Face shapes generally matter more for women, but men can also use face shapes to help decide what hairstyle, beard, and eyebrows work best for them.
Oval and square face shapes are often the most attractive face shapes on a guy. An oval face shape with a slightly rounded or square jaw with no strange features can make a guy look very attractive. However, nearly any face shape can look great on men, depending on their other features.
Consider one of our custom facial reports if you’re interested in finding out what your face shape is, as well as styling tips and procedures to help make your face appear more attractive.
The Most Attractive Face Shapes for Guys
Keep in mind that these are mostly generalizations. Everyone has different preferences for what they find attractive, but these face shapes are often the most attractive ones for guys.
The Oval Face Shape
Typically, the oval face shape is a great face shape for guys. It often has symmetrical features, which most people will find pleasant in faces.
Depending on your ethnicity, the oval face shape is the average face shape for most people. Studies show that average faces are usually more symmetric, like the oval face shape (given that there are no unusual features), which are also more attractive (Little et al., 2011).
The oval face shape is also easy to style. Most people with oval face shapes can try any hairstyle, eyebrows, beards, etc. that they want. However, it is essential to take your other features like your forehead, nose, etc. into account.
The Square Face Shape
The square face shape can look very attractive on guys. Studies suggest that wider faces often correlate to dominance, which can be an attractive trait for other people (Lefevre et al., 2014).
The link between the two is unclear. Researchers assume that stronger, larger cheekbones (like the ones in square face shapes) can withstand punches better than other face shapes.
Additionally, square face shapes often have strong jawlines, which also are a sign of dominance. Most women prefer men with strong jawlines because it gives the impression that they have good genes for reproduction.
There is no evidence that men with stronger jawlines have good genes to reproduce. However, women will often prefer a sharper jawline on men because it is a typically masculine trait.
Moreover, symmetry is also very crucial for square face shapes. If the jaw is huge and too square, it can look odd and distracting.
An excellent example of a symmetrical, square face is Henry Cavill. His jawline is not too large, but it is sharp and well-defined. Additionally, his other features are considered masculine traits for men, like thin lips and a straight nose.
A Mix of Face Shapes
It is very common for people to have a mixture of two face shapes. In reality, there’s no such thing as face shapes. They’re just constructs created to help barbers and beauticians figure out the best styles for their clients. Most people are going to have a mix of features.
For men, an oval face shape with a slightly square jaw is often very attractive. It especially looks great when they also have a slim and straight nose, straight eyebrows, average lips, brown hair, medium-thick eyebrows, and blue eyes. An excellent example of this is David Gandy.
What Determines My Face Shape?
A primary factor that determines your face shape is your genetics. If your parents both have square faces, then you will probably have a square face shape.
However, your environment has a significant influence on your facial shape, too. Surgery, infections, diet, childhood habits, and posture can all affect your face shape.
For example, mouth breathers often have a poor tongue, back, neck, etc. posture. The improper posture and breathing often cause a long face, weak chin, soft or nonexistent jawline, etc.
Are There Ways I Can Change or Enhance My Face Shape?
There are several ways you can change or enhance your face shape. However, the method that you should try will depend on what you want.
Mewing
Mewing is generally a way to enhance nearly all face shapes. Mewing encourages facial upswing, forward facial growth, more chin projection, a prominent jawline, stronger cheekbones, etc.
It is especially great for people who lack definition in their faces. It is also good for people who breathe through their mouths because mewing encourages proper tongue posture and nasal breathing.
Mewing may not drastically change your whole face shape. However, it can enhance it. For instance, the boy in the photo below got a stronger, squarer jawline when he tried mewing.
The downside of mewing is it works best for children. It will still work if you’re an adult, but it will take years or decades to get noticeable changes.
To learn more about how mewing affects your face, click here. Also, be sure to check out our complete guide to mewing.
Dermal Fillers
You can get dermal fillers to add volume to specific parts of your face. Dermal fillers are a kind of injection made of materials like hyaluronic acid or collagen, which are naturally present in your body.
To enhance your face shape, a surgeon can inject dermal fillers to add volume to your cheekbones, jaw, chin, etc.
However, dermal fillers usually only last for 6-12 months because your body will metabolize the material. You will need to get the dermal fillers injected into your face again to keep your results. Fillers also have serious drawbacks, such as migrating to other parts of your face and not holding their shape well. This makes implants a better option.
Botox
While Botox is best known for diminishing facial wrinkles, treating excessive sweating, etc., Botox is another way to contour and slim your face. Like dermal fillers, a surgeon will strategically inject Botox into your face to help you achieve your desired results.
For instance, Botox injections could help you get a smaller jaw. If you have large masseter muscles, Botox injections will reduce the activity of those muscles. When the muscles are less active, they will shrink.
However, Botox injections are also not permanent. Botox injections usually last for 3-6 months, and you will need to get them again as needed.
Jaw Surgery
You can get jaw surgery to enhance your jawline. For instance, a plastic surgeon can place an implant in your jaw to create a stronger jawline. They may also cut part of your jaw and raise it to enhance the projection and jawline shape.
You can also get jaw reduction surgery to achieve a smaller jawline. The procedure will depend on what part of your jaw you want to reduce. For instance, a surgeon may only remove your jaw angle if you have a large jaw angle.
Chin Surgery
Similar to jaw surgery, you can get genioplasty (chin surgery) to contour your chin. The surgery can help enhance your facial harmony. It is especially popular for people who have weak, receding chins.
You can get chin surgery to augment the chin to increase its size or change its shape. You can also get chin surgery to decrease the size or prominence of your chin.
The technique for your chin surgery will depend on what you want and your case. For instance, a surgeon may cut part of your jawline and move it forward to add projection. In other cases, a surgeon may only add an implant to your chin.
Cheekbone Surgery
If you want to add more volume to your face, you can get cheek implants. These are ideal if you want a permanent way to add volume to your face. It’s also good if you want sharp lines because implants offer more structure than dermal fillers.
There are three kinds of cheek implants. Malar implants provide better projection, and submalar add volume to your cheeks. Some people can get both to augment their cheeks and cheekbones, which is the third type.
You can also get surgery to reduce the size of your cheekbones. Three common techniques used for cheekbone reduction are the L-shaped osteotomy, scalp approach, and malar rotation technique.
