Most lace size advice is about hair, not faces
Ask ten people about lace size and you'll hear ten people talk about parting. That's useful information, but it's half the picture. The other half is that where you put your part changes the shape of your face, and the lace size determines where you can put it.
This is the mapping we use when customers ask us what will flatter them.
First: what the part actually does
| Part position | Effect on the face |
|---|---|
| Middle part | Symmetrical. Adds height, draws attention vertically down the centre. Softens a wide or square face. |
| Side part (deep) | Asymmetrical. Adds visual height and diagonal movement. Softens a round face. |
| Side part (shallow) | Subtle asymmetry. Works on most faces, safest choice. |
| Curtain bangs | Frames the face on both sides. Softens a long or narrow face, adds width |
| Off-centre / side-swept | Breaks symmetry. Works on almost every face shape |
Face shape → lace size
| Face shape | Best part | Lace size to look for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Deep side part | 13x4 or 13x6 | You need enough depth to sweep the hair across and away from the forehead. A 4x4 closure can't do it. A deep side part also adds visual height, which rounds out a round face. |
| Square / angular | Middle or soft side part | 13x4 | Curved, softer hair movement balances angular jawlines. Avoid a very hard, straight side part. |
| Long / oval | Anything | 4x4 or 13x4 | Your face works with most parts. A 4x4 closure is genuinely enough here — don't spend more for the sake of it. |
| Heart | Middle or curtain bangs | 13x4 | A middle part balances a wider forehead and narrower chin. Curtain bangs fill in a narrow jawline. |
| Heart with a defined hairline | Curtain bangs | 13x6 | Extra depth lets the bangs sweep back without exposing the lace edge at the temples. |
| Narrow / petite | Middle | 4x4 or 13x4 | A middle part adds width to a narrow face. Keep the styling close to the head — volume on the sides makes a narrow face narrower. |
| Full cheeks, small chin | Deep side part, hair swept back | 13x6 | Hair pulled back off the face lengthens the lower half of the face. |
Why lace size is the limiting factor
Notice the pattern: whenever the best part needs depth, you need a 13x4 or deeper. Whenever it needs a fixed, centred part, a 4x4 is enough.
That's because a 4x4 closure has a 4-inch square of lace. It can be parted in the middle, or slightly off-centre. It cannot be swept across your forehead. A 13x4 has a 13-inch lace strip with 4 inches of depth, which gives you room to move the part anywhere across the front of the head.
If you're not sure about your face shape
Here's a shortcut that works most of the time: if you can't get the hair off your forehead and away from your face, you need a deeper lace. If you can wear a middle part comfortably and it makes you feel like yourself, a 4x4 closure will do everything you need for less money.
Second shortcut: 13x4 is the safe choice for most faces. It supports every part position that a 4x4 does, plus more. It's the size we recommend to most first-time buyers, and it's the size our own factory sells most of.
The 13x6 exceptions
13x6 earns its extra money in two situations:
- You want a deep side part that shows no lace at the temples — particularly if you have a high or very defined natural hairline
- You want curtain bangs that sweep fully back from the face
In both cases, the extra two inches of parting depth is what makes the difference between "the lace shows" and "it doesn't."
Face shape is only half of it
Two more things change the answer:
Your natural hairline. A very defined, high hairline needs more lace depth so the hair can be laid down to match. A soft, low hairline blends with less.
Your density. Higher density creates more visual volume at the hairline, which changes how the shape reads. 250% on a round face is more forgiving than 180%.