6.1 Determining the Appropriate Hairstyle: Face Shape, Hair Type, the Comb-Out & Styling Aids
Key Takeaways
- The Pennsylvania Styling domain opens with determination of the appropriate hair style, broken into hair texture and type, hair length, and face shape, and closes with products and styling aids.
- The oval face is the design reference: width roughly three-quarters of length, with the face divided into three roughly equal horizontal thirds from hairline to brow, brow to nose tip, and nose tip to chin.
- Volume is placed where the face is narrow and removed where the face is wide, so a round face takes height at the top and closeness at the sides, and a square face takes softened corners and diagonal lines.
- The comb-out follows a fixed order: remove the tools, relax the set with the fingers or a brush, backcomb or backbrush for volume, then shape and smooth the surface without collapsing the interior.
- Styling aids are selected by hold and weight: gels and mousses give firm hold before drying, creams and serums add weight and control, thermal protectants buffer heat, and finishing sprays fix the completed style.
Where the Styling Domain Begins
Section IV of the Pennsylvania Cosmetologist content outline — Styling, 5% to 8% — is structured so that its first item is not a technique at all:
- A. Determination of appropriate hair style: 1. Hair texture and types / hair analysis · 2. Hair length · 3. Face shape
- B. Hair design techniques: 1. Wet styling · 2. Comb out · 3. Blow-dry styling
- C. Thermal styling · D. Artificial hair · E. Products and styling aids
This section covers A, the comb-out half of B, and E. The wet-setting, thermal, braiding, and hair-addition techniques are covered in the sections that follow.
The Oval as the Design Reference
Facial-shape analysis in cosmetology uses the oval as its reference proportion, not as an aesthetic ideal. Its usefulness is that its measurements are fixed, so every other shape can be described as a deviation from it and corrected with the same two tools: where volume is added and where it is removed.
Oval proportions: the face is approximately one and a half times longer than its width across the brow, and divides into three roughly equal horizontal thirds — hairline to eyebrow, eyebrow to tip of the nose, tip of the nose to bottom of the chin.
Reading a Face Shape
Work in this order: pull the hair back off the face, look at the outline of the hairline and jaw, then measure with the eye across three lines — forehead width, cheekbone width, and jaw width — and finally check the length against the width.
| Face shape | Defining proportion | Design objective | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oval | Width about 3/4 of length; balanced thirds | Maintain | Most styles succeed; choose by hair type and lifestyle |
| Round | Width nearly equal to length; full cheeks; round hairline | Create length, reduce width | Height at the top, close at the sides; asymmetrical or side part; avoid one-length chin-level bobs |
| Square | Straight hairline and strong angular jaw of similar width | Soften corners | Diagonal lines, softness and wave at the temples and jaw; avoid heavy blunt fringes and severe center parts |
| Oblong / long | Length noticeably greater than width | Reduce apparent length | Width at the sides, minimal height; a fringe shortens the visible face |
| Triangle (pear) | Narrow forehead, wide jaw | Add width above, reduce below | Volume at the temples and crown; close and tapered at the jaw |
| Inverted triangle (heart) | Wide forehead, narrow pointed chin | Reduce width above, add below | Soft fringe across the forehead; width and fullness at the jaw |
| Diamond | Narrow forehead and chin, very wide cheekbones | Reduce cheekbone width | Height at the top, fullness at the jawline, close at the cheeks |
The single rule that generates every row above: volume goes where the face is narrow, and volume comes off where the face is wide. If you can identify the widest and narrowest points, you can design the correction without memorizing the table.
Profile and Individual Features
- Straight profile — the reference; most styles work.
- Convex profile (receding forehead and chin, prominent nose) — bring the fringe forward over the forehead and keep the nape closer.
- Concave profile (prominent forehead and chin) — sweep the fringe up and off the forehead; add fullness at the nape.
- Prominent nose — bring hair forward at the sides and use a soft off-center movement; avoid severe center parts and hair pulled flat off the face.
- Wide-set or close-set eyes — the part placement and fringe direction move the visual center of the face.
- Prominent forehead — a fringe; narrow forehead — an off-the-face movement with lift.
- Receding chin — direct hair forward at the jaw; protruding chin — keep the style close and soft at the jaw.
Hairline and Growth Pattern Overrides
A cowlick, whorl, widow's peak, or strong hair stream overrides the design decision, exactly as it does in cutting. A style requiring a flat, forward fringe cannot be built over a front cowlick, and a part cannot be forced against a strong natural stream without daily fighting from the client. Check the growth pattern before promising the style.
