Hairstyles for a heart-shaped face: soften the forehead, add fullness at the jaw

First, check the shape

A heart-shaped face is widest at the forehead and temples, with cheekbones that are also fairly wide, and a jaw that narrows steadily to a smaller, often pointed chin. Many heart-shaped faces have a widow's peak, but plenty do not.

Check from a photo taken a metre or more away at eye level, with your hair pulled back. If the cheekbones are clearly wider than the forehead, and the forehead and jaw are both narrower, the face is more likely diamond-shaped; see hairstyles for a diamond face.

What the cut is trying to do

A heart-shaped face reads open and expressive, with a lot of attention on the eyes. If you want more balance between the top and bottom of the face, the hair does two things:

1. Soften the width at the forehead. Bangs and side-swept pieces cover part of the forehead and temples.
2. Add fullness where the face narrows. Volume around the jaw and chin balances the width above.

Cuts that do this well

Side-swept or curtain bangs. Both soften the forehead without covering it completely. Curtain bangs that sweep out past the cheekbones are the most forgiving; side-swept bangs draw a diagonal that breaks up the width.

A chin-to-shoulder lob. A long bob that ends between the chin and the shoulders puts its fullest point right beside the narrower part of the face. Soft, slightly flipped or bent ends add more width there.

Layers with volume from the jaw down. On longer hair, ask for layers to start around the jaw rather than at the cheekbones, so the movement and fullness sit lower down.

Waves through the lengths. Waves that start around the cheekbones and build towards the ends add width at the bottom of the face.

Cuts that fight the shape

• Tight, slicked-back styles show the full width of the forehead with nothing below to balance it.
• Lots of volume at the crown, from teasing or a high, tight ponytail, makes the top of the face wider still.
• Short cuts that are full on top and close at the sides and nape put all the weight at the top. A pixie can work if it has a side-swept fringe and some softness around the ears.
• Very long, flat hair with no volume lower down leaves the narrow chin on its own.

Curly, coily or very thick hair

Curly hair suits a heart-shaped face when the curls are allowed to build volume towards the ends. Ask for a shape that widens from the cheekbones down, a triangle that points up, rather than a round shape that is fullest on top. With coily hair, a shape with fullness at the jaw and chin, or a fringe of curls, does the same job.

What to say in the chair

Try: "Please soften the forehead with side-swept or curtain bangs and put the fullness around the jaw: a lob or layers from the chin down." Show one photo on someone with hair like yours.

Two honest limits

A heart-shaped face is not something to correct. These cuts just balance the top and the bottom if that is the look you want.

Photos matter as much as the cut. A camera held above you widens the forehead and shrinks the chin, the exact opposite of what these cuts do. Keep the camera at eye level, a metre or more away. For frames, bottom-heavy and rimless glasses follow the same logic. Auraspire's aura scan reads your face shape from one photo for free, with your aura score and the one change that would help most; the full read adds the hairstyles and frames for your shape and a card to show your stylist.