Hairstyles for a diamond face

The rule

A diamond face widens from a narrow hairline to the cheekbones and tapers again to a pointed chin. Hair balances it by doing two things: adding width or softness at the forehead, and adding weight at the level of the jaw and chin.

The rule is softness at the forehead, weight at the jaw, nothing extra at the cheekbones.

Side-swept fringes

If there is one adjustment for a diamond face, it is a fringe swept to one side. It covers part of a narrow forehead, adds a diagonal across the hairline, and makes the top of the face read wider than it measures.

A long, side-swept fringe that ends at the cheekbone or just below it is the classic version. A curtain fringe that parts in the centre and sweeps outward does the same job on both sides.

Long hair

Long hair suits a diamond face when it has layers or waves that start at the jaw and continue down. That keeps the volume below the cheekbones and lets the ends sit around the chin, where the face is narrowest.

Long, straight hair with a centre part and no fringe frames the cheekbones and leaves the forehead bare, which emphasises the diamond. A side part and a fringe fix that without changing the length.

Medium length

A collarbone-length cut with layers starting at the chin adds width at the jaw and keeps the cheekbones framed rather than exposed. Tucking one side behind the ear shows the jawline and breaks up the width at the cheekbones.

Keep the shortest layers from ending at the cheekbones, where they add width the face already has.

Short hair

Short cuts work on a diamond face when they keep a fringe and a little weight at the sides. A pixie with a long side-swept front covers the narrow forehead and leaves the cheekbones framed. A chin-length bob does the same with the ends adding width at the jaw.

A very short crop with tight sides and no fringe exposes the forehead and the cheekbones together, which is the least flattering combination for this shape.

Bangs and fringes

Fringes widen the narrow top of a diamond face.

• Side-swept fringe: the most flattering. It covers one side of the forehead and adds width at the hairline.
• Curtain fringe: parts in the centre and sweeps outward, framing the cheekbones and widening the hairline on both sides.
• Soft full fringe: works if it is cut a little wider than the forehead and kept light, so it adds width rather than a solid block.

A blunt fringe cut narrower than the forehead draws a short horizontal line at the top of the face and makes the hairline look narrower, so keep a full fringe soft and wide.

Men's hairstyles for a diamond face

For men the aim is to add width at the forehead and temples and to leave some length at the sides and back, so the cheekbones are not the widest thing on the head.

A textured fringe brought forward, a side part with moderate length, a soft quiff that widens at the front, or a classic taper with the sides left a little full all suit a diamond face.

Styles to avoid: a high skin fade that hugs the cheekbones, slicked-back styles that bare a narrow forehead, and very short crops with no length at the front. The men's haircut page covers fades, fringes and beard pairings in detail.

Hair texture

Waves and curls suit a diamond face when they sit at the jaw and below, adding width where the chin is narrow. Keep them from being cropped short at the cheekbones. Fine straight hair needs a fringe and jaw-level layers to add weight at both ends.

What to avoid on a diamond face

• Volume at the cheekbones.
• Slicked-back styles that expose a narrow forehead.
• Very short cuts with tight sides and no fringe.
• Long, flat, centre-parted hair without layers.
• Blunt fringes cut narrower than the forehead.

Check your proportions

The face shape test reports the forehead-to-cheekbone and jaw-to-cheekbone ratios. The lower both are, the more the cheekbones lead, and the more a side-swept fringe and chin-length layers will do for the balance of the face.