Piercings provide a creative outlet that doubles as a near-effortless daily accessory – without the permanence of a tattoo. Whether you’re looking to get your first piercing or enhance the ones you already have, it is important to understand your face shape and how your piercings can best flatter your features. Working with your natural bone structure will help you to choose jewelry for each placement and enhance your personal style.
The main face shapes include oval, round, square, oblong (or rectangle), heart, inverted triangle, triangle (or pear) and diamond. You can determine your face shape by understanding the proportions and curvatures of your face. Is your face longer than it is wide (or vice versa?) Are these measurements essentially the same? Knowing the widest part of your face – whether it’s your forehead, cheekbones or jawline( and chin) – is also critical to figure out your face shape. Are they proportionate or are some areas narrower than others? Along with these measurements, notice whether you have softer and fuller or more angular and pronounced features.
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To learn more, here’s a brief overview of each face shape and a guide to the best placements with flattering, cute ideas to style any ear or nose piercing.
Oval Face Shape
If you have an oval shape, your face is longer than it is wide with no sharp angles and your cheekbones are the widest part. This face shape resembles an upside-down egg with a tall, rounded forehead that is slightly wider than your curved chin. Oval-shaped faces are considered the “ideal” face shape and are the most common, too. When it comes to flattering piercing choices, oval face shapes have arguably the most options to choose from. Nearly every earring style will suit your face shape. Try large studs, huggies, oval or triangular earrings if you want to emphasize your cheekbones. For a nose piercing, studs of all sizes should be flattering.
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Round Face Shape
With a round face shape, the face has nearly equal length and width measurements with a rounded jaw. You likely also have slightly curved-out cheekbones that are the widest part of your face. When selecting piercing jewelry, you want to look for angular pieces that balance out and highlight your soft features. To style your ear piercings, choose earring shapes that help elongate your face. Some of the most flattering options include chandelier, tassel, teardrop and drop earrings. Any thin or longline style will complement your face’s curvatures to provide some structure. Style your (single, double or triple) lobe and helix placement(s) with layered dangling earrings for an elevated look.
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To style your nose piercing, half-hoops are an ultra-flattering choice.
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Square Face Shape
Like a round shape with sharper angles, individuals with a square face shape have nearly the same face width and length. This face shape is characterized by a forehead, chin and cheekbones with equal measures and sharp angular features, including a squared-off, slightly-angled jaw with minimal curves and straight sides. Round and circular jewelry will be the most flattering when styling your piercings. Studs and hoops of all sizes will add soft, curved lines to your look to balance your face structure’s sharp angles.
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Curated ear trends, such as stacked hoops and huggie cartilage piercings, were essentially created for your face shape.
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Try either layering hoops in descending sizes up your ear placements or create a uniform border around your earring using similarly-sized huggies.
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For nose piercings, small and dainty studs will best complement your face’s boxier bone structure.
Oblong (Rectangle) Face Shape
The oblong (also called the rectangle) face shape is like an elongated square shape with distinctive angular features and is longer than it is wide. Your forehead, cheekbones and jawline have a nearly equal width with a slightly rounded chin and narrow, almost curved-in sides. To balance out and provide some lift to your longer face, select rounder and chunkier styles to place in your piercings. Wearing overly thin, dangling jewelry can make the face appear hollow and drawn out.
For ear piercings, choose jewelry shapes that lay closer to the face to bring volume to the cheek area. Various-sized studs, hoops or dangling earrings with small, stocky pendants will be flattering to your facial structure.
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Nose piercings are well suited for this face shape because they break up its lengthy features. Most jewelry options will flatter the oblong face shape.
Heart Face Shape
If you have a heart-shaped face, your forehead or cheekbones are the widest part that tapers into a narrow jawline with a widow’s peak (a v-shaped hairline) and a pointy chin. To balance your face’s bone structure, you should style your piercings with jewelry that has the opposite proportions and are fuller towards the bottom. Lengthy styles that gradually widen towards the bottom, such as teardrop, chandelier and tassel earrings, will complement this face shape.
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Play with proportions when planning out a curated ear to best stack various piercings to your advantage. Place smaller charms or studs to your flat or hook placements and juxtapose them with stacked dangling earrings to draw the eye downwards from the forehead towards your chin. You want your nose piercing jewelry to be small and dainty, as well, and allow your cheekbones to take center stage. Tiny nose studs are a timeless option that will flatter your face shape.
Inverted Triangle Face Shape
The inverted triangle face shape has nearly all the characteristics of a heart-shaped face without a widow’s peak. Your face is longer than it is wide and your forehead is the widest part of your face with a slightly curved or straight hairline, a narrower jawline and a pointed chin. With similar proportions to a heart-shaped face, inverted triangle face shapes will benefit from applying many of the same design principles when choosing to style piercings. However, this face shape has a more angular chin and jawline. This distinction means that adorning your ears with both teardrop and circular earrings will flatter your features.
Select dangling earrings with chunky chain-link or geometric pendant details to balance and add some volume to the lower proportion of the face. Wide chandelier, oval and triangular earrings also complement your slightly angular jawline without adding too much fullness. For a nose piercing, small studs are a universally flattering and reliable choice.
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Triangle (Pear) Face Shape
A triangle (also called a pear) face shape means that your jawline is the widest part of your face with a narrower forehead and cheeks. You likely have a longer face in proportion to its width with narrow temples and a squared-off chin. Unlike those with a heart or inverted triangle-shaped face, you want to deemphasize the chin to focus more on your cheekbones and forehead.
Consider how to draw the eye upward with jewelry. Cartilage ear piercings, especially the industrial, helix, rook and flat, bring attention to these narrower parts of your face. For lobe piercings, select earrings that narrow towards the bottom. Some examples include tapered chandelier earrings and chain-link huggies. If you’re seeking a flattering option for a nose piercing, opt for a small stud or nose ring.
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Diamond Face Shape
Individuals with a diamond face shape have prominent high cheekbones, the widest part of your face, a pointed chin and a narrow hairline (the main differentiator between a heart or an inverted triangle and a diamond face shape). Diamond-shaped faces are longer than they are wide and are the rarest face shape. If you’re unsure whether you fall into this category, there’s an exercise to test for a diamond face shape (which ultimately gave it this jewel-inspired name). Imagine connecting lines from your hairline to your cheekbones directly towards your chin. If these lines would create a diamond, you more than likely have this face shape.
With your high cheekbones, diamond face shapes look best with lobe ear piercings and classic earring styles that have either a short and wide or dangling and curved design. Simple pearl or diamond studs (in a round or emerald-cut) or dangling, teardrop earrings best emphasize your naturally elegant features. Make sure to avoid very long or heavy earring styles. If you opt for a curated ear, make sure to select dainty earrings for the various placements. For a nose piercing, a classic small stud is your best bet. It draws attention inwards to balance out your dominating cheekbones without overpowering your narrower forehead, jaw and chin.
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While significant, these stylistic choices are one of the many factors that help you determine which piercing(s) are right for you. Considerations like the pain, price and healing time for each piercing are important to evaluate. Take time to research both on your own and with the help of an experienced piercer. Ultimately, understanding your preferences and following the proper precautions (and after-care practices) enables you to achieve your ideal piercing look and journey.
