If you have a round face, you may wonder which type of hairstyles work best for your face shape. Here's the good news: Contrary to what many people think, women with round faces aren't all that restricted when it comes to flattering hairstyles. Want to know which styles are the best picks? Read on!

Is your face definitely round?

Before you make any hairstyle decisions, you need to know how to determine the shape of your face. Scrape your hair back from your face and take a good look in the mirror. You might find it easier to draw around your reflection with a brow or lip pencil so you can really assess what you see. A tape measure will prove handy for this!

So, what are you actually looking for? "A round face is symmetrical, and is usually widest at the cheeks, with an almost equal distance from the forehead to the chin," says hairstylist Ian Davies, who owns the Ocean Hairdressing salon.

Hairstyles for round faces

It's all about choosing a cut that will draw attention away from the width of your cheeks and slenderize your face. There are several options that will do this well:

Soft, wispy styles flatter round faces. "Go for layers, especially longer length layers and make sure that you choose a style that allows the hair to fall from the face," explains Davies. Longer hair creates the illusion of a slimmer face, particularly a cut which falls below the chin.

Wavy hair can work well, but you'll want the curls to start below your chin to minimize fullness around your face. You can also use curls to your advantage by adding height at the crown to visually lengthen your face.

What about straight hair? Go for a style with longer pieces that fall "forward" onto your face to make your cheeks look slimmer. A graduated bob which is cut higher at the back is uber-stylish and looks great, as does a long bob or 'lob' which falls at least a couple of inches below the chin. Stay away from blunt cut bobs though, or ones that fall around or above the jaw, warns Davies. This kind of style will make your face look even fuller. A choppy 'shag' style is another option to complement a round face.

Shorter styles might look like they're trickier to pull off, but the right cuts are amazing on round faces. If you want to go short, Davies suggests asking your stylist to add layers for a piece-y texture around the face and add lift at the top to create a more oval appearance. A winning style is the gamine cut with spiky layers a la Ginnifer Goodwin -- the petite pixie has choppy pieces that add height, de-emphasize roundness and play up your eyes in a sexy way.

Bangs for round faces

Most bangs can be customized to flatter round faces, but big heavy fringes are a big no-no, stresses Davies. Instead, he recommends longer bangs which can be swept to the side for an edgy asymmetric style. This has the subtle effect of making your face look less round and gives you more styles to play with. Another alternative to try: Opt for a very short interior fringe around the hairline, suggests Davies. If you go for this look, don't forget to let some exterior hair fall over the top to break things up.

Celebrities with round faces

Famous faces with round faces include actresses Kirsten Dunst, Ginnifer Goodwin, Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci, and singer Jennifer Hudson.