A hairstyle starts with a cut that works with your hair. Their texture, density, location and volume distribution are as important as the shape of the face. This sheet helps you choose a direction and talk to the hairdresser about it; drying procedures and products are detailed in Hair styling.
Why does hairstyle have so much impact on appearance?
Hair occupies a large area around the face and is one of its main visual frames. Modifying their length, volume or direction can therefore quickly change the perception of proportions. Adding volume on top visually increases the height of the head-face assembly. Cutting the sides sharply reduces the width of the hair and can make the face appear relatively wider or more defined. Bangs reduce the amount of visible forehead, while a fully up or pulled back hairstyle exposes more of the forehead and sideline.
Hairstyle also influences the perception of the jaw, ears, nose and cheekbones by modifying what surrounds them. Natural texture also matters a lot. Human hair exhibits wide variations in diameter, curvature, shape and mechanical behavior; a cut therefore does not behave the same way on fine, straight hair as it does on thick, curly hair.
How to choose a cut that suits your face?
The classifications of “square”, “round”, “oval” or “diamond” face may give a starting point, but they make choosing a hairstyle far too simple. Two men classified in the same category can have very different foreheads, jaws, implantations and proportions. It is more helpful to directly observe what you want to visually change: does the face appear long or short? Wide or narrow? Is the forehead very present? Are the temples wide? Is the jaw narrower than the top of the face? Do the ears stick out a lot when the sides are short?
From there, the cut serves to redistribute volume around the face. If the face appears wide and short, retaining more height on top while reducing side volume can visually elongate it. If the face already appears long and narrow, a very high hairstyle combined with very tight skin fade can accentuate this impression; keeping more width on the sides or wearing the hair further forward can balance the look better.
How can cutting change facial proportions?
The top mainly affects height. An updo, a quiff, some textured styles or curly hair with volume increase the apparent height. Hair worn forward or bangs instead reduce the amount of height added above the face. The sides mainly act on the width. A very short fade removes almost all the volume around the temples and ears. A scissor cut, low taper or longer sides retain more mass around the head. The bangs mainly act on the forehead. It can reduce its visible height, modify the horizontal line which frames the top of the face and hide part of the implantation.
The back and nape of the neck have a greater influence on the overall silhouette of the head. A well-constructed cut should therefore not only be judged from the front: the profile and the three-quarter view also count.
Do we necessarily have to shorten the sides significantly?
No. Very short sides have become common in men's hairstyles, but they don't automatically suit everyone. A fade creates a gradual transition from very short hair to longer hair. The higher this transition starts, the more of the sides are removed. This can give a clean result and highlight more of the top, but also expose the shape of the skull, ears and temples. A taper generally focuses the reduction in length around the sideburns and nape of the neck while retaining more hair on the sides. It therefore allows you to keep more width and a less contrasting result.
A man with a fairly narrow face, very protruding ears or wishing to retain more mass around the face may prefer longer sides. Conversely, short sides can be interesting when a lot of lateral volume makes the head visually too wide.
How to choose according to your hair type?
The best cut generally uses the hair's natural properties rather than having to fight them every morning.
Straight hair: it easily follows a clear direction but can lack volume, especially when it is thin. Textured cuts, bangs, partings or hairstyles with blow-dry volume work well depending on the density.
Wavy hair: waves naturally provide movement and volume. Sufficient length on top usually makes them visible rather than removing them.
Curly hair: Curls create a lot of volume and shrink when hair dries. It is therefore necessary to take into account their actual length once dry. The geometry of the follicle and the fiber directly contributes to the curly shape of the hair.
Fine hair: it is more easily weighed down by sebum and products. Cuts that are too long can sometimes accentuate the lack of density, while shorter length and texture often help separate the strands better.
Thick hair: It allows for more volume but can become difficult to control when excess mass is retained. The hairdresser can work on the lengths and volume distribution rather than simply shortening the whole thing.
How to choose according to its location and density?
The layout must be part of the choice of cut. A hairstyle that requires a very regular frontal line will work less well if it is naturally high, asymmetrical or set back. With marked gulfs, wearing the hair entirely towards the back further exposes the implantation. A textured forward hairstyle, bangs or a less clean parting can on the contrary reduce the contrast between dense areas and less full areas. In case of thinning hair, maintaining a lot of length is not always advantageous. Long, parted strands can make the scalp more visible. A shorter, textured cut often allows for a more visually homogeneous mass.
Shiny products can also accentuate strand separation and scalp visibility. A matte product used in small quantities is generally better when the goal is to give the impression of density. See our articles dedicated to minoxidil and finasteride.
What length to choose?
The length must be chosen according to the desired result, but also the density, type of hair and the time spent on styling. Short hair generally requires less daily work, but requires more frequent trimming to maintain its shape. A few extra millimeters can quickly change the contours of a fade or taper. Mid-length hair allows for more movement, volume and styling possibilities. However, they require more control after washing and their shape depends more on drying. Long hair allows you to strongly frame the face and retain a lot of movement, but its condition becomes more important: the ends have been exposed for longer to friction, heat and the environment. Surface damage accumulates over time on the fiber.
How do you know if a cut will be easy to style?
First look at the direction your hair naturally grows. Some areas face forward, others face sideways, and groynes may dictate a particular direction. A cut that uses this natural movement generally requires less work. A cut that seeks to constantly flip the hair in the opposite direction will require more drying and product. Also look at the reference photos carefully. A hairstyle presented as “natural” may have required a hairdryer, several products and precise preparation. If you don't want to spend ten minutes styling your hair every morning, choose a cut that can perform with less intervention.
The cut must also remain acceptable when it is not perfectly styled. This is particularly useful for sports, hot days, windy days or simply mornings when you have less time.
What should you show the hairdresser?
A photo is generally more accurate than a long description. Ideally, show multiple views of the same cut: front, profile and back. Above all, choose someone with a hair type close to yours. Showing a hairstyle done on very thick, wavy hair when your hair is thin and straight can give a bad idea of the possible result. You can then specify what elements you want to keep: bangs length, amount of volume on the sides, covered or open ears, taper or fade, nape length, and desired amount on top.
If you want to keep a minimum length, give a concrete indication rather than “not too short”. A few centimeters or the position the hair should reach is much more understandable. Finally, indicate how you normally wear your hair. The hairstylist should know whether you are wearing your hair forward, backward, parted or with its natural movement.
How often should you go back to the hairdresser?
It depends on the precision of the cut. Faded skin or very short contours quickly lose their initial appearance, sometimes in two to three weeks. A taper or short cut that is less dependent on precise contours can stay clean longer. An average scissor cut can usually progress for several weeks before losing its structure. Long hairstyles require even fewer appointments when the goal is primarily to maintain shape and ends. When the sides start to gain too much volume, the nape loses its shape, or the top no longer falls properly, a new cut may help.
Moving from cutting to styling
The cut fixes the lengths and the distribution of the mass; styling then allows this material to be placed each morning. Ask the hairdresser to show you how to achieve the result at home, with the tools you have. The Hair styling sheet explains how to work the roots, define the curls and dose the products without weighing down the hair.
