How to Choose the Right Wig for Your Face Shape and Skin Tone

Wearing a wig can be a great way to change your look, enhance your confidence, or cover up hair loss. However, not all wigs are created equal, and choosing the right one for your face shape and skin tone can make a big difference in how natural and flattering it looks on you. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of finding your perfect wig, from identifying your face shape and skin tone, to selecting the best style, color, and material for your wig. Here are the main topics we will cover:

How to Determine Your Face Shape
How to Determine Your Skin Tone
How to Choose a Wig Style for Your Face Shape
How to Choose a Wig Color for Your Skin Tone
How to Choose a Wig Material and Quality

Table of Contents

How to Determine Your Face Shape

Your face shape is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a wig, as different styles can accentuate or balance out your facial features. There are six basic face shapes: oval, round, square, heart, diamond, and oblong. To find out which one you have, you can use one of these methods:

**Measure your face.** Use a flexible tape measure to measure the width of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline, and the length of your face from hairline to chin. Then, compare your measurements with these criteria:
- **Oval:** Your face length is about 1.5 times longer than your face width. Your forehead is slightly wider than your jawline, which is rounded.
- **Round:** Your face length and width are about equal. Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your jawline is soft and curved.
- **Square:** Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about the same width. Your jawline is strong and angular.
- **Heart:** Your forehead is the widest part of your face, and your chin is narrow and pointed. Your cheekbones are high and prominent.
- **Diamond:** Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your forehead and jawline are narrow. Your chin is pointed and your hairline is narrow.
- **Oblong:** Your face length is more than 1.5 times longer than your face width. Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about the same width. Your chin is rounded or square.
**Oval:** Your face length is about 1.5 times longer than your face width. Your forehead is slightly wider than your jawline, which is rounded.
**Round:** Your face length and width are about equal. Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your jawline is soft and curved.
**Square:** Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about the same width. Your jawline is strong and angular.
**Heart:** Your forehead is the widest part of your face, and your chin is narrow and pointed. Your cheekbones are high and prominent.
**Diamond:** Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, and your forehead and jawline are narrow. Your chin is pointed and your hairline is narrow.
**Oblong:** Your face length is more than 1.5 times longer than your face width. Your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about the same width. Your chin is rounded or square.
**Look at your features.** Another way to determine your face shape is to look at the shape of your jawline, forehead, and cheekbones. You can use a mirror or a photo of yourself facing straight ahead. Then, compare your features with these descriptions:
- **Oval:** You have a balanced face with no dominant feature. Your jawline is slightly narrower than your forehead, which curves gently at the temples. Your cheekbones are slightly higher than the center of your eyes.
- **Round:** You have a full face with soft contours. Your jawline is rounded and blends with your neck. Your forehead is wide and curved. Your cheekbones are the fullest part of your face.
- **Square:** You have a strong face with sharp angles. Your jawline is broad and square. Your forehead is flat and wide. Your cheekbones are straight and aligned with your jawline.
- **Heart:** You have a delicate face with a wide top and a narrow bottom. Your jawline is small and pointed. Your forehead is broad and may have a widow’s peak. Your cheekbones are high and angled.
- **Diamond:** You have a dramatic face with a narrow top and bottom. Your jawline is pointed and angular. Your forehead is small and may have a widow’s peak. Your cheekbones are wide and high.
- **Oblong:** You have a long face with straight lines. Your jawline is flat and square. Your forehead is tall and may have a receding hairline. Your cheekbones are low and flat.
**Oval:** You have a balanced face with no dominant feature. Your jawline is slightly narrower than your forehead, which curves gently at the temples. Your cheekbones are slightly higher than the center of your eyes.
**Round:** You have a full face with soft contours. Your jawline is rounded and blends with your neck. Your forehead is wide and curved. Your cheekbones are the fullest part of your face.
**Square:** You have a strong face with sharp angles. Your jawline is broad and square. Your forehead is flat and wide. Your cheekbones are straight and aligned with your jawline.
**Heart:** You have a delicate face with a wide top and a narrow bottom. Your jawline is small and pointed. Your forehead is broad and may have a widow’s peak. Your cheekbones are high and angled.
**Diamond:** You have a dramatic face with a narrow top and bottom. Your jawline is pointed and angular. Your forehead is small and may have a widow’s peak. Your cheekbones are wide and high.
**Oblong:** You have a long face with straight lines. Your jawline is flat and square. Your forehead is tall and may have a receding hairline. Your cheekbones are low and flat.

