Best Haircuts for Men With Diamond Face Shapes

The diamond face shape has a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones (the widest point of the face), and a narrow chin. It is relatively uncommon compared to oval, round, and square, and is less discussed in haircut guides, which creates confusion about what actually works for it.

The Goal

The diamond face shape benefits from two things: adding apparent width at the forehead (to balance the wider cheekbones visually) and softening or reducing apparent width at the cheekbones. The chin is naturally narrow, so adding length there is typically not the priority. The overall goal is to make the forehead-to-cheekbone-to-chin relationship appear more balanced, with the forehead closer in width to the cheekbones.

What Works

Volume at the temples and forehead: styles that add width at the forehead and temples visually balance the wide cheekbones. A textured, fuller top with some forward or sideways volume at the fringe area serves this purpose. Side swept fringe or side part: a fringe swept to one side adds apparent width at the forehead asymmetrically, which creates visual balance without adding symmetric bulk. Textured medium length tops: enough length (2.5 to 4 inches) that the hair frames the forehead and adds presence at the top third of the face. Soft, natural fades rather than high-contrast fades: a very high skin fade removes almost all hair from the sides, which can emphasize the cheekbone width by leaving it unreframed. A mid fade or low fade leaves some hair coverage on the sides to soften the cheekbone area.

What to Avoid

Very tight sides with a very narrow top: this emphasizes the cheekbone width without providing anything at the top to balance it. Very short buzz cuts: they leave the full diamond silhouette of the head visible and provide no width modification at any point. Extremely flat, center-parted styles with no volume: these draw the eye horizontally across the widest (cheekbone) point without any competing vertical element above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have a diamond face shape versus a heart face shape?

Heart and diamond face shapes are similar in some ways but differ at the forehead. A heart face has a wide forehead (the widest point) tapering to a pointed chin. A diamond face has a narrow forehead, with the cheekbones as the widest point, also tapering to a narrow chin. If your forehead is clearly wider than your chin and your cheekbones are the widest point: diamond. If your forehead is wide (similar to or wider than your cheekbones): heart. Looking at a front-facing photo helps identify which measurement (forehead vs. cheekbones) is the wider point. Ask your barber if you are unsure; they assess face shapes regularly and can tell you with a glance.