Hairstyle guide
Hairstyles for a Square Face: 7 Cuts for Women and Men
A square face has a forehead, cheekbones and jaw of similar width, an angular jaw and a broad chin. Women's cuts for a square face usually soften the jaw's corners and add a little length; men's cuts often keep the structure instead.
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What a haircut can do for a square face
On our face shape detector, a typical square face has the widest jaw of the six shapes, about 0.83 of the cheekbone width and almost equal to its forehead. Its length is about 1.19 times its width, a little shorter than an oval face.
Women's styling advice for square faces aims to soften those corners: waves and layers that fall over the jaw, side parts and side-swept bangs that cross the face diagonally, and lengths that end above or below the jaw rather than exactly at it. Men's cuts tend to keep the structure, because a defined jaw is often the feature people want to show.
For how the shape is measured and how to tell it from its neighbours, read the square face shape guide.
Hairstyles for women with a square face
Long soft waves
Waves that start around the cheekbones fall over the corners of the jaw, which softens the angles without hiding the face. Length past the shoulders adds a vertical line.
Ask for: Long layers with loose waves from cheekbone level and a side part.
Side-swept bangs with layers
Side-swept bangs cut a diagonal across a broad forehead, and face-framing pieces at the jaw soften its corners.
Ask for: Long side-swept bangs, layers past the shoulders and face-framing pieces at the jaw.
Layered shag
A shag's many layers break up the straight lines of the face. Curtain bangs and tousled texture around the jaw are the softest option here.
Ask for: A medium shag with feathered layers, curtain bangs and texture around the jaw.
Textured lob below the jaw
A lob that ends a few centimetres below the jaw moves the hair's edge away from the jawline, so the cut does not repeat its horizontal line. Soft bends add softness.
Ask for: A long bob ending 4 to 5 cm below the jaw, with textured ends and soft bends.
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 square face
Crew cut
A crew cut is short and neat and shows a strong jaw rather than softening it. The slightly longer front keeps it from looking severe.
Ask for: A crew cut with tapered sides, about 3 cm on top and a little more length at the front.
Textured French crop
The choppy top and short fringe add texture above a structured face, and the faded sides keep the overall shape compact.
Ask for: A French crop with a low fade, a choppy textured top and a short blunt fringe.
Slicked-back undercut
Combing the top straight back shows the full forehead and jaw. It suits a square face when the aim is to look angular.
Ask for: An undercut with 8 to 10 cm on top, combed back with a low-shine product.
- Not sure you have a square face?
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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.
A blunt bob ending at the jaw
A one-length cut that stops exactly at the jawline adds a horizontal line at the widest part of a square face.
InsteadEnd the cut a few centimetres above or below the jaw.
A severe centre part with flat hair
A sharp centre part with hair falling flat down both sides frames the face in straight vertical lines and shows the jaw's corners.
InsteadA side part, or soft waves around the jaw.
A heavy straight-across fringe
A blunt fringe adds another horizontal line to a broad forehead.
InsteadSide-swept or curtain bangs.
Frequently asked questions
01What haircut is best for a square face?
For women, cuts with waves, layers or side-swept bangs that soften the jaw: long waves, a shag or a lob that ends below the jaw. For men, short structured cuts such as a crew cut or a textured crop, which show the jaw rather than hide it.
02Can a square face have a bob?
Yes, if it ends a few centimetres above or below the jaw and has some texture. A blunt bob ending exactly at the jaw is the version to avoid.
03Do beards suit square faces?
Short stubble keeps a square jaw's outline. A full beard can square it off further or, if kept longer at the chin, make the face look longer. The square face shape guide explains how beards change the detector's reading.
04Square or round: how can I tell?
Both are fairly short, but a square face has a wider, angular jaw and a broader chin, while a round face has a soft, curved jaw. The face shape detector measures the jaw width and angle from a photo.