Hairstyle guide
Hairstyles for a Heart-Shaped Face: 7 Cuts for Women and Men
A heart-shaped face is widest at the forehead and narrows to a pointed chin. Haircuts for a heart-shaped face add volume at the jaw and soften the forehead, so the face reads more even from top to bottom.
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What a haircut can do for a heart-shaped face
On our face shape detector, a typical heart-shaped face has the widest forehead of the six shapes, about 0.91 of the cheekbone width, a jaw of only about 0.77 and the most pointed chin. Its length is close to an oval face's.
So the useful changes are at the two ends. A fringe or side-swept bangs make the forehead look narrower, and volume between the cheekbones and the chin, from layers, waves or a lob's fuller ends, fills out the lower face. Volume at the temples and crown does the opposite.
For how the shape is measured and how to tell it from its neighbours, read the heart face shape guide.
Hairstyles for women with a heart-shaped face
Long side-swept bangs
Side-swept bangs cover one side of a wide forehead diagonally, and layers that start at the chin put fullness where the face narrows.
Ask for: Long side-swept bangs from a side part and long layers starting at the chin.
Lob with fuller ends
A collarbone-length lob kept smooth at the crown and full at the ends moves the hair's width from the forehead to the jaw.
Ask for: A long bob to the collarbone, smooth at the crown, with textured ends flicked out at jaw level.
Long layers starting at the chin
Keeping hair close to the head at the temples and starting the layers at the chin adds width exactly where a heart-shaped face is narrowest.
Ask for: Long layers beginning at chin level, with no layers or volume at the temples.
Curtain bangs with waves
Curtain bangs soften the top of the forehead, and waves that start at the cheekbones fill out the jaw.
Ask for: Curtain bangs and shoulder-length layers with waves from the cheekbones down.
The pictures are AI-generated previews: the women's cuts are edits of one example face and the men's of another, with only the hair changed. Real results depend on your hair's texture and density.
Haircuts for men with a heart-shaped face
Medium textured fringe
A fringe worn forward covers part of a wide forehead, and medium-short sides avoid making the temples look wider.
Ask for: About 7 cm on top worn forward and slightly to the side, with medium-short tapered sides.
Side-swept medium length
Longer hair swept across the forehead narrows it, and scissor-cut sides keep the outline of the head even.
Ask for: 8 to 10 cm on top swept to one side, with the sides scissor-cut to medium length.
Short cut with a short beard
A short, full beard adds width and weight at the jaw and chin, the narrow end of a heart-shaped face. It does for men what fuller ends on a lob do for women.
Ask for: A neat short cut, plus a beard kept at about 1 cm, fuller at the chin and jaw.
- Not sure you have a heart-shaped face?
Measure your forehead, cheekbones, jaw and face length from one photo, free and in your browser.
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Cuts to approach with care
None of these is off limits; they are the cuts that work against the shape, so they need more thought or a variation.
Volume at the crown and temples
Height and width at the top make the forehead look wider and the chin smaller.
InsteadKeep the crown smooth and put the volume at jaw level.
Slicked-back hair with a bare forehead
Pulling all the hair back shows the full width of the forehead and makes the taper to the chin more obvious.
InsteadA side-swept or curtain fringe.
A very short pixie with no fringe
A short cut with nothing at jaw level leaves the narrow lower face without balance.
InsteadA pixie with a long side-swept fringe.
Frequently asked questions
01What haircut suits a heart-shaped face?
Cuts that add volume at the jaw and soften the forehead: side-swept or curtain bangs, a lob with fuller ends, or long layers that start at the chin.
02Should a heart-shaped face have bangs?
Usually yes. Side-swept, curtain and wispy bangs all narrow a wide forehead. Very short, blunt bangs can make the forehead look broader, so keep them long and soft.
03What men's haircut is best for a heart-shaped face?
A forward or side-swept fringe with medium-short sides, and optionally a short beard to add width at the jaw. Avoid very tall styles and tight fades at the temples.
04Heart or diamond: how do I tell?
Both have a narrow, pointed chin. A heart-shaped face is widest at the forehead; a diamond face is widest at the cheekbones with a narrow forehead. Compare them in the heart face shape guide or measure with the face shape detector.