To find your face shape, measure four things with a soft tape measure: forehead width, cheekbone width, jawline width and face length (hairline to chin). Then see which number is largest and whether your jaw is rounded or angular: long and balanced with a soft jaw is oval, equal length and width with a soft jaw is round, equal with a sharp jaw is square, wide forehead with a pointed chin is heart, wide cheekbones with a narrow forehead and jaw is diamond, and clearly longer than wide is oblong.
That takes about five minutes with a mirror. Below are the exact steps, a table of all six shapes, the haircuts and frames stylists usually suggest for each, and a quicker photo-based check if you don't own a tape measure. Updated 2 November 2026.
What do you need to find your face shape?
You need very little:
- A soft tape measure (a tailor's or sewing tape). A rigid metal one won't follow the curve of your face.
- A mirror in good, even light, or a friend to hold the tape.
- Hair pulled back off your forehead and away from your jaw.
- Something to write with. You will compare four numbers, and memory is unreliable.
No tape at hand? Skip to the photo method further down. It is less precise but works fine for choosing a haircut.
How do you measure your face shape step by step?
The four-measurement method below is the one most grooming and style guides use, including FashionBeans' measuring guide. Measure in centimetres or inches, but use the same unit for all four.
- Forehead width. Measure across the widest part of your forehead, usually about halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline.
- Cheekbone width. Measure across the cheekbones at their most prominent point, just below the outer corner of each eye.
- Jawline width. Measure from the tip of your chin to the point below your ear where the jaw angles upward, then double that number (it covers one side only).
- Face length. Measure from the centre of your hairline straight down to the tip of your chin. If your hairline has receded or your head is shaved, estimate where it would naturally sit.
- Compare. Circle the largest of the four numbers, check whether length is clearly bigger than width, and look at your jaw in the mirror: soft and rounded, or sharp and angular?
The jaw check matters more than people expect. Round and square faces can have almost identical measurements; the difference is the jaw's corners.
What are the 6 face shapes and how do you tell them apart?
Use the table to match your numbers. Most guides list six main shapes; some add a seventh, triangle (jaw wider than cheekbones, cheekbones wider than forehead).
| Face shape | Measurements | Jaw and chin | Quick tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | Length greater than cheekbone width; forehead wider than jaw | Rounded, not sharp | Looks balanced and slightly long |
| Round | Cheekbone width and face length about equal; forehead and jaw narrower and similar | Soft, much less defined | Widest at the cheeks, few angles |
| Square | All four measurements fairly similar | Sharp, angular corners | Straight sides, strong jaw |
| Heart | Forehead widest; cheekbones and jaw narrower | Pointed chin | Wide at the top, tapers to the chin |
| Diamond | Length largest, then cheekbones, then forehead; jaw smallest | Pointed chin | Cheekbones are the widest point |
| Oblong (rectangle) | Length clearly the largest; forehead, cheeks and jaw similar | Can be square or slightly rounded | Long with straight sides |
Definitions follow the proportions in the FashionBeans guide, checked 2 November 2026.
What if I'm between two face shapes?
That is normal. Real faces rarely match a textbook outline, and many people sit between oval and oblong, or round and square. Pick the shape your largest measurement points to, then let the jaw decide the tie. If it is still unclear, read the advice for both shapes. Hairstyles that suit either one will suit you.
Can your face shape change over time?
Your bone structure stays the same in adulthood, but how your face reads can change with weight, age, a beard, or a new hairline. A full beard can make a round face read as more square, for example. If you last measured years ago, measure again before you book a big change.
How can I tell my face shape from a photo?
If you don't have a tape measure, a photo works as a rough check:
- Take a straight-on selfie at arm's length, camera at eye level, hair pulled back, neutral expression. Don't tilt your chin; tilting changes the jaw's apparent width.
- Use even light. Face a window. Harsh side light hides the outline of the jaw.
- Trace the outline. Open the photo in any editor and draw around the edge of your face (or trace your reflection on a mirror with a washable marker, a trick eyewear guides often suggest).
- Compare widths by eye. Is the forehead, the cheekbone line or the jaw the widest part? Is the outline clearly longer than it is wide?
- Match it to the table above.
Phone cameras held close distort faces: a wide-angle lens makes the nose and centre of the face look bigger and the edges narrower. Hold the phone further away and zoom in slightly, or use the rear camera with a timer.
Are AI face shape detectors accurate?
Online "face shape detector" tools work the same way as the photo method: they look at the forehead, cheekbones, jaw and length in a front-facing photo and return the closest of the six shapes. They are quick, but the result is only as good as the photo. One popular detector says plainly that accuracy depends on image quality, a front-facing angle, lighting and how clearly the face outline is visible, and none we checked published accuracy figures as of 2 November 2026.
