Best Haircuts for Men With a Round Face
A round face looks longer with height on top, tight sides and an angle somewhere. These 10 cuts do that, and a few popular ones do the opposite.
· 5 min read
The best haircuts for a round face add height on top and keep the sides short, so the face looks longer and narrower. The most reliable options are a quiff, a textured crop with a mid or high fade, a faux hawk, a side part with a fade and an undercut worn up or back. Avoid cuts that add width at the sides or sit flat and round on top, like a bowl cut.
How to tell if your face is round
Pull your hair back and take a straight-on photo. Your face is round if:
- Its length and width are about the same.
- The cheekbones are the widest point, with the forehead and jaw a little narrower.
- The jaw is soft and curved, without a sharp corner below the ear.
| Face shape | Length vs width | Jaw |
|---|---|---|
| Round | About equal | Soft, curved |
| Square | About equal | Wide and angular |
| Oval | Longer than wide | Slightly narrower than the cheekbones, rounded |
| Oblong | Clearly longer than wide | Similar width to the forehead |
Three rules for a round face
- Add height on top. At least two to three inches at the front, styled up or with lift, makes the face look longer.
- Keep the sides tight. A mid or high fade, a taper with the bulk removed, or an undercut. Volume above the ears adds width exactly where you do not want it.
- Add an angle. A side part, an asymmetric fringe, a sharp lineup or a beard with clean edges breaks up the curves.
10 best haircuts for a round face
1. Quiff
The front is left long and blow-dried up and back, so the face gains two or three inches of visual height. It is the single most reliable cut for a round face.
Ask for: "Short sides with a mid fade, three to four inches at the front, shorter toward the crown."
2. Textured crop with a high fade
Tight sides and a choppy, lifted fringe add angles to a soft face. Keep the fringe messy and slightly raised; a flat, straight fringe does the opposite. Preview it on the textured crop page.
Ask for: "Textured crop, mid or high skin fade, an inch and a half on top, point-cut, fringe messy and lifted."
3. Faux hawk
The top is pushed into a soft ridge down the center. The vertical line pulls the eye up and makes the face look longer and narrower, without shaved sides.
Ask for: "Short tapered sides, two to three inches on top, longest down the middle so I can push it up."
4. Side part with a fade
A deep side part breaks up the symmetry of a round face with a diagonal line. Keep the sides faded rather than full, and add a little lift at the front.
Ask for: "Mid fade, enough on top for a side part, a bit of volume at the front."
5. Undercut swept back or up
Clipped sides remove width at the cheeks, and a long top worn up or back adds height. Avoid letting the top fall flat to the sides. See the undercut page.
Ask for: "Disconnected undercut, sides at a #1 or #2, keep three inches or more on top to style up."
6. Slicked back with volume
Works when there is lift at the roots. A flat, wet slick back makes a round head look rounder, so blow-dry it up first and use a medium-shine pomade.
Ask for: "Short tapered sides, keep the length on top so it can be combed back with height."
7. Mohawk fade
A bolder way to get the same effect: faded sides and a strip of length down the center. Even a short version adds plenty of height.
Ask for: "Mohawk fade, sides faded to the skin, a couple of inches down the middle."
8. Low taper fade with height on top
A low taper on its own keeps the sides full, which is not ideal for a round face. Pair it with a tall, textured or curly top so the shape is taller than it is wide. Try the low taper fade.
Ask for: "Low taper at the sideburns and neckline, take the bulk out of the sides, leave length and texture on top."
9. Textured comma hair
The fringe curves to one side like a comma, adding an asymmetric line across the forehead. It suits straight and slightly wavy hair and needs a few minutes with a blow-dryer.
Ask for: "Tapered sides, longer fringe I can curl to one side, texture through the top."
10. Buzz cut with a beard
A buzz on its own shows the full roundness of the face. With a beard kept fuller at the chin and short on the cheeks, the face reads longer and the jaw gets an edge. Preview it on the buzz cut page with your current beard.
Ask for: "A #2 or #3 all over," and keep the beard longer at the chin than the sides.
Haircuts to avoid with a round face
- Bowl cuts and heavy, straight fringes. A horizontal line across the forehead shortens the face.
- Full, puffy sides. A grown-out cut that bulges above the ears makes the head wider.
- A flat center part with long sides. Two curtains framing the cheeks highlight their width.
- Chin-length hair of one length. It ends at the widest part of the face and draws the eye there.
- A plain buzz with no beard, if you are unsure. It is not wrong, but it shows the face shape fully. Preview it first.
Does a beard help a round face?
Yes, usually more than the haircut. Keep the beard short on the cheeks and longer at the chin, so it extends the face downward and adds a jawline. Boxed, ducktail and short stubble beards with a sharp cheek line all work. A beard that is wide and full at the sides adds width.