I am a barber, and I consider my work an art.
Young and middle-aged and old men come to me, and I sculpt whatever hair they’ve got to accentuate their best features—that aspect which makes them totally unique, and uniquely attractive. It may be a strong chin, an angular nose, or colorful eyes.
After years of practice and thousands of haircuts sculpted, I like to think I’ve perfected the craft, and that everyone who enters my salon leaves looking better than when they’ve come in.
It’s taken me a lot of dedication and effort to learn how to perfectly arrange men’s hair. It’s something I’ve earned. So it doesn’t surprise me when good-looking young gentlemen ask me for cuts that will make them look terrible.
After all, most men decide that they would like to style their hair after whatever is fashionable, instead of what naturally fits their features.
REALIZING YOUR FACIAL SHAPE
Men’s faces fall into a few broad categories—square, triangular, round, oval, and long—and the way in which we frame our faces using facial hair and the hair on our heads has a significant effect on our appearance.
If you’ve ever seen one man look dashing with short hair and a full beard, while another gentleman attempts the same look but ends up looking boorish, then you’ve identified the relationship between facial features and hair styles.
- First, stand in front of your mirror and pull your hair back with your hands. If your hair is lengthy, wet your hair with water and comb it back.
- Then grab a bar of soap, and trace the outline of your head directly on your mirror, from the top of your scalp, around your temples, to your jawline and chin, and then back up to your starting point.
Unless you have a very, very unique head shape, the frame of your head and face will be one of the following:
SQUARE
Features: A broad jaw-line will terminate in a near-right angle beneath the cheekbones or ears, and temples will travel straight up and down, rather than tapering inward.
In other words, a face that is square-shaped will be one where the forehead, cheekbones, and jaw are roughly the same width.
How to Frame A Square Face: Men with square-shaped heads tend to look best with the hair above the ears and behind the temples being short, with the hair on the top of the head longer and styled upward (Brad Pitt usually
wears such a haircut).
How to Use Your Facial Hair: Many women find a prominent jaw appealing, so if you’ve got a square jaw, there’s no need to hide it with a beard or mustache!
If you do decide to grow facial hair, however, any hair that maintains the square jaw will do: some scruff, a goatee, or a beard with deliberate lines.
A well-groomed mustache may work (think Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds), but if we’re being honest, some men look silly with mustaches. Review on a case-by-case basis.
If you find that your head is square-shaped, consider yourself lucky: many male models boast high cheekbones, and a square head.
TRIANGULAR
Features: Wide cheekbones that taper down to a pointed chin.
How to Frame A Triangular Face: A triangular-shaped face with high-cheekbones will look especially good when hair covers the forehead (a style
often featured by Johnny Depp).
Many men with this facial structure also look great utilizing the “high and dry” and shave their hair close to the scalp–an excellent look, because it accentuates the eyes and the angles of the face.
How to Use Your Facial Hair: Scruff is a good bet for any man, but many guys with pointed chins and triangular faces do even better with full beards or facial hair that is shaped to accentuate their jawline.
Goatees may not always work, as the facial shaped is already triangular–too much of a good thing.
ROUND
Features: A rounded jawline, and a rounded crown. Symmetry on top and bottom and left and right.
How to Frame A Round Face: Short hair at the temples and above the ears along with hair styled high on the top can be a very attractive look for men with rounded heads.
Square-ish hairstyles will help create the illusion of a more diamond-shaped face, and an off-center part with the hair pulled off the forehead can help slim the face.
How to Use Your Facial Hair: Men with rounded faces often choose to grow full beards, and that can be an excellent look.
Other men opt for a pointed beard or a goatee, which makes the face appear oval- or diamond-shaped—shapes which accentuate the jaw and angle of the eyebrows.
A Note of Caution: If you have a round face, be sure avoid long hair that is cut to a single length. It’s a look that rarely seems appealing.
By pulling his hair back he’s create a more oval-shaped appearance, and by allowing some stubble to grow in, he’s made his chin look more angular and sharp.
OVAL
Features: A discretely rounded jaw gradually tapering towards the ear; the temples above the ears ease upwards toward the top of the crown.
How to Frame An Oval Face: Square-jawed faces are envied among most men, but men with oval faces have the ability to adopt any number of hairstyles, and are less bound to a particular style.
Oval-faced men are a “gimme” for barbers, in that any haircut works well!
How to Use Your Facial Hair: Short scruff can be a good look on an oval face, but it can also be helpful to experiment with goatees, to create a diamond-shaped frame that accentuates the cheekbones and eyes.
Oval faces are always quite common among male models. If you have an oval face, you are quite lucky.
LONG:
Features: The long face is characterized as having temples, cheekbones, and a jaw that are the same width.
Where an oval face will be curved from top to bottom, a long face will usually be flatter on the sides.
How to Frame A Long Face: Haircuts that are a little bit longer on the sides and shorter on the top can make a long face appear more oval. Hair swept over the forehead can be a beneficial look.
Steer clear of high-styled haircuts where hair is swept upward and back, as that can make the face appear even longer.
How to use Your Facial Hair: Groomed facial hair can give the appearance of a stronger jawline, and a busy beard that extends past the jaw can make the face appear more rounded.
A goatee can also be used to create a more triangular-shaped head.
