Haircuts for Triangle Faces: Volume Up Top, Balance at the Jaw

What a triangle face looks like

A triangle face, sometimes called a pear shape, has its widest point at the jaw, with the cheekbones a little narrower and the forehead narrowest of all. The jaw is often strong and angular, and the temples can look slightly pinched by comparison.

It is effectively a heart shape turned upside down, so the cutting logic flips too. Where a heart needs weight low, a triangle needs it high. Our guide on how to find your face shape explains how to compare forehead and jaw width with a phone photo.

Build volume at the top and temples

Width and lift in the upper half of the head balance a heavy lower half. The target zone is the temples and the front corners of the hairline, where a triangle face looks narrowest.

Styles with body and a bit of spread do this best. Keep 6 to 10 centimetres (about 2.5 to 4 inches) on top and style it up and slightly outward, rather than slicked flat.

• A quiff with a wide front, blow-dried up and out toward the temples.
• A textured pompadour with a looser, messier roll than the classic shiny version.
• A full side-swept cut that crosses the forehead at an angle and lifts at the part.
• Medium-length layered hair with volume through the crown and at the sides above the ear.
• A curly or wavy top left with its natural spread, which widens the forehead for free.

Do not cut the upper sides too tight

Cutting the sides to the skin all the way up to the temple removes the width a triangle face needs. The jaw then becomes the widest thing in the silhouette by a long way.

The better approach is a fade that stays low: tight around the ears and at the nape, then leaving length higher up the sides. A low fade or low drop fade works well, and the transition from short to long sits below the temple rather than across it.

This is also the reverse of a round face, where we usually take the sides high. It is one of the clearest examples of why fade height should be chosen for the face, not just copied from a photo.

How we cut a triangle face

The haircut is usually a combination of a low skin fade and scissor work on top, planned so that weight builds from the ear upward.

1. Compare jaw and forehead width from the front and decide how much width to add at the temples.
2. Set a low fade line just above the ear so the jaw is not framed by heavy hair.
3. Leave the upper sides at clipper-over-comb or scissor length so they flare slightly toward the top.
4. Cut the top with extra length at the front corners, then texturise so it lifts rather than lies flat.
5. Finish with a lineup that keeps the temple corners full instead of carving them back.

Beards for a triangle face

A triangle face already carries its weight at the jaw, so the beard should avoid adding more width there. Keep the jaw corners short and let any length sit in the centre of the chin.

A goatee, an anchor beard or a Van Dyke focuses attention on the middle of the face and leaves the corners of the jaw bare or short. If you prefer a full beard, ask for it faded tight along the sides and jaw corners with a little length kept only at the chin.

Light stubble is also a good fit, because it adds texture without bulk. Mutton chops and wide, boxy full beards sit right on the widest point and are best avoided.

Styles that make the jaw look heavier

Most mistakes with a triangle face come from putting hair or beard at jaw level and nothing above. These are the patterns to watch for.

• High or bald skin fades that leave a flat, narrow top above a wide jaw.
• Chin-length or jaw-length hair, which draws a horizontal line at the widest point.
• Flat, slicked-down styles with no lift at the front.
• Beards grown wide at the jaw corners or with heavy sideburns joining at the cheek.