Hairstyles for an oval face

The one rule

An oval face is slightly longer than it is wide, with its width at the cheekbones. Every good hairstyle for this shape does one of two things: it keeps that width visible, or it stops the eye from travelling straight down the length of the face. Every bad one does the opposite, by piling height on the crown or by hanging straight and flat past the jaw with nothing at the sides.

If you remember nothing else: keep the width, do not stack the height.

Long hair

Long hair suits an oval face as long as it has movement. Long layers that start around the cheekbones or chin add width where the face is already widest and keep the ends from dragging the outline down. Loose waves do the same job with less cutting.

The cut to avoid is long, one-length, very straight hair with a centre part. It draws two vertical lines either side of the face and makes it read taller and narrower than it is. If you want a centre part with long hair, add face-framing layers so there is something happening at cheek level.

Medium length: the lob and the collarbone cut

The long bob, cut to sit between the chin and the collarbone, is the most reliable medium-length shape for an oval face. It ends at or just below the jaw, which frames the rounded chin, and it can be worn straight, waved or tucked. A collarbone-length cut with soft layers does the same with a little more movement.

Both work with or without a fringe. A side-swept fringe softens the forehead and breaks the vertical; a curtain fringe that opens at the centre and sweeps to each side adds width at the temples.

Short hair and bobs

The oval is one of the few shapes that can take a very short cut without any compensation. A pixie with texture on top, a cropped bob at chin length, and a chin-length blunt bob all expose the jaw and cheekbones, which is exactly what you want to show.

Keep a little texture or side-swept movement on top rather than a tall, spiky crown. Height on a short cut is the fastest way to make an oval look long.

Bangs and fringes

Oval faces can wear all three main fringe types:

• Blunt, straight-across shortens the forehead visually. Safe on an oval because the face has length to spare.
• Curtain fringe parts in the middle and frames the cheekbones. The most flattering option for most ovals.
• Side-swept is the softest and works at any hair length.

Keep the fringe from sitting too heavy and low; a fringe that covers the brows entirely can make the visible part of the face look wide and short.

Men's hairstyles for an oval face

Short and medium cuts that show the outline work best. A classic short back and sides with a little length and texture on top, a slicked-back style, a textured crop, a side part, or a medium-length cut pushed back all suit an oval. Because the face has no feature that needs hiding, the cleanest cuts read the best.

The caution is height. A tall pompadour or a high quiff adds several centimetres of vertical and tips the proportions toward oblong. If you like the style, keep the height moderate and let the sides carry a little weight rather than being skin-faded to nothing.

Hair texture

Curly and coily hair adds width naturally, which flatters an oval face; keep the length around the jaw or longer so the shape reads as a frame rather than a halo of height. Fine, straight hair benefits most from layers and a fringe, because it otherwise falls flat against the face and emphasises length.

What to avoid on an oval face

• Very tall volume at the crown, whether it is a beehive, a high quiff or teased roots.
• Long, straight, one-length hair with a centre part and no layers.
• Heavy fringes that sit below the brows and hide the top third of the face.

A quick way to check a cut before you commit

Pull your hair back and photograph your face straight on. Run it through the face shape test and note the length-to-width ratio. If it is already near 1.5, treat any style that adds height with suspicion. If it is nearer 1.3, you have room for a little volume on top.