Choosing a Haircut for Heart Shaped Face: Length and Texture

I’ve been asked quite a few times about haircuts for heart-shaped faces. I’m always happy to help, but the problem is that there’s no one single “best” haircut for a heart-shaped face. That’s not really true at all, though.

Heart-shaped faces are generally described as having a wider forehead, prominent cheekbones, and a narrower, tapered chin. But that doesn’t mean that there’s only one way to style this shape. It just means that you’ll need to make choices based on your preferences when it comes to length, texture, density, and willingness to style.

So let me start by breaking down some of my favorite silhouettes for heart-shaped faces, starting with short cuts, then moving to medium-length, and finally long.

Short Cuts

For a heart-shaped face, short cuts are usually best if you want to emphasize your cheekbones. Shorter styles also allow for more dramatic styling options since you can choose to put your hair up or off your face as needed.

Piecey Pixie

The piecey pixie is a great option because it allows for dramatic cheekbone emphasis while still softening the forehead with a hint of fringe.

French Bob

If you don’t like fringes, then the French bob is a great alternative. The cut starts at or just above the jawline, and provides added visual width at that level to balance out the narrower chin.

Middle-Length Cuts

Middle-length cuts are a great option for those who prefer their hair to be a little longer than a bob. This length gives you the versatility of being able to put your hair up or off your face, but also keeps things manageable for day-to-day styling.

Layered Lob

The layered lob is a great choice because it gives you the opportunity to frame your face with layers while keeping enough length to put your hair up or off your face as needed. The placement of the movement in this cut will determine whether you end up with fullness around your jaw, or if you have more volume below your cheekbones.

Wavy Lob

This cut is perfect if you want to use your natural texture to create movement. Wavy hair will add volume and soften the angular features of a heart-shaped face.

Long Cuts

Long hair can work very well on a heart-shaped face. However, you’ll want to be careful about where your layers and waves draw attention. For example, long loose waves will give an appearance of fullness around your jaw, which will nicely balance out a narrower chin.

Thick hair may find that they’re better off with invisible face-framing layers that remove bulk from the top of the head so that the weight is distributed more evenly.

Butterfly Cut

This cut is perfect for those who love cascading layers. The butterfly cut starts with soft layers beginning around the cheekbones, which allows for dramatic cheekbone emphasis while keeping your bangs at eye level.

Long Layers with Bouncy Curls

If you love curly hair, then bouncy curls are especially suited to your face shape. These curls will add fullness to the lower part of your face, creating soft movement.

Long layers with bouncy curls are especially suited to naturally curly hair. Straight or wavy strands can be styled into bouncy curls using additional styling.

Refining the Shortlist

Now that we’ve narrowed our list down to our preferred silhouette, we need to consider texture and density. If you have naturally wavy hair, then you might find that shorter styles are easier to manage, and you won’t have to spend much time trying to get your waves to fall into place.

Fine hair should avoid heavy layering since too many layers will weigh it down. Instead, opt for lightweight layering through the mid-lengths and ends, and then air-dry.

Thicker hair may require more precise cutting and shaping to avoid unwanted bulk, and to maintain definition and movement. Feathered layers are an option for finer hair, but can be tailored to thicker strands, too. If your hair is wavy, a choppy bob can be relatively easy to style. For a curly bob, choose a stylist experienced in curly cuts who can shape it around your natural curl pattern.

Fringe Options

You’ll also need to consider how you want your fringe to look. A center part with curtain bangs is a great option for anyone who wants to keep their forehead exposed.

Side-swept bangs are also a great option, especially if you want to offset the emphasis on your forehead. Side-swept bangs blend into your layers, lobs, or long hair easily.

If you’re considering a side-swept fringe, keep in mind that this option is especially suited to thicker hair. Thin strands can sometimes look stringy without suitable styling.

Blunt bangs are another option if you’d rather have a straight line across your forehead. The placement of these bangs right at the brow line actually takes the emphasis away from your forehead. And feathering them out slightly at the ends makes them appear even lighter and less forehead-focused.

Personal Preference

Ultimately, I think that most people would agree that a sleek finish is perfectly fine on a heart-shaped face. You can achieve this look simply by adding texture or waves, or by adding some subtle face-framing layers to soften the angularity of the shape.

Of course, if you prefer your hair to be left completely untouched, then I think that’s perfectly fine, too. There’s nothing wrong with leaving your forehead fully exposed, and I think that the key is finding the right balance.

In any case, I think that the biggest thing to remember is that you don’t need to make huge changes to your hairstyle to achieve a different distribution of volume. Small adjustments can lead to big differences. If you’re choosing the layered lob, ask for a collarbone cut with face-framing layers, and explain where you want the fullness. If you have curls, have that consultation before shampooing so your stylist can see their shape and what they need. Ask how to recreate the curl pattern, shape, and finish at home, too.

And finally, I’d like to remind everyone that I’m here to help you narrow down your options. So please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!