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Heart face shape

Also called: inverted triangle face

Widest across the forehead and temples, narrowing to a slimmer jaw and a finer chin.

Is your face actually heart-shaped?

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Line drawing of a typical heart face with forehead, cheekbone, jaw and length measurement linesFWCWJWL

What defines it

Length ÷ width
about 1.25 to 1.45
Widest point
the forehead and temples
Forehead ÷ jaw
about 1.15 or more (forehead 15%+ wider)
Jaw corner
soft, tapering to the chin

Face-shape labels are fuzzy. We score on measurements.

The seven shapes are a stylists' convention, not a validated classification. Charts draw the lines in different places, and judging by eye is unreliable: in one study, visual face-type calls agreed with caliper measurements at a kappa of just 0.19.

The best published face-shape classifier reached about 85% accuracy on noisy photos. So we don't hand you one label. We show your shape as a mix, like 62% oval and 25% oblong, and our scorer never uses the label at all.

Proportions are also only part of the story. Your texture, density and hairline decide what a cut can physically do, so they carry more weight than face geometry.

Even a textbook heart face is a mix

Our engine’s own reading of the face drawn above:

  • Heart80%
  • Oval20%

What stylists aim for

Take width away up top and add it lower down: fringes and side parts at the forehead, volume or length around the jaw.

Stylist convention

Often confused with

  • Diamond

    In a heart the forehead is widest; in a diamond the cheekbones are, and the forehead is narrower.

  • Triangle

    Opposites: a triangle face has the jaw wider than the forehead.

Haircuts ranked for heart proportions

Our scorer’s geometry-only ranking for the textbook heart face above. Proportions are about 15% of a real score; texture, density and hairline decide more, so your own list can look quite different. Every cut links to its barber spec.

Men's cutsProportions only

  1. 01Faux hawkShort · best on 1B–3BKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: Long faces; conservative workplaces.
  2. 02QuiffMedium · best on 1B–2CKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: Long or oblong faces; fine, low-density hair; hidden from hairline stage 3.
  3. 03Disconnected undercutMedium · best on 1A–2CKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: Conservative workplaces, bumps on the sides, fine low-density hair, long faces when styled up.
  4. 04Edgar cutShort · best on 1A–2BKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: A low forehead, a front cowlick, prominent ears (skin fade); the hard front line shows temple recession from stage 3; trend-dependent (Janif 2014).
  5. 05Long layered / man bunLong · best on 1B–3AAdds vertical length, which balances a shorter, wider face.When it doesn’t work: A round face with full cheeks; a long face worn flat with a centre part; fine low-density hair; hidden from hairline stage 3 on; a 12–18 month grow-out (approximate).
  6. 06Modern mulletMedium · best on 2A–3CKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: A short, thick neck; conservative workplaces; trend-dependent (Janif 2014: rarer looks rate higher).

Women's cutsProportions only

  1. 01Curtain-bang layered cutMedium · best on 1B–2CHair falls over the sides of the forehead, which narrows a wide forehead.When it doesn’t work: A very round, short face (end the bangs below the cheekbone); a front cowlick.
  2. 02Butterfly cutLong · best on 1B–2CAdds width at the cheeks, which balances cheekbones in line with the forehead and jaw.When it doesn’t work: Fine low-density hair, 3C+ hair, no heat tools (it needs a blowout).
  3. 03ShagMedium · best on 2A–3BHair falls over the sides of the forehead, which narrows a wide forehead.When it doesn’t work: Very fine low-density hair; a round face if the volume sits at cheek level (move it to the crown); straight 1A–1B hair needs daily styling.
  4. 04Classic pixieShort · best on 1A–2B, 4A–4CKeeps the temples tight, which balances a forehead that is wide next to the jaw.When it doesn’t work: A short neck, a jaw-heavy lower third, prominent ears, a crown cowlick, thick coarse hair (needs debulking); grows out awkwardly.
  5. 05Lob (long bob)Medium · best on 1A–3ANo proportion rule applies here, so it ranks on how many hair types it works for.When it doesn’t work: Few — a dependable middle ground.
  6. 06French bob with bangsShort · best on 1B–2BAdds width at the cheeks, which balances cheekbones in line with the forehead and jaw.When it doesn’t work: Round or short faces, a low forehead, a front cowlick, 3A+ hair, a jaw-heavy face, heavy frames.

Want the list for your hair, not a textbook face? The free analysis adds your texture, density and hairline, and explains every pick.

Rank cuts for me

Checking by hand

Possible, but people tend to overestimate their face’s width and underestimate its length. A photo taken at arm’s length also distorts it, so stand back or use a timer.

  1. 1

    Pull your hair back

    Forehead, hairline and ears visible. Neutral expression, looking straight ahead.

  2. 2

    Measure four lines

    Forehead width, cheekbone width at the widest point, jaw width at the jaw corners, and length from hairline to chin.

  3. 3

    Divide

    Length ÷ cheekbone width, and forehead ÷ jaw. Compare with the ranges in “What defines it” above.

  4. 4

    Look at the jaw corner

    A sharp angle points to square or triangle; a curved one to round, oval or heart.

Heart face shape: questions

Is a widow's peak part of a heart face?
It's often mentioned, but it's a hairline shape, not a face proportion. We read your hairline separately because it changes which cuts work, whatever your face shape.
Which haircuts balance a heart-shaped face?
By convention: cuts with a fringe or side sweep that narrows the forehead, and cuts that add weight at the jaw, like a chin-length bob or medium lengths swept back. The ranked lists on this page show how our engine scores them on proportions.
Heart or inverted triangle?
Same shape, two names. Men's style guides tend to say inverted triangle; women's guides tend to say heart.
How do I know if I have a heart face?
Use the free face shape detector: it measures your proportions in your browser in about 10 seconds, and your photo never leaves your phone. You'll get your shape as a mix with a confidence level, plus three cuts that fit your proportions.

The other six shapes