Triangle Face Shape

What is a triangle face shape?

A triangle face shape, also called pear-shaped, is widest at the jaw and narrows toward a smaller forehead. The jaw is usually strong and angular, and the cheekbones sit between the two widths.

Note that some sites use “triangle” for the opposite shape (wide forehead, narrow chin), which this site calls heart. Here, triangle always means the jaw is the widest part. Styling it is about adding width and volume at the top.

In numbers: jaw ≥ cheekbones · forehead narrowest.

How to tell if you have a triangle face shape

Look for these signs in a mirror or a straight-on photo with your hair pulled back:

• Jaw is as wide as or wider than the cheekbones
• Forehead is the narrowest of the three widths
• The jaw is usually strong and angular

To check with numbers, measure four things with a soft tape measure: forehead width across the widest part near the temples, cheekbone width across the highest points of the cheekbones, jaw width from the corner of the jaw below one ear to the other, and face length from the hairline to the bottom of the chin. Then enter them in the face shape calculator, or let the face shape detector measure them from a photo.

Triangle vs. similar face shapes

• Triangle vs. Square: Square faces have a jaw as wide as the forehead. In a triangle face the jaw is noticeably wider than the forehead.
• Triangle vs. Heart: Heart is the reverse: widest at the forehead, narrowest at the chin.
• Triangle vs. Round: A round face with full lower cheeks can look triangular, but its jaw is curved and its widest line is the cheekbones.

Best haircuts for a triangle face shape

Add width and volume at the top of the head and keep the jaw area light.

Volume at the crown and temples balances a wide jaw: layered cuts with height on top, side-swept bangs, and styles that add width above the ears. Cuts that end at the jaw and add volume there make the lower face look wider.

Hairstyles for women

• Volume at the crown and temples
• Layered cuts with height on top
• Side-swept bangs
• Avoid chin-length cuts that add width at the jaw

Haircuts for men

• Quiff or pompadour with volume on top
• Longer top with fuller sides at the temples

What to avoid

• Volume at jaw level
• Very short, flat tops

Glasses for a triangle face

Top-heavy frames, such as browline and cat-eye, add width at the top of the face. Frames with color or detail along the upper rim draw the eye up. Narrow frames make the forehead look narrower still.

• Top-heavy frames such as browline and cat-eye
• Frames with color or detail on the upper rim

Beard styles and makeup for a triangle face shape

Beard

• Short stubble or a well-trimmed short beard; avoid bulky sides

Contour and blush

• Contour the outer jaw
• Highlight the forehead and temples

Treat all of these as starting points. Hair texture, the features you like most and your personal style matter as much as face shape.

How the detector recognises a triangle face

The face shape detector places 478 landmarks on your face, finds your hairline, and compares the whole outline of your face with thousands of labelled faces. Instead of one verdict, it gives you a percentage for each of the seven shapes. If triangle comes out on top but a second shape is close, read both guides: most faces are a blend, and the advice the two shapes share is the safest bet.