When it comes to finding the perfect hairstyle, face shape matters more than we might think. If we have a long face, the right cut can instantly balance our features and highlight our natural beauty. The wrong style, though, can leave us feeling less than confident.
We all deserve to love what we see in the mirror every day. That’s why discovering flattering hairstyles for long faces isn’t just about trends—it’s about embracing what makes us unique. Let’s explore the best looks that bring out our best features and help us feel amazing every time we step out.
Understanding Long Face Shapes
Let’s get clear on what sets a long face shape apart so we can pick hairstyles that actually work for us. Understanding the basic features makes it easier to find haircuts that highlight our best angles.
Identifying a Long Face Shape
We usually notice that a long face is noticeably longer than it is wide. Often, when we measure from the forehead to the chin, the length is about twice the width of our face. We see less prominent cheekbones and a forehead, cheek, and jawline that are all pretty similar in width. Looking in the mirror, if our face shape appears more rectangular or oval and our facial proportions are vertically stretched, that’s a strong clue.
Common Features of Long Faces
Our jawlines tend to be gently rounded instead of sharp. Most of us don’t have full cheeks; instead, our cheeks appear slim and elongated. We notice our foreheads are a bit taller and our chins may seem slightly pointed, adding extra length visually. When we pull our hair back, the overall vertical proportion feels more obvious. All of these signatures help us confirm we’re dealing with a long face shape, so we can target hairstyles that truly flatter.
Choosing the Right Hairstyles for Long Faces
Let’s jump into how the right hairstyle can bring harmony to a long face. We’ve found that making smart choices about balance and proportion is key.
Importance of Balance and Proportion
Building width is essential for anyone with a long face shape. We often reach for layered cuts that hit at the cheekbones because those add fullness exactly where it’s needed. Curtain bangs or full-on bangs work wonders since they break up facial length and soften the look around the forehead and chin. Choosing a side part does more than shift hair—it actually gives the face a wider, softer silhouette. Even the right waves, like disco waves, help open up the sides and counter any vertical stretch. For men, styles like the Ivy League, slick back, or faux hawk offer similar balance by keeping volume in check and encouraging width over height.
Mistakes to Avoid with Long Face Shapes
Skipping balance can make a long face look even longer. We avoid super long, sleek cuts and one-length hairstyles, as these only exaggerate length and miss out on much-needed width. Graduated bangs that fall downward tend to drag the eye, making the face appear even more stretched, so we steer clear. Pumping up too much volume at the crown adds unnecessary height—better to focus on styles that create fullness at the sides. Embracing these do’s and don’ts lets us find the most flattering look, every time.
Opting for Bangs to Shorten the Face
Bangs really can work wonders for long faces. They break up the vertical lines and help balance out our features, making the face instantly look more proportionate.
Curtain Bangs for Softness
Choosing curtain bangs brings a softly flattering effect. These should graze the bottom of our cheeks or hover near the chin, gently adding width and avoiding any harsh contrast. Our faces appear more balanced, and the cheek area gets a lovely focus with this cut—think of examples like Dakota Johnson or Camila Cabello who’ve successfully used curtain bangs to create harmony in their look.
Side-Swept Bangs for Dimension
Trying side-swept bangs offers great dimension when done right. The trick is keeping the length around the cheekbones or just slightly below, never falling too far down. This detail means our faces get that beautiful framing effect without unwanted extra length. Celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon often sport this bang style to help interrupt the long, vertical line of their face.
Blunt Bangs for a Bold Look
Adding blunt bangs gives a bold, face-shortening statement. These must be cut so they sit high enough on the forehead, delivering clear contrast between the bangs and the rest of our layers. That contrast ensures the eye stays at the top, rather than dragging downward and making things look longer. Models like Bella Hadid have showcased how blunt bangs can disguise a high forehead and inject real structure into longer face shapes.
Embracing Volume and Layers
Let’s jump into the magic that volume and layers work for long faces. We can shift attention, frame our features, and bring balance just by picking layered hairstyles with movement and fullness. Every layer adds texture, width, and softness, helping our faces look more harmonious and proportioned.
