Extra Writing

I recently had an assignment about how the shape of the face determines how a woman should wear her hair. For example, a woman who has an oblong shape of face should not wear hair that goes beyond the shoulders. Long hair will exaggerate the shape of the oblong face. On the other hand, the face with a square shape should also avoid one-length bobs because this hairstyle will accent the already sharp angles of the face.

This is all good and nice but the problem is that knowing the shape of the face can be tricky. One method is to have someone else take a good look of your face and tell you whether it is oblong, oval, heart-shape, square, or diamond. But this method is tricky and not always reliable. Another method is to look at the mirror’s reflection and trace the shape of the face using a lipstick. If the jaw is very narrow and the forehead is wide and accented by a widow’s peak, then the face is heart-shaped. If the face is longer than normal, then it is oblong. And if the face is shorter than normal, then it is round. The 64 million dollar question is this: what is normal?

I found a different and easier way. A woman needs a calculator, a ruler and a large picture showing her face, upfront, not tilted, and not smiling. This sounds like a huge challenge but getting a camera set on a timer would easily produce the needed picture. With all the materials ready, refer to the drawing below.

The straight lines will be the guide on how the face on the picture will be measured using the ruler.

• Red line - It is the length of the face. It is the distance from the tip of the chin to the hairline. When you make this measurement, let the value be called A.
• Green line - It is the width of the face. It is the distance between the sides of the face passing across the cheeks. When you make this measurement, let the value be called B.
• Blue line - The distance across the widest area in the forehead. The ends usually rest on the temples. When you make this measurement, let the value be called C.
• Black line - The distance across the jaw and usually passes the lips. When you make this measurement, let the value be called D.

Once all the measurements have been made, the following calculations can be made.

A. Divide A by B (red line divided by green line).

1. If the result is between 1.40 to 1.55, the length of the face is normal.
2. If the result is 1.56 and higher, the face is longer than normal and it is obviously an oblong shape face.
3. If the result is 1.39 and lower, the face is shorter than normal and it can be a round face.

B. Divide C by D (blue line divided by black line).

1. If the result is between 1.2 to 1.3, the width of the face is considered normal.
2. If the result is between 0.90 to 1.1, the width of the forehead and the width of the chin are roughly the same. The face can be a square or a diamond.
3. If the result is 1.31 or higher, the forehead is wider than normal. If this wide forehead is partnered with a face that is shorter than normal and a pointed chin, then the face is heart-shaped.
4. If the result is 0.89 and lower, the jaw line is wider than normal and the face most likely has a square shape.

C. Divide B by D (green line divided by black line).

1. If the result is 1.35 and higher, the chin is narrower than normal. With a wide forehead, the shape of the face is heart-shaped.
2. If the result is 1.1 and lower, the face definitely has a square shape.

This is a long process and some women may find it quite convoluted. But it will help any woman finally determine the shape of her face. And once the face shape is determined, the choice of hairstyle will be easier.