For every woman who envisions herself as a princess, her hair is her crown and just like there’s a different one shaped for every sovereign, hairstyles come in diverse, wide-ranging designs. Taking good care of your hair is the crucial part of your entire grooming routine. You do a million things for your hair, right from those conditioning sessions to just treating yourself to a reinvigorating hair and head spa. However, most of this would matter very less if you simply didn’t have the right haircut and hairstyle that matches your face shape.

Measuring the dimensions of the face, such as the width of the forehead, the widest points of the cheeks, the jawline and the overall length of your face right from your hairline to the chin, there are about six to seven different face types in general- diamond, heart-shaped, oval, rectangular (also often termed as oblong), round, square, and triangular. Each face type has certain hairstyles and hairdos that suit it better than the rest and knowing the how or what of this aspect of grooming can make a world of difference to your appearance. Before we take a look at some of the hairstyles for long faces and otherwise, that seems to pair perfectly with each, here are a few pointers that you could keep in mind while choosing a hairstyle for yourself, no matter your face type.

  • Curls and wavy hair go brilliantly with an oblong face since they help increase the general width of your facial appearance, making it seem rather proportionate. High updos, on the other hand, pair well with a round or a square face by adding to the overall length of your face.
  • Bangs, straight or side swept, basically aid in concealing your forehead (most women with a long face also happen to have a relatively larger forehead) and can reduce the apparent length of your face. Even hair colouring techniques such as highlighting hair and eclipting can help outline your facial features better, especially when it comes to hairstyles for long faces
 

Hairstyles for Oblong Faces:

Hairstyles for Oblong Faces:

Anime style buns or pigtails

If you’ve ever been a fan of the Street Fighter video game and movie franchise, you’ll probably have had a crush on the Asian Interpol officer and martial artist known as Chun-Li, with her special hairdo playing a major role in augmenting your affections towards the character. Hair buns like those of Chun-Li or pigtails on the sides are really cool and trendy and help provide a certain width to those with rather oblong faces. Whether you’re at the comic con, on the red carpet or just casually hanging out with friends, the anime-styled Chun-Li buns are quite certain to add to your popularity quotient.

 

Braided side bun

Braided Side Bun Hairstyle

Symmetry, sometimes, can be quite the bore. Hairstyles like the braided side bun, apart from being uber cool to look at, divert attention towards the side, thereby somewhat masking the issue of having an oblong face. It’s quite a quick and convenient updo to style and provides your facial appearance with the requisite width. Buns are fun, aren’t they?

 

Curly short bob

Curly Short Bob Hairstyle

If you’re looking to add width to your relatively long face, nothing quite works like the short bob. Can you make it any better? Just add some crazy curls to your hair and you’re all sorted. Tight curls, especially those parted to the side, and the bob are the perfect combination for all those who wish to have a more rounded appearance to their face. Not convinced yet? Well, maybe a look at the gorgeous Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s curly short bob should be persuasion enough.

 

Curtain bangs

Curtain Bangs Hairstyle

Bangs are one of the most efficient ways of addressing the issue of a rather oblong face, and quite a bit of fun too. Curtain bangs are only a slightly tailored version of the original, with the bangs being parted down the middle and reaching up to the ears, similar to how you’d envision the curtains being pulled back and tied to the sides. Curtain bangs help cover a certain portion of your forehead, reducing the apparent length of your face considerably, while also not concealing your entire forehead from view.

 

Dramatic side sweep

Dramatic Side Sweep Hairstyle

Who doesn’t like a bit of drama in their lives? And it’s even better if you’re letting your hair do all the talking. Sweeping your hair completely to one side not only helps counter the issue of facial length, but also drives attention more towards all that immense volume of hair at the side. If you wish to add even more drama to the occasion, big, textured curls at the end should do the trick. Ready for the red carpet, are we?

 

The shag

The Shag Hairstyle

Created by the legendary hairdresser Paul McGregor and made famous by Jane Fonda in the 1971 crime thriller ‘Klute’, the Shag is basically a hairstyle where the hair is layered to different lengths, with the hair full on the top and thinning down to fringes towards the edges. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing it blown out or a little messy hair, the Shag gives your hair a naturally wavy look, thereby providing your oblong face with much needed width. Choppy, chop, chop, anyone?

 

The A-line long bob

The A-line Long Bob Hairstyle

It doesn’t matter if you’re wearing your hair straight or wavy, the A-Line Long Bob (or the A-Line Lob) is quite the ideal hairstyle for women with oblong faces. Cut just above the shoulders, the A-Line Lob often has one side a couple of inches shorter than the other. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous than usual and want to try a new hairstyle for long faces; you could certainly add some curls and highlights to the lob. That way, you’ve got a lot more going on to keep prying eyes distracted from your oblong face.

For those with facial types other than the oblong, there is a multitude of hairdos and styles you could experiment with. Side fishtails (or curls) and half updos (or topknots) help provide round and square faces with a certain length while simply straight hair or long loose curls partner perfectly with triangular or diamond-shaped faces. All you need is a bit of audacity and a whole lot of imagination to find the right crown to fit your regal self.