The many faces of short hair

For all the women out there who chopped off their long locks for a short bob or pixie cut, the good news is that they’re still hotter than a pair of hair straighteners. Thanks to our very own international style export Victoria Beckham and Hollywood stars such as Elisha Cuthbert, these cute hairstyles are here to stay for the foreseeable future – or at least until they decide to add hair extensions.

Short hair has so many benefits for women. Not only are short styles wonderfully low maintenance, they are an excellent way to frame your face and make the most of your best features. Short hair also forces you to style your hair every day instead of lazily tying it back in a pony tail.

The problem is that many women are frightened by any hairstyle that lops off hair above the shoulder. They worry that short hair won’t be feminine enough or won’t suit their face shape. The truth is that you can wear your hair short if you choose the right style and it can be super sexy and girlie.

Long or oval faces: If your face is long or oval, stylists recommend an angular bob that’s closely cropped to the nape of the neck and traces the jaw line in the front, which helps to square-up the face. Kym Ryder and Victoria Beckham’s hair styles are perfect examples of an angular bob, although you need poker straight hair to pull off a super sharp cut as Kym has. For long and narrow faces, extra volume at the sides, like Victoria’s, helps to widen the face.

To style angular bobs, apply a light hold gel to towel dried hair and blow dry using a round brush so hair falls just under the chin.

Short styles that must be avoided are pixies that add layers to the top of the hair, which will further elongate the face.

Square faces: If your face is square, you can soften the shape with a short and choppy pixie cut. The pixie is perfect for making the most of your eyes and cheekbones, which draws attention away from an overly square jaw line.

To style, blow dry hair and use a quality styling cream or wax to sculpt and tease each section.

Short styles to avoid are angular chin-length bobs, which will accentuate the jaw line.
Round or heart-shaped faces: If your face is round or heart shaped, you can skim away volume by adding framing long layers and a side-swept fringe. A fringe also helps to highlight the eye area rather than the cheeks, where round faces are at their fullest.

To style, try flicking the ends out rather than blowing them under, which can slim the face by changing the direction of the hair. Apply a maximum-hold mousse to damp hair and use fingers and a blow dryer to achieve a younger edgier style.

Short styles to avoid are sleek Betty Boo bobs that tuck under the chin, which will add further volume to the cheeks and round out the face.

Picture caption: Kym Ryder – perfect face for an angular bob.

MyVillage, 18th October