How to Determine Your Skin Tone

Your skin tone, also known as your undertone, is the color that shows through your skin’s surface. It is different from your complexion, which is the shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). Knowing your skin tone can help you choose a wig color that complements your natural coloring and makes you look radiant. There are three main skin tones: cool, warm, and neutral.

**Cool:** You have a pink, red, or bluish undertone to your skin. You tend to burn easily in the sun or have freckles. You look good in silver jewelry and colors like blue, purple, pink, and green.
**Warm:** You have a yellow, peachy, or golden undertone to your skin. You tend to tan easily in the sun or have olive skin. You look good in gold jewelry and colors like orange, yellow, brown, and red.
**Neutral:** You have a balanced undertone that is neither pink nor yellow. You can tan or burn depending on your exposure to the sun. You look good in both silver and gold jewelry and a variety of colors.

To find out your skin tone, you can use one of these methods:

**Check your veins.** Look at the color of the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural light. If they appear blue or purple, you have a cool skin tone. If they appear green or olive, you have a warm skin tone. If they appear blue-green or hard to tell, you have a neutral skin tone.
**Do the jewelry test.** Hold up a piece of silver and a piece of gold jewelry to your face and see which one makes your skin glow more. If silver looks better on you, you have a cool skin tone. If gold looks better on you, you have a warm skin tone. If both look equally good on you, you have a neutral skin tone.
**Compare yourself to a white paper.** Hold up a white paper next to your face and look at the contrast. If your skin looks pinkish or rosy compared to the paper, you have a cool skin tone. If your skin looks yellowish or peachy compared to the paper, you have a warm skin tone. If your skin looks grayish or ashy compared to the paper, you have a neutral skin tone.

How to Choose a Wig Style for Your Face Shape

Once you know your face shape, you can choose a wig style that flatters your features and enhances your beauty. The general rule is to pick a wig style that contrasts with your face shape and creates balance and harmony. Here are some tips for choosing a wig style for each face shape:

**Oval:** You are lucky because you can pull off almost any wig style, from short to long, straight to curly, bangs to no bangs. The only thing to avoid is covering up your well-proportioned face with too much hair.
**Round:** You want to add some length and volume to your face and avoid styles that emphasize the roundness of your cheeks and chin. Opt for wigs that are longer than your chin, have layers and angles, and have side-swept or wispy bangs.
**Square:** You want to soften the sharpness of your jawline and forehead and create some curves and movement in your hair. Go for wigs that are medium to long in length, have waves or curls, and have side-swept or choppy bangs.
**Heart:** You want to balance out the width of your forehead and the narrowness of your chin and create some fullness around your jawline. Choose wigs that are chin-length or longer, have side parts, and have full or blunt bangs.
**Diamond:** You want to widen your forehead and chin and reduce the width of your cheekbones. Look for wigs that are short to medium in length, have straight or sleek textures, and have fringe or curtain bangs.
**Oblong:** You want to shorten the appearance of your face and add some width and volume to your sides. Pick wigs that are short to medium in length, have curls or waves, and have full or side bangs.

