How to Find Your Face Shape With a Photo and a Mirror

Take a photo that you can actually measure

A straight-on photo at eye level gives you a more reliable outline than a mirror alone, because you can hold still, zoom in and compare widths side by side. Mirrors are useful for a second check, but most people tilt their head without noticing.

Set the phone up so the lens is level with your eyes, around an arm's length away. Holding it below the chin makes the jaw look wider, and holding it above makes the forehead look bigger, which is exactly the distortion you are trying to avoid.

1. Pull all your hair back off the forehead with a headband, gel or a damp comb so the hairline and temples are visible.
2. Stand facing a window or even light, with your chin level and your expression neutral; no smile, because smiling widens the cheeks.
3. Take the photo straight on at eye level, then a second one in profile.
4. Open the photo in any editor or markup tool and draw four horizontal lines: across the forehead at its widest, across the cheekbones, across the jaw just below the ears, and a vertical line from hairline to chin.
5. Compare the lengths of those lines against each other, and trace the jaw with your finger to see whether it curves or turns an angle.

Read the measurements against the common face shapes

Most guides list six face shapes; we add triangle because we see it often enough in the chair to deserve its own advice. Match your widest point and your length-to-width ratio against the table, then follow the link to the guide for that shape.

Where to go next for each shape

Each face shape has its own guide with recommended cuts, cuts to avoid and beard advice. Start with the one that matches best, then read the closest neighbour if you sat between two rows.

• Haircuts for oval faces: the flexible shape, with a couple of traps.
• Haircuts for round faces: height on top and tight sides.
• Haircuts for square faces: classic short cuts that use the jaw.
• Haircuts for long faces: width at the sides, no extra height.
• Haircuts for heart-shaped faces: soften the forehead, build the jaw.
• Haircuts for diamond faces: fill out the forehead, go easy at the cheekbones.
• Haircuts for triangle faces: volume up top, keep the beard off the jaw corners.

Why most faces are a mix of two shapes

Very few people land cleanly on one row of the chart. A common combination is round with a slightly longer chin, or square with a narrower forehead that pushes toward triangle. That is normal, and it does not break the advice.

When you fall between two shapes, look for the advice they share and treat the rest as options. A face between oval and long, for instance, can wear most things but should go easy on very tall tops. Weight changes, beard growth and even a receding hairline can also shift which shape you read as over the years, so the answer at 20 may not be the answer at 40.

What your barber looks at instead of face shape

Face shape is a useful starting point, but a good barber weighs several other things just as heavily, and some of them override the face chart completely. These are what we check in the consultation before a clipper comes out.

• Head shape in profile: a flat back, a prominent occipital bone or a ridge at the crown changes where the fade should sit.
• Growth patterns: cowlicks, a double crown or a strong swirl at the front can rule out styles your face would otherwise suit.
• Hairline: temples that have started to recede, a widow's peak or a high forehead often decide the fringe question.
• Density and texture: fine straight hair and dense coily hair behave very differently at the same length.
• Ears, neck and glasses, all of which affect how much hair the sides need.
• How you actually wear it, including product, time in the morning and whether you wear a toque or helmet.

Bring the photo to your appointment

The face-shape photo is worth keeping on your phone. Show it alongside a picture of a cut you like and we can tell you quickly whether that style will sit the way it does on the person in the picture, and what we would adjust.

If you would rather skip the measuring entirely, that is fine too. Every appointment at Markcutit starts with a look at your face, head shape and growth, and you can book a Haircut Only and work it out with us in the chair.