Our advice: use a detector, a photo trace or a tape measure, whichever is easiest, and treat the answer as a starting point. Kenerate AI does not have an automatic face shape detector. What it does well is the next step: showing you the haircut or frames on your own photo, so you can judge the result with your own eyes rather than trust a label.
What haircut suits my face shape?
Once you know your shape, the general rule is balance: add height or length where the face is wide, and width where it is long. The suggestions below come from Michael Kelly, creative director of Salon Her, in Marie Claire Australia's expert guide, plus widely repeated advice for oblong faces.
| Face shape | Cuts that usually work | Cuts to think twice about |
|---|---|---|
| Oval | Blunt bob with internal layers, shag with curtain bangs, sleek centre part | Heavy styles that hide the cheekbones |
| Round | Layered lob with a side part or curtain fringe, pixie with volume at the crown, long vertical layers | Chin-length bobs with no layering |
| Square | Layered mid-length cuts, side part with tousled waves, wispy or curtain bangs | Blunt bobs ending at the jaw, sharp geometric fringes |
| Heart | Side-swept bangs, soft face-framing layers, mid-length flicked-out cuts, textured bob with curtain bangs | Lots of crown volume, slicked-back or tight styles |
| Diamond | Tousled lob with a side part, shag-style cuts, curtain bangs, fullness at the jaw | Very narrow styles, hair tucked tightly behind the ears |
| Oblong | Layers that add width at the sides, bangs that shorten the forehead, mid-length cuts | Long, flat, straight hair; extra height at the crown |
For men the same logic applies: a round face gets height on top and shorter sides (a quiff or textured crop), a square face can take almost any short cut, and an oblong face looks better with less height and a bit more fullness at the sides.
None of these are strict rules. Hair texture, your hairline, how much time you spend styling and simply what you like matter as much as the outline of your face. The surest test is seeing the cut on you.
How do I try a haircut on my own photo before I cut?
You can preview a cut on your own photo with Kenerate's AI hairstyle changer:
- Sign up. A new account gets 25 free credits (as of 2 November 2026).
- Upload the same straight-on selfie you used for the photo method.
- Describe the cut using the words from the table, e.g. "layered lob with a side part and curtain fringe, keep my face, expression and background the same".
- Generate and compare. Try two or three cuts suggested for your shape and one that "breaks the rules"; sometimes the rule-breaker wins.
On the free plan, Flux 2 Dev costs 3 credits per hairstyle edit (about 8 try-ons from the starter credits) and Qwen Image 3.0 costs 9.9 credits with one photo. Seedream 5.0 Pro (13.5 credits) holds the face especially steady but needs a one-time credit pack; packs never expire. If you're unsure what a cut is called, our post on what hairstyle is this explains how to identify one from a picture, and what would I look like with different hair covers colour and length changes too. You can also try a hair colour change or bangs on their own.
Which glasses suit my face shape?
Frames follow the same idea in reverse: contrast the shape of your face. Angular frames add definition to soft, round faces; round or oval frames soften angular ones. All About Vision notes, for example, that full-rimmed rectangular glasses flatter a round face and circular frames suit a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones.
| Face shape | Frames that usually work |
|---|---|
| Oval | Almost any; wider frames that match the widest part of the face |
| Round | Rectangular, square or geometric frames |
| Square | Round or oval frames, thin or rimless styles |
| Heart | Round frames, rimless, light bottom-heavy or winged-out shapes |
| Diamond | Oval, cat-eye, browline or rimless frames |
| Oblong | Tall or oversized frames, round shapes |
To see a pair on your face, upload a selfie to the AI glasses try-on and describe the frame ("thin round gold wire frames"), or add a photo of the actual pair as a second image. A picture is a style preview, not a fitting: for prescription glasses, an optician still needs to check the frame size and the distance between your pupils.
Quick checklist
- Measure forehead, cheekbones, jaw (doubled) and length, all in the same unit.
- Circle the largest number and look at the jaw: soft or sharp?
- Match it in the table; if you're between two shapes, read both.
- No tape? Take a straight-on selfie at arm's length and trace it.
- Use the haircut and frame tables as a shortlist, then preview the shortlist on your own photo.
Sources
- FashionBeans, "How To Determine Your Face Shape" (measuring steps and shape proportions), fashionbeans.com, checked 2 November 2026.
- Marie Claire Australia, "Best haircut for your face shape" (Michael Kelly, Salon Her), marieclaire.com.au, checked 2 November 2026.
- All About Vision, "What is my face shape?", allaboutvision.com, checked 2 November 2026.
- Eyebuydirect, "Best Prescription Glasses Online (2026 Guide)" (frame pairings by face shape), eyebuydirect.com, checked 2 November 2026.
- Kenerate AI pricing and models: credit calculator and free-plan model list in the Kenerate app, checked 2 November 2026.