How to Choose a Wig Color for Your Skin Tone

After choosing a wig style that suits your face shape, you need to choose a wig color that matches your skin tone. The right wig color can make you look more vibrant and youthful, while the wrong one can make you look dull and washed out. Here are some guidelines for choosing a wig color for each skin tone:

**Cool:** You want to avoid colors that are too warm or brassy, as they can clash with your pink undertone and make you look pale or sallow. Stick to colors that are cool or neutral, such as ash blonde, platinum blonde, champagne blonde, honey blonde, light brown, medium brown, dark brown, black, burgundy, or blue-black.
**Warm:** You want to avoid colors that are too cool or ashy, as they can make you look tired or sickly. Choose colors that are warm or golden, such as strawberry blonde, golden blonde, caramel blonde, copper blonde, light golden brown, medium golden brown, dark golden brown, chocolate brown, chestnut brown, auburn, or mahogany.
**Neutral:** You have more flexibility in choosing wig colors because you can wear both cool and warm tones without looking unnatural. However, you still want to avoid colors that are too extreme or contrasting with your natural coloring. Try colors that are beige blonde, sandy blonde, ash brown, light brown, medium brown, dark brown,

How to Choose a Wig Material and Quality

The last step in choosing the right wig for your face shape and skin tone is to choose the wig material and quality that suits your budget, lifestyle, and preferences. There are two main types of wig materials: synthetic and human hair. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you want to wear and style your wig. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a wig material and quality:

Synthetic: Synthetic wigs are made from man-made fibers that mimic the look and feel of natural hair. They are usually cheaper, easier to maintain, and more durable than human hair wigs. They also come in a variety of colors and styles that are pre-styled and ready to wear. However, synthetic wigs have some drawbacks, such as being less realistic, less breathable, less versatile, and more prone to heat damage. You cannot use hot tools or dye synthetic wigs, as they can melt or lose their shape.
Human hair: Human hair wigs are made from real human hair that is harvested from donors. They are usually more expensive, more natural-looking, more breathable, and more versatile than synthetic wigs. They also allow you to style them with hot tools and dye them with different colors. However, human hair wigs have some disadvantages, such as being harder to care for, requiring more frequent washing and styling, and being more susceptible to environmental damage. You need to use special products and techniques to keep human hair wigs in good condition.

The quality of the wig material also depends on the source, grade, and processing of the hair. For synthetic wigs, the quality varies according to the type of fiber used, such as acrylic, modacrylic, polyester, or nylon. For human hair wigs, the quality varies according to the origin, texture, and cuticle of the hair, such as Remy, virgin, European, Asian, or African. The quality also depends on the method of collecting and sorting the hair, such as single-drawn, double-drawn, or triple-drawn.

The quality of the wig material affects the appearance, feel, durability, and price of the wig. Generally speaking, higher quality wigs are more realistic, softer, smoother, shinier, stronger, and longer-lasting than lower quality wigs. However, higher quality wigs are also more costly and may require more maintenance than lower quality wigs.

Conclusion

Choosing the right wig for your face shape and skin tone can be a fun and rewarding experience if you follow these steps:

Determine your face shape by measuring your face or looking at your features.
Determine your skin tone by checking your veins, doing the jewelry test, or comparing yourself to a white paper.
Choose a wig style that contrasts with your face shape and creates balance and harmony.
Choose a wig color that matches your skin tone and makes you look radiant.
Choose a wig material and quality that suits your budget, lifestyle, and preferences.

By following these steps, you can find a wig that fits you perfectly and enhances your beauty.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about choosing the right wig for your face shape and skin tone:

Q: How do I know what size of wig to buy?
A: Most wigs come in standard sizes that fit most people. However, if you want to ensure a comfortable and secure fit, you can measure your head circumference by wrapping a tape measure around your head along your hairline. Then compare your measurement with the size chart provided by the wig manufacturer or seller. You can also adjust the size of the wig by using the straps or hooks inside the cap.
Q: How do I put on a wig properly?
A: Before putting on a wig, you need to prepare your natural hair by either braiding it or tucking it under a wig cap. Then you need to align the front of the wig with your natural hairline and secure it with clips or combs attached to the cap. You can also use some adhesive or tape for extra hold. Finally, you need to style the wig according to your preference by using a comb or brush.
Q: How do I take care of my wig?
A: The care of your wig depends on the type of material it is made from. For synthetic wigs,