Facial Measurements & Proportions
Length First or Width First?
Length First or Width First starts with the outer line of the face, not with one feature in the middle of it. Check width first: forehead, cheeks, and jaw.
Length, width, and where the width sits are the measurements. The shape name is only the summary. The picture above is the pin for this guide. The same page is the link on the pins that belong with it.
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How to read the outline
If you searched for “length or width first”, stay with the contour. Name the shape only after you can see where the face is long and where it is wide.
Length comes second and sorts the long names from the balanced ones. The widest point is the longest of three lines: forehead, cheeks, or jaw.
That winner starts the name. The whole comparison is three widths and one length.
No other measurement is required to name the outline. When length and width are close, the long names drop away.
When two names both seem possible
Round or square remains, and the jaw decides between soft and cornered. When length clearly wins, look at oblong first, then at a long oval.
The widths still say whether the long face is even, tapered, or cheek-wide. Forehead width is the top line.
Compare it with the jaw: wider on top leans heart, narrower leans triangle, and even can lean square. Cheek width is the middle line.
If it beats both the forehead and the jaw, diamond moves up the list. Jaw width is the low line.
If it beats the forehead, triangle becomes likely. If it matches the forehead and shows corners, think square.
The widest line does not finish the name by itself, but it starts it. Heart, diamond, and triangle are mostly answers to that start.
Length is how oblong and, more gently, oval separate from the balanced shapes. Width cannot see that difference.
A shadow on one cheek moves where the width appears to sit. Even light keeps the outline honest. Decide which area is widest before you say a shape name. The widest point is what starts the name.
Take the photo straight
Use one photo, taken straight on, with the camera at eye level. Hair only needs to be clear of the hairline and the jaw. A tilt, a shadow on one cheek, or a chin that is lifted will change the outline before you have even started.
Look at the forehead, the cheeks, and the jaw as three widths. Then compare the length of the face with the width. That is the whole reading.
Common questions
Length First or Width First?
Check width first: forehead, cheeks, and jaw. Decide which area is widest before you say a shape name. The widest point is what starts the name.
How do I use “If Length Clearly Wins”?
When length clearly wins, look at oblong first, then at a long oval. Use one still photo. A chin that drops or lifts between shots will not agree with itself about the jaw.
How do I use “Length Tells You the Long Shapes”?
Length is how oblong and, more gently, oval separate from the balanced shapes. Hold the phone at eye level. A camera above your eyes makes the forehead look wider than it is.