Matching the Style to Hair Texture, Density, and Length
Face shape decides the target silhouette. Hair analysis decides whether the hair can produce it.
| Property | Consequence for style selection |
|---|---|
| Fine texture | Holds little volume by weight; needs layering, root lift, and lightweight products. Heavy creams collapse it. |
| Coarse texture | Naturally voluminous and resistant; needs weight removal and smoothing rather than lift. |
| Low density | Avoid heavy layering and severe partings that expose scalp; blunter perimeters read as fuller. |
| High density | Requires internal weight removal or the silhouette expands past the design. |
| Straight | Shows every line; excellent for precision and smooth finishes, poor at holding a set without product or thermal work. |
| Wavy | Versatile; the natural wave pattern can be enhanced or smoothed. |
| Curly / coily | High shrink factor; design the dry silhouette, not the wet one. Elongation and definition replace lift as the objective. |
| Length | Long dense hair carries weight that flattens the crown, so height at the top is harder to sustain; short hair delivers height easily but limits width at the jaw. |
| Condition | Damaged, over-porous hair will not hold a smooth finish or a firm set regardless of technique. |
Close the analysis with the practical questions: how many minutes will the client spend styling, what tools do they own, and how often will they return?
The Comb-Out
The comb-out is the finishing of a wet set — the step that converts a head of rollers and pin curls into the finished style. The outline lists it as its own item because it is where most sets are ruined.
The Sequence
- Confirm the hair is completely dry and cool. Hydrogen bonds re-form as the hair cools; combing out warm hair collapses the set immediately.
- Remove the rollers, clips, and pins in the order they were set, working carefully so the curl formations are not pulled apart.
- Relax the set. Brush or finger-comb the whole head thoroughly in the direction of the intended style. This looks alarming the first time — the curls blend into a single mass, which is exactly the objective. A set that is not relaxed produces visible roller marks.
- Backcomb or backbrush where volume is needed, working from the interior.
- Shape the silhouette with a comb or brush, guiding the outer surface without dragging the backcombed cushion out.
- Smooth the surface only. Use the flat of the brush or the comb's fine teeth on the top layer, never through the interior support.
- Set the finished style with a finishing spray, holding the can far enough away to avoid a wet, heavy deposit.
Backcombing vs. Backbrushing
| Backcombing (teasing, ratting, matting) | Backbrushing (ruffing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Fine-tooth comb | Brush |
| Action | Short hair is pushed toward the scalp with the comb, forming a firm cushion at the base | The bristles push shorter hair toward the scalp with a rolling motion |
| Result | Firm, dense base support; maximum volume | Softer cushion; blends hair together |
| Best for | Structured, high-volume finishes | Soft, blended, natural-looking volume |
Both are performed on the underside, so the smooth outer layer conceals them. Remove them at the end of the day with conditioner and a wide-tooth comb worked from the ends upward — never by dragging a fine comb down through the cushion, which shreds the cuticle.
Products and Styling Aids
The outline lists "E. Products and styling aids" as its own item. Choose by hold, weight, and when in the process the product is applied.
| Product | Applied | Function | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waving lotion / setting lotion | Damp, before setting | Firm hold as the set dries; classic formulations use karaya gum, modern ones synthetic resins | Finger waves, wet sets |
| Mousse / foam | Damp roots and lengths | Volume and light-to-medium hold without weight | Fine hair; blow-dry volume |
| Gel | Damp | Firm to maximum hold; defines and sets a shape hard | Sculpted styles, curl definition, edge control |
| Volumizing spray / root lifter | Damp roots | Root lift only, minimal length weight | Fine, limp hair |
| Styling cream / lotion | Damp or dry | Weight, smoothing, frizz control, light hold | Coarse, curly, or frizz-prone hair |
| Serum / silicone shine | Dry, small amount at the ends | Slip and shine, seals the cuticle surface | Dry, porous, or dull hair |
| Thermal protectant | Damp, before any heat | Buffers the shaft against iron and dryer heat | Every thermal service |
| Pomade / wax / clay | Dry | Texture, separation, definition, no set | Short cuts, men's styling |
| Dry shampoo / texture spray | Dry roots | Absorbs oil and adds grip | Second-day hair, fine hair needing grit |
| Finishing / hairspray | Dry, completed style | Fixes the finished shape | Every set and comb-out |
Three Rules That Prevent Most Styling Failures
- Apply from the ends up, and less than you think. Product loaded at the root is the most common cause of a collapsed, greasy-looking style on fine hair.
- Match hold to hair weight. A firm-hold gel on fine hair leaves it stiff and flat; a light mousse on coarse dense hair does nothing at all.
- Never apply a thermal tool to hair that has an alcohol-based product still wet in it. Let a spray or gel dry, or use a designated heat protectant, before the iron touches the strand.
Finally, remember the regulatory frame from Chapter 2: styling aids are salon chemicals. 49 Pa. Code § 7.96 requires the licensee to follow the manufacturer's directions and the FDA instructions on the container, and any product decanted into a secondary container must be labeled under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard.
A client has a round face with full cheeks and a rounded hairline, and asks for a style that makes her face look less wide. What is the correct design objective?
After a wet set has dried and cooled, what is the correct third step of the comb-out, and why does it look wrong at first?
A client with fine, limp hair wants lasting root volume from a blow-dry. Which product choice and application best serves that goal?