Face shapes

Triangle face: how to recognize it and which haircut to choose

A triangle face, also called a pear-shaped face, is wider at the bottom than at the top: a broad jaw and a narrower forehead. It is the opposite of the heart-shaped face. To balance it, add volume on top and avoid adding any at the jaw. 💇

Updated November 7, 2026 · By Julien Rayes · Version française

How to tell if your face is triangle

• Your jaw is the widest part of your face.
• Your forehead is clearly narrower than your jaw.
• Your cheeks may look fuller toward the lower face.
• Don't confuse it with a heart-shaped face, which is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

The best haircut for a triangle face (women)

• Volume on top and at the temples: short layers on top, lifted roots.
• Bangs, light and straight or curtain, that visually widen the forehead.
• Lengths that fall below the jaw, with feathered ends.
• Avoid a short bob that stops right at the jaw, and volume at cheek level. ✂️

The best haircut for a triangle face (men)

Add volume and texture on top, and keep the sides a little longer at the top than at the bottom to widen the top of the head. A short, neat beard with no volume along the sides of the jaw keeps the lower face from looking even wider. 🧔

Glasses and makeup

Frames with emphasis on top (browline, butterfly, thick upper rims) widen the top of the face. Narrow, low frames do the opposite. For makeup, light contouring under the jaw and highlighter on the forehead restore balance.

Face fat matters too

A face can look triangle because of fat in the lower cheeks more than because of bone. When body fat drops, the jaw shows and the shape often changes. The GlowUpTogether scan measures your widths and jaw angle, and tells you what matters most for you: the haircut or body fat.

What our measurements show

Among 78 adult faces, the jaw is 5 points or more wider than the temples in 37 of them (as a percentage of cheekbone width). A base slightly wider than the top is therefore common.

A true triangle face needs a large gap and a jaw that dominates the cheekbones, which is rare.

Measured on November 3, 2026 by the GlowUpTogether engine on 78 compliant front-facing photos (out of 102) from the Face Research Lab London Set (DeBruine and Jones, CC BY 4.0 license): 34 women and 44 men, median age 25. Method and limits (in French).

Frequently asked questions

What haircut suits a triangle face on a woman?

A cut with volume on top and bangs, and lengths that go past the jaw: a mid-length layered cut or a long feathered bob.

Triangle or square face: how can you tell?

A square face has a forehead and jaw of similar width. A triangle face has a forehead clearly narrower than the jaw.

What glasses suit a triangle face?

Frames with more emphasis on top than on the bottom, like browline or butterfly styles, which widen the forehead.