Style your hair according to the shape of your face!

Celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani tells you how to get your mane cut and styled to suit your features.

Hairstyling is not a profession you can get into if you do not understand the role a person's tresses play in highlighting his/her best features and hiding facial flaws.

The number one rule in this business is ALWAYS structure a hairstyle based on what a person looks like. Their facial structure is probably the single most important thing when deciding what sort of haircut to give them. Even the most standard haircuts need to be mixed and matched, based on little things, like how high the cheekbones are or how narrow the nose is. The most smashing style on one person can absolutely bomb on someone else.

Another thing to remember is that for any haircut, to look good, you need to ensure that your hair is healthy, strong and not prone to breakage. You can achieve this very simply by using a total care nourishing shampoo, followed by conditioner and finally serum, used to style your mane every alternate day.

Now without further ado, here are a few hairstyles for common Indian face structures:

Round face

If you have a round face, fear not. Long hair with long layers will work like a charm -- the layers will frame your face and take attention away from the roundness. For long hair, you will need to ensure that your hair is strong and thick. Avoid short styles like the plague, though -- they'll make your face appear rounder.

Heart-shaped faces are wider at the top, and this can result in your face looking slightly top-heavy. You need to balance that out and long, side-swept bangs will do the trick. This sort of hairstyle will take attention away from the top of your face and towards the eyes.

A face that is oblong will require bangs too. Bangs make your face appear shorter, because they cover up a particularly large forehead. One can choose from blunt bangs and long, sideswept bangs. Chin-length cuts will also work, because they create the illusion of width, moving the focus away from the length of your face. Experimentation is the new mantra. If you like colouring your hair, bangs will look even more beautiful.

Oval faces are the most versatile, and you should go for layers near your cheekbones, lips or chin. Bottom line -- draw attention to the feature that you want to highlight.