Each face shape demands a specific type of fringe that flatters it most. The fringe either hides features or accentuates them, depending on your client’s facial features. Dana Lyseng,Wella education creative director, says she always wants the hairstyle to complement her client’s eyes and cheekbones, and fringe is a perfect frame for these features.

“I believe the right fringe or bangs on each face shape is essential to a happy client,” Lyseng says. “The fringe is what I call the sweet spot of a cut and should demand a lot of attention from the stylist and have time taken properly to get it right. The wrong fringe can make or break a great cut!”

As for the type of fringe each face shape calls for, they all vary. “Generally speaking, pear, square and round faces need asymmetry, while long or heart-shaped faces need visual width, or more symmetrical bangs with softer edges,” says Ruth Roche, Pureologyartistic ambassador. “Oval faces can wear anything!”

Although fringe only makes up 10 to 15 percent of the overall look, it frequently draws the most attention and requires the most styling time for a client, Lyseng says.

“I believe the right fringe or bangs on each face shape is essential to a happy client .” Dana Lyseng

Beauty Experts Weigh in on how they frame the features of the most common face shapes. These tips will help you create the best fringe shape on your own clients: 

ROUND
Chrystofer Benson, Matrix artistic director: The key is to provide balance. Keep the sides leaner and style the hair a bit higher at the top and front. An off-center part or some waves at eye level will help minimize roundness. Don’t decide on a short, blunt fringe; it will only emphasize a round face. A long, wispy fringe will look great and suit _ ne hair. If the hair is thicker, a longer fringe that can sweep to the side will lengthen the face.

LONG
Ruth Roche: For a longer face, a horizontal, blunt bang is nice as it can shorten the face visually.
Benson: A long face shape should have a style that has some layers. Disguise a long forehead with a thick, blunt-cut fringe—it will be surprising how feminine the look becomes. Brow-skimming bangs are also a great option. Steer clear of a fringe if your client has a narrow forehead; it will just emphasize the length of the rest of the face. Soft, wispy bangs will shorten the appearance of the length.

OVAL
Benson: This shape can pull off almost any look—short or long, straight or wavy. But for the most flattering look, consider the best feature and highlight it with the haircut. That said, attention should be paid to other prominent features such as the nose, and position of the eyes and ears. If they have thick hair, they could go for a sexy, short fringe or one that is long and blunt.
Dana Lyseng: I feel that this face shape can get away with the most styles. I love fringe to be slightly longer than brow length on this shape so the client can wear a strong, straight-across fringe, a slightly centered part or even sweep them to the side. This face shape can handle strong lines and a dramatic finish.

SQUARE
Ruth Roche: On a perfectly round or square face shape, a side-swept bang is best. A straight bang can cut the face in half, emphasizing the shape even more.
Lyseng: For square face shapes, I want to make sure not to make the fringe too square so we don’t frame the face in too tight. I love the square shape to have longer, softer, textured fringe so you can see some skin through it. Fringe can be sexy and a way to create softness on a face shape with a strong jaw line. I also like the edges of the fringe to be a bit longer than the center to create softness.

HEART
Benson: The pointy chin tends to be the focal point of the face; draw attention to the eyes and cheekbones instead with side-swept bangs, brow-grazing fringe, a strong part and hair that falls at or below the jaw line. For clients with short hair, keep top layers soft and long. For those with longer styles, go for long layers that graze the cheekbones. A shorter, wispy fringe is low-key but will look gorgeous, especially if the hair is quite thick. A blunt fringe is really dramatic and will work well on all hair types.
Roche: For a heart-shaped face, choose a wide and softly textured fringe that opens up the eye area to balance out the shape.