Short Haircuts for anOblong Face

The best short haircuts for an oblong face add a little width at the sides and break up the length with a fringe. Good options are a chin-length bob with bangs, a side-swept pixie, a short shag, and, for men, a fringed crop with sides that aren’t too tight. Avoid very tall tops and very close sides, since both make a long face look longer.

For every length and more background, see our broader guide to hairstyles for oblong faces. This article focuses only on short cuts.

The two ideas behind every good option

An oblong face is noticeably longer than it is wide, with a forehead, cheeks, and jaw of similar width. To balance that, a short cut should do one or both of these:

1. Interrupt the length. A fringe covers part of the forehead, so less of the face shows from top to bottom.
2. Add width. Volume around the cheeks and ears widens the middle of the outline.

Every suggestion below does at least one.

Short cuts for women

Chin-length bob with bangs

This is the strongest option because it does both things at once. The fringe shortens the face and the bob’s fullness sits at the jaw. Keep the ends at or slightly below your chin. A French bob is a very good fit.

Side-swept pixie

A longer pixie with a heavy side-swept fringe covers part of the forehead at a diagonal. Keep some fullness around the ears, and avoid lifting it at the crown. See our pixie cut ideas for versions.

Short shag

Choppy layers around the cheeks add width, and the messy fringe softens the forehead. If you’ve got waves, this is often the easiest choice. See our short shag ideas for 2027.

Curly short shape

Curls naturally add width, which makes them a real advantage on this face shape. Keep the shape round, and avoid piling height on top. Our short curly hairstyles for 2027 has examples.

Ear-length bob

This is the shorter, bolder choice. Ending the hair at the ear or cheekbone puts width right in the middle of the face. It works best with a fringe, otherwise it can feel severe.

Short cuts for men

Textured crop with a fringe

A forward fringe reduces the forehead’s visual height, and the short top adds very little length. Ask for scissor-cut or longer sides instead of a skin fade. Our short crop guide has other versions.

Classic side part

A side part with sides around a number 3 or 4 keeps some width. Don’t comb it high at the front. Our clipper guard chart helps you get the number right.

French crop

With its straight fringe, a French crop is especially useful for a tall forehead, and it’s easy to maintain.

Short curly top with low taper

Curls add width, and a low taper keeps things neat without stripping the sides. See curly taper haircuts.

What to go easy on

• Tall pompadours and quiffs. Height on top adds length.
• High skin fades. Removing the sides makes the head seem narrower.
• Spiky tops. The vertical lines pull the eye upward.
• Slick backs. These show the full length of your forehead.
• Very flat, tight cuts with no fringe. Nothing breaks up the outline.

None of these are off-limits. A low, messy quiff with mid-length sides can still look good. If you already have a style you love, ask your stylist to adjust the top height or the side length.

How beards and glasses can help

For men, a beard that’s fuller on the sides and shorter on the chin adds width. Keep the chin from extending downward. See beard styles by face shape.

Glasses with a strong horizontal frame also break up the length of a face. Our hairstyles with glasses guide explains how to choose.

How to confirm you’re oblong

Oblong often gets confused with oval or rectangle. Measure from your hairline to your chin and across your cheekbones. An oblong face is clearly longer than it is wide, and the width stays similar throughout. Use our face shape detector for a quick read from a photo, or see our oblong face shape page for more about the traits.

What to tell your stylist

Try: “My face is long, so I want to keep width near my cheeks, and I don’t want extra height on top. Can we use a fringe to shorten it?” That gives them your goal rather than just a style name, so they can adapt the cut to your hair’s density and growth pattern.

Related guides

• Haircuts for Your Head Shape: Square, Oblong, and Flat Heads

Check the length on your face

An inch of fringe or height makes a visible difference on a long face. Hairover lets you upload a clear photo, see a read of your face shape, and try short cuts in Style Studio before you book.

Try a short cut on your own photo with Hairover.