Haircuts for an oblong face, for men

The rule

An oblong face measures above about 1.5 on the length to width ratio, with straight cheek lines and a forehead and jaw close to the same width. Nothing about it needs hiding. The job of the haircut is to change the proportion: make the face read shorter and wider than the outline alone suggests.

Two moves do that. A fringe brought forward covers part of the forehead and shortens the face from the top. Weight at the sides adds width where a long face has none. Every cut that suits an oblong face does one or both. Every cut that fights it adds height or strips the sides.

The measurement matters here because an oblong face and a long oval get the same advice on height, but differ on the fringe. If your reading was oblong with oval as the runner-up, a lighter fringe will do the job the full one does below.

Short cuts

The French crop is the standard short cut for an oblong face. The top is left a few centimetres long and worn forward as a fringe, the sides are tapered rather than faded high, and there is no lift. The fringe takes a band off the forehead; the flat top adds no length.

A textured crop works on the same principle if the fringe is kept down and the texture is used for movement rather than height. Ask the barber to leave the sides fuller than usual, a number three or four rather than a one.

Very short cuts are the ones to be careful with. A buzz cut at one length shows the full length of the face with no fringe to break it, and a crew cut with lift adds height. If you want it short, keep a short forward fringe and sides no shorter than a number two.

Medium cuts

Medium length is where an oblong face does best. A side part with moderate length and no lift is the classic answer: the top lies flat, the part breaks the vertical line of the forehead, and the sides sit at a length that adds width. Keep it low and comb across, not up.

A medium textured cut with the sides left fuller adds width directly. The top is cut with movement but kept flat, the fringe is worn forward or to one side, and the sides are only slightly shorter than the top. It reads relaxed and suits thick hair.

A medium cut with the fringe brought forward and worn down is the most direct fix. It shortens the forehead by a few centimetres, and if the sides carry a little weight the whole face reads wider.

Long hair

Long hair suits an oblong face if the weight sits at the sides and there is a fringe. A medium-long cut with the hair falling around the ears and cheeks, a layered cut with width at the sides, or a longer style with a curtain fringe brought forward all add width and shorten the forehead.

The style to avoid is long hair pulled straight back or up. A slicked-back long cut, a top knot or a man bun with tight sides exposes the full length of the face and takes every bit of width away. If you wear long hair up, leave the front down.

Sides, fades and the neckline

The sides on an oblong face should carry weight. A low taper, where the hair shortens gradually toward the ears and the shortest point sits low, keeps width at the temples and cheeks. Leave the sides fuller than the barber's default; a long face can take it.

Do not take a high skin fade. It removes the width from the sides, which is the one thing an oblong face needs, and it makes the face look longer by contrast. Very tight, short sides do the same at any height.

A square neckline at the back adds a little width at the base of the head and gives the long outline a corner. A rounded neckline is softer. Either works; the square line is the better default for a long face.

Fringes

A fringe is the single most useful element for an oblong face. Brought forward and worn down, it covers part of the forehead and shortens the face. A full fringe at brow level takes the most off; a textured, slightly uneven fringe looks less severe and still does most of the job.

A curtain fringe that opens at the centre and falls to each side shortens the forehead less but adds width at the temples. It suits an oblong face that is only a little long, and it works well on wavy hair.

The fringe to avoid is none at all. A cut that exposes the whole forehead, whether slicked back, pushed up or buzzed, shows the full length of the face with nothing to break it.

Curly, wavy and thick hair

Curls on an oblong face want to go out, not up. A curly fringe worn forward, a medium curly cut with the sides left full, or a taper with the shortest point kept low all add width and cover the forehead. Keep the sides long; curl that spreads sideways is doing the work.

Thick, straight hair tends to stand up on top, which adds height. Have it thinned at the crown with texturising shears so it lies flat, and leave the bulk at the sides where it adds width.

Thinning hair and receding hairlines

A receding hairline lengthens the forehead, which on an oblong face is the one thing you do not want. Bring the hair forward, not back. A short forward fringe, a textured crop with the front down, or a side part falling across the temples all cover the corners where recession shows first.

If the top is thinning, keep it at a moderate length rather than very short, so a fringe is still possible. A close crop with a short forward fringe hides more than a buzz cut, and sides left slightly fuller keep the width.

Pairing the cut with a beard

A beard on an oblong face adds length unless it is shaped not to, so the shaping is everything. Keep the chin short, stubble to about a centimetre, and let the cheeks carry the length. A full beard short under the chin, a high-cheek boxed beard, or wide sideburns add width without length.

Set the cheek line high and the neck line high, and keep the underside of the chin close. Avoid goatees, long chin beards and ducktails, which extend the face downward. The beard styles for an oblong face page has the lengths and lines.

A flat-topped cut with a fringe pairs with a full-sided short beard: both add width and neither adds height. Do not put a tall quiff above any beard, which lengthens the face at both ends.

Glasses and the cut together

Tall or oversized frames, and frames with decorative temples, suit an oblong face because they add width and break the vertical line. A deep frame takes a band off the length. Avoid narrow, shallow frames, which emphasise the length. The glasses guide covers frame width and depth.

A fringe and a deep frame work together: the fringe shortens the forehead, and the frame covers a band across the middle of the face, so the length is broken twice.

What to avoid on an oblong face

• A high pompadour, a tall quiff or a spiky top, all of which add height.
• A high skin fade or very tight, short sides that strip the width.
• Slicked-back styles that expose the full length of the face.
• A buzz cut at one length with no fringe.
• Long hair pulled straight back or up with the sides tight.
• Goatees, long chin beards and ducktails that extend the face downward.
• Narrow, shallow glasses frames.

Check your proportions first

Oblong is easy to over-read from a photo taken with the chin lifted, which stretches the face, or with the camera held high. Take the photo from a metre away with the camera at eye level, face it straight on, and read the runner-up if the confidence is under 50.

The face shape test for men gives the length to width ratio and the forehead and jaw ratios, measured in your browser. Length to width above about 1.5 is a firm oblong. Above 1.7, a full fringe and fuller sides make the biggest difference; between 1.5 and 1.6, a curtain fringe may be enough.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best haircut for a long face for men?

A cut with a flat top, a fringe brought forward and some weight at the sides: a French crop with the fringe worn down, a side part with no lift, or a medium textured cut with the sides left fuller. The fringe shortens the forehead and the sides add width, which a long face lacks.

Should a man with an oblong face get a fade?

Not a high one. A high skin fade strips the width from the sides and leaves the length of the face as the only thing you see. A low taper that keeps the sides short but present is fine; the shortest point should sit near the ears, not up at the temples.

Do pompadours and quiffs suit a long face?

No. Both add height at the front, and height is length on an oblong face. A pompadour can add several centimetres and tip a long face into looking very long. If you like hair swept back, keep it low and flat, or push it to one side instead.

Does a beard help an oblong face?

Yes, if it is shaped for width rather than length. A beard kept short under the chin and fuller on the cheeks and sides, with a high cheek line, adds width to the lower face. A goatee or a long chin beard does the opposite and makes the face longer.