What “face shape” means
Face shape describes the outline from your forehead to your chin. It depends on the length and width of the face, the widest part, and the shape of the jaw. Six common names used in styling guides are oval, round, square, heart, diamond and oblong.
These categories help describe how a haircut, beard or pair of frames might suit your proportions. Their boundaries vary between guides, and a face can share features of more than one shape. The detector uses them for styling suggestions, not medical classification.
The detector finds 478 facial landmarks, calculates four ratios and compares them with a reference profile for each shape. It shows the closest match and the runner-up. When their scores differ by less than 8 points, the result highlights the similarity between the two matches. A match score describes closeness to a profile; it is not a probability that the label is correct.
The six face shapes at a glance
These are the reference profiles the detector compares you with. Length runs from the upper forehead to the chin and width is measured across the cheekbones.
- OvalLength ÷ width 1.20
- RoundLength ÷ width 1.05
- SquareLength ÷ width 1.08
- HeartLength ÷ width 1.17
- DiamondLength ÷ width 1.19
- OblongLength ÷ width 1.36
- Forehead
- Cheekbones
- Jaw
| Shape | Length ÷ width | Jaw ÷ cheekbone width | Forehead ÷ cheekbone width | Chin ÷ jaw width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | 1.20 | 0.75 | 0.79 | 0.34 |
| Round | 1.05 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.37 |
| Square | 1.08 | 0.87 | 0.83 | 0.42 |
| Heart | 1.17 | 0.68 | 0.86 | 0.29 |
| Diamond | 1.19 | 0.70 | 0.70 | 0.30 |
| Oblong | 1.36 | 0.79 | 0.81 | 0.36 |
The landmark model does not locate the hairline, so length starts at a point below it on the upper forehead. Our length-to-width numbers therefore differ from guides that measure from the hairline. Use measurements taken from the same points when comparing ratios.
These profiles are the reference settings used by this detector. They are not population averages or universal cutoffs between shapes. The sources below provide background on facial measurements; they do not establish an accuracy rate for this tool.
Oval
An oval face is a little longer than it is wide (a length-to-width ratio near 1.20 in our reference profile), with a jaw narrower than the cheekbones and a rounded outline.
Short crops and longer layers are both options to try. Hair texture, frame fit and the amount of daily styling you want to do can help narrow the choice. Very oversized frames cover more of the face; choose them if that is the look you prefer.
Often confused with: oblong, when the face is on the longer side, and heart, when the forehead is a little wider than the jaw.
Round
A round face is nearly as wide as it is long (around 1.05 on our scale), with full cheeks, a soft jawline and a rounded chin. Forehead, cheekbones and jaw are similar in width, but the corners are curved rather than angular.
For a longer-looking outline, try some height at the crown, a side part or a cut that falls below the chin. Rectangular, square and geometric frames add contrast to the rounded outline. Round frames emphasize the curves instead.
Often confused with: square, which has the same short proportions but a straighter, wider jaw.
Square
A square face has a strong, wide jaw that is close in width to the cheekbones and forehead (a jaw-to-cheekbone ratio around 0.87, the highest of the six), a fairly short length and a broad chin.
To soften the appearance of the jaw angles, try soft layers, texture or a cut that falls past the jaw. A beard kept shorter at the sides and fuller at the chin can make the face look longer. Round and oval frames add curves, while square frames emphasize the angles.
Often confused with: round, when the jaw angles are softer, and oblong, when the face is longer.
Heart
A heart-shaped face is widest at the forehead and tapers to a narrower jaw and a defined, often pointed chin. It has the lowest jaw-to-cheekbone ratio of the six (around 0.68) and the highest forehead-to-cheekbone ratio.
Chin-length bobs and waves around the jaw can add width to the lower outline. A side-swept fringe covers part of the forehead. For frames, try lighter upper rims if you want less emphasis near the brow; heavier brow bars draw attention there.
Often confused with: diamond, which also has a narrow chin but a narrower forehead.
Diamond
A diamond face is widest at the cheekbones, with both the forehead and the jaw noticeably narrower (around 0.70 of cheekbone width for each on our scale) and a narrow chin.
