Hairstyles for diamond faces: fill in both ends

What “diamond” means in proportions

In a diamond-shaped face the cheekbones are the widest part, and the face narrows both above them, toward the temples and forehead, and below them, toward the jaw and a fairly pointed chin. Length is usually greater than width. It differs from a heart shape, where the forehead is widest, and from an oval, where the forehead is only slightly narrower than the cheekbones and the jaw tapers gently. Diamond often overlaps with both, so check which line is widest before using this page; the proportions guide shows how.

That gives diamond a styling map unlike the others: add width at the forehead and at the jaw, and keep it off cheekbone height. A long face usually wants fullness all along the sides and a heart-shaped face wants weight at the bottom; a diamond face usually wants both ends filled in.

Where to add width and where to keep it close

Cuts for women that tend to work

• Chin-length bob with fullness at the ends. Ending at the jaw adds width where the face narrows below the cheekbones.
• Side-swept fringe with layers. The fringe widens how the forehead reads, and layers that begin below the cheekbones add movement lower down.
• Deep side part with volume at the front. Lift on one side of the forehead adds width above the cheekbones without needing a fringe.
• Long hair with waves from the jaw down. Keeping the hair smooth through the cheekbones and letting waves start at the jaw follows the zone map.

Cuts for men that tend to work

• Textured fringe or crop brushed forward. It fills in the forehead and temples, the narrower top of the face.
• Some length kept at the temples. A high skin fade tends to hollow the temples so the cheekbones read even wider; a scissor cut or a low taper keeps width up there.
• Side part with volume at the front. A loose lift at the front adds width at the top without tall height.
• Longer hair that reaches the jaw. Length at jaw level adds width below the cheekbones.

Fringes, brows and beards for a diamond face

Fringe. A fringe is the main tool for the forehead. Side-swept and textured fringes add width at the top. Curtain bangs that end right at the cheekbones can add width exactly at the widest line, so longer or angled versions that fall past the cheekbones usually work better here than they do on a long face.

Brows. A soft, curved arch tends to soften the angular line through the cheekbones, and a tail that extends slightly outward adds width across the narrower forehead. A sharp, high peak tends to repeat the angles.

Beard. A beard does at the jaw what a fringe does at the forehead. A boxed or full beard kept fuller along the jaw and chin adds width below the cheekbones, while a low, natural cheek line avoids adding to the cheekbone width.

Boxed beard

What to be careful with

• Tightly slicked-back styles, which show the narrow forehead and leave the cheekbones as the only width.
• High skin fades and very tight sides at the temples.
• Volume at cheekbone height, such as curls or a bob that ends at the cheekbones.
• Hair that clings flat at the temples and then puffs out at the cheeks.
• A narrow, pointed beard or goatee alone, which extends the point of the chin.

Preview before you cut

Diamond advice depends on getting the widest line right, so it helps to see a cut on your own face before committing. Try On will render hairstyles on your own front photo once renders are switched on, labeled as AI renderings; a rendering shows a look, not a promise of the result, and it never feeds a score.

To compare your forehead, cheekbone and jaw widths, the free face shape tool measures three proportions from one front photo in your browser; the photo isn’t uploaded.

Common questions