How to Choose the Right Wig for Different Face Shapes

The shape of your face plays a pivotal role in how a wig will look on you. Just like with clothing, certain styles can accentuate your best features, while others might not be as flattering. But fear not, whether you have an oval, round, square, heart, diamond, pear, or oblong-shaped face, there's a wig out there that's perfect for you. This guide will help you understand how to choose the right wig to complement your face shape.

Identify Your Face Shapes

To begin, locate a mirror in a well-lit area where you can see your whole face clearly. Remove any hair from your forehead and cheeks to reveal your face shape. For long hair, a ponytail works best; for shorter styles, a headband or your hand will do the job.

Key Features to Focus on

• Width of Forehead: Place your thumb and forefinger on opposite sides of your forehead at the widest point (usually about halfway between your eyebrows and hairline). Is this area wider than your cheekbones or jawline?
• Width of Cheekbones: For the cheekbones, find the pointiest part just below the outer corner of each eye. Measure mentally if this is the widest part and how it compares to your forehead and jawline.
• Shape of Jawline: Run your fingers along your jawbone towards your chin. Does your jaw have a round softness to it, does it feel flat and square, or does it angle towards a point?
• Face Length: Use an imaginary ruler down the center of your face. Faces longer than they are wide may be oval or oblong, while those as wide as long could be round or square depending on the jawline.

Common Face Shape Categories

• Oval: Face length is greater than the width of the cheekbones, and the forehead is greater in width than the jawline, which is rounded.
• Round: The measurements for the cheekbones and the face length are similar. These are larger than those of the forehead and jawline, which also have similar measurements to each other. The angle of the jaw is softly rounded.
• Square: All measurements are fairly similar, but the angle of the jaw is sharp.
• Heart: The forehead measurement is greater than that of both the cheekbones and the jawline. The chin is pointed.
• Diamond: The face length is the largest measurement. Then, in descending order, come the cheekbones, the forehead, and the smallest is the jawline. The chin is pointed, too.
• Pear: The jawline measures more than the cheekbones, followed by the forehead.
• Oblong (or rectangle): Face length is the largest. The forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are similar in size.

Wigs for Oval Face Shapes

If you're blessed with an oval face, finding a wig is like walking through a park full of blooming possibilities. Your face's well-balanced proportions mean that nearly any style winks back at you beautifully from the wig stand. For an oval face, look for wigs that preserve the natural harmony of your features.

• A bob wig can accentuate your balanced jawline and gently highlight your cheekbones. Long layers, grazing past your shoulders, can add elegance without overpowering your face's effortless symmetry.
• As for bangs, you have the green light. Wispy bangs can soften your look while blunt ones can make a striking fashion statement. These accents should enhance your face shape, not overpower it.

Styles to Avoid: As a rule of thumb, though, be wary of excessive volume on top. While a little height can be ravishing, too much poof can elongate your face, nudging it out of its natural equilibrium.

Wigs for Round Face Shapes

Round faces are as wide as they are long and don't have sharp angles or prominent jawlines, giving off a youthful appearance. The aim when picking wigs for round faces is to add a touch of length to your face, making it appear more oval.

• To create the illusion of a longer face, start by considering wigs that offer volume at the top. A layered wig with a soft pile at the crown can draw the eye upward, effectively elongating your face's shape.
• Asymmetrical styles work wonders in stretching out a round face visually. For example, an angled bob where one side dips slightly longer than the other can draw attention diagonally across the face, making it seem less round.
• Another excellent choice is a wig with a deep side part. It guides the gaze along a non-horizontal path, breaking up the circular symmetry of a round face, and creating more of a stretched-out illusion.
• Also, darker shades tend to slim while high contrast highlights can widen your face visually. Choose softer, more natural colors and tones that don't overpower your natural skin tone.

Styles to Steer Clear of: Short, curly wigs tend to add volume to the sides of your face. On a round face, this extra side volume accentuates the width of your face. Heavy, blunt bangs will shorten the appearance of your face because they cover the forehead, taking away from the overall length.

Wigs for Square Face Shapes

A square face shape is marked by a strong jawline and a broad forehead with roughly the same width.

• The most flattering wigs for a square face will introduce curves that counterbalance your angular features. Soft curls or waves are excellent at this - they flow over the edges of your face, giving it a softer impression.
• Mid-length and longer wigs work particularly well because they draw the eye vertically, subtly lengthening your face and softening the jawline.
• Layered cuts are also a great choice. They create textures that can distract from the uniformity of a square face. Layers tend to add volume on the sides and can help achieve a more oval-looking face shape when styled to flip out or curl around the chin.

