
At a glance
- Face shape
- Oblong
- Hair type
- Thick
- What thick hair adds
- weight and width, so it usually needs thinning or layering to hold a shape
- Aim for
- Width at the sides and a fringe, no extra height
- Styling tip
- ask for weight taken out of the sides so the shape comes from the cut, not the bulk
- Top picks
- Messy fringe, Curtain fringe, French crop
| Style | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Messy fringe | Good | It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face. |
| Curtain fringe | Good | It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face. |
| French crop | Good | It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face. |
| 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. |
| Quiff | 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. |
| Undercut | With a tweak | It adds height on top, and this face is already long. |
| Man bun | With a tweak | It adds height on top, and this face is already long. |
| Pompadour | 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. |
| Skin fade | With a tweak | It exposes the full outline, which puts its width on show. |
| Side part | With a tweak | It adds height on top, and this face is already long. |
Use the width without keeping all the bulk
An oblong face is clearly longer than it is wide, with fairly straight sides. Cheek-level volume helps balance this outline. Height on top and long, straight vertical lines add length it doesn't need.
Thick hair has a neutral effect here: side width helps, while top height works against it. It usually needs thinning or layering to hold a shape.
Start with a fringe that covers the forehead
The strongest thick-hair cuts for a long face keep some forehead coverage without building height above it:
- Messy fringe: good. It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face.
- Curtain fringe: good. It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face.
- French crop: good. It covers part of the forehead, which shortens the visible face.
With any of these, ask your barber to keep the shape low on top. The fringe should help balance the outline.
Which other styles need adjusting
Other hairstyles for men with long faces and thick hair involve a tradeoff. Check what each cut adds or exposes:
- Textured crop: neutral. Forehead coverage shortens the visible face, but added top height makes an already long face look longer.
- Taper fade: with a tweak. It exposes the full outline, putting the face's width on show.
- Buzz cut: with a tweak. It exposes the full outline, putting the face's width on show.
- Crew cut: with a tweak. It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
- Quiff: with a tweak. It adds height to an already long face. Its soft, broken-up lines can soften a strong jaw.
- Undercut: with a tweak. It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
- Man bun: with a tweak. It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
- Pompadour: with a tweak. It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
- Slick back: with a tweak. It exposes the full outline, putting the face's width on show.
- Skin fade: with a tweak. It exposes the full outline, putting the face's width on show.
- Side part: with a tweak. It adds height on top, and this face is already long.
Ask for controlled sides and a low top
Ask for weight taken out of the sides so the shape comes from the cut, not the bulk. Keep some width beside the face while reducing the weight that makes the cut hard to shape.
A common mistake is choosing a cut for another hair type and expecting your barber to force it with product. Use the hairstyle guide to compare cuts, then choose references that match your hair's natural fullness.
Choose hair type separately from face shape
The free face-shape finder names the closest prototype from one selfie, on your device. It doesn't read hair type, so pick that yourself from how your hair dries naturally.
For thick hair on an oblong face, discuss both side weight and top height with your barber. A matching face outline alone doesn't settle how much hair to remove.
Questions people ask
- Should I remove all the width from thick hair?
- No. Width at the sides helps balance a long face. Ask your barber to remove weight while keeping a deliberate side shape.
- Is a textured crop as suitable as a French crop?
- The textured crop is neutral here because forehead coverage and added height pull in different directions. The French crop is a top pick for shortening the visible face.
- Can a quiff work with an oblong face?
- It needs less height to suit an already long outline. Its soft, broken-up lines can help soften a strong jaw, but they don't cancel the added length.
Written from the measurements and ingredient facts on this site, then checked for the usual mistakes. Not medical advice.
Related pages
The closest pages in this section, picked by topic rather than by date.
- The best men's hairstyles for an oblong face with curly hairCompare men's hairstyles for an oblong face with curly hair. Choose a messy fringe, curtain fringe or afro for side width without extra heig
- The best men's hairstyles for an oblong face with thin hairFor men's hairstyles for an oblong face with thin hair, start with a French crop. Keep blunt ends, some side width and no extra height.
- The best men's hairstyles for an oval face with thick hairCompare men's hairstyles for an oval face with thick hair, from skin fades to slick backs. Choose a cut that controls bulk and suits your up
- The best men's hairstyles for a round face with thick hairCompare men's hairstyles for a round face with thick hair, including pompadours, quiffs and side parts. Keep height on top and bulk off the