Long Layers for Movement
Long layers bring motion and dimension straight to our hair, breaking up a long face’s vertical lines. When we add disco waves or beachy waves, we see immediate fullness on the sides of our faces. Disco waves, styled with a deep side part and glamorous bends, open up facial proportions and give a softer, more feminine look, especially for formal nights out. Beachy waves work perfectly for casual days, creating a carefree vibe that pairs with medium to long hair and makes our faces appear wider.
Feathered Layers for Softness
Feathered layers give us a gentle, wispy effect that’s essential for breaking up any harsh length. When our layers hit at the cheekbones or jawline, they bisect our faces, instantly making them seem rounder and more balanced. These soft-edged cuts add fullness without the heaviness, letting our features shine. We love how feathered layers bring out a soft frame along our faces, whether styled straight or with a slight curl.
Textured Shags for Added Width
Textured shags are unbeatable when we want maximum width and a trendy edge. These cuts keep things fresh by adding layers and volume on the sides, offsetting facial elongation. Curly or choppy shags work wonders—each messy, defined layer gives structure and a visual break to straight lines. Some of us even go bold with choppy mullets. Starting layers higher up adds instant width, complements our cheekbones, and keeps our look full of energy and style.
| Hairstyle | Benefit for Long Faces | Example Styles |
|---|---|---|
| Long Layers | Adds movement and breaks vertical | Disco Waves, Beachy Waves |
| Feathered Layers | Softens, creates fullness at sides | Cheekbone, Jawline Layers |
| Textured Shags/Mullets | Builds width with edgy dimension | Curly, Choppy Shags, Mullets |
Trying Medium-Length and Short Styles
Let’s focus on the best ways to frame a long face using standout cuts at medium and short lengths. Mixing texture, layers, and strategic volume helps us draw attention to our features where it counts most.
Shoulder Length Lobs for Flattering Angles
We always get great results from a layered lob when we want balance. This cut usually sits between our chin and collarbone, which instantly breaks up vertical lines and adds width right where we need it. Soft layers on the sides bring fullness to our cheeks, helping our facial structure look more even and ever-changing.
Chin Length Bobs for Maximum Width
A blunt bob with bangs creates a striking shape for us. By ending near our jaw or chin, this haircut widens our face and gives the illusion of stronger cheekbones. Bangs that skim the cheeks—or hit just at the chin—work overtime to shorten the forehead and direct all the focus to our eyes and lips. This classic look remains a favorite because it’s crisp and geometric, highlighting our best features.
Wavy Mid Length Cuts for Balance
Texture is our secret weapon for softening the appearance of a long face. Mid-length cuts with beachy waves add instant volume along the sides, making our faces seem beautifully balanced. When we style our hair in loose, bouncy waves or try a curly shag, we give the sides extra fullness, turning a long silhouette into one with dimension and flair. We love that these low-maintenance styles suit both relaxed days and special nights out, all while complementing our proportions.
Adding Waves and Curls for Fullness
Let’s talk about how the right waves and curls can help soften a long face and create instant balance. We love these styles because they add width and movement right where we need it most.
Loose Waves for Natural Volume
Loose waves build up natural fullness and volume. Layers that graze our cheekbones, especially in chin- to shoulder-length cuts, make our faces look wider and less elongated. We find that soft, flowing waves blend seamlessly with layered cuts and add just the right amount of gentle roundness. Using a curling iron or sea salt spray, we can easily create these waves for everyday volume without harsh lines or sharp changes in shape.
Beachy Curls for a Playful Look
Beachy curls work wonders for breaking up face length and drawing attention outward instead of down. Styling a layered shag with tousled curls gives us a playful, edgy finish that adds noticeable width around our cheeks and jawline. Our favorite part about this look is how the textured layers give bounce and body, making our features appear more balanced. Many of us choose this style when we want carefree sophistication for both casual days and nights out.
