Face shape
Pear-shaped face
Widest at the jaw and narrowest at the forehead, so the weight sits in the lower half of the face.
Every guide on pear-shaped faces: hair, bangs, glasses and contour, in one place.
What counts as a pear-shaped face
Settle the name first: here pear-shaped, also called triangle, means the jaw is the widest part. Then, on a front-facing photo with your hair pulled back, set the forehead against the jaw.
- The jaw is clearly wider than the forehead, and the face narrows as it goes up.
- The jaw is about as wide as the cheekbones, or wider.
- The jaw is squarish and the chin broad, with rounder cheeks and cheekbones that do not stand out.
No source gives a cutoff for how much wider the jaw must be, so look for a clear gap rather than a number. One guide calls this shape less common.
Pear-shaped face, square face and heart-shaped face: where the weight sits
Square face
Both have a wide jaw, but on a square face the forehead is about as wide as the jaw and all three widths are close. On a pear-shaped face the forehead is clearly narrower, so the outline narrows going up.
Heart-shaped face
A heart-shaped face is the pear turned upside down: widest at the forehead and narrowing to a slim chin, so its weight sits on top where the pear's sits below. Some guides give that shape the name triangle.
Put the forehead against the jaw: about equal points to a square face, clearly narrower to pear, and wider points away from pear altogether.
Guides for pear-shaped faces
Hairstyles for pear-shaped faces: add weight to the upper half
Hairstyles for pear-shaped faces carry volume high: crown lift, temple width, a lighter jaw. Pear or square? A free face report shows it.
4 min readHairstyles for your face shape: seven shapes, one table
Hairstyles for your face shape come down to two moves: add or go easy. One table covers seven shapes. Find your shape free with one front photo.
5 min readHow to tell your barber what you want: four things to say, in numbers
How to tell your barber what you want: photos, lengths as numbers, parting, styling time, plus a script. Not sure of your face shape? Check it free.
10 min readHow to style your hair in 5 minutes: the order, and where the volume goes
How to style your hair: towel-dry, roots first, cool air to set, a pea of product, and where volume goes. Not sure of your face shape? Check it free.
8 min readBangs for your face shape: one table for length, weight and direction
Bangs for your face shape come down to length, weight and direction. A seven-shape table and where guides disagree. Check your shape free in seconds.
4 min readGlasses for pear-shaped faces: add width above the eyes
Glasses for pear-shaped faces: weight on the top rim, width above the eyes. Six frames compared. Is yours pear? A free face report shows your shape.
5 min readGlasses for your face shape: a guide to seven shapes
Glasses for your face shape: contrast your outline or echo it. One chart tells seven shapes what to try and skip. Find your shape free in seconds.
5 min readThick glasses lenses: choose the frame first, then the lens
Thick glasses lenses: what frame width, centring, 1.67 vs 1.74 and coatings really change. Unsure of your face shape? Check it free.
6 min readGlasses size: how to read frame width, bridge and temple length
Glasses size starts with three numbers inside the arm: lens, bridge, temple. Read them, run four mirror checks. A free face report shows your shape.
5 min readBeard styles for face shape: where length and width go
Beard styles for face shape: length, width and edges compared across seven shapes. Grow it a month first. Find your face shape free before you trim.
5 min readHow to shave your face: seven steps, then where the edges go if you keep stubble
How to shave your face in 7 steps, plus where stubble edges go. Blades last 5–7 shaves. Wondering about your jawline? Check it free.
8 min readContouring for your face shape: where shading and blush go
Contouring for your face shape is drawing with light. Where shade, highlight and blush go for seven shapes. Which are you? A free face report shows.
4 min readHighlight and contour basics: where each goes, and why
Highlight and contour basics: highlight where light lands, contour where shadow falls. A placement table, spots to skip. Check your depth free.
4 min readFace shape types: the seven shapes in one table
Face 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 readEyebrow shape for your face: echo its lines or contrast them
Eyebrow shape for your face: place the head, arch and tail, then use the table for seven face shapes. Not sure of yours? A free face report shows it.
4 min readHow to trim eyebrows: strays only, and never the head, arch or tail
How to trim eyebrows without ruining the shape: strays only, in 4 steps, plus which tool to use. Curious about your brow gap? Check it free.
7 min readJawline and face shape: two numbers, not one
Jawline and face shape link through two numbers: corner sharpness and jaw-to-cheekbone width. A table of seven shapes. Check yours in a free report.
4 min read
Compare with the other six shapes
Questions about the pear-shaped face
Why do some guides say a triangle face has a wide forehead?
Because the name is not settled. Some sources use triangle for a face widest at the jaw, which is the pear shape here; others use it for the opposite, a wide forehead over a narrow chin. A Japanese optician's tips for a triangle face, for instance, put the emphasis low, which suits a face wide on top. Find out which way a guide draws it before you trust its advice.
My jaw is the widest part. What width of frame should I choose?
The usual rule is to match the widest part of the face, but here that is the jaw, far below the frame: size to it and the frame runs past the temples. Use the band the frame sits in instead, about cheekbone width or a little more, with the outer edges not clearly past the sides of the face. Sources differ on the exact width by a few millimetres, so treat it as a starting point.
Which beard goes with a pear-shaped face?
Guides disagree, and none of it has been tested. One barber says no beard or stubble only, a barbershop suggests a short boxed beard, and one site says full and bushy, though its own page for a similar wide-jaw shape says not too bushy. Compare two lengths in photos taken the same way before you decide.