How to Part Your Hair for Your Face Shape

Co-authored by Jamie Bushman

Last Updated: November 7, 2022 References

Changing your part is a great way to change up your look and accentuate your face. There are six basic face shapes: oval, oblong, square, heart, diamond, and round. Each of these shapes is best suited to a different style of part, and many face shapes look great with a few different kinds of parts.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Determining Your Face Shape

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Look at length versus width. A deciding factor in finding your face shape is whether your face is longer than it is wide or wider than it is long.^{[1]
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- Use a flexible measuring tape or string to measure. Measure the length from the top of your hairline to your chin, and measure width all the way across your face at the level of the bridge of your nose. Also measure the width of the top of your hairline and the width across your jaw.^{[2]
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  Research source} Write down your measurements on a piece of paper to refer back to.
- You have an oval face if your face length is 1.5 times the width.
- You have a round face if your lengths and widths are almost the same.
- An oblong face shape has much more length than width.
- You have a square face if the width across your hairline is the same width as your jaw.
- Heart shaped faces have their greatest width at the cheekbones paired with a forehead and jawline of almost the same width.
- A diamond face is wider across the forehead and narrow at the chin with prominent cheekbones.
2
Look at your jaw line. The shape of your jawline can also be a secondary indicator of the shape of your face.
- If you have a squared jawline, you probably have a square face.
- If you have a more soft, rounded jawline, you might have an oval, oblong, triangular or round face.
- If your jaw comes to a point, you might have a heart or diamond face shape.
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3
Take a short cut. You don’t necessarily have to determine all of your measurements to find your face shape. If you want, use a simpler method to determine your face shape by eyeing it.
- After you get out of the shower, stand in front of the steamy bathroom mirror. Drawing the shape of your face in the steam of the mirror, or stand in front of a clear mirror, and draw your face in lipstick or eyeliner.^{[3]
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  Research source} This will help you more clearly see the shape of your face.
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Look at other faces. Looking at celebrities can help you confirm your own face shape. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a celebrity? See what face shape that person has because yours might be similar.
- Celebrities with round faces: Reese Witherspoon, Cara Delevingne, Kate Upton, Kate Bosworth^{[4]
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- Celebrities with diamond faces: Tyra Banks, Viola Davis, Rihanna, Shilpa Shetty
- Celebrities with heart faces: Julianne Moore, Lea Michele, Lucy Hale
- Celebrities with square faces: Olivia Wilde, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Garner, Rachel McAdams^{[5]
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- Celebrities with oblong faces: Liv Tyler, Megan Fox, Gisele^{[6]
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- Celebrities with oval faces: Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Munn^{[7]
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Determine your symmetry. Do you have a “good side” when you take photographs? This might be due to facial asymmetry.
- To find out how symmetrical your face is, take a blank white sheet of paper and cover one half of your face and then the other. Line the edge up with the middle of your nose. Does one half appear smaller?
- If so, as you are parting your hair, part it above the larger side of your face to create the illusion of symmetry.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Knowing Which Part to Use for Your Face Shape

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Part your hair in the middle for oblong, oval, round, or heart shaped faces.^{[8]
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- To achieve the perfect middle part, hold a comb up in line with your nose. Keeping that line, mark the part on top of your head, and brush your hair to either side.
- Make sure the line is perfectly straight, as middle parts are very noticeable. You also want to keep your hair constantly clean.
- For a round face, a middle part gives the appearance of a longer face and makes features look symmetrical. This can be especially slimming if the hair is shorter around your face.^{[9]
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  Jamie Bushman
  Master Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2021.}
- In oblong faces, a middle part adds the look of roundness.
- If you have an oval face you’re lucky because oval faces look great with any type of part.
- If your face is asymmetrical, try a middle part that is just slightly off center. This will help you avoid accentuating the asymmetry of your face.
2
Part your hair in a slight side part for square, diamond, or oval faces.
- You probably have a natural side part. Comb through your hair with your fingers, and see where it naturally falls. This should line up about with the outside of your eyebrow. Then, use a comb to make this part more defined and neat.
- Side-swept parts give square faces more softness. The part should be slight, as a deep side part will make the angles of the face stand out harshly.
3
Part your hair in a deep side part for round, heart, diamond, or oval faces.
- Keeping your part on its natural side, comb your hair over farther than you naturally would. It might take time to train your hair to stay in a deeper part.
- If you have longer hair, try parting your hair deeply, and then pulling it back into a ponytail so the part stays in place.
- For heart shaped faces, the deep side part breaks up the sharp line of the chin and softens your cheekbones.
- A deep part on diamond faces accentuates bone structure and good features.
- Try a sweeping side part if you want to minimize a prominent forehead.^{[10]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jamie Bushman
  Master Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 15 September 2021.}
4
Part your hair in a zig-zag for any face shape. This part is more about style than complementing a certain face. It works well to give you a tousled-but-put-together vibe and add volume to your roots.^{[11]
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- To get a zig-zag part, just find your normal part, and use a comb to alternate pulling sections of your hair from each side of your head over the part in opposite directions. You can create just a few sections or lots of smaller zig-zags.
- The zig-zag part is usually a centered part, but you can also create a zig-zag side part, if that suits your face shape better.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Perfecting Your Part

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Use product for volume. When you are parting your hair, you can benefit from using product to get some lift at the roots, and make your hair look great.^{[12]
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- If you’ve just washed your hair, use a texturizing spray on damp hair before you blow dry.
- If you haven’t washed your hair, work some dry shampoo into your roots.
- If you’re trying to achieve a middle part, consider adding a shine serum or spray into your hair care routine.
2
Train your new part. If you’re changing your part from one that you’ve had for years, it make take a little bit of coaxing to get your hair to cooperate.
- To do this, wash your hair, and blow it dry.
- As you are blow drying, use a round brush to lift the top of your hair near your crown up and back as you dry. Keep lifting, and don’t let it fall back into your former part. Once it’s dry, you can use a comb to create your new look.
3
Work with dry hair. When you are working on the look of your part, it’s best to start with dry hair. If you part your hair while it’s wet, you risk it looking limp and flat.
- If your part does start to look flat, use your fine-toothed comb to tease the hair around it slightly.
- Side parts especially look great if they’re somewhat imperfect.
4
Finished.

Community Q&A

Question

What if I have a really strong part that doesn't want to change?

Community Answer

I would try hairspray for a few days and slowly use less and less so that your hair gets used to staying parted.
Question

How far back should I part my hair?

Community Answer

Right behind your ear. If you're doing pigtails or braids, part in the center.