Determine Face Shape & Flattering Wig Styles
Anne by Jon Renau.
Wigs and hairpieces should compliment the shape of your face. If your not sure about which wig style will be most flattering on you, use the following suggestions as a guide to find a wig that works with your face shape. At ElegantWigs.com, we discuss seven different face shapes, diamond, heart, oblong, oval, pear, round, and square, and what wig styles are most appropriate for those face shapes.
To determine your face shape, look into a mirror and pull your hair back. Compare your face shape to our illustrations.
Diamond
The Diamond shaped face has wider cheekbones with a narrow chin and forehead. A diamond-shaped face allows for lots of hairstyle options. Diamond shaped faces need a wig styled with fullness or width in the forehead hairline and the lower cheekbones of the face near the chin. Hair should be styled close to the head at the upper cheekbones where the face is broadest. Bands or a layered fringe will disguise a narrower forehead. The fullness at the jawbone with a style such as a bob or a shoulder length cut with jaunty layering to add some movement will give the illusion of a more oval shaped face. Wig styles that tuck in behind the ears also will work well, in addition to showing off your wonderful cheek bone structure.
Heart
The Heart shaped face has a large and wider forehead, high cheek bones, with sometimes a widow's peak hairline, and a narrow v-shaped chin. To soften the forehead width, look for a wig that allows you to bring some hair across it. Keep the hairstyle closer to the head near the eyes and fuller around the jaw, as well as below and in front of the earlobes where additional width is desired. A chin length bob is great for this type of face shape as it makes the jaw area appear wider and more balanced with the rest of your face. Longer, layered hairstyles also work well.
Oblong
The Oblong shaped face has an elongated rectangular shape featuring a long straight cheekline. The wig style you choose should add width to help minimize the vertical length of your face. Look for wig styles that are short to medium in length with longer top layers such as wedges and graduated bob cuts. Chin and shoulder length looks that turn under or flutter out also work very well to add width. Straight across bangs, feathered bangs, or half bangs with side parts soften the forehead. Layered styles in medium and longer lengths with wavy and curly textures will flatter the face and neck while obscuring the straight long lines of an oblong face.
Oval
The Oval shaped face has no one area the is more dominant than another. An oval face is well proportioned, with the length of the face longer than the width. The oval face allows for the most versatility in wig choices. Most wig styles whether short or long, straight or wavy are suitable. Therefore, consider your best features such as eyes, checks, or mouth and then accentuate them with your wig style.
Pear
The Pear shaped face features a distinctly narrow forehead. The cheekbones and jaw line essentially broaden to showcase a wider look, while the chin adopts a rounded shape. With a pear shaped face it is best to look for wigs that will add volume above the jaw line. Layers create fullness on the upper half of the face. Don't be afraid to show your forehead which draws attention upward and away from a full jaw line. If you have bangs, angle them slightly and tuck them behind the ears to frame the jaw line and draw attention upward. Hair on the sides of your head and at the nape are best set and combed in a pattern close to the head since any style too voluminous will add weight to the bottom of the face.
Round
The Round shaped face has a round chin and hairline with the widest part of the face through the cheekbones. Wig styles with a fullness and width at the crown, but not at the ears, are a good choice. Off center parts help reduce the roundness. Wigs with short hair styles with a swept-back direction or with hair styles that are longer than chin length should be considered. Wigs which have layering at the top to achieve fullness while keeping the rest of the cut relatively close to the face, will help make your round face shape appear longer and narrower.
Square
The Square shaped face usually has a strong square jawline with an equally square hairline. Look for wig styles that add width to the top and narrowness at the sides. width at the crown will elongate the symmetrical square shape. Short-to-medium length wigs, especially with waves or roundness around the face or wispy bangs to soften the angular shape are also good wig choices. Off-center parts with width at the crown look great on square shaped faces. Wearing a wig with layers and wispy looks around the face is another way to soften the shape of your face.
Curve Appeal by JRaquel Welch is an ultra-feminine silhouette with long, softly waved layers in the front and sides that graduate into longer layers which fall to the mid-back.
More Raquel Welch styles can be found on our Raquel Welch wigs page.