Unfavorable Styles for Square Faces: Straight, blunt-cut wigs that end abruptly at the jawline could highlight the squareness rather than downplay it. Similarly, very short, straight styles without much layering might not provide the softening effect you're aiming for. These cuts mirror the straight lines of your jaw, making them more pronounced.

Wigs for Heart-Shaped Faces

People with heart-shaped faces have a distinctive look, it's like an inverted triangle. The goal is to give some oomph to the lower half of your face for a beautifully balanced profile.

• Side-parted styles work wonders as they draw attention across your face diagonally, subtly minimizing the width at the top. Bangs can be a stylish ally, too; a sweeping fringe softens the forehead, bringing harmony between the upper and lower halves of your face.
• Wigs that boast some volume around the jawline are also your friends. They add fullness to the narrower parts of your face, visually stretching and rounding out the chin area. Think of bobs that gently brush just below the jaw or layers that kick out at shoulder length-these shapes can give your face an appealing contour.
• When choosing a wig with layers, aim for those that start at the chin or below. Layers can create movement and texture, guiding the eyes to the lower part of your face and providing a counterbalance to the wider top half.

Styles to Avoid for Heart-Shaped Faces: Top-heavy wigs, particularly those with lots of volume or busy details like large curls at the forehead, can overemphasize the width of the upper face. Also, it's typically best to steer clear of very short, pixie-like cuts that don't offer balance below the ears. These can heighten the contrast between your wide cheekbones and narrow chin.

Wigs for Diamond Face Shapes

With a diamond face shape, your cheeks are the main event. They're the widest point of your face, tapering to a more delicate forehead and chin. To flatter a diamond face, choose wigs that bring some fullness to the forehead and jawline, helping to even out the proportions of your face.

• Bangs can do wonders; fringed or brow-skimming bangs in particular soften the hairline and add volume where you need it most.
• Bobs are especially complementary as they can end right at the chin, adding a bit of width to this narrower area. Look for bobs with soft layers; these can give the illusion of a fuller jaw without hiding your cheekbones' prominence.
• Longer styles with waves or curls starting below the ear can also create balance by drawing the eye downward, elongating your face slightly and filling out the jawline area.

Non-Recommended Styles for Diamond Faces: It's wise to avoid wigs that add bulk at the cheekbones, as they can overemphasize your face's widest point. Tight styles that pull back from the face may also not be flattering, as they tend to spotlight the cheeks and ignore the narrower forehead and chin. Short cuts can be tricky; unless they're designed with added volume at the crown and near the jawline, they might make your cheekbones too prominent.

Wigs for Pear Face Shapes

If your face is wider at the jawline and narrows as it goes up to the forehead, you have what's known as a pear or triangle-shaped face. The objective when selecting a wig is to create a sense of width at your forehead to balance the broader jaw.

• To achieve this balance, look for wigs with volume at the crown. Built-in layers that add body can also create the illusion of a broader forehead.
• Consider wigs that taper out slightly at the temples to add width to the upper part of your face. Also, hairstyles that have some wave or texture from the eyes upwards can effectively draw attention to the center of the face, making the forehead seem wider and more in line with the jaw.

Styles to Eschew for Pear Faces: What you might want to steer clear of are styles that hug the head tightly and have a narrow silhouette. These types of wigs could make the jawline stand out more and look wider by comparison.

Wigs for Oblong Face Shapes

An oblong face shape is longer than it is wide, with a straight cheek line. When you're choosing a wig, your goal will likely be to add the appearance of width to your face, which can help counteract its natural length.

• Short to medium-length wigs can be incredibly flattering on an oblong face. They tend to cut off the length visually, making the face appear fuller and more oval. Side-swept bangs are excellent; they reduce the length of the face while adding style and elegance.
• Waves or soft curls add the perfect amount of volume and width to the sides of the face, enhancing your look by creating a lovely balance.

Not Recommended Styles: Stay away from long, straight styles that will make the face appear even longer.

Boost Your Confidence with the Perfect Wig

Choosing the right wig to suit your face shape can make all the difference in enhancing your natural beauty and boosting your confidence. The best wig is the one that makes you feel like your best self. Take your time, try different styles, and don't be afraid to experiment. The perfect wig is out there waiting for you.

Read More

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• Wig Styles Decoded: Find Your Perfect Match & Rock the Look!
• Wigs for Every Event: Tips to Choose the Ideal Hairpiece