The Best Haircut for an Oblong Face (Men): Add Width, Not Height

For an oblong face, choose a haircut that adds width at the sides, keeps the top low, and ideally brings some fringe onto the forehead to shorten it. A textured forward fringe, a scissor-cut side part and a textured mop top work best.

See these cuts on your own face. CutMuse renders 5 haircuts on your own face with AI from a front and a profile photo, and adds hair colors for your skin tone, glasses that suit you and instructions to give your barber.

How to know you have an oblong face

• Your face is clearly longer than it is wide, more stretched than the classic oval.
• Your forehead, cheekbones and jaw are about the same width, so the sides of the face run fairly straight.
• You have a high forehead, a long chin, or both.
• Tall quiffs and pompadours have made your face look even longer in photos.

The best haircuts for an oblong face (men)

1. Textured forward fringe with a low taper

Leave 2 to 3 inches on top and brush it forward so the fringe lands around mid-forehead, cut choppy with point cutting. The fringe takes a visible slice off the face's length, and a low taper, with a #3 or #4 above the ears, keeps enough weight at the sides to add width. Works well on straight and wavy hair, and it covers a high forehead without looking like a cover-up.

2. Side part with scissor-over-comb sides

No clippers above the ears: the sides are cut scissor over comb to about an inch, and the top, around 3 inches, is combed across with very little lift. The fuller sides widen the temples, and the diagonal of the part cuts across the vertical line of a long face. A classic, office-proof option for fine to medium straight hair. Style it with a light cream, not a high-hold gel that builds height.

3. Textured mop top

About 3 to 4 inches all over, cut in layers so the fringe brushes the eyebrows and the sides cover the tips of the ears. This puts the widest part of the silhouette at the temples and cheekbones, exactly where a long face needs it, and there's no height on top at all. Best for thick, straight to wavy hair. Ask for the weight to be removed from inside the layers so it doesn't turn into a helmet.

4. Ear-length shag with a side-swept fringe

A longer, choppier cut: layers ending between the ears and the jaw, with a fringe swept to one side. The volume sits at the sides and around the lower face, which balances the length, and the swept fringe breaks the forehead. Ideal for wavy hair that has natural movement. Use a sea salt spray and dry it with your fingers so the sides stay full.

5. Even buzz cut with a fuller beard

A #4 all over, with no fade and no extra length on top, so the head doesn't rise above the face. On its own a buzz can make a long face look longer, but paired with a beard kept fuller on the cheeks and short at the chin it adds width to the lower half. A good option for men with a thinning crown who still want a clean, deliberate look.

6. Curly fringe with a low taper

For curly and coily hair: 2 to 3 inches of curls pushed forward over the forehead, with a low taper that keeps the sides at a #2 or #3. The curls create width and cover part of the forehead, while the low taper keeps the sides from looking hollowed out. Ask your barber to shape the curls dry so the fringe falls where it will actually sit day to day.

What to avoid

• Tall pompadours, quiffs and faux hawks: every inch of height adds to the length you're trying to reduce.
• High skin fades: shaving the sides narrows the head and makes the face look longer and thinner.
• Slicked-back styles: they expose the entire forehead and stretch the face upward.

• Long, straight hair with a center part: it creates two vertical lines that lengthen the face further.
• Long chin beards and pointed goatees: they extend the chin downward.

What to ask your barber

Tell your barber about the length first, then the cut:

My face is on the long side, so I want to keep the height down and some weight at the sides. Please use a #4 on the sides, or scissor over comb, with a low taper only around the ears and neckline, no high fade. Leave about 3 inches on top, point cut it for texture, and bring the fringe forward so it sits mid-forehead. Please don't thin out the sides.

Related guides

• Haircuts for an oval face (men)
• Haircuts for a square face (men)
• Haircuts that balance a big forehead
• What haircut suits me: the best cut for each face shape
• A 5-step face shape test to confirm you're oblong
• A longer guide to oblong-face haircuts

FAQ

What haircut is best for a long face male?

A cut with a fringe and fuller sides, such as a textured forward fringe with a low taper or a textured mop top. Both shorten the face and add width.

Does a fade suit an oblong face?

A low taper does; a high skin fade doesn't. Taking the sides to skin high up narrows the head and makes a long face look longer.

Should I grow a beard with an oblong face?

Yes, if you keep it fuller on the cheeks and short at the chin. That adds width to the lower face instead of more length.

Is an oblong face the same as a rectangular face?

Mostly, yes. The terms are used interchangeably; "rectangular" usually describes an oblong face with a more angular jaw.

Can men with an oblong face wear long hair?

Yes, if it's layered with volume at the sides and some fringe. Flat, straight long hair with a center part lengthens the face.

A long face is one of the easiest to fix with the right cut, and one of the easiest to exaggerate with the wrong one. See these cuts on your own face with CutMuse and compare them before you commit.