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What is my face shape? Measure these four numbers
What is my face shape? Measure length and three widths on one front photo, then read your shape in two steps. Or skip the ruler: free face report.
Read the overview5 min read
Telling your face shape
Four measurements, the seven shapes, and how to read a face that sits between two.
What this topic covers, and where to start
Face shape is the thing most people want to pin down and the easiest to describe vaguely: different sites give different answers, and the mirror and a photo disagree. This topic is for anyone who wants a dependable answer from one photo, and for anyone stuck between two shapes. By the end you will know that face shape asks only three things: how much longer than wide the face is, which part is widest, and whether the jaw turns a corner or curves. You will also know how to take a photo you can measure, and that when you sit between two shapes you go by your strongest feature.
Start with what is my face shape, which walks from taking the photo, through four measurements and a few ratios, to one of seven shapes. Face shape types then puts the seven side by side in one table and points out where guides draw the boundaries differently. If someone has called your face V-shaped, read the V-shaped face guide to see which of the seven it points to. Round and square faces have almost the same length and width and are the easiest to confuse, so read round versus square face. Once that is settled, move on to hairstyles by face shape.
There is no single standard for face shape, so do not treat the result as a verdict. Remembering your ratios is more useful than remembering a label: how much longer than wide, how much the jaw narrows. Weight, hairstyle and camera distance all change the outline you see, so a face shape is better treated as a description for a period of time.
- Face shapeFace shape types: the seven shapes in one tableFace shape types are usually seven. One table sorts them by length, widest part and jaw. Which one are you? A free face report shows it in seconds.5 min read
- Face shapeV-shaped face: is it oval, heart or diamond?V-shaped face is an everyday name, not a textbook shape. Two ratios sort it into oval, heart or diamond. A free face report shows your shape.4 min read
- Face shapeRound vs square face: look at the jawRound vs square face: the length ratio barely differs, so the jaw decides. A comparison table and photo pitfalls. Not sure which? Check free.4 min read
FAQ
How do I find out my face shape?
Measure the face length and the widths of the forehead, cheekbones and jaw on a front-facing photo. Check first whether length over cheekbone width is near 1 or clearly above it, then which width is largest and whether the jaw turns a corner or curves; that matches one of the seven shapes.
What are the seven face shapes?
Oval, round, square, oblong, heart, diamond and pear. Other names such as rectangle, long or inverted triangle land on one of the seven, and “V-shaped” is a loose everyday label that can mean a heart, diamond or gently tapering oval face.
Why do I get a different face shape on different sites?
Each draws its boundaries at different numbers and measures from different points, such as where the face length starts, so one face can change name between standards. Camera distance and angle also shift the ratios, which is why your own ratios are more reliable than any verdict; if you sit between two shapes, go by the strongest feature.