Permed Styles for Lasting Body
Permed styles still offer lasting texture and body if we want something more permanent than daily styling. We always pick perms that concentrate body and fullness at the sides—never at the crown—to avoid exaggerating vertical length. By adding curl and wave around our cheekbones and jaw, permed looks give us all-day fullness and create a more symmetrical silhouette. When maintained properly, permed curls maintain shape for months, making them a low-maintenance choice that truly enhances a long face.
Incorporating Updos and Ponytails for Long Faces
We know updos and ponytails can do wonders for those of us with long faces if we tweak them to bring balance and softness. Let’s focus on versions that add width, fullness, and visual interest where we need it most.
Voluminous High Ponytails
A classic high ponytail really works when we add volume at the crown. Volume done right, using a texturizing spray or teasing at the roots, stops our face from looking even longer. Layering hair at the top before gathering it up can lift our features while the fullness around the crown broadens our overall shape. A few pieces pulled out around the temples or ears also soften the edges, so the final ponytail flatters, not elongates.
Messy Buns with Face-Framing Strands
Messy buns are perfect because the undone look brings both width and movement. We get the best results by keeping the bun slightly low or at the middle of our head and pulling out face-framing strands along the cheeks or jawline. These soft pieces break up length instantly and add visual volume around the sides, balancing our vertical proportions. Texture and lightly tousled finishes give our long face a charming, relaxed touch every time.
Braided Styles for Texture
Braids add width and texture that are essential for long faces. A loose side braid, for example, sweeps hair outward instead of straight down, while a crown or halo braid encircling our head draws attention horizontally. We love pulling apart braids slightly to give them more volume, or weaving in messy, undone strands to keep the look soft and dimensional. Texture-rich braiding makes our face look fuller and more balanced, whether we’re going casual or elegant.
Color Techniques to Enhance Hairstyles for Long Faces
Adding the right color makes a huge difference for those of us with long faces. Each technique works to bring balance, width, and dimension, letting our best features shine.
Face-Framing Highlights for Dimension
We can use face-framing highlights to instantly add dimension and width to a long face. Placing lighter strands at the temples and along the jawline draws attention outward rather than down. Many stylists use this trick, especially with layered lobs or beachy waves, which creates fullness around our features. Face-framing highlights make facial proportions appear shorter and more harmonious.
Ombre and Balayage for Depth
Ombre and balayage techniques give our hairstyles natural depth while visually balancing face shape. Starting with darker roots that fade into lighter ends, ombre coloring tricks the eye by suggesting width below the cheekbones. Balayage, painted on by hand, scatters highlights that break up the length of our faces and adds interest all over. Pairing these techniques with textured shags or mid-length cuts makes every angle more flattering.
Lowlights for Definition
Lowlights add crucial definition and depth in all the right places for us. By weaving slightly darker tones throughout our hair, especially near the cheeks and jaw, we get the effect of fuller, sharper features. Stylists often combine lowlights with highlights for a multidimensional appearance. This combo helps keep hair from looking flat and tones down length, making our faces seem more balanced and well-defined.
Celebrity Inspiration: Hairstyles for Long Faces
We see celebrities with long faces often nail styles that perfectly balance and flatter their features. Let’s take a cue from these famous faces and learn how to recreate the looks that make them shine.
Iconic Looks from Celebrities with Long Faces
Emma Stone and Gwyneth Paltrow showcase how curtain bangs can transform a long face. Curtain bangs that skim the bottom of the cheeks or nearly reach the chin create width and break up facial length, making features look more harmonious. Taylor Swift’s full-on blunt bangs grab attention while giving her face a fuller, softer look—ideal for concealing a tall forehead and balancing slim cheeks. Michelle Williams follows suit, using classic straight bangs to add shape and avoid pulling the eye down. Karlie Kloss is known for her side-parted lob, a chin-to-shoulder style layered for extra width, which makes her face appear more even and proportioned. Farrah Fawcett made disco waves famous, pairing a deep side part with voluminous waves that soften her lengthened contours and give a glamorous, feminine edge.
When it comes to men, we spot David Beckham often wearing an Ivy League cut. This style lifts the hair on top and adds definition without exaggerating height, making it a strong choice for balancing longer faces. Leonardo DiCaprio keeps his look sophisticated and polished with a slick back, keeping the sides short and swept away to avoid stretching the face further. Zac Efron tries contemporary versions of the faux hawk, focusing height toward the center, and short sides for a ever-changing appearance that adds balance and movement.
