Best Haircut for Long Face Male: What to Ask For
Short answer: the best haircut for long face male shapes adds width at the sides and keeps height on top low. Go for a fringe, a side part, a messy medium cut or curtains with some fullness at the sides. Avoid tall quiffs, pompadours and high skin fades, because they stretch a long face even more.
The rule fits in four words: add width, not height.
If you've ever felt your face looks "stretched" in photos, Glowmaxx scores your hair and your angle from one selfie and tells you which one to fix first. Start my glow-up
The rule: add width, not height
A long or oblong face is noticeably longer than it is wide, often with a tall forehead, long chin, or both. The goal of any long face haircut is to make the face read as a little wider and a little shorter.
That means:
- Keep the sides fuller. Not puffy, just not skinned.
- Keep the top lower. Volume should go forward or sideways, not up.
- Break up the vertical line. A fringe does this better than anything.
How to tell if you have a long face
Take a straight-on photo at eye level, about arm's length away. Look at the distance from hairline to chin, then the width across your cheekbones. If the length is clearly bigger, roughly one and a half times or more, you're in oblong territory. It's not a precise science, and plenty of guys are somewhere between long and oval. Oval faces can wear almost anything, so you've got options either way.
Best cuts for a long face
1. Textured fringe
The number-one hairstyle for long face male shapes. Hair falls forward, covers part of the forehead and visually shortens the face. Ask for two to three inches on top, choppy, with a low taper. If your forehead is tall too, see our haircut for big forehead male list, since the two overlap a lot.
2. Classic side part
A side part with medium length on the sides is a timeless haircut for long face men. The diagonal line across the head adds width. Keep the top flat-ish; don't blow it into a quiff.
3. Messy medium length
Three to four inches, loose and slightly wavy. It adds width naturally and looks easy. Great haircut for long face boys who don't want to style much before school.
4. Curtains with full sides
The middle-part look works if the hair falls outward, not straight down. Flat curtains framing a long face can make it look even longer, so ask for some layering to give it body at cheek level.
5. Crew cut with a longer top
If you want short, a crew cut keeps it tidy. Ask for the sides at a number 3 or 4 rather than a 1, and keep the top short enough that it doesn't stand up.
6. Haircut for oblong face male Asian hair
Straight, thick hair is great for a long face because it sits forward naturally. A textured fringe or a two-block cut (longer top, short underneath, with the top falling over the sides) both add width. Ask the barber not to cut the top so short that it spikes straight up.
Cuts to avoid with a long face
| Cut | Problem with a long face |
|---|---|
| Tall pompadour or quiff | Adds height on top |
| High skin fade | Makes the sides narrow |
| Undercut with volume on top | Narrow sides, tall top: double stretch |
| Very long, flat straight hair | Pulls the face down |
| Slick-back | Shows the full forehead length |
| Faux hawk | Height dead center |
The worst combo for a long face is the one you see everywhere: high skin fade plus a big styled top. It looks great on round faces, which is exactly why it doesn't on yours. (Opposite problem? We wrote a haircut for chubby face male guide too.)
Fringe vs no fringe
Fringe: the fastest way to make a long face look shorter. Even a light fringe covering the top third of your forehead works.
No fringe: fine, but compensate. Use a side part, keep the sides a bit longer, and don't push hair up.
Not sure which looks better on you? Honestly, it's hard to tell from the mirror. You see your face so often it stops looking like anything.
This is the part people get stuck on: picking between two cuts by staring at yourself. Glowmaxx scores your hair out of 10 from a single selfie, with a short note, and the same photo always gets the same score. Take one with your hair pushed forward and one with it pushed back and compare the hair score, no guessing. Start my glow-up
Sideburns and side length
Small details, big effect:
- Sideburns: keep them to about mid-ear. Very long sideburns draw a vertical line down your face. Shaving them off completely can make the face look narrower.
- Side length: a number 3 or longer on the sides keeps width. Avoid going to skin above the ear.
- Taper height: low taper over mid or high fade.
Beard notes for older teens
If you can grow some facial hair, a long face benefits from keeping the beard fuller at the sides and shorter at the chin. A long goatee or pointed chin beard adds length. If you can't grow much yet, that's completely normal, and a haircut for long face men without beard still works great: just lean harder on the fringe and side fullness. (Trimming the patchy stuff? Our trimmer vs razor for face comparison helps.)
How to ask your barber for a long face haircut
Copy this:
- "I've got a longer face, so I want to add width, not height."
- "Keep the sides at a 3 or 4, low taper at the neck, no skin fade."
- "About ___ inches on top, textured, sitting forward."
- "Please don't style it up at the end. Push it forward so I can see it."
- "Keep sideburns at mid-ear."
Bring a reference photo of someone with a similar face shape. Celebrities with long faces and fringes are easy to find on Pinterest.
Get the haircut for long face male shapes right the first time
In the next minute, Glowmaxx can score your hair, grooming, skin, posture and angle, and light and fit from one selfie, then give you three moves for today aimed at your lowest score. It never scores your face shape, only what you can change, like your cut.
FAQ
What haircut is best for an oblong face male?
A textured fringe or a side part with fuller sides. Both make the face look a little wider and shorter, which balances an oblong shape.
What haircut should I avoid with a long face?
Avoid tall quiffs, pompadours, faux hawks and high skin fades. They add height on top and take width off the sides, which makes a long face look even longer.
Is a fringe good for a long face?
Yes. A fringe is one of the easiest ways to shorten a long face visually, because it covers part of the forehead and adds a horizontal line.
What's a good haircut for long face men without beard?
A textured fringe with a low taper or a messy medium cut. Without a beard to add width at the jaw, the hair has to do more work at the sides.
Can guys with long faces get a fade?
Yes, a low fade or low taper is fine. Just avoid going to skin high on the sides, and keep the top lower so you're not adding height.