Instant hair tricks to slim your face

Most hair stylists will tell you that a good starting point to a face-slimming hair style is to give your hair a svelte look. How do you do that? Here are a few tips from celebrity stylist Skye Norman that will help minimise fuller face shapes. Skye has worked with celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams. She is franchise owner of the Anita Cox salon in Chelsea.

Don'ts

1) Just as clothes with horizontal strips add the elusion of weight, hairstyles with blunt edges can make your face look much wider than it really is. Avoid styles or cuts that have any type of strong lines that will make your face look larger than it really is.

2) Avoid hair that is either too long or too short.

3) Avoid big hair, lots of curls, wedge styles or super short cuts.

4) The Square and Pear shapes are also not suited for super short cuts that will highlight the jaw or the chin.

Do's

1) Add slenderizing vertical lines to your hair through well placed highlights or lowlights. A talented colorist can also add wonderful depth to your overall face with multi dimensional color.

2) Adding height at the roots automatically minimizes the fullness of any face by adding instant length. Ask your stylist to add texturizing or layers around your crown area to add height. If your hair is naturally thin or fine use a great volume enhancing shampoo to add fullness. Add a root lift solution or volumizing gel to the roots and use a brush to lift as your blow dry. Remember to direct the airflow from the ends to the roots for even more volume. If you prefer you can use a small barrel curling iron right at the roots for added texture.

3) Up dos add instant height. Consider pulling your hair into a high ponytail or braid anchored at your crown. Pull out a few tendrils on either side of your face to add a subtle slenderizing.

4) A shoulder skimming shag style with texturized bangs is excellent for reducing facial width. Blow dry hair forward with a large round brush to smooth and curl hair under. Set with a good hair spray. The best length for faces that need slenderizing is between the jawline and the shoulders. This length elongates your face and neck creating a much slimmer appearance. Fringes can be flattering if worn to enhance the eyes. Select fringes that have an uneven edge. Try angled fringes or fringes that have wispy lengths.

5) Round faces benefit from long straight lines added around the face. A chin-length bob with minimum layering is a great option. Angled bobs with sides that taper softly below the cheeks are also a wonderful selection. This look can create the illusion of higher, more angular cheekbones. By introducing a horizontal line, side-parted fringes that sweep across the forehead also help break up a face's roundness.

6) A key to slenderizing round faces is to minimize the volume of hair that is at the sides and ear area. If a hairstyle is selected that falls above the jaw it is best to wear an off-centre part to interrupt roundness. A longer jaw length or longer style can benefit from a centre part. The Square & Pear shapes do well with chin length bobs. A bob with fullness at the chin will balance a pointed chin prevalent with heart shapes.

7) A square face benefits from a chin length bob that ends in a soft flip or gentle wave. Adding emphasis to the cheekbones and the middle section of the face helps a lot. Fringes are a great solution. Wearing your hair at least 2 inches below your jaw line will also help a lot.