How to Recreate Celebrity Styles
We start by asking our stylist for curtain bangs that hit just above or at the chin if we’re going for Emma Stone’s or Gwyneth Paltrow’s look. Layers around the cheekbones help create fullness, echoing the dimension these celebrities achieve. If full-on bangs are our goal, requesting bangs that fully cover the forehead but leave a distinct separation from layered sides channels Taylor Swift’s statement style. We keep the line blunt and avoid thinning out the ends to get that chic, solid curtain.
Creating a side-parted lob like Karlie Kloss’s is all about cutting the hair between chin and shoulder length and adding deliberate layers to boost width. We make sure the side part is slightly deep. Disco waves require us to establish a side part, use a big barrel curling iron, and tease the roots for extra volume—mirroring Farrah Fawcett’s legendary bounce.
For men wanting David Beckham’s Ivy League, we leave more length up top and blend the sides using clippers for a neat fade. Styling the top with a touch of hair cream gives it volume and control without stiffness. To mimic Leonardo DiCaprio’s slick back, we comb the hair straight back and apply a dime-sized amount of gel or pomade. For Zac Efron’s faux hawk, we ask for short faded sides and keep about two inches up top. We use a holding gel to brush the center upwards, creating a sculpted, modern look.
By learning from celebrity favorites and taking exact styling steps, we can easily adapt these iconic looks for our own long faces, ensuring balance and confidence every day.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect hairstyle for a long face is all about celebrating what makes us unique and feeling confident in our own skin. With the right cut, texture, and color, we can enhance our features and create a balanced look that feels both modern and flattering.
Let’s remember that experimenting with styles is part of the fun. Whether we’re inspired by celebrities or want to try something new, the key is to embrace our individuality and choose what makes us feel our best every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if I have a long face shape?
A long face shape is typically longer than it is wide, with a gently rounded jawline, slim cheeks, a taller forehead, and a slightly pointed chin. If your face appears vertically stretched in photos and side profiles, you likely have a long face shape.
What hairstyles flatter a long face?
Layered cuts that hit at the cheekbones, styles with bangs, side parts, and waves add width and balance to a long face. Medium-length lobs, chin-length bobs, and textured shags work well to soften and enhance your features.
Why should people with long faces avoid one-length haircuts?
One-length haircuts and sleek, long styles can emphasize the vertical length of your face, making it appear even longer. Instead, opt for layers and volume to create proportion and add softness.
Are bangs a good option for long face shapes?
Yes, bangs are ideal for long faces. Curtain, side-swept, or blunt bangs break up the vertical line of the face, making it look shorter and more balanced. They also frame features and add volume.
Can men with long faces use similar hairstyle principles?
Absolutely. Men with long faces benefit from styles that add volume and width, such as the Ivy League cut or slicked-back looks with fullness on the sides. Avoid styles with excessive height at the crown.
What role do layers play in flattering a long face?
Layers add movement and fullness, drawing attention outward instead of downward. Long layers, feathered ends, and shaggy cuts create a balanced, flattering silhouette that enhances a long face shape.
Do certain hair colors help balance a long face?
Yes, face-framing highlights, balayage, and ombre techniques add dimension and width to a long face. Lowlights can also create depth and help visually tone down the length for a more balanced look.
What are the best updos or ponytails for long faces?
For long faces, choose updos or ponytails that add width and volume at the sides. Loose, low ponytails, side-swept bangs, or soft tendrils around the cheeks help balance out your proportions.
Which celebrities have long faces with flattering hairstyles?
Celebrities like Emma Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, and David Beckham all have long faces and wear hairstyles that add volume, layers, and bangs. Their styling choices can serve as great inspiration for flattering your face shape.
How do waves or curls affect a long face shape?
Waves and curls add width and softness, helping to balance a long face. Loose waves, beachy curls, and textured finishes create the illusion of a shorter, more proportionate face.
