Best Hairstyles for Long Faces: What Suits a Long Face

We’ve already covered round, oval, heart, diamond, square and pear faces, so it’s high time long faces had their moment. We all have different shaped faces (whether we like it or not), and the good news is, hair extensions are an easy way to balance it out.

Here’s the quick answer: the most flattering hairstyles for long faces add width at the sides and break up the length. Think soft waves, layers around the cheekbones, a fringe and a side parting.

Below, you’ll find how to spot a long face, plus our favourite cuts by length and hair type.

What Is a Long Face Shape?

A long face shape (sometimes called an oblong face) is noticeably longer than it is wide. The forehead, cheekbones and jawline are all roughly the same width, the sides of the face run fairly straight, and the chin can be a little longer too.

How to tell if you have a long face

Wondering “do I have a long face?” Try this quick check:

1. Pull your hair back off your face and stand in front of a mirror.
2. Using a soft tape measure (or your eye), compare the length of your face, from hairline to chin, with its width across the cheekbones.
3. If the length is clearly greater, and your forehead, cheekbones and jaw look similar in width, you’ve most likely got a long face shape.

Long face vs oval face

These two get mixed up all the time. An oval face is widest at the cheekbones and tapers gently to a softer, rounded chin. A long face is straighter down the sides, with less of that taper. Some people describe themselves as having a long oval face shape, and that’s absolutely fine, as many of us are a mix. If your face curves in more at the jaw, have a read of 10 Of The Best Hairstyles For Oval Faces too.

Celebrities with long faces

Need some inspiration? These famous faces are often named as having a long face shape:

• Sarah Jessica Parker
• Liv Tyler
• Gisele Bündchen
• Kim Kardashian

What Hairstyle Suits a Long Face?

What hairstyle suits a long face? One that adds width at the sides and breaks up the vertical line of your face.

The golden rule: add width, break up the length

The best hairstyles for long faces bring volume out to the sides, rather than up on top. Soft waves, layers that sit around the cheekbones, a fringe and a side parting all help create balance. The one thing to keep low is height at the crown, as that draws the eye upwards and adds length.

What is the best hair length for a long face?

Anywhere from chin to collarbone is the easiest length to wear, because it ends right where you want a little width. Long hair still works beautifully, as long as it has layers and movement to add the volume you need. Just be careful with very long, flat hair as this can make the face appear longer.

Fringes and partings

A fringe is a long face’s best friend, because it visually shortens the face. Curtain fringes (longer pieces parted in the middle that sweep out to the sides) and soft, brow-skimming fringes are the safest bets. As for partings, a side parting adds width, while a strict middle parting can make the face look longer.

A fringe is a cut, so ask your hairdresser to shape one that suits your hair texture. For more ideas, see How To Choose The Perfect Fringe For Your Face Shape.

What Hairstyles Should Long Faces Avoid?

Does that mean these styles are off limits? Not at all, just tweak them.

Very long, poker-straight hair with no layers

Hair that hangs flat and straight past the chest pulls the eye downwards, making the face look longer. The easy fix is to add layers, a few loose waves or a fringe to bring some movement back to the sides.

Lots of height on top

High top knots, big crown volume and very high, sleek ponytails all add extra length. Try lower buns and ponytails instead and keep the fullness at the sides.

Scraped-back styles with nothing at the sides

A slicked-back look shows off the full length of the face. If you love it (it’s been trending for a while, so we get it), leave a few face-framing pieces out at the front, or add soft waves around your ears and cheekbones.

The Best Short Hairstyles for Long Faces

Short hair on long faces can look fantastic, as long as the shape sits at the sides rather than on top.

The chin-length bob

A bob that ends at the chin adds width exactly where it’s needed, which makes it the classic bob for a long face. A slight bend or soft waves make it even more flattering and gives you a slightly more laidback look. The one to skip is a long, sleek bob that’s much shorter at the back than the front, as the angle draws the eye down.

The French bob with a fringe

A French bob is a short, slightly undone bob that sits around the jaw or cheekbones. Paired with a full fringe, it’s one of the most flattering short hairstyles for long faces, because it breaks up the length twice.

