We often set our sights on our next hairstyle based on not much more than what direction the hair trend winds have most recently blown us in, taking inspiration from our social media feeds and various magazine pages.
If you’ve ever walked out of the salon wondering why the ‘do you’ve dreamed about for so long doesn’t look quite as good as you’d hoped, it could be because it’s not adapted to your face shape. Indeed, your profile plays a much bigger role in the success of your hairstyle than you might think. As a result, it’s necessary to personalize our hair decisions.
Vienna-born Bertram K is the founder of Bertram K salons, a L’Oréal Professionnel international portfolio artist, and coiffeur of many celebrity hair icons. As a result, he knows just how important our face shapes are to our haircuts. Read on to learn about the factors you should be considering before your next chop.
Think about balancing your silhouette when you go to the salon, not just your haircut.
Our hair represents a huge building block of our profile, which can be manipulated by savvy stylists to create the illusion of a face shape that we do not otherwise have.
“Clients should think of their overall desired silhouette when they go to the salon and that silhouette is usually oval. Everything about the haircut should therefore work towards achieving an oval face shape,” Bertram K explains. “At the moment, it’s all about having high cheekbones, big eyes, and full lips—and the right haircut can help to create the illusion of this look through techniques that texturize and flatten.”
The right haircut for your face shape is all about volume.
One of the chief factors to be considered to create the oval face shape is volume. If you have a round face, Bertram K advises slimming its appearance by depleting volume. Likewise, if your face is thin in nature, the goal is to add more body to your locks.
“Graduation adds volume, whereas layers diminish it. You will also need more angles to create a shape if you have a more circular face, but rounder cuts if your face is slimmer,” explains the hair stylist. “Products are also important. If extra volume is necessary to obtain the oval, then it is essential to use texturizing products.”
Body shape is just as important as face shape.
“Body shape is just as important as face shape when it comes to determining the optimal haircut,” Bertram K says. “Make the client stand to survey the whole proportion of the body, and then decide if you need to add or remove volume to coordinate with the bigger picture. For example, if you are short, it is not advised to opt for a very long hairstyle, as it will make you look much shorter—and vice versa.”
Consider the nature of your hair.
As well as face and body shape, the thickness and length of your tresses also determines your strategy on the road to an overall oval shape.
“The more curly and thick your hair is, the more angles you will need to cut in…in order to create the desired shape,” Bertram K says. “Conversely, the thinner the hair, the fewer angles you will require as you want to make it look fuller.”
Top tip: If your tresses are particularly thick and curly, we suggest trying Mizani’s Supreme Oil Satin Crème Moisturizing Hair Mask. Its formula helps restore natural softness, boost shine and improve hair’s condition for better manageability.
When a cut is not enough, add color.
“Always start with a cut, but if it hasn’t quite been enough to reach your desired shape you can always turn to hair contouring,” Bertram K says. “Carefully placed light and dark sections can brighten the face and give the illusion of a different shape.”
If your face is long, Bertram K suggests to darkening your roots and lightening the mid-bottom section. You’ll elongate the face width wise. Similarly, you can darken your roots and brighten up the tips, pushing the volume down your profile and balance out the jaw if your face is triangular.
If you do opt for the contouring technique, make sure to look after your tailored highlights with L’Oréal Professionnel’s Serie Expert Lumino Contrast range. It’s designed to target highlighted hair and help contrasts look brighter.
The next time you’re in need of a trim, reflect on these determinants rather than solely which styles strike your fancy. It is bound to suit you infinitely more, meaning that you (and your stylist) are guaranteed to walk away much more satisfied.
For A Square Face Shape: Lob With Bangs
In the past, women with square faces have been told to bury their jawlines behind length and layers. We're here to suggest just the opposite: Show off your geometric face shape with a lob that falls at your shoulder and fringe. Instead of hiding, you'll be accentuating your gorgeous face shape.
For A Long Face Shape: Layers
Long faces tend to be narrow, which means length can leave you wanting. Asking your stylist for layers at your cheekbones and jaw will bring the eye up and create movement, all while creating the illusion of a wider face.
For A Heart Face Shape: Modern Pageboy
Heart faces are wides at the forehead and slightly narrower at the cheekbones, tapering to a defined chin. We love a cut that softens the lines of the face, like this rounded pageboy cut.
For A Round Face Shape: Curly Shag
For An Oval Face Shape: Wavy Pixie
An oval face is wider than it is long, with softly defined cheekbones and a generous forehead. This is a beautiful shape, so show it off with a pixie cut that incorporated some texture—the shorter, the better.
