narrow chin, and the width of your face is equal to its length.
Oval Face Shape: The cheekbones are the widest part of the face, with no sharp angles around the jaw. Your face is longer than it is wider. Oval faces are considered an “ideal” face shape because they’re the most balanced and can get away with many haircuts and styles.
Oblong Face Shape: If your face is twice as long as it is wide, you have an oblong face shape. Your cheekbones, forehead, and jawline are approximately all the same width.
Heart Face Shape: The forehead and cheekbones are equal in width but wider than the jawline. Your hairline is rounder, your jawline is narrower, and your face is longer than it is wider.
The Best Bangs for Your Face Shape
Round and Square Face: Soft Fringe
Looking to add some dimension to your round face? A soft fringe helps break up the fullness of your face by adding weight to your forehead. If they’re trimmed to hit just below the eyes, they’ll help accentuate your cheekbones without adding any extra width to your face.
Frazier notes that round and square face shapes are often confused since they’re both very symmetrical. Feathery fringe also pairs well with a square face shape because its wispy softness offsets the jaw's sharp, angular lines.
Styling Tip: Use either a round brush and blow-dryer, a flat iron, or large hot rollers to style your fringe straight (don’t forget the heat protectant first!). Once cool, run a fine-toothed comb through them and spritz a texturizing spray like Matrix Vavoom Extra Full Freezing Spray onto the roots of your bangs. This finishing hairspray doubles as a body-enhancing texturizer and a dry shampoo, adding lift to your bangs while absorbing any oil that can weigh your fringe down.
Oblong Face: Sideswept
The more rounded appearance of a side-parted bang creates optical width that helps balance out the length of an oblong face shape. Plus, their swooped, diagonal look won’t continue to elongate or contour; instead, they help open up your face to showcase your features.
Styling Tip: Spritz a volumizing formula like Redken’s Big Blowout Heat Protecting Jelly Serum onto towel-dried bangs, then use a round brush to dry them in the opposite direction of where you want them to lie. Once dry, sweep them over to the correct side of your face, then use a hairspray to lock them into place. We love L’Oréal Professionnel’s
Tecni.Art Extreme Lacquer High Hold Hairspray for high-hold without stiffness.
Oval Face: Wispy Bangs
If you have an oval face shape, you’re in luck! Oval faces have the most versatility when it comes to flattering bang styles and haircuts. Here, Frazier went with a symmetrical wispy bang to accent the hair and add softness to the style. Wispy bangs pair especially well with curly hair since they play up their naturally piece-y, undone texture.
Styling Tip: The finger wave trick is a great heatless hack to help define your curly bangs. Saturate your bangs with a curl-enhancing product like Kérastase Curl Manifesto Gelee Curl Contour Gel-Cream, then tightly wrap small sections of hair around your index finger. Release the wisps and let them air dry completely.
Heart and Diamond Face: Parted Tendrils
Ask your stylist for wispy, face-framing tendrils, which help detract from a pointier chin while highlighting your eyes and cheekbones. In addition, Frazier says they work wonders to contour the forehead without further stretching it or attempting to hide any of your features.
While heart and diamond faces are similar, diamond face shapes have a narrower chin and shorter forehead. If that’s the case, opt for curtain bangs, which are like a chunkier version of face-framing tendrils. The heavier parted cut adds width to the top and sides of the hair, stretching out a diamond face shape so that it appears more balanced and oval.
Styling Tip: Warm a small amount of pomade like Shu Uemura Art of Hair Nendo Definer Matte Clay on your fingertips, then gently distribute it through your tendrils to keep them separated and defined.
Looking for more professional advice and styling products to caryour bangs? Hair.com has you covered.