The textured bixie

Let’s be honest: very short crops can make a long face look longer. If you love short hair, try a bixie, which sits halfway between a bob and a pixie. Ask for fullness at the sides and not too much height on top. Very short styles can take a while to grow out though, so you’ll want to be 100% sure before you take the plunge.

The Best Medium Length Hairstyles for Long Faces

This is the sweet spot, and where you’ll find some of the best haircuts for long faces.

The lob with a side parting

A lob (long bob) that ends around the collarbone, worn with a deep side parting and a soft bend, is easy to style and seriously flattering. It’s arguably the best haircut for a long face if you want minimal effort.

Face-framing layers

Face-framing layers for a long face should start around the cheekbones or jawline, adding width to the middle of the face. When you see your hairdresser, ask for the shortest layers to begin at your cheekbones and for the ends to be softly feathered rather than blunt. Looking for more haircut ideas for a long face? Browse 10 Layered Hairstyles With Hair Extensions.

The shag with a curtain fringe

A shag is a choppy, layered cut with lots of texture and movement. Add a curtain fringe and you’ve got a hair cutting style for a long face that brings width and a relaxed, lived-in feel. It looks especially gorgeous on wavy hair.

The Best Long Hairstyles for Long Faces

Good news for long hair lovers: long hairstyles for long faces work wonderfully with a few clever choices.

Long layers with loose waves

This is our top pick of hairstyles for long hair and long faces. Ask your hairdresser for long layers, then add loose waves from the cheekbones down to build width. Use a large round brush when blow-drying, or wrap sections around tongs, and always apply a heat protectant first.

Half-up, half-down

A half-up style is a pretty long face long hairstyle, as long as you keep the top section low and loose. Skip the high, tight knot, and leave the lengths waved so the fullness stays at the sides.

Low ponytails and low buns

A low, full ponytail or a soft, low bun with a few face-framing pieces left out is effortlessly flattering. For extra body, our clip-in ponytail extensions add fullness without adding height.

Adding length with extensions, the long face way

Here’s something most guides miss: extensions can add width as well as length. A few simple tips:

• Pick a mid-length. Rather than going for the longest option, try 16 inch clip-in extensions, or 18 inches at most, so the hair sits where you want width.
• Wear them waved. Our clip-in hair extensions are 100% Remy human hair, so you can curl and wave them just like your own hair (with heat protection, of course).
• Place them for width. Clip wefts in so the fullness sits around your ears and cheekbones, not up on the crown.
• Get the shade right. Our free colour matching service helps you find a seamless match.

Got fine hair? The One Piece Top Up is a single 10-inch-wide piece that adds thickness without much extra length. You can get long hairstyles for long faces using this extension type. Prefer something permanent, such as tape-ins? These should always be fitted by a qualified hair extension specialist.

Hairstyles for Long Faces by Hair Type

Here’s how to make the most of your natural texture.

Thin or fine hair

Fine hair can fall flat, which may make a long face look longer. The best hairstyles for long faces and thin hair are chin to shoulder length, with light layers and a fringe. A volumising blow-dry or a light clip-in set adds fullness at the sides. For more tips, read Turn The Volume Up: How To Use Hair Extensions For Volume.

Thick hair

Lucky you, thick hair already adds natural width! Long layers stop it from getting heavy and flat on top. Steer clear of a heavy, one-length cut.

Curly and afro hair

Curls naturally create width, so they’re a gorgeous match for long faces. Ask your hairdresser for a rounded shape with the fullness at the sides rather than the top. Want more length? If you’ve got a tightly curled ringlet texture, our curly clip-in extensions could match your texture. Just note they can’t be heat styled or coloured, and their length is measured stretched out, so they’ll look shorter once curled.

Wavy hair

Lean into your waves! Scrunch in a little product, diffuse, and let them sit around your cheekbones. Try not to straighten them flat every day because this will give your face less shape.

Conclusion

When it comes to hairstyles for long faces, remember the golden rule: add width at the sides and break up the length. The truth is, every face shape can wear almost anything with the right tweaks, and after 19 years in hair, we’ve seen it time and again. Ready to find your next look? Explore the rest of our face shape series, covering round faces, oval faces, heart and diamond faces, and square and pear faces.