The trademark of a square face shape is a prominent jaw line, which gives you a strong feature with which to contrast your haircut. The equal width that runs like a straight line down from the sides of your forehead and cheeks to the jaw means your hair will hang with more fullness around the face.
“No matter how you cut a square face shape, you want to focus on a softer feel. It’ll take away from you if you do anything too blunt or harsh,” says Guido, YouBeauty Hair Advisor. A sure bet for square shapes is a side swept bang, which enhances the chiseled bone structure of your face with a gentle yet alluring swoop.
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If you have straight or wavy hair
Since your hair strands fall right against the face, be sure not to end your length with one harsh angle right on the jaw, or else risk overwhelming your features. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear a classic bob shape; adjust by cutting shorter layers in the back that lengthen as they come to the front, so that the hair on either side of your face hangs in a lower graduated bob.
The most flattering length for a square face shape flows down toward the base of your neck, or longer, to enhance the strong outline of your face with the power of length. Round layers cut in a circular pattern around the top portion of your head will add softness and elevation to the crown, which is a great way to transition seamlessly into the fullness at the bottom of the face.
You can still successfully go super short, just as long as you create texture that builds natural volume on top your head. If going down the chopped path, a pixie cut with lots of swirled layers that caress the face at multiple points will give your hair enough substance to balance out the strong bottom line of your jaw.
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If you have curly hair
Curly hair naturally adds width to the face, so it’s best for square face shapes to keep the bulk away from the jaw line. Instead, go with a mid-length that falls below the chin, and cut in lots of rounded layers that touch the top portion of your face to create a sense of delicacy.
“Graduated layers that graze the cheekbones do a stunning job of adding softness to the face,” says Guido. Even if you let most of your curls air-dry, blowdrying those few, front, layered pieces you’ve cut into hair smooth can transformatively enhance a sense of softness into your facial features.
If opting for bangs, you can always count on a side swept style to add lightness as well. Longer side bangs should ideally hit between the eye and cheekbone to bring the emphasis to your eyes. Since curls lay with thicker volume, the side part need not be as steep as someone with straight or wavy hair texture. Just a little off from center is all you need to make a statement.
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If you have highly textured hair
Super-short, textured hair can make the strong lines of a square face shape look overpowering, so it’s ideal to go with a length that hits at the middle to base of the neck, or even longer. Graduated layers that create weight and volume by stacking shorter strands underneath longer ones as you work your way from the nape of the neck to the crown will bring fullness to the top of the head in a way that balances the strength of the bottom jaw line.
Adding bangs will introduce an element of softness to the face, especially if they’re cut in a slightly side-swept manner that skims the area of the forehead above the eyebrows. The full height and length of the eyebrow arch will then be able to frame the eyes, and open up the cheekbones and lips to the attention they deserve. It’s essential that the bang be cut in a sheer and piecey fashion, or else risk hiding and distracting from the beautiful bone structure of the face.
