Hair matters: the best part for your face shape

One of the great equalisers in life is that we all have endured at least one hairstyle that just…didn’t work. For me, it was a centre-part bob in college that was supposed to accentuate my heart-shaped face, and oh boy, did it ever. My wavy type 2 hair fell equally on both sides of my face, and according to my generous brother, it gave me the appearance of a Lego head. Luckily, as the style grew into a lob, I was able to use the length to play around with different hair parts, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it changed my entire facial appearance.

Gen Z’ers recently declared side parts to be “over.” Perhaps they have not yet had this humbling experience, because anyone who has knows what a gift from heaven a side part can be, especially when recovering from a serious hairstyle mistake. It’s also a very forgiving type of part that works with most face shapes. But women with oblong and rectangular faces, beware: a deep side part can elongate a face, depending on your hair type, so if your hair skews straight as an arrow, it’s best to spritz a salt spray in first for some extra movement.

Visually lengthen your face by drawing more attention to the centre with curtain bangs, suggests hairstylist Matt Fugate. These bangs are parted in the centre and angle down to get longer toward your jawline. By leaving a bit of forehead exposed and tapering at your jaw, the eye focuses on the middle of your face instead of the round sides. “Instantly you change the [face] shape to more of a diamond,” says Fugate. If bangs aren’t your thing, try a deep side part, suggests stylist Mackenzie Day. Creating more volume at the top of your head will make your face seem longer.

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If you’re looking to use hair as an optical illusion to make your face appear slimmer, one definite no-no is having too many layers when sporting a middle part. Those layers will add volume, rather than elongate. If your hair type is a temperamental 2, celebrity stylist Larry Sims reminds us to first “check the weather before you invest in a blowout.” For dry, sunny days, rock a middle part with straight hair, but on a rainy or humid day, “lean into your natural hair” while opting for a deep side part to create a stylised look.

A centred hair part can highlight any asymmetry in your face, but a deep or slightly off-centre part will look flattering, says Day. Women with oval face shapes can also take advantage of the fact that they can pull off tricky looks, like slicking a ponytail back to hide your part or trying blunt bangs, according to Fugate. “You want to do something architectural to show off your face,” he says. After you figure out the optimal way to part your hair, make sure you have the best eyebrows for your face shape.

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A centre part will draw attention to the middle of your face and make a pointy chin seem harsher. Bringing your part to the side, on the other hand, can create more balance for your features. “A slightly off-centre part would help create some softness in the hair and help break up the face a little more,” says Day.

Sometimes the best way to part hair means forgoing a part altogether. For natural or Afro-textured hair, a no-part pixie is a fail-safe option to keep curls in check; just don’t be afraid to let it “morph” as the days go on, says Sims. “Start off with clean hair, and when you wake up, add oil, run your fingers through it, and allow it to be. You’ll get many more levels of different looks if you just let it go.” By lifting hair at the root for a hidden part, eyes are drawn to the heart shape’s high cheekbones.

A centre part also can also work wonders for those with heart-shaped faces and textured hair. That’s because hair in a centre part can enhance the natural flow of the face, bringing attention to the balance and symmetry of the heart.

Middle parts and blunt bangs exaggerate a strong jawline, so if you have a square-shaped face, keep the hair around your face soft and wispy, suggests Fugate. A deep or slight side part will help soften the look, says Day. “It doesn’t need to be drastic,” she notes. “You can create a really nice, soft face frame.”

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An oblong face is longer and tends to have a wider forehead than an oval face. A hair part that swoops across your forehead from the side will create the right amount of movement and volume, says Fugate. To mix it up a bit, Day recommends a diagonal or zigzag part, depending on your hair type, to create visual interest by drawing the eye across your face, rather than up and down. But remember to stay away from a middle part, which does an oblong face no favours – it can make the forehead look extra elongated, starting from part’s beginning at the crown of the head and extending all the way down to the chin.

Bangs or a full fringe go beautifully with gracefully long, rectangular faces. A strong, straight middle part at the crown works as an optical illusion to centre and frame the face in a seamless way before flowing into a full fringe, which evokes a playful vibe. Take Naomi Campbell’s famous fringe: her long bangs, which start at the crown of her head and sweep down to her eyebrows, keep the focus on the lower half of her face in a super glam way. This accentuates her cheekbones, jawline, and delicate chin. How can you make bangs look picture-perfect every time?

“I love really strong shapes that showcase texture and the person’s features,” says hairstylist Stacey Ciceron, adding a reminder that the style should fit easily into your morning routine so that “you’re able to maintain your style on the go.” Tyra’s no-part part is the epitome of a wash, toss, and go hairstyle that looks expertly un-done in a totally done way, especially for an inverted triangle face shape. Warning: if you have this shape and part your hair unharmoniously, say, right down the centre, it can make your chin appear sharp and pointy.

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