As most of you already know, a haircut is never one-size-fits-all. The shape of your head and face, especially with regards to the width and length of your face will determine the best haircut for you.

Before you head to the barbershop it is worth knowing what styles best suit your face and head shape and what flatters you the best.

From there you can get as creative or as conservative as you would like.

How to determine your facial shape before getting your haircut

You will need a tape measure, and all you have to do is measure your forehead starting from the peak of one eyebrow to the peak of the opposite eyebrow.

Then measure your cheekbones starting from the outer corner of each eye and move on to your jawline from the tip of your chin to below your ear where the jaw naturally angles upwards. When you get the jawline number, multiply it by two to get your final number.

Finally, measure your face length from the center of your hairline to the tip of your chin. When you have all your numbers record them and then use this guide to determine what your face shape is:

Oval

Face length is greater than the width of the cheekbones, and the forehead is greater than the jawline. The angle of the jaw is rounded rather than sharp.

If you have an oval-shaped head and face you can pretty much experiment with any haircut. Gentlemen with oval faces count themselves very lucky because of the wide range of styles that can fit the face. You can also wear facial hair or go without it.

Square

All measurements are fairly similar. The angle of the jaw is sharp rather than rounded.

Square heads and faces have a stronger structure but like the oval, you can pretty much rock any cut. With that in mind, we still recommend a classic neat look for square faces.

Rectangular

Face length is the greatest measurement. Forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are similar in size.
Rectangular faces and heads are longer which means you want to rock a lower fade on the sides and top just to minimize the length of the face because it reduces the length of the face.

Additionally, it is important to keep the facial hair to a minimum or nice and neat with less length because again this just elongates the face.

Round

Cheekbones and face length have a similar measurement. They are larger than the forehead and jawline, which also have a similar measurement. The angle of the jaw is soft and much less defined.

If you have a rounder face and head it is important to add dimension to the face and the best way to do that is with your hair.

Keep a little bit of length on the top and shorter on the sides so that you can create the illusion of a longer face evening out the facial structure. A full square beard also helps to keep the appearance of a chiseled jaw.

Next time you head to the barbershop keep your facial structure in mind before you choose the haircut that is best for you.