Haircuts for an oval face, for men

The rule

An oval face measures around 1.3 to 1.5 on the length to width ratio, with the cheekbones as the widest point and a jaw that is a little narrower than the forehead. The corners are soft. Nothing needs balancing, so the haircut has no correction to make.

That freedom has one edge. The face is already longer than it is wide, so anything that adds a lot of height on top, or strips all the width from the sides, pushes it toward an oblong read. Show the outline; do not stretch it.

The measurement matters because oval sits between the other shapes. If your reading was oval with oblong as the runner-up, take the height caution seriously. If round was the runner-up, a little more height than this page suggests is fine.

Short cuts

A classic short back and sides is the reference cut for an oval face. The sides are tapered, the top is left a few centimetres long with some texture, and the outline of the head shows all the way round. It reads clean because there is nothing it has to hide.

A textured crop works the same way with a shorter fringe brought forward. A crew cut suits an oval as long as the top is not shaved flat; leave a little length so the crown has some shape. A buzz cut works too, and on an oval it needs no fade to help it.

Medium cuts

Medium length on an oval face is where the choice is widest. A side part with the top combed over and the sides tapered, a slicked-back cut with a little length pushed straight back, or a medium cut with texture and movement all suit the shape.

A quiff or a pompadour works at moderate height. Aim for one or two fingers of lift at the front rather than the tall version. The lift adds interest without adding enough length to change the proportion.

The medium cut to be careful with is the one that piles all the weight on top and leaves the sides very short. It reads tall and narrow. If you like the silhouette, keep the sides at a taper rather than a fade.

Long hair

Long hair suits an oval face because the outline does not need the hair to reshape it. A medium-long cut pushed back, a swept-back style with the ears half covered, a man bun or a top knot with the sides left at a moderate length, or shoulder-length hair with some layering all work.

The one caution is the centre part with long, straight hair left hanging. On an oval face it draws two vertical lines either side and lengthens the read. Push it back, tuck it, or add a little wave so there is some width at cheek level.

Sides, fades and the neckline

A taper, where the sides are short and graduated but not shaved to skin, fits an oval face better than a high fade. It keeps a little width at the temples and above the ears, which stops the face reading as a column under a tall top.

A low or mid fade is fine when the top is kept short. A high skin fade under a tall top is the combination that turns an oval into an oblong. If you want the sharp look of a fade, keep the height on top down to match.

At the neckline, either a rounded or a squared finish works on an oval. A squared neckline adds a hint of structure to a soft outline, which some men prefer.

Fringes

A fringe on an oval face is optional and mostly a matter of style. A short textured fringe brought forward, or a side-swept fringe, both work and take a little length off the forehead, which an oval can afford.

A heavy, straight fringe cut across the brows shortens the face, and on an oval that is not usually needed. A long curtain fringe left down at the sides adds width at the temples, which the shape does not need either. Both are wearable; neither improves the outline.

Curly, wavy and thick hair

Curl on an oval face can be worn longer than on most shapes because the width it adds at the sides does no harm. A curly top with tapered sides, a medium curly cut with the ears half covered, or a longer curly style pushed back all suit it.

Thick straight hair holds shape well, so most of the cuts above are easy to keep. Ask for the bulk thinned out at the crown rather than the sides if the top gets heavy, so the height stays moderate.

Thinning hair and receding hairlines

A receding hairline lengthens the forehead, which on an oval face pushes the proportion toward oblong. The fix is not to cover it but to keep the top short and textured, so the eye is not drawn to the extra length. A short crop, a crew cut, or a short slicked-back style all work.

If the top is thinning, keep it short. Long, flat hair on a thinning crown adds nothing and shows the scalp. A short textured crop with the sides at a taper gives the most shape for the least hair, and it keeps the balance of the outline.

Pairing the cut with a beard

The beard on an oval face is about finish rather than correction. Stubble, a short boxed beard, or a full beard at moderate length all suit it. Keep the chin about as long as the cheeks, and let the cheek line follow its natural edge.

Watch the total vertical. A tall haircut with a long beard adds length at both ends of the face. Pair a taller cut with shorter facial hair, or a longer beard with a shorter, tighter cut. The beard styles for an oval face page has the lengths and lines.

Glasses and the cut together

Square, rectangular, wayfarer and aviator frames all suit an oval face, and a frame with some angles gives the soft outline something to hold. Keep the frame about as wide as the face. The glasses guide covers frame width and the one proportion to watch.

A moderate-height cut with a frame that has a straight top line reads balanced: the frame gives a horizontal, the hair a gentle vertical, and neither dominates.

What to avoid on an oval face

• A tall pompadour or high quiff, which adds several centimetres and tips the read to oblong.
• A high skin fade under a lot of length on top.
• Long straight hair left down with a centre part.
• A long, pointed chin beard, or a tall cut paired with a long beard.
• A heavy straight fringe combined with a receding hairline, which shortens the front and lengthens the top at once.

Check your proportions first

Oval is the reading most people hope for, and the one most often confused with its neighbours. A photo taken from too close widens the cheeks and can turn an oblong into an oval; one taken from above lengthens the forehead and does the reverse. Stand a metre away and face the camera straight on.

The face shape test for men gives the length to width ratio, the jaw to cheek ratio and the jaw angle, measured in your browser. Length to width between about 1.3 and 1.5, with a jaw around 70 to 85 percent of cheekbone width, is a firm oval. Above 1.5, read the oblong page too.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best haircut for an oval face for men?

Short and medium cuts that show the outline: a short back and sides with texture on top, a textured crop, a side part, a slicked-back style, or a medium cut pushed back. Because nothing on an oval face needs hiding, the cleanest cuts read the best. Keep the height moderate.

Can a man with an oval face wear a pompadour?

Yes, at moderate height. A tall pompadour or a high quiff adds several centimetres of vertical and tips an oval face toward oblong. Keep the top a finger or two high, and let the sides carry a little weight so the face does not read as a narrow column.

Should the sides be faded to skin on an oval face?

A taper or a low fade suits an oval better than a high skin fade. Skin-faded sides remove all the width at the temples, and on a face that is already longer than wide that narrows it further. Leave a couple of millimetres at the shortest point.

Which beard suits an oval face?

Stubble, a short boxed beard, or a full beard at moderate length with the chin kept about as long as the cheeks. The one to avoid is a long, pointed chin beard, which adds length where an oval face does not need it and pulls the outline toward oblong.