HaircutAI Team · Updated October 2026
Long face haircuts for men, with a fringe or fuller sides.
Long face, and tall cuts make it longer? The fix: a fringe over the forehead and fuller sides. Both make the face look shorter. Skip height on top and very short sides. Below: 13 cuts and what to tell your barber.
Key takeaways
At a mirror, measure from your hairline to your chin, then across your cheekbones. An oblong (long) face is about 1.26 times as long as it is wide, the longest of any shape. The forehead, cheekbones and jaw are about the same width.
| Shape | Length | How to tell |
|---|---|---|
| Long | 1.26 | Much longer than wide, straight sides |
| Oval | 1.19 | A little longer than wide, soft jaw |
| Diamond | 1.17 | Wide cheekbones, narrow chin |
Not sure? The free face shape detector reads it from one selfie.
Fringe
HeightCover the forehead
A long face is about 1.26 times as long as wide. A fringe hides part of that length.
Fuller sides
Hair at the sides adds width, so the face looks shorter.
A flat top
Keep lift low. Every inch of height on top adds to the length.
Full sides and a fringe. Keep the top flat, never tall.
01 of 13
Only the sideburns and neck go short, so the sides stay full. Width at the sides makes a long face look shorter.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. The safest pick. Grows out neatly.
02 of 13
A straight fringe covers part of the forehead, so the face looks shorter.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. A high forehead or a hairline that starts to move back.
03 of 13
Choppy hair falls over the forehead to the brows. It takes inches off the length.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Hair that falls forward.
04 of 13
A short, textured fringe and a flat top. No height, a little cover on the forehead.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Thick hair on top.
05 of 13
A skin fade with a forward crop on top. The fringe and flat top keep length off.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Sharp edges you keep fresh.
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A blunt, straight line across the forehead. It cuts the face across and makes it look shorter.
Best for: Straight hair. A bold look.
3 to 6 inches that fall over the forehead and fill out the sides.
07 of 13
A curved fringe falls to one side over the forehead. Soft cover, no height.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Hair with some body.
08 of 13
Hair falls from a middle part over the forehead and the sides. It adds width and hides length.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Thick hair.
09 of 13
Long front pieces frame the forehead and fill out the sides to the jaw.
Best for: Straight or wavy hair. Hair you can grow to 5 inches.
10 of 13
Curls of one length add width at the sides, so a long face looks balanced.
Best for: Wavy or curly hair. Growing to 4 inches or more.
Volume at the sides, as much as on top. Width balances length.
11 of 13
Round volume all around adds width at the sides. Width balances length.
Best for: Coily hair. Growing it out.
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Defined coils stand out at the sides as much as on top. The face looks shorter.
Best for: Curly or coily hair. Defined coils with volume.
13 of 13
Locs all around fill out the sides and frame a long face.
Best for: Coily hair. Patience while they form.
A beard can add the width a long face needs. Keep the sides full and the chin short.
Short Boxed Beard
Full sides, short chin. Adds width.
Heavy Stubble
Low effort, adds a little width.
Full Beard
Keep the chin short, the sides full.
Chin Strap Beard
A line along the jaw, not down.
These add height or take away width, so a long face looks longer.
A lot of height on top
A pompadour adds inches above the forehead. On a long face, that is the one thing to avoid.
Very short all over
A buzz cut leaves no width at the sides and shows the full length of the face.
Long and straight down
Hair that hangs past the jaw draws the eye down and adds length.
Dry it forward
Blow dry the front down onto the forehead, not up.
Light hold
A light cream or sea salt spray. Strong gel lifts the top.
Middle or side
Both work if the hair falls over the forehead.
Leave the sides
Ask for scissors over the ears. Short clippers there add length.
A cut with a fringe and fuller sides: a taper fade with a flat top, a French crop, a textured fringe or a middle part. They make a long face look shorter. Skip height on top, like a pompadour.
A tall pompadour or quiff, a buzz cut, and long straight hair past the jaw. Each adds length or takes away width, so the face looks longer.
Measure from your hairline to your chin, then across your cheekbones. An oblong face is about 1.26 times as long as it is wide, with a forehead, cheekbones and jaw of about the same width.
Mostly, yes. Both are much longer than wide with straight sides. A rectangular face has a squarer jaw. The same cuts suit both: a fringe and fuller sides.
A low fade or a taper does, because the sides stay full. A high fade takes width off the sides and makes a long face look longer.
A beard with full sides and a short chin, like a short boxed beard or heavy stubble. It adds width. Avoid a long goatee, which adds length.
We kept the men's cuts that follow the long-face rule: a fringe or forehead cover, fuller sides and little height on top. Then we grouped them by length. Guard numbers come from each cut's catalog description. One model in every cut photo, so you compare cuts, not faces.
Other face shapes: oval, round, square and diamond. More for men: what haircut should I get and fade vs taper. For women: hairstyles for long faces.