Hairstyles for round face shapes: The best cuts and styles for women

Hot hair for round faces

Many women have round faces -- and, as the celebs below show, that doesn't mean they're fat! If you're one of those girls, what are the best hairstyles for you? Get some tips -- featuring advice from hair expert Karen Shelton of HairBoutique.com -- here!

 

Best cuts and styles for women with round faces

Is your face really round?

Before we even discuss some great styles for round face shapes, you need to know how to determine the shape of your face.

Here is one way to figure out your face shape:

To find out the shape of your face, measure it with a tape measure or ruler. Take (and write down) the following:

• Measure your face across the top of your cheekbones, then measure across your jaw line, between the widest points.
• Measure across your forehead at the widest point. Generally the widest point will be somewhere about halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline.
• Measure from the the widest point of your forehead to the bottom of your chin. (Remember that you are measuring your face -- not your entire head -- and mid-forehead to chin will usually cover that area. )

There are lots of other ways women have used to figure out this shape -- from outlining the face on a mirror with lipstick to draping it with a towel and asking others to help figure out the structure.

You can try any of these tips or use the steps outlined above. Whatever your method, do remember that this is more about art than science! (And the fact that nobody really has a round-as-a-basketball head.)

But whether your face is considered round in the beauty and style realm -- or maybe is more oval or oblong -- you still have the same goal: to find the most flattering hairstyle possible.

Round face dimensions

If you have a round face, your face will be about as wide as it is long. This may vary a little where your face is not quite as wide as it is long, but usually pretty close.

If you have a round face, you will have fullness at and below your cheekbones. People with round faces also tend to have wide hairlines, less-pronounced chins, and their necks often seem short.

Below are the most common face shapes besides round. Most people will fit into one of the major categories, which also include:

• Oval Face - Length equal to one and a half times width.
• Long - Longer than it is wide.
• Heart - Narrow at jawline, wide at forehead and cheekbones.
• Square - Forehead, jawline and cheekbones are almost equal in width.
• Diamond - Wide cheeks, narrow forehead and jaw line.

Hairstyles for round faces

There really is no one "perfect" hairstyle for a round-shaped face, as many things factor into the total equation. For example, the length of your hair, its texture and weight, your age and lifestyle requirements all play a part in what is ultimately the best.

There are good general guidelines that you can follow, but the best solution is to find a style that works best for you and all your beauty needs.

If your face is round, the best hairstyles generally include:

1. Layered bangs rather than straight or heavy bangs.
2. Short styles which give height.
3. Styles that add length.
4. Styles that keep the sides of your hair short or close to the face.
5. Curls around the crown -- but never near the cheeks -- to create height. Keep the sides of your hair short with a curly style.
6. Longer to very long styles, with bangs and a graduated shag or layers so that the face and the neck are given a slenderizing shape.

Up next: Get the best style for your round face shape! >>

Photo credit: PNP/WENN.com, Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com, Nikki Nelson/ WENN