The 14 Best Haircuts for Long Faces, According to a Hairstylist

Sarah Jessica Parker is easily one of the most recognizable faces in your cohort. And as Carrie Bradshaw herself demonstrates to great effect, long hair can look absolutely stunning on longer faces. The key here is to snip some well-placed layers throughout and keep plenty of texture and volume, as opposed to leaving your strands stick straight, which can draw your eyes down and make your face look longer. In short, if you have naturally wavy or curly hair, let your texture shine; if not, you can easily add some bend using a curling iron and volumizing spray.

Another way to balance out longer features with long hair? With a full set of fringe, of course. Whether you prefer a blunt bang like Dakota Johnson or want to try the ever-trendy curtain bangs (which truly flatters all), bangs of all styles offer a quick and easy way to make your forehead look shorter, which creates more symmetry overall. To add more volume to your fringe, rake some mousse through your roots before you blow dry your hair.

Prefer a short haircut? Take a cue from Tyra Banks and try a pageboy pixie. With full bangs and plenty of tousled texture up top, it’s a chic option for ladies with longer faces. Note: This type of cut works best when you have thicker strands because of the in-built volume. Just make sure to keep the sides closely cropped and add a bit of hair pomade or wax to the ends to keep things from getting too puffy.

For oblong faces, it’s helpful to create fullness through the sides of your hair like Greta Lee does here. More volume equals better balance. One way to achieve volume, especially if your hair tends to fall on the finer, straighter side, is to cut it short. More specifically, ask your stylist to snip your strands so they fall just below your chin and squarely above your shoulders. When styling your new bob at home, we’d recommend a blow dry brush, which will streamline your routine, while delivering a sleek finish.

Whereas the bob above is on the sleeker, blunter side, Taylor Swift’s is more layered and textured. Topped with forehead grazing fringe, the entire cut frames her face from every angle. Again, the sweet spot for a bob falls at or just below the chin because it creates the illusion of width, thereby bringing balance to longer features. Spray some dry shampoo liberally throughout your strands for lift where it counts most: the roots and sides.

Blessed with a head full of curls like Kelly Rowland? You’re already a step ahead, since coaxing out volume shouldn’t be an issue for you. If anything, you could try taking things up a notch by parting your hair to one side, keeping the rest of your hair loose and free and adding a little shine serum or oil through the mid-lengths and ends as a finishing step.

We’re willing to bet that Alexa Chung has inspired more lobs (and curtain bangs) than anyone in the last few years. With long layers cut at shorter angles to accentuate her cheekbones and chin, her signature style suits oblong features well, thanks to the way it rounds out the face. Use a flat iron to create a loose wave throughout, which adds even more fullness.

Once more because it bears repeating: Volume and texture are golden for longer faces because they add width to the sides. To keep your curls from being weighed down (and thus, weighing down your features), ask your stylist to cut your hair in layers, without thinning things out too much. For hold without crunch, try raking a flexible gel to damp hair. Big thanks to Tracee Ellis Ross for the inspo.

When working with oblong faces, look for styles that accentuate the width of your cheekbones. Side-swept bangs a la Sandra Oh will do just the trick. Bonus points if they’re worn with loose curls. On that note, curly hair can be prone to frizz, which is where a soft styling cream comes handy. (Oh’s stylist uses it on already dried hair to give a touch of shine and control without sacrificing bounce.)

A cross between a shag and mullet, the shullet (also referred to as “the wolf cut” on TikTok) offers plenty of texture and bulk to finer strands, thereby making it a solid style for longer faces. Follow Barbie Ferreira’s lead and keep the cut polished and shiny by working a styling cream through the mid lengths and ends.

"You want to make sure you don't have too much length on the sides of your head, and instead keep more length up top. This haircut opens up longer faces and draws the eyes up the face," shares Gregga. Again, similar to the pageboy pixie above, we'd recommend adding a bit of hair pomade to the ends to keep things from getting too puffy.

"Adding choppier layers and fringe are always a solid choice for my clients with longer features," says Gregga. "The face-framing pieces add more fullness to the front and sides, thereby balancing out the overall proportions. Also, styling this type of cut hair by adding or emphasizing waves and curls adds even more movement and opens up the face further," she adds.

If you're looking to make a statement, while also balancing out your features, you don't have to solely rely on a new cut. You can also play around with color. Gregga recommends trying a brighter hue and concentrating it to top of your head so it "immediately draws attention to the upper part of the face."

And if that feels a bit too bold for you, you can always opt for some balayage highlights instead. "When you have any length past the chin with no dimensional color or texture to break it up, it can make long faces look ever longer," Gregga cautions. Tip: Keep your highlights from turning brassy by using a purple shampoo once a week.