Which side should I part my hair?
The parting is the easiest thing about your hair to change, and stylists often use it to add an angle or to keep a face balanced. A side parting adds an angle and breaks up length; a centre parting is symmetrical and works best when the face is balanced already. That is a convention, not a rule, so try a few and see.
Pick your face shape above and the parting, what to pair it with and what to try sparingly appear. Nothing you choose is saved or sent.
How do I know my face shape?
If you are not sure, measure. Our face shape calculator takes four tape-measure numbers and names your closest shape in about three minutes. Judging by eye is unreliable: a study of 313 school children found that classifying face type by observation agreed only poorly with classifying it from measurements.
Once you have a shape, the calculator links straight here with it filled in.
Partings for each face shape
- Oval. Parting to try: a centre or a side parting both work. Pair it with: any cut you like. Try sparingly: nothing in particular.
- Round. Parting to try: a side or deep side parting, which adds an angle. Pair it with: height at the crown. Try sparingly: a flat centre parting with volume at the sides.
- Square. Parting to try: a side parting, which softens the jaw line. Pair it with: soft waves around the face. Try sparingly: a sharp, very straight centre parting.
- Oblong. Parting to try: a side parting, which breaks up the length. Pair it with: volume at the sides. Try sparingly: a flat centre parting with no volume at the sides.
- Heart. Parting to try: a side parting, or a centre parting with a fringe. Pair it with: fullness around the chin. Try sparingly: a high, volumised crown with a deep parting.
- Diamond. Parting to try: a centre or side parting, with hair tucked behind one ear. Pair it with: fullness at the forehead or chin. Try sparingly: volume at the cheekbones on either side of the parting.
Finding your natural parting
Your hair may already have a preference. To find it:
- Wash and towel-blot your hair, then comb it straight back from your forehead.
- Push it forward gently from the crown with your palm.
- Watch where it splits. That is usually your natural parting, often where a cowlick or the swirl at your crown sends the hair.
A parting that goes with your natural growth sits flatter and stays put. One that goes against it lifts at the root, which can be useful if you want volume, and annoying if you do not.
Switching sides
Hair that has been parted the same way for years often stands up when you move it. Part it the new way while it is wet, let it dry in place, and give it a few days. Switching sides can also add lift at the roots for a day or two, which is a quick trick if your hair looks flat.
If you see more scalp along your parting than you used to, look again in a month. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that a widening part can be an early sign of female pattern hair loss, which is worth a dermatologist’s look.
Why these are conventions and not rules
We do not know of a study showing that a particular parting “suits” a face shape. The pairings here come from common styling advice about balance, and a cowlick or a natural parting may decide for you. That is fine.
Take it further in the HairLens app
The HairLens app matches a routine and products to your hair type and what it reads from your photos, including the products you already own.