18 Best Hairstyles for Men with Oblong Faces (+ How to Style Them)

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Learn which hair & beard styles flatter & balance the oblong face

Co-authored by Shun Pittman and Devin McSween

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Hairstyles

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Beard Styles

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Identifying an Oblong Face

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If you have an oblong face shape, which means your face is long and narrow, you’re probably looking for hairstyles that flatter you. Luckily, we’re here to help! We spoke with professional hair stylists and barbers to learn which haircuts and beards look best on men with an oblong face shape. Plus, we’ll tell you how to determine if you have an oblong face shape if you’re not sure. Keep reading to learn more!

Oblong Face Shape Hairstyles for Men

Oblong Face Shape Hairstyles Male Summary

The best hairstyles for the oblong face shape add width and volume to the sides of the face, without creating too much height on top. Some great styles include the side part, curtain bangs, Ivy League cut, long hair with layers, and a mullet fade.

Section 1 of 3:

Top Hairstyles for the Oblong Face Shape

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Side part Adding a side part to your current hairstyle is a super easy way to flatter your oblong face shape. According to master hair stylist Jamie Bushman, the side part is a great style for people who have a longer face shape, since it helps to visually shorten the face and forehead.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jamie Bushman
Master Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} Plus, it creates more volume at the side, which helps your face appear wider.
- How to style: Use a comb to create a neat part on whichever side of your head you prefer. As a general guide, master hair stylist Frankie Sanderson says, “Typically, the best place to part your hair is over the arch of your eyebrow.”^{[2]
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  Frankie Sanderson
  Makeup Artist & Stylist
  
  Expert Interview}
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Jamie Bushman is a master hair stylist and owner of The Circle Salon, with over 22 years of experience.

Frankie Sanderson is a hair stylist and founder of TheStudeo, a styling business that specializes in hair, makeup, and personal image.

Shun Pittman is a hair stylist and founder of Corps d’Elite Salon and Corps d’Elite Beauty. She has over 25 years of experience.

Gina Almona is a professional hair stylist and owner of Blo It Out, a hair salon. She has over 20 years of experience.

Timmy Yanchun is a professional barber and co-founder of Svelte Barbershop + Essentials, a men’s grooming company.
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Side-swept fringe According to hair stylist Shun Pittman, people with oblong face shapes look great with fringe. She says it creates a horizontal line across the forehead, which helps the face appear shorter, and it creates width along the sides of the face.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Shun Pittman
Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} A side-swept fringe pairs well with lots of different hairstyles—just aim to keep your hair longer on top so you can cut your fringe at an angle and swoop it across your forehead.
- How to style: Part your hair to the side and sweep your fringe across your forehead with a comb or your fingers. Then, apply a bit of pomade or styling cream to your fringe to keep it in place and give it a tousled look.
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Curtain bangs Curtain bangs are another trendy fringe style that looks great on oblong face shapes. Professional hair stylist Gina Almona agrees, saying that bangs are always a great idea for people who have a more elongated face, as they help the face look shorter.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Gina Almona
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} With this style, you keep your hair longer on the top and sides, part it in the middle, and create swooping bangs on either side of your face.
- How to style: Spritz your damp hair with sea salt spray to give it a bit of texture. Then, blow-dry your hair and apply a bit of pomade to keep the style in place.
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Short quiff The quiff is a classic style that helps add width to oblong face shapes, giving your face a more balanced look. Just keep the quiff on the shorter side to prevent adding more length to your face. To achieve the style, just keep your hair longer on top and shorter on the sides. For instance, opt for a low or mid fade on the sides.
- How to style: Apply a bit of mousse or gel to the roots of your damp hair. Then, blow-dry your hair upwards and back. Comb your hair back and apply a bit of pomade or wax to hold the style in place.
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Short pompadour The pompadour is a similar style to the quiff, which also adds volume and width to the oblong face shape. Simply keep your hair longer on top to achieve the swept-up look. Then, keep the sides shorter with a low to mid fade.
- How to style: Rum pomade through the roots of your damp hair. Then, brush your hair up and back as you blow-dry it. Apply a bit more pomade to smooth down your hair.^{[5]
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Faux hawk The faux hawk is an edgy style that mimics the bold look of the mohawk. With this style, simply keep your hair long on the top and add a low or mid fade to the sides. Then, you spike up your hair, which helps add volume to the sides of your face.
- How to style: Rub a bit of mousse or styling cream between your hands. Then, brush your hair upward to create a textured, spiky look.
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Brush back The brush back is a classic style that adds lots of flattering volume to oblong face shapes. To get the look, leave your hair long on top. Then, cut the sides of your hair slightly shorter, or opt for a fade for a more dramatic look.^{[6]
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- How to style: Apply pomade to your damp hair. Then, use a brush or comb to brush it all back. Dry your hair with a blow dryer, then simply finger-comb your hair back.
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Slick back The slick back is another classic style—it’s like the sleeker and more polished version of the brush back. Just keep your hair longer all over for a Hollywood-like style. Or, cut the sides shorter with a low to mid fade. Like the brush back, the slick back also adds volume and width to the oblong face shape.
- How to style: Run pomade or gel through your hair. Then, simply brush it back with a comb.
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Spiky The spiky hairstyle is a trendy look that adds lots of texture and volume, which is super flattering for oblong face shapes. With this style, opt for a short or long length on top. Then, keep the sides short, go with a fade, or even add an edgy undercut.
- How to style: Apply styling cream or wax to your hair. Then, use your fingers to spike your hair upwards into a tousled, slightly messy look.
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Textured crop The textured crop is a trendy style that adds lots of texture and width to your hair, which is flattering for oblong face shapes. With this style, you keep your hair long on top and add lots of layers. Then, cut a blunt fringe and add a low or mid fade to the sides.^{[7]
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- How to style: Apply a sea salt spray or other texturizing spray all over your damp hair. Then, blow it dry to achieve a tousled look.
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Short afro The short afro is a classic style that adds volume to the sides of your face, which helps balance its oblong shape. Simply let your hair grow out a bit and then cut the front and back to a short, uniform length. Cut the sides to the same length, or opt for a low or mid fade.
- How to style: Dampen your hair and then run leave-in conditioner or shea butter through your strands. Then, brush your hair upwards with a wide-tooth comb or hair pick.^{[8]
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Ivy League The Ivy League is a trendy cut where you keep the sides short and tapered, and the top just a bit longer. Then, you part your hair to the side and swoop it slightly upward. The side part adds width and volume to the face, making this a flattering style for the oblong face shape.^{[9]
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- How to style: Run pomade or wax throughout your hair. Then, brush your hair to the side using your fingers or a comb.
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Taper fade The taper fade simply refers to cutting the sides of your hair at a gradual taper so the hair eventually blends into your neck. Opt for a low taper, which starts around the top of your ears, a mid taper, which starts around your temples, or a high taper, which starts above the temples. Then, keep the hair on top slightly longer.
- How to style: Use pomade or mouse to style the longer hair on top. Either give it a messy, tousled look or brush it back into a sleek style.
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Crew cut The crew cut is a timeless style that looks flattering on almost every face shape. Plus, it’s a super low-maintenance style. Simply cut the top of your hair to a short, uniform length and add a low or mid fade to the sides. The longer length on top adds width to your face, which helps balance it.^{[10]
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- How to style: Add a bit of pomade or mousse to add some texture to your hair.
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Buzz cut The buzz cut is another low-maintenance and flattering style for the oblong face shape. With this simple and classic cut, you simply buzz your entire head to a short, uniform length. Opt for a longer length with a #3 guard, or go with a very short length using a #1 guard.
- How to style: If you have long enough hair, use a bit of pomade or gel to smooth your hair or add some texture.
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Long layers Adding layers to your hair is an easy way to create volume and dimension, which also adds width to the sides of your face, flattering your oblong shape. Simply grow your hair out to a medium to long length (below the ears to shoulder-length). Then, add lots of long layers that hit around the cheekbones and chin to help frame your face.^{[11]
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- How to style: Spray your damp hair with sea salt spray or another type of texturizing spray. Then, blow-dry your hair to create even more volume.
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Long waves Waves are another way to add volume around your face, which helps add width and balance your oblong face shape. Just keep your hair on the longer side, whether you grow it out to your ears or past your chin, to add texture around the sides of your face.
- How to style: If your hair is naturally wavy, scrunch your damp hair with a bit of mousse and then dry it with a diffuser. If your hair is straight, create waves by spritzing your hair with sea salt spray.
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Mullet fade The mullet fade is a trendy, modern twist on the classic mullet. With this style, you cut your hair in the classic mullet style: short at the top with a blunt fringe and long at the back. Then, buzz the sides at a low, mid, or high taper. The fringe and longer length at the back help add width to your face, flattering your oblong shape.^{[12]
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- How to style: Add texture to your hair by applying pomade, mousse, or sea salt spray.

