At least once a week, someone comes into the studio with a photo on their phone. Usually it's a celebrity or influencer with some gorgeous haircut. And they always say some version of "I love this, but I don't know if it would work on me."

That hesitation tells me they've probably tried copying a haircut before and it didn't turn out how they expected. Maybe it looked great in the photo but terrible on them. Or maybe someone told them they couldn't pull off a certain style because of their face shape.

After doing this for over forty years, I've learned that a great haircut is really about geometry. Not trends, not what's popular on Instagram. It's about understanding your face shape and working with it instead of against it.

Let me walk you through what I've figured out about matching haircuts to faces.

Figuring Out Your Face Shape

Most people fall into one of these basic categories. You don't need to be exact about it, but understanding the general shape helps.

Pull your hair back and look in a mirror. Pay attention to which parts of your face are widest, the shape of your jaw, and whether your face is longer or wider.

Oval: Slightly longer than it is wide, with a softly rounded jaw. This is the most balanced shape.

Round: About as long as it is wide, with soft, curved features and no sharp angles.

Square: Strong, angular jaw. Your forehead, cheekbones, and jaw are all about the same width.

Heart: Wider at the forehead, narrowing down to a pointed chin.

Diamond: Cheekbones are the widest part, with a narrower forehead and chin.

Oblong: Noticeably longer than it is wide, with fairly straight sides.

Triangle: Opposite of heart-shaped. Your jaw is the widest part, narrowing up toward your forehead.

Once you know your general shape, you can start thinking about what styles will work with it.

What Actually Flatters Different Shapes

The whole point of choosing a haircut based on face shape is creating balance. You're using lines, angles, and volume to either add length, create width, or soften angles depending on what your face needs.

Round and Square Faces

If your face is round, you want to create the illusion of length. Long layers help with this. So does adding some volume at the crown. Asymmetrical cuts work really well because they draw the eye vertically instead of horizontally.

What doesn't work? Chin-length blunt bobs with rounded edges. They emphasize the width and make your face look rounder.

I had a client a few years ago who'd been getting the same chin-length bob for years because she thought it was safe. But it was actually making her face look fuller than it was. We went with a longer, layered cut with some height at the crown, and she couldn't believe the difference. She looked like she'd lost weight even though nothing about her body had changed.

For square faces, the goal is softening those strong angles at your jaw. Texture and layers do this beautifully. Side-swept bangs break up the straight line across your forehead. Face-framing layers around the jawline soften the sharp angles.

One of my square-faced clients was adamant she wanted a blunt, one-length bob. I tried to talk her into some softness around the face, but she wanted what she wanted. Two weeks later she came back and said "Okay, you were right. Let's add those layers." The blunt cut emphasized every angle and made her jaw look even more pronounced.

Heart and Diamond Faces

Heart-shaped faces are wider at the forehead and narrow at the chin. You want to add width and volume at the bottom to balance things out.

Chin-length or shoulder-length bobs are fantastic for this. Layers that flip out at the ends help fill in that narrow lower half. You're basically creating the illusion of a wider jaw area.

I love working with heart-shaped faces because the transformations are so dramatic. Adding the right volume in the right place completely changes how balanced the face looks.

Diamond faces have those gorgeous prominent cheekbones as the widest point. You don't want to add more volume there. Instead, add fullness at the chin with a bob, or soften the forehead with curtain bangs or side-swept bangs.

Oblong and Triangle Faces

Oblong faces need width. Shoulder-length cuts with layers that add volume on the sides work perfectly. And bangs are your best friend because they shorten the appearance of the face.

I have a client with an oblong face who refused to get bangs for years. She kept growing her hair longer thinking that would look better, but it just emphasized how long her face was. Finally convinced her to try curtain bangs and a shoulder-length cut with some volume on the sides. She looked five years younger immediately.

Triangle faces are wider at the jaw and narrow at the forehead. You want to add volume and interest at the top to balance out that wider bottom half. Short, layered cuts with height on top work great. Pixies, layered shags, anything that builds volume above the cheekbones.

Oval Faces

If you have an oval face, you won the face shape lottery. The proportions are already balanced, which means you can pull off pretty much any haircut. Short, long, doesn't matter. You can focus more on what works for your hair texture and lifestyle.

The Part Nobody Talks About

Here's what I wish more people understood. Face shape is a guideline, not a law.

I've had clients come in terrified they can't have a certain haircut because some article online said it wouldn't work for their face shape. But those "rules" are just starting points. They're not absolute.

I had a woman with a heart-shaped face who desperately wanted a short pixie cut. Everything she read said that wouldn't work for her shape. But we did it anyway, keeping the sides softer and adding texture on top. It looked incredible on her. She'd been afraid of that haircut for years based on some generic advice that didn't account for her specific features or hair texture.

Two things matter just as much as face shape, maybe more.

Your hair texture. Fine hair behaves differently than thick hair. Curly hair has different needs than straight hair. And here in Vero Beach, the humidity is a factor. The right cut can make managing Florida humidity so much easier. A haircut that looks amazing on straight, fine hair might be a disaster on thick, wavy hair, even if the face shapes are identical.

Your confidence. The most flattering haircut is the one that makes you feel like yourself. If you love a style and wear it with confidence, that energy comes through. People see the confidence, not whether your face shape technically fits the textbook definition for that cut.

My job as a stylist is to help you find the best version of the look you want. Not to tell you no based on some rigid rule.

What This Means When You're Getting a Haircut

Use face shape as a framework for the conversation with your stylist. Not as a limitation.

If you love a certain style but you're worried it won't work for your face, bring the photo anyway. A good stylist can adapt that cut to flatter your specific features. Maybe we add some layers here, adjust the length there, change the angle of the bangs. Small modifications make a huge difference.

The worst thing you can do is avoid styles you love because you think your face shape rules them out. That's how people end up stuck in the same boring haircut for years because it's "safe."

I've seen too many clients who were scared to try something different because they'd been told it wouldn't work for their face. Then we try it, with the right adjustments, and they realize they've been missing out on a style they love.

If You're Ready to Try Something New

Come see us at the studio and let's talk about what you actually want. Not what some chart says you should have, but what you're drawn to.

We're at 541 Beachland Boulevard here in Vero Beach. The consultation is my favorite part because that's where we figure out how to make your vision work with your features, your hair texture, and the reality of Florida weather.

Call us at 772-492-8440 or book online. Let's find a haircut that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.