A fringe, volume at the temples or a chin-length cut can add width above or below the cheekbones. Browline, oval and cat-eye frames are options to compare. Check the fit across the temples as well as the frame shape.
Often confused with: heart, when the forehead is a little fuller, and oval, when the cheekbones are less prominent.
Oblong
An oblong (or rectangular) face is clearly longer than it is wide, around 1.36 on our scale and the longest of the six, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw of similar width.
For a shorter-looking outline, try fuller sides, curtain bangs or layers around the cheekbones or jaw. Extra height on top can make the outline look longer. Frames with more lens height, including some round and square styles, are worth comparing with shallower frames.
Often confused with: oval, which is shorter, and square, when the jaw is strong.
How to find your face shape by hand
You can check your shape with a mirror and a soft tape measure. Pull your hair back, face the mirror straight on and take four measurements:
- Forehead width: across the forehead, roughly halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline.
- Cheekbone width: across the face at the most prominent point of your cheekbones, just below the outer corners of your eyes.
- Jaw width: from the angle of the jaw below one ear to the same point on the other side.
- Face length: from the center of your hairline to the tip of your chin.
Then compare them as a rough guide:
- Length well over one and a half times your widest width, with the three widths similar: oblong.
- Length close to width, a soft jaw and full cheeks: round.
- Length close to width, a straight jaw nearly as wide as the forehead: square.
- Cheekbones clearly the widest, with forehead and jaw narrower: diamond.
- Forehead the widest, tapering to a narrow chin: heart.
- A little longer than wide, with the jaw a little narrower than the cheekbones: oval.
It can be hard to place the tape in exactly the same spot each time. The detector instead estimates landmarks in a flat photo, so its measurements will not exactly match those taken by hand. Neither method gives a definitive boundary between shapes.
Why your result can change between photos
The result depends on the proportions visible in the photo. Several things can affect those measurements:
- Camera distance. A nearby camera exaggerates features closer to the lens. A 2018 mathematical model estimated that at about 30 cm, nose width relative to cheekbone width appeared roughly 30% greater than in an undistorted view; at 1.5 m, the effect was much smaller. Take your photo from arm’s length or farther away.
- Head angle. Turning or tilting the head changes the proportions visible in a flat photo. We account for sideways tilt using the pupil positions, but cannot fully correct for looking up, down or to one side.
- Expression. A smile widens the lower face and lifts the cheeks. Use a neutral, relaxed expression.
- Hair and beards. Hair over the forehead or cheeks can hide the outline. A full beard can also make the lower face look wider or longer.
- Changes over time. Aging and changes in soft tissue can alter the facial outline. Facial bones can also change during adulthood, as documented in a study using repeated CT scans.
If two photos give different answers, compare the head angle, distance and lighting first. Similar match scores for the leading shapes can also mean the result is near a category boundary. Use the styling suggestions from both as options to try.
When you sit between two shapes
An oval outline can have a wider jaw, and a heart-shaped outline can have fuller cheeks. The detector gives each profile a match score from 0 to 100. If the top two scores differ by less than 8 points, it highlights both. Open “See all six shapes” under your result to compare every match score.
For a borderline result, look for shared styling ideas. Heart and diamond guides, for example, both suggest trying width near the jaw. Your hair texture, frame fit and preferences can help decide which ideas to use.
Sources
- Farkas, L. G. (Ed.) (1994). Anthropometry of the Head and Face (2nd ed.). Raven Press.
- Farkas, L. G., Katic, M. J., Forrest, C. R., et al. (2005). International anthropometric study of facial morphology in various ethnic groups/races. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 16(4), 615–646.
- Ward, B., Ward, M., Fried, O., & Paskhover, B. (2018). Nasal distortion in short-distance photographs: the selfie effect. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(4), 333–335.
- Kartynnik, Y., Ablavatski, A., Grishchenko, I., & Grundmann, M. (2019). Real-time facial surface geometry from monocular video on mobile GPUs. arXiv:1907.06724.
- Paskhover, B., Durand, D., Kamen, E., & Gordon, N. A. (2017). Patterns of change in facial skeletal aging. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 19(5), 413–417.
