WE?VE all had traumatizing haircuts one time or another. We wonder why the new hairstyle doesn?t look good on us, even if it looks exactly like the celebrity hair peg we wanted. Most of the time, it boils down to one thing: The hairstyle just didn?t suit our face shape.

A great haircut can make such a difference?it flatters our features, making us look and feel beautiful. It can give us a dose of new confidence and a positive outlook in life. (If this hasn?t happened to you, maybe you still haven?t found the right haircut!)

Knowing your face shape is the key to getting the right haircut. If you don?t know what it is, tie your hair back and closely examine your face. It may not necessarily look exactly like a single shape, but overall it should resemble one of the following: oval, square, rectangle, inverted triangle or a circle.

Hair expert Philippe Torjman offers a guide.

Oval

You have an oval face if the width of your face is half of its length and your jaw is narrower than your cheekbones.

?The oval face is the easiest to work with, because any hairstyle suits it. You can do pretty much anything with it and it would still look good,? says Torjman.

Any shape or style can be worn with this shape, from short, medium to long, with layers or with bangs. The styles to avoid are the ones that cover up the face shape, making it look like a square more than an oval. Otherwise, feel free to experiment with different hairstyles.

Celebrity to follow: Julia Roberts

Square

You have a square face if you have a strong forehead and an angular jaw. The main goal is to soften the strong jaw line with some layers or side-swept bangs. Soft curls help break the defined angles of your face, especially with long hairstyles.

Haircuts to stay away from are heavy straight bangs with minimal layers or any geometric blunt cuts.

Celebrity to follow: Demi Moore

Rectangle

Your face shape is rectangle if you have a strong forehead and jaw, but have a long and narrow face. Hairstyles to suit this face are the ones that can shorten the length of the face while softening it. Adding some bangs, whether long and side-swept or cut just about the eyebrows, can look good on this face.

Again, soft waves soften the strong jaw-line. Avoid extremely long or short haircuts that can add length to the face.

Celebrity to follow: Sarah Jessica Parker

Inverted triangle

Wide at the forehead, with high cheekbones and a narrow chin.

?A bob that is longer in front suits this face, because it frames the jawline. It will give it a roundness that will soften the triangle shape,? says Torjman.

This face shape can also benefit from a soft fringe that covers the forehead and loose waves that make the face look softer.

Keep away from styles with height on the top and middle parts that emphasize the forehead.

Celebrities to follow: Victoria Beckham, Reese Witherspoon

Round

Your face has a rounded chin, a wide hairline and cheeks that are just as full as your cheekbones.

?The round face can rarely ever go short, because the tendency is to look rounder. The length should be kept somewhere around the collarbone, because if it is too long the tendency is to look heavy,? says Torjman.

Haircuts to avoid are chunky blunt bangs, curls next to the cheeks and bobs, which all make the face look rounder.

Celebrity to follow: Renée Zellwegger

Aside from finding hairstyles to suit your face shape, other things must be put into consideration.

?The length of the nose, the size of the ears, the size of the forehead, the shape of the head and the lifestyle of a person must also be deciding factors in choosing the right hairstyle,? says Torjman.

Philippe?s Salon is at 2295 Jannov Building 3, Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City, Tel. Nos. 830 3030 / 864 0658.