We know haircuts are not one-size-fits-all, but there are certain style traits that work better for certain head shapes than others. For example, those with rectangular or oblong faces might fare well with some feathery fringe to provide width, whereas round faces are beautifully offset by choppy, angular looks.
Just as how your bone structure can help you discover which hairstyle elements would suit you best, your ‘do can accentuate or cloak certain facial features. Your strands do have the ability to flirt with light and shadow, similar to how you might play around with contour.
Take it from celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith: As he explains in a recent TikTok video, face-framing pieces that drop a tad too low can cast a shadow on your cheeks that actually accentuates sagging in that area. “The hair, here, is not helping to lift the face at all,” he notes. A soft sweeping fringe, on the other hand, opens up the width of the face and keeps every region bright.
Of course, it all depends on your specific bone structure. Wispier bangs that fall just below the brows pull the attention toward the eyes, and some people may not wish to highlight the eye area. Additionally, “Sometimes a blunt bang puts a lot of focus on the mid-face,” celebrity stylist Joseph Maine previously told mbg, so someone who doesn’t want to draw attention to their nose may steer clear of bold bangs.
The bottom line? It’s all about finding the right balance for your own facial features. Curtain bangs open up the face and enhance your cheekbones (just make sure they don’t fall too low), wispy bangs bring attention to the eyes, side bangs give the illusion of lift and volume around the face, and so on.
The good news is that most hairstylists are well versed in bang geometry, so you won’t have to do too much of the legwork. Think of this guide as more of a starting point to help inform your next haircut decision.