Haircuts for Square Face Shapes

“Graduated layers that graze the cheekbones do a stunning job of adding softness to the face,” says Guido. Even if you let most of your curls air-dry, blowdrying those few, front, layered pieces you’ve cut into hair smooth can transformatively enhance a sense of softness into your facial features.

If opting for bangs, you can always count on a side swept style to add lightness as well. Longer side bangs should ideally hit between the eye and cheekbone to bring the emphasis to your eyes. Since curls lay with thicker volume, the side part need not be as steep as someone with straight or wavy hair texture. Just a little off from center is all you need to make a statement.

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If you have highly textured hair

Super-short, textured hair can make the strong lines of a square face shape look overpowering, so it’s ideal to go with a length that hits at the middle to base of the neck, or even longer. Graduated layers that create weight and volume by stacking shorter strands underneath longer ones as you work your way from the nape of the neck to the crown will bring fullness to the top of the head in a way that balances the strength of the bottom jaw line.

Adding bangs will introduce an element of softness to the face, especially if they’re cut in a slightly side-swept manner that skims the area of the forehead above the eyebrows. The full height and length of the eyebrow arch will then be able to frame the eyes, and open up the cheekbones and lips to the attention they deserve. It’s essential that the bang be cut in a sheer and piecey fashion, or else risk hiding and distracting from the beautiful bone structure of the face.