How to Find Your Face Shape in 4 Easy Steps, According to Experts

How to Find Your Face Shape in 4 Easy Steps, According to Experts

Knowing your face shape can help you find flattering haircuts and makeup techniques.

Like our blood types and food intolerances, many people don't know what their face shape is until they do some digging. Knowing your face shape can help you find the most flattering hairstyles, glasses, and contouring techniques, for starters. However, figuring out your face shape isn't as simple as looking in the mirror and instantly recognizing the outlines of a heart or square on your face.

Plus, it's rare for someone to fit exactly into one face shape category, as every face is unique. Board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. K. Roxanne Grawe, M.D. (aka Dr. Roxy) says most faces "are a hybrid of shapes." However, many faces have a few obvious characteristics that will categorize them into one of the seven face shape options. Below, learn how to answer the burning question: What is my face shape?

What is my face shape?

Your face probably falls into one of seven face shapes: oval, round, square, heart, diamond, pear, and oblong. With all these options and similarities between the shapes, it can be difficult to pinpoint your face shape. Plus, it can change over time due to factors like aging and weight gain or loss.

Here's how to determine your face shape:

1. First thing's first: Tie your hair back so you can see your entire face in the mirror.

2. Next, focus on the three main areas of your face: forehead, cheekbones, and chin. Decide which area is the widest.

3. Then, decide if your face is longer than it is wide or if the length and width are equal.

4. Finally, decide where the narrowest part of your face is.

Once you've landed on these three characteristics, you can determine your face shape. "If the length of your face is longer than the width, you will fall more in the oval, rectangular, and possibly heart or diamond shaped category," board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Catherine Chang tells HelloGiggles. "If the length and width are similar in length, you will fall more in the square or round category."

Below, read the defining characteristics of each face shape so you can pinpoint exactly which one you have.

1. Oval face shape

Celebrity example: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Queen Bey, Bella Hadid, and Tyra Banks all have oval face shapes, which can be easily identified as longer than they are wide. "An oval face shape has a jawline that is narrower than the cheekbones," founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology Dr. Corey L. Hartman tells HelloGiggles. Double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Smita Ramanadham adds, "Similar to the round face shape, oval faces have a soft, curvilinear-shaped jawline and chin." Plus, Dr. Grawe notes, "In an oval face shape, the forehead is slightly wider than chin and the length of face is about two times its width."

2. Round face shape

Celebrity example: Selena Gomez

Baby-faced Selena Gomez is a prime example of a round face shape, which "has a wider hairline and a fullness in the cheeks, with the cheeks being the widest part of the face," explains Dr. Hartman. "All features on a round face tend to be softer, including the chin line and forehead." Plus, Dr. Ramanadham says that generally speaking, a round face is symmetric in length and width. "Neither the jaw nor cheeks are defined but have a subtle, more gentle shape."

3. Square face shape

Celebrity example: Natalie Portman

Like round faces, a square face shape is also equal in length and width, and it's seen in celebs such as Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, Sandra Bullock, and Olivia Wilde. However, unlike a round face shape, square faces are generally more angular, which Dr. Ramandham explains is most noticeable in the jawline. "A square face shape has both a wide hairline and a wide jawline," Dr. Hartman explains. "There are minimal curves in the square face shape." Plus, Dr. Chang notes that "The chin is typically wider and does not come to a narrow point like other facial shapes often do."

4. Oblong face shape

Celebrity example: Sarah Jessica Parker

Rectangular face shapes are often called oblong, with SJP serving as the poster child for this one. "An oblong face shape is similar to the square face shape in that the cheeks, forehead, and chin are all similar in size with minimal curves," Dr. Hartman explains. "The oblong face differs from a square face shape in that it is longer than it is wide."

5. Heart face shape

Celebrity example: Rihanna

Also called an inverted triangle face shape, the heart face shape is perceived as ultra-feminine and is shown in celebs like Reese Witherspoon and Rihanna. "A heart face shape is widest at the forehead and gradually decreases in width so that the jawline is the narrowest," Dr. Ramanadham says. "This facial shape generally has a pronounced and defined chin."

Additionally, Dr. Hartman says that the hairline creates a point in the center of the forehead, giving the face more of a traditional heart shape. Another telltale sign of a heart-shaped face, according to Dr. Chang? A widows peak.

6. Diamond face shape

Celebrity example: Jennifer Lopez

With high, defined cheekbones and a narrow hairline, J.Lo clearly has a diamond face shape. "The difference between heart and diamond face shapes is that in a diamond face shape, the forehead and hairline will be narrower than the cheeks," Dr. Hartman explains. Plus, "The angle of the lower jaw is narrower than the width of the cheekbones and continues to taper to a point at the chin," Dr. Chang says.

7. Pear face shape

Celebrity example: Jennifer Aniston

The pear face shape, also known as the triangle face shape, is easy to distinguish: The forehead is narrower than the jawline, and it can be either angular or rounded. A distinct jawline is the telltale sign of a pear face shape, but a face that narrows at the cheekbones and temples gives it away, too. Along with Jen-An, Kelly Osbourne also has a pear face shape.