Can I leave my forehead open with an Afro?

Yes. Keep the fullness beside your cheeks and ask your barber to take height off the top. That side volume can balance a long face even if you don't wear a fringe.

How can I tell whether this advice fits me?

Look at your face shape and how your hair dries as separate things. An oblong outline can guide where you keep the volume, while your natural coils guide how you cut it.

Men's hairstyles for an oblong face with coily hair

At a glance

Face shape: Oblong
Hair type: Coily
What coily hair adds: dense volume that grows outward and upward
Aim for: Width at the sides and a fringe, no extra height
Styling tip: shape is cut into the hair itself, so ask for the outline you want rather than a length
Top picks: Messy fringe, Afro, Textured crop

Coily hair on an oblong face (men)
Style	Fit	Why
Messy fringe	Good	It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face.
Afro	Good	It adds width at the sides, which balances a long outline. Watch one thing: it adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Textured crop	Neutral	It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face, but it also adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Taper fade	With a tweak	It exposes the full outline, which puts its width on show.
Buzz cut	With a tweak	It exposes the full outline, which puts its width on show.
Crew cut	With a tweak	It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Undercut	With a tweak	It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Skin fade	With a tweak	It exposes the full outline, which puts its width on show.
Curly top fade	With a tweak	It adds height on top, and this face is already long. On the plus side it adds soft, broken-up lines that take the edge off a strong jaw.
Man bun	With a tweak	It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Slick back	With a tweak	It exposes the full outline, which puts its width on show.

Choose where you want the fullness

An oblong face is clearly longer than it is wide, with fairly straight sides. A fringe covers part of your forehead, shortening the distance your eye follows down to your chin. An Afro works from the sides instead. Ask for the widest part beside your cheeks and keep the top low enough for that width to show.

A textured crop has a tradeoff. The fringe helps, but if the coils stand tall behind it, the top adds back some of that length. From the front, look at where the crop sits above your forehead as well as where the fringe ends.

Describe the outline to your barber

Ask your barber to cut the shape into your coils. Try saying, “I'd like some width beside my cheeks, a fringe that falls forward and no extra height on top.” A length alone won't tell your barber which part you want to keep full.

Choose a reference cut that works with the way your coils grow. If you like a cut shown on straight hair, point out what caught your eye, such as the low fringe. Expecting your barber to recreate the whole cut with product is where that choice goes wrong.

Adjust a fade or a swept-back style

A taper fade, skin fade or buzz cut shows the full outline of your face, including its width. A slick back leaves that outline open too. With a crew cut, undercut or man bun, watch how high the top sits. Both added height and long, straight lines make an oblong face look longer.

A curly top fade offers a different tradeoff. Broken lines from the coils can soften the look of a strong jaw, but a tall top still adds length.

Questions people ask

Can I leave my forehead open with an Afro?: Yes. Keep the fullness beside your cheeks and ask your barber to take height off the top. That side volume can balance a long face even if you don't wear a fringe.
How can I tell whether this advice fits me?: Look at your face shape and how your hair dries as separate things. An oblong outline can guide where you keep the volume, while your natural coils guide how you cut it.

Written from the measurements and ingredient facts on this site, then checked for the usual mistakes. Not medical advice.

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