Hairstyle guide
Hairstyles for a Round Face: 7 Cuts for Women and Men
A round face is about as wide as it is long, with full cheeks and a soft, rounded jaw and chin. The cuts below add height and length and keep volume away from the cheeks.
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What a haircut can do for a round face
On our face shape detector, a typical round face measures about 1.12 times as long as it is wide at the cheekbones, the shortest of the six shapes, against about 1.23 for an oval face. Its chin is broad and rounded rather than pointed.
A haircut cannot change those measurements, but it changes where the eye reads the edges of the face. Height on top and length below the chin stretch the outline vertically. A side part and long layers draw diagonal and vertical lines across the width. And keeping the fullest part of the hair above or below the cheeks, never beside them, stops the face reading wider.
For how the shape is measured and how to tell it from its neighbours, read the round face shape guide.
Hairstyles for women with a round face
Long layers with a side part
Length past the shoulders draws a long vertical line, and a side part adds a diagonal across a symmetrical face. Starting the shortest layers below the chin keeps volume off the cheeks.
Ask for: Long layers starting below the chin, a side part about two fingers off centre and light lift at the roots.
Angled lob
A lob that is longer at the front than the back creates a downward diagonal toward the collarbone, which reads as length. Ending it a few centimetres below the chin, not at it, avoids a horizontal line at the widest part of the lower face.
Ask for: An A-line lob with the front pieces 4 to 5 cm below the chin, a sleek finish and a side part.
Pixie with height on top
A short cut can suit a round face if the volume goes up rather than out. Short sides keep the cheeks clear, and lifted length on top adds height to the outline.
Ask for: A pixie with tapered sides and nape and 6 to 8 cm left on top, styled up and to the side.
Side-swept bangs with layers
Bangs swept from a side part cross the forehead at an angle instead of straight across, so they soften without making the face look shorter. Shoulder-length layers add movement without width.
Ask for: Long side-swept bangs ending at the cheekbone, shoulder-length layers and a side part.
The pictures are AI-generated previews: the women's cuts are edits of one example face and the men's of another, with only the hair changed. Real results depend on your hair's texture and density.
Haircuts for men with a round face
Pompadour with short sides
Height at the front lengthens the outline and faded sides narrow it. Of the men's cuts here, it changes the proportions the most.
Ask for: A low or skin fade on the sides and 7 to 9 cm on top, blow-dried up and back.
Faux hawk
A strip of height down the centre draws the eye up while the short sides stay clear of the cheeks. It is a lower-maintenance way to get height than a pompadour.
Ask for: Short sides and a textured strip 5 to 7 cm long through the top, pushed up toward the centre.
Side part with an undercut
A hard part adds a straight line to a soft face, and very short sides keep the width down. A little lift at the front adds height.
Ask for: An undercut with a shaved side part and the top combed over with lift at the front.
- Not sure you have a round face?
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Cuts to approach with care
None of these is off limits; they are the cuts that work against the shape, so they need more thought or a variation.
A chin-length rounded bob
A bob that ends at the chin and curves under puts a horizontal line and rounded volume at the widest part of the lower face.
InsteadAn angled lob that ends a few centimetres below the chin.
Blunt, straight-across bangs
A heavy fringe straight across the forehead shortens the face's visible length.
InsteadSide-swept or long curtain bangs.
Volume at cheek level
Tight curls or a blow-dry that is widest beside the cheeks widens the outline.
InsteadKeep curls longer, with volume on top and fullness below the chin.
Frequently asked questions
01What is the most flattering haircut for a round face?
There is no single best cut. The ones most often recommended add height on top or length below the chin, such as long layers with a side part, an angled lob or a pixie with volume on top. Pick by how much styling time you have: long layers and a lob need the least.
02Can I have short hair with a round face?
Yes. Short cuts suit round faces when the volume goes up rather than out: a pixie or crop with short sides and length on top. A short cut that ends at the cheeks or curves around the jaw is the one to avoid.
03Do bangs suit a round face?
Side-swept and long curtain bangs usually do, because they cross the forehead at an angle. Blunt, straight-across bangs make the face look shorter, so they are the harder choice.
04How do I know my face is round and not oval?
A round face is about as long as it is wide; an oval face is clearly longer. Pull your hair back and compare, or use the face shape detector, which measures the length and widths from a photo. Close-up selfies make faces look rounder, so take the photo from arm's length.