Flattering Hairstyles for Round Faces

Forget the nonsense hair styling product manufacturers try to foist on us. The only way to make sure every day a great hair day is to get the right cut.

That’s right. It’s critical to get a hairstyle that accounts for the health and texture of your hair as well as your face shape.

Yet how many times do we saunter into our hairdresser’s salon, with a page or two we’ve ripped out of a magazine and visions of Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie or Halle Berry dancing in our heads?

Sadly you won’t have to worry about dodging the paparazzi when you leave. Embarrassingly, that new style you were all excited about may you end up having you looking more like Brad or in the case of Gwen her brother Eric of No Doubt fame. Because the cut simply wasn’t right for your face shape.

Naturally being told “It will grow out” by your best friend is of little consolation. And won’t help you figure out what went wrong.

Yet it often comes back to an easily overlooked fact. Your face shape isn’t the same as the person who’s page you eagerly tore out of the magazine. And since it isn’t an epic fail ensued.

Look. There’s nothing wrong with bringing in pictures of hairstyles you like. Yet telling your stylist “I want to look like her” as you hold up the photo isn’t where you want to start.

No, the trick is knowing your face shape and what styles compliment it best. Then determine if the style in the picture will work for you. Because you really need to know which ones will camouflage any facial flaws best. And let’s not kid ourselves, we’ve all got them – no matter what shape our face is in. Round faces especially can be challenging.

Then too it gets worse. (Yes, it can to get worse.) Because a styling faux pax can easily add 5 to 10 pounds to your appearance. Which is why you want to be sure you get it right. Because turning that around the right cut is an easy way to visually shed those same 5 to 10 pounds.

Round Face Defined: Your face is round if it’s about as wide as it is long with added width at the cheeks. Or it could be you have a rounded chin and fuller cheeks.

Hair Dos and Don’ts Round Up

Okay so if your face fits the definition the best hairstyles for round faced girls typically follow these simple hair dos and don’ts:

• Hair-do rely on angled side swept bangs as opposed to blunt, eyebrow grazing ones. The latter tend to make your face appear wider which is the last thing you need.
• Don’t wear your hair pulled back and away from your face. In other words pony tails are out. Unless you leave wispy loose strands to frame your face.
• Hair-do go up or down. Meaning consider styles that add height or length. Or both. Strands that extend below the chin or layers closer to the top of your head lengthen your face. As you know you can use a round brush when blow drying and a volumizing product to produce both height and volume at the crown. Back combing can help give lift up there too.
• Don’t even think about a blunt bob that falls chin length. These draw attention to those fuller cheeks.
• Hair-do keep the sides of your mane close or short. The idea is to avoid unnecessary face- widening weight. In other words the side of your head is the last place you want to see added volume.
• Don’t do tight curls. They’re out. Loose soft curls are a much better choice.
• Hair-do use curls that encircle the crown. Those gracing the cheeks not so much. Loose, fuller curls are okay as they create a slimmer looking face.
• Don’t reach for the light wax to slick back your locks. Classic? Yes. Just not so much for those with round faces.
• Hair-do slenderize with longer styles that use side swept bangs and layers that frame your face.
• Don’t expect a center part to do much for you.

These ideas should help you cope and give your face the balance it needs. Keeping in mind you want to focus on hairstyles that make your face appear to be longer than it is.

Given that let’s quickly look at a

Round Up of Face Slimming Hairstyles

This face shape cries out for balance. Anything that helps your face look longer will help with that. So with those dos and don’ts in mind here’s what hairstyles appropriate for round faces should incorporate.

Layer Up: As was mentioned before layers that start at the jaw line, length that falls below your chin or both should be lifelong friends.

This Works Because: The graduated layers will offset any facial fullness. They also remove bulk and heaviness from the sides of your mane. The layers will also add a level of dimension and depth to your cut.

Bang Away: They are flattering as long as you keep them longish or side-swept. Ask your stylist to cut in wispy or tapered ends.

This Works Because: Pretty much bangs like these will de-emphasize the roundness of your face and draw attention to your eyes rather than your forehead. Besides flirty bangs add mystery and intrigue to your look.

Go Asymmetrical: When it comes to this type of bob, you want the back shorted with the front tapered but extending past your chin.

This Works Because: Hairstyles like this will lengthen and slim.

Anything Poofy: Here the styling trick is adding height. Volumizing products or back combing are two ways to get there.

This Works Because: Simple. You’re elongating things.

Finally let’s pull all this together by seeing some of these tips in action with this two minute video that showcases hairstyle for round faces. Or what you might call the good, the bad, and well, I won’t be ugly, let’s just say the less than flattering.

This quick video offers some simple “beauty voodoo” tips worth remembering. Because as the video asserts, the wrong hairstyle on a round face can add on pounds that aren’t there. (Reinforcing what we pointed out previously.) It gives examples of cuts that help and those that can hurt your appearance.

First it points out that layers with side-swept bangs are not only cute, but actually face slimming. The angles in the cut tend to soften the curves on a round face with next to zero effort on your part.

Blunt bangs are something to avoid because they accentuate the wideness of a round face. So no matter how totally chic you may thing they look, if this is your face shape they may not be so chic for you.

Another cut to avoid is anything that is too short like a short bob. You can see how this length hairstyle only serves to broaden the appearance of your face in an unflattering way. That’s not to say bobs won’t work. They just need to be longer and look best if the ends extend beyond your chin.

Finally if you have thick curly hair you have to beware of both the length of the curls and how tightly you let them form. That’s not to say lush, sexy curls can’t be worn in a way that is totally feminine and pretty. Because the video shows how the right style can make a big difference.

Cuts that take the volume out of the hair on the sides of your head, or styles that do should be high on your list. Plus soft flirty layers around your face, can conceal chubby cheeks and elongate a shorter chin. Result? Your face just has to look slimmer.

Bottom line? The right hairstyles can extend your round face creating the appearance of less width. That’s because the length of your style creates the illusion of a slimmer face. While such styling tricks can’t make your face downright skinny, the right cut can be amazingly slimming and bring out a new, sexier you without doing anything else.