Compare how different lengths change the outline around the same forehead, cheeks and chin. Pick a silhouette that suits your taste, texture and daily routine.
A heart-like outline often reads broader at the upper face and narrower toward the chin. If that description only partly fits, use the ideas that appeal to you anyway.
See where each cut ends
Each illustration repeats the same heart-shaped face at the same scale. Compare the hair silhouette and its endpoint—not a promise that one length will change your features.
Crop or jaw-length bob
A shorter crop leaves the jaw more visible; a bob brings the hemline to it.
Short crop
Choose this comparison if you like an open neckline and a lighter outline around the face. Ask your stylist where the fringe and side pieces will sit when dry.
Jaw-length bob
A clear endpoint near the jaw. Ask for the cut to be checked from the front and side, since texture and styling can change where the ends fall.
Would you rather show the jawline or have hair touch it?
How much time do you want to spend shaping a shorter cut?
Would a side part, fringe or tucked side feel more like you?
Collarbone layers or long layers
At the shoulders or longer: notice how the ends sit below the chin.
Collarbone layers
A middle-length option with movement around the sides. Show your stylist how much length you want to keep and whether you like the ends turned in, out or natural.
Long layers
Keep more length while adding face-framing pieces if you want them. Bring a reference for the shortest layer and ask how it will behave with your natural texture.
Where do you want the shortest front layer to land?
Would you style it most often air-dried, tied back or with tools?
How much length are you comfortable trimming to maintain the shape?
Curl pattern, density and shrinkage can move the ends of a cut higher when your hair dries. Ask for a plan based on your own hair and show the stylist what you want to keep.
Describe the cut you want
Name the length. Point to the sketch closest to your starting idea: above the jaw, at the jaw, at the shoulders or longer.
Mark the shortest layer. Use a reference photo and point to where the front pieces should end.
Say what you want to keep. Mention length, fringe, parting or natural texture that should not be removed without checking with you.
Ask about upkeep. Find out how the cut behaves without a blow-dry and how often it needs a trim to keep the shape you chose.
There is no required haircut for a face outline. A favorite cut, convenient routine or texture goal can be a better guide than a shape label.
Common questions
Do bangs work with a heart-shaped face?
Bangs change where the eye stops, not the outline itself. If you like one, compare a soft parted fringe with a fuller one at the same length in a photo of yourself before cutting. Bring both references and ask your stylist how each behaves with your texture.
Does a short crop make a narrow chin look sharper?
A shorter hemline leaves the jaw more visible, which can read as a stronger line beside a narrow chin. If that is not the effect you want, compare the jaw-length bob in the illustrations above — ends that touch the jaw draw a different outline. Neither changes your features; they change where attention lands.
Which length should I try first if I am undecided?
Start from the silhouette closest to your current cut and change one thing at a time. Tell your stylist which endpoint you preferred in the comparisons, and have the cut checked from the front and the side before going shorter.