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The shape of men's faces can majorly influence how hairstyles, eyeglasses, beard styles, even brow shapes look. What looks great on Jay-Z might not work for George Clooney—or for you.
As such, some male-identifying individuals use their face shape as a guide to choosing a hairstyle. As most articles involving face shape tend to cater to those who identify as female, we did the leg work to show you how to determine face shapes for men, and what to do with that knowledge. We also got some insight from pros, ranging from stylists to surgeons. Keep reading to get the scoop on all things face-shape-related for men and male-identifying individuals.
Meet the Expert
What Determines Face Shape?
While we all share a more or less identical skull at the outset, dermatologist Terrence Keaney explains that it’s the sex hormones (namely estrogen and testosterone) that inevitably kick in during our development that influence the growth of the skull and underlying soft tissue, ultimately determining face shape as well as the unique features and characteristics of our face. On the surface, facial plastic surgeon Konstantin Vasyukevich points to the forehead, cheeks, jawline, and chin as the most important structures that determine how facial shape is perceived.
How to Find Your Face Shape
Face shape is determined primarily by the relationship between the most prominent features of the face to each other, Vasyukevich explains; however there are no hard and fast rules or measurements involved. Rather, plastic surgeon Smita Ramanadham recommends paying attention to four facial dimensions:
- Forehead: The width at the widest portion of the forehead or frontal bones. Measure from the end of each eyebrow at the widest part.
- Cheeks: The width at the widest portion of the cheekbones, just below and lateral to the outer corner of the eye. Measure from widest portion of the upper cheek to the other cheek.
- Jaws: The width at the widest portion of the jaw or mandibular angles. This is typically the area in which you can feel the muscle that tightens and becomes fuller when you clench your teeth (the masseter muscle).
- Center of Face: The length measured at the center of the forehead at the hairline to the bottom edge of the chin in the center.
