Hairstyles for square faces: soften the jaw (women and men)

What counts as a square face?

A square face has a broad lower face that turns fairly sharply at the jaw, with similar widths at the forehead, cheeks and jaw. Our detector reads it when the length is 1.19–1.28× the cheek width and the jaw is wide for the cheeks, with a sharper jaw angle.

A strong jaw is a feature many people want to keep. The aim is not to hide it but to decide how much angle you want to show. The jawline test measures the jaw's width and angles if you want the details.

The idea: curves, a side part and length that moves

Three effects soften a square outline: soft layers and movement, an off-centre part and length that falls past the jaw. The one to watch is fullness or blunt ends exactly at jaw level, which draw a horizontal line across the widest point of the lower face.

Fringes, crown height and short sides are neutral: they don't change how square the outline reads. Wispy or side-swept fringes soften the forehead's corners; a heavy, blunt fringe adds another straight line.

Women's hairstyles for a square face

Long soft layers are the strongest match: soft movement and length past the jaw together. The long bob and the curtain fringe are good matches. The textured pixie, side-part bob and soft waves are your call: the pixie changes nothing about a square outline, while the bob and the waves each have one effect that helps and one, fullness at the jaw, that doesn't. The bob's bevelled ends keep it from looking blunt.

With a bob, ask for the ends to sit a little below or above the jaw, not exactly on it, and for them to be softened rather than cut blunt.

Men's haircuts for a square face

For men the soft side part is the strongest match, with relaxed curtains a good match: both bring soft movement and an angle across the outline. The textured crop, low quiff, short crew cut and brushed-back hair are your call. A square jaw is often what men want to show, and short sides do exactly that.

If you want a softer look, leave a little length over the ears and on top; if you want a sharper one, a tight fade and a defined part work. Stubble or a short beard kept slightly fuller at the chin softens the jaw's corners.

What to ask your stylist

Name the effect: softer corners, movement around the jaw and no blunt line at jaw level.

• Long soft layers: “Long length with soft, face-framing layers starting below the chin.”
• Long bob (lob): “Collarbone-length bob, ends just below the jaw, kept smooth.”
• Soft side part: “Enough top length to fall to one side with a natural, unshaved part line.”
• Ask for face-framing layers that start at or below the cheekbones.
• Avoid a blunt, one-length cut that ends exactly at the jaw.

Glasses, brows and checking your shape

Panto, oval and round frames soften a strong jaw; sharp square frames repeat it. For brows, a soft, curved arch works better than a sharp angle.

Before you book a cut, check the shape on a clear front photo. Many faces sit between two shapes, and the face shape detector says when yours is close to another one. If it is, take ideas from both.