Section 2 of 3:

Beard Styles for the Oblong Face Shape

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Chin strap Adding a beard to your look is a great way to create the illusion of more width around your face, helping to balance your oblong face shape. The chin strap is a great option if you don’t want to rock a full beard, but still want to add some dimension around your jaw area. With this style, your facial hair goes around the chin and up to the ears in a narrow band.
- Expert tip: Professional barber Timmy Yanchun says, “One thing you can do to really maintain and enjoy your beard is to go to a barber, get it trimmed, and ask the barber what style works for your face shape.” Simply work with your barber to find a style that suits you.^{[13]
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  Timmy Yanchun
  Professional Barber
  
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Light stubble If you want a fuller look but don’t want to commit to a full beard, opt for a classic stubbled look. Simply allow your beard to grow out along your chin and jawline. Then, keep it trimmed to a very short length (around 5mm long) to achieve the rugged appearance.
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Full beard The full beard is a great option for adding extra volume and width around your jawline, balancing your oblong shape. Simply grow out your facial hair around your chin, jawline, and sideburns, and add a moustache. Then, line it up below your cheekbones and above your Adam’s apple. Keep it neat and trimmed to whatever length you prefer.
- To care for your beard, Yanchun says to simply wash it, condition it, and moisturize it.^{[14]
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  Timmy Yanchun
  Professional Barber
  
  Expert Interview} Don’t forget to comb it each day to keep it nice and neat, too.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Tell You Have an Oblong Face Shape

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The oblong face shape is longer than it is wide. According to Pittman, the oblong face shape is very long and narrow.^{[15]
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Shun Pittman
Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} It’s longer than it is wide, like an elongated oval or rectangle, with the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline all being a similar width. People with this face shape typically have a high forehead and a pointed, oval chin.
- Celebrity examples: Ben Affleck, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jay-Z, Cristiano Ronaldo, Adam Levine, Adam Sandler
- How to tell you have it: Measure the length of your face, as well as the width of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. If your face is longer than it is wide, and your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline are about the same width, you likely have an oblong face shape.
- Alternatively, certified professional makeup artist Anjuli Yera, MD suggests dividing your face into 2 halves, horizontally. Identify the shape of your hairline and forehead, then determine the shape of your jawline. Simply put the 2 halves back together to determine your total shape.^{[16]
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  Anjuli Yera, MD
  Certified Professional Makeup Artist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Still not sure if you have an oblong face shape? Check out our article on men’s face shapes, or take our Face Shape Quiz.