You’ve probably looked in the mirror and felt like your face just keeps going. It’s a common frustration for guys with oblong or rectangular face shapes. You see a cool skin fade on Instagram, try it out, and suddenly you look like an adult version of Beaker from The Muppets. Your face looks five inches longer than it did twenty minutes ago. It sucks.
The reality is that long face mens haircuts aren't just about picking a "nice" style; they're about basic geometry and optical illusions. If your face is significantly longer than it is wide, your goal isn't to add height. It's to add width. Most barbers are great at cutting hair, but they aren't always great at facial morphology. They’ll give you the "trendy" cut, which usually involves shaved sides and a massive pomp on top. For you? That’s a recipe for looking like a skyscraper.
The Vertical Problem and Why Your Current Fade is Ruining Everything
Height is the enemy. Honestly, if you have a long face, the last thing you want is three inches of hair standing straight up. Why? Because it draws the eye upward in a straight line, emphasizing the distance from your forehead to your chin.
Think about celebrities like Adam Levine or Benedict Cumberbatch. They have long faces. You’ll rarely see them with a massive Mohawk or a high-and-tight fade that goes all the way to the temple. They focus on balance. If you shave the sides of your head down to the skin, you’re narrowing the silhouette of your head. A narrow silhouette makes the vertical length of your face pop even more. It’s contrast.
Instead of going for a high skin fade, you should be looking at mid or low fades, or even better, a classic scissor cut. Keeping a bit of "bulk" on the sides creates a horizontal line. This makes your face appear wider and, by extension, shorter. It’s a simple trick of the eye.
Long Face Mens Haircuts That Actually Work (And Some That Don't)
Let’s talk about the Side Part. It’s a classic for a reason. By parting your hair to the side, you’re breaking up the verticality of your face. It creates an asymmetrical look that forces the eye to move horizontally. You want the sides to have some weight—maybe a grade 3 or 4 instead of a 0. This adds just enough volume to the temples to balance out a long jawline.
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Fringes are your best friend. Seriously.
If you have a high forehead, which usually accompanies a long face, a fringe or "bangs" can literally chop off an inch of perceived length. Look at the "French Crop." It’s been huge for a few years now. The hair is brushed forward over the forehead. By covering the hairline, you’re effectively shortening the canvas of your face. It’s a game changer.
But avoid the "Spiky Look."
Remember the early 2000s? Guys would gel their hair into little mountain peaks. If you do that with a long face, you’re basically adding a "Top Tall" sign to your head. If you want texture, keep it messy and forward-leaning rather than upward-pointing.
The Beard Factor: Your Secret Weapon
We can't talk about long face mens haircuts without talking about facial hair. A beard is basically a prosthetic jawline. If you have a long face, you want a beard that is fuller on the sides and shorter at the bottom.
If you grow a long, pointy wizard beard, you’re just extending your face even further. You want a "boxed" beard. Keep the hair on your cheeks slightly thicker and trim the hair on your chin so it doesn't hang down too far. This creates a square base. A square base is the ultimate antidote to a long, narrow face. It provides that much-needed horizontal weight.
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Texture and Volume: Finding the Middle Ground
Weight matters. Thin, flat hair is a nightmare for long faces because it clings to the skull and highlights the narrowness. If you have fine hair, you need products that add "grit" or "bulk." Think sea salt sprays or matte clays.
Avoid high-shine pomades.
Greasy, slicked-back looks make your hair look thinner and your head look smaller. When your head looks smaller, your face looks... you guessed it, longer. You want "flow." A medium-length scissor cut—think the "Bro Flow"—is actually one of the best choices. When the hair can move and has some volume around the ears, it creates a frame that softens the long lines of your face.
Common Misconceptions About Face Shapes
People often confuse "oval" with "long." They aren't the same. Oval faces are considered the "ideal" because they are balanced. Long faces (oblong) have the same width at the forehead, cheekbones, and jaw, but with significantly more length.
According to hair stylists like Matty Conrad (a massive name in the industry), the "Golden Rule" is to always aim for the illusion of an oval. If your face is long, you add width to the sides. If your face is round, you add height to the top. It’s all about counter-balancing your natural genetics.
Real World Examples: Look at the Pros
- Ryan Gosling: He has a relatively long face. Notice how he almost always wears a side part with some length on the sides? He rarely goes for a buzz cut because it would make his face look too narrow.
- Sacha Baron Cohen: Another classic long face. When he keeps his hair mid-length and a bit messy, it works. When it's short and tight, the length of his face is much more prominent.
- Ben Affleck: He uses his hair to create a more rectangular, masculine silhouette. He keeps the top textured but never too high.
What to Tell Your Barber Next Time
Don't just walk in and ask for "the usual." Most barbers default to a fade because it's what they do forty times a day. You have to be specific.
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- Ask for a "Low Taper" or a "Scissor Cut" on the sides. Explicitly tell them you want to keep some bulk around the temples to add width.
- Request texture on top, but tell them to keep the length manageable. You want it to look "thick," not "tall."
- If you're getting a fringe, ask for it to be cut "blunt" or "textured" depending on your hair type. A textured fringe looks more modern and is easier to style.
- Discuss your sideburns. Keeping sideburns a bit wider and ending them around the mid-ear can also help "cut" the length of the face.
Technical Maintenance for the Oblong Shape
Maintaining these cuts is a bit different than a standard buzz. Since you're keeping more hair on the sides, you’ll need to visit the barber every 3 to 4 weeks to keep the "bulk" from turning into a "poof." There is a fine line between "widening volume" and "I haven't had a haircut in six months."
Use a blow dryer. Most guys skip this, but it’s essential for long face styles. Using a blow dryer with a bit of sea salt spray allows you to direct the hair where you want it to go. You can "push" volume into the sides and keep the top from collapsing or standing too high. It takes two minutes and makes a massive difference in how the cut holds up throughout the day.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Style
Stop fighting your face shape and start working with it. If you’ve been rocking a high pomp or a skin fade and wondering why you look a bit like an eggplant in photos, it’s time to pivot.
- Step 1: Measure your face. If the length is more than 1.5 times the width, you’re in the long face club.
- Step 2: Grow out your sides for two weeks. Don't touch them. You need that extra hair for your barber to work with.
- Step 3: Switch to a matte product. Get rid of the heavy gels.
- Step 4: Focus on horizontal lines. Whether it's a fringe, a side part, or a well-groomed, "wide" beard, your goal is to break that vertical line.
The best haircut is the one that makes your proportions look intentional. A long face isn't a "flaw" to be hidden; it's a canvas that requires a specific type of framing. Once you stop chasing the high-volume trends that were designed for round-faced guys, you’ll realize that a bit of width goes a long way.