Face shapes

Long face shape: how to recognize it and choose the right cut

A long face, also called oblong or rectangle, is clearly longer than it is wide, with nearly parallel sides from the forehead to the jaw. A good cut does the opposite of what a round face needs: add width and cut height. 📏

Updated November 7, 2026 · By Julien Rayes · Version française

How to tell if your face is long

• The length is clearly greater than the width, more so than on an oval face.
• Forehead, cheekbones and jaw are close in width, so the sides look almost straight.
• The chin can be long, or the forehead high.
• An oval face, by contrast, narrows from the cheekbones down to the chin.

The best haircut for a long face (women)

• Volume at the sides: waves, curls, a soft bob that hits at cheek level.
• ✂️ Bangs, straight or curtain, shorten the face by covering part of the forehead.
• Mid-length hair rather than very long, straight hair.
• Avoid: a lot of height on top, and very long, flat hair, which lengthen the face even more.

The best haircut for a long face (men)

Keep length and texture at the sides and little height on top. Textured bangs brushed forward or a short, even cut work better than a high pompadour with shaved sides. A fuller beard on the cheeks widens the face, while a long beard at the chin lengthens it.

Glasses and makeup

Choose tall, wide frames, preferably large ones, which break up the length of the face. Small, narrow frames make it look longer. For makeup, blush applied horizontally across the cheekbones and a light contour at the top of the forehead and under the chin shorten the face.

Measure your proportions

The GlowUpTogether scan measures your face's width-to-height ratio and its three thirds (forehead, middle, lower), then suggests haircuts to try on your photo in the Style tab.

What our measurements show

Of 78 adult faces, 15 have a cheekbone width under 82% of face height, which makes them the longest. The lower third (nose to chin) is the tallest of the three thirds in 76 of 78 faces.

So a long face often comes from a slightly taller lower face. A fuller beard on the cheeks or a cut with volume at the sides helps rebalance it.

Measured on November 3, 2026 by the GlowUpTogether engine on 78 compliant front-facing photos (out of 102) from the Face Research Lab London Set (DeBruine and Jones, CC BY 4.0 license): 34 women and 44 men, median age 25. Method and limits (in French).

Frequently asked questions

How do you make a long face look shorter?

With bangs, volume at the sides and glasses with tall frames. Avoid height on top of the head.

Long face or oval face: how can you tell the difference?

An oval face narrows toward the chin. A long face keeps nearly parallel sides and is more elongated.

What beard suits a long face?

🧔 A beard that is fuller on the cheeks than at the chin, which adds width without adding length.