Vivienne Mackinder, founder of Vivienne Mackinder Education, says the most common face shape she sees today is the pear which features more volume in the lower part of the face—cheeks, jawline, and neck—while the overall head shape is generally more oval than round. Why is this important? Because no matter what the face shape is of the person sitting in the chair, a stylist is always striving to achieve the perception of an oval face. So, understanding how to manipulate hair to make a pear shape seem oval is extremely important today.
Pear Shaped Faces are Prevalent for Two Reasons
- An aging population with softening jawlines and dropping chins adds weight visually to the lower third of the face, creating a pear-shaped silhouette.
- Weight gain – if someone with an oval, square, or even round face shape gains weight, it shows up in the face. And, since foreheads don’t gain weight, the cheeks, jawline, and neck become larger creating a pear shape.
Designing for the Pear Face Shape
Different hair silhouettes can rebalance the face, bringing it closer to the perfect oval. This is not just opinion; it is the science of beauty, grounded in the golden rule of design and the law of thirds. “When someone says, “I want a heavy, boxed-in fringe,” we must be very sensitive to maintaining the balance of the oval,” says Mackinder.
To reduce the appearance of a pear shape to make it look more oval, add volume at the temples and crown to visually slim the jawline.
- A fringe is fantastic on a rectangle face.
- A soft, asymmetric side-swept fringecan be beautiful on a round or square face.
- A fringe also works very well on a diamond face shape.
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“On the above blonde-haired model, we styled her hair open and away from her face, which visually lengthens and refines her oval. The red-haired model had a longer face, so we created a fringe that reduced the amount of face seen to make it appear more oval-like,” adds Mackinder.
The most creative ideas will fall flat if balance and proportion are ignored, it will look like the hairstyle is sitting on the wrong person—even if the cut and color are technically brilliant. And remember, every style decision has a personality: Is it traditional and classic…or edgy, modern, and fashion-forward?
“Choose wisely. The wrong balance, on the wrong face, with the wrong personality can cost you not only a client—but your reputation,” says Mackinder. “Since most people have pear-shaped faces now, mastering how to make that pear read more like an oval is a must for 2026.”
Stylists interested in learning more about how to properly determine face shape can sign up for Mackinder’s 12 Week Haircutting Challenge, a hybrid of both solo and community leaning, guided each week by Mckinder.