Beauty: The mane face facts

Whether you are the type of person who changes their haircut and colour every other week or the type who sticks with the tried and true decade after decade, you can benefit from knowing what kind of hairstyle will flatter your face. The key is to play up your best features, camouflage the ones you aren't so keen on and start working with your hair, rather than waging war against it.

If you aren't sure what kind of face shape you have, stand in front of a mirror and trace the outline on to the glass with a crayon. You should end up with something that resembles a square, oval, circle or heart.

SQUARE

Square faces have strong jaws and angular lines. Use your hair to soften the edges. Look for a hairstyle that has lots of soft layers, curls or feathering. This is the one shape that can really handle long hair you have enough strength in your face to handle locks that fall to your waist, if you really want them. But if you'd rather have short hair, keep the edges choppy and stay away from any blunt cuts or straight edges. If you want a fringe, think side-swept rather than straight across.

OVAL

Oval faces are very versatile and can handle just about anything unless they are long. If you have more length in your face than you'd like, look for a cut that balances it out. The worst thing for a long face is a really long hairstyle with a centre-part, a la Alanis Morissette in the mid-90s. Look for something with width short bobs are especially flattering for long faces. If you want longer hair, ask your hairdresser to put some cheek and chin-length layers in the mix. The longer your face, the more off-centre your part should be.

ROUND

Long layers make a circular face look less round. Steer well clear of short layers, which can make hair appear fuller and add width to your face. Girly, wavy hair looks great so let your natural, relaxed curl shine through. Steer clear of anything cut one length and don't go near a centre-part, unless you desperately need to add length to your face.

One of the best styles for a round face is a long, messy bob.

HEART-SHAPED

Heart-shaped faces are also very versatile and the width up top allows you to play around with different types of fringes. Choppy, chin-length hair is perfect for maximum versatility.

Remember to have your fringe cut while it's dry so it doesn't get too short and steer clear of fringes altogether if you have a low hairline.

Something to hide?

BIG NOSE: Keep parts off centre and hair asymmetrical.

BIG FOREHEAD: Fringes are your friend.

BIG EARS: Long, loose layers that start from chin length.