Jerrold D. Bass had a client show up in his chair the other day with a hairstyle magazine in hand, asking for the cut featured on the front page. He saw the disappointment when he said that she did not have the right shaped face to wear that style. Fortunately for that client, Jerrold D. Bass isn’t afraid to be honest. Luckily, he didn’t give her the cut she wanted, sending her on her way looking nothing like the model wearing the cut in the magazine.
Most of us can remember a salon experience that went bad. Some stylists try hard, but just don’t have the experience and the eye of Jerrold D. Bass to determine when a popular hairstyle will not complement a client’s facial structure and build.
When choosing the right hairstyle for a client, stylists must take several important factors into account. For example, short cuts do not usually complement a person with a large frame, nor do “big” hairstyles look good on a person with a small frame. Stylists need to assess a client’s face shape when choosing the best look, according to Jerrold D. Bass. He points out that there are five basic face shapes: oval, heart, round, square and triangular.
All of these shapes can be beautiful, Jerrold D. Bass adds, but only one is generally considered to be the “perfect” shape, and that is oval. An oval face possesses a near-perfect symmetry of facial features that include the distance from the hairline, between the eyes, to the bridge of the nose, and then from the bridge of the nose to the lips, and from the lips to the bottom of the chin. An oval face shape is the only one that is complimented by nearly every hairstyle. Jerrold D. Bass says that the trick to choosing the right cut or style is to find one that will make the face seem more oval.
A heart shaped face is broader through the forehead and tapers to a point at the chin. To make a heart shaped face appear more oval, Jerrold D. Bass suggests a style that will keep most of the weight of the hair at chin level. The goal is to minimize the forehead and to bring prominence to the chin.
Round faces have wide cheekbones and are usually smaller through the forehead and chin. To minimize the cheekbones, Jerrold D. Bass usually recommends a style with height in the bang and sides cut toward the face.
Square faces have a bold forehead and an angular jaw line. For these clients, Jerrold D. Bass prefers a style with soft edges and a great deal of texture directed toward the face. He knows that a layered cut a bit longer than jaw length will draw attention away from the jaw. A straight, sleek style will accent the angular lines of the face, and thus it should be avoided.
Triangular shaped faces are angular at the jaw line, but narrow through the forehead. Jerrold D. Bass says that they look good in styles that work for square faces, with one exception. He recommends more height and fullness throughout the crown and bang areas in order to make this section of the face appear larger.
Now that you are armed with this helpful advice from Jerrold D. Bass, take this knowledge with you on your next salon visit. Then, when you look through the hairstyle magazines, you will successfully zero in on the perfect cut!
