A strong jawline, raised forehead and elegant cheekbones are the reasons why longer faces have historically been considered the most regal shape of all. Since the jaw runs with equal width to the sides of your forehead, your hair will hang with more fullness around the face.
“No matter how you cut a square face shape, you want to focus on a softer feel,” says Guido, YouBeauty Hair Advisor. “It’ll take away from you if you do anything too blunt or harsh.” And if there’s one clutch move for a softer look, it’s the side-swept bang; not only is it alluring, but it practically sketches bone structure into your cheekbones.
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If you have straight or wavy hair
With such a geometrically striking face shape, you’ll want to stay away from extreme cuts that go too far in either short or long direction, as they’ll exaggerate the length of your face. A safe bet is classic shoulder length, accompanied by lots of flowing layers that start not much higher than the chin, to add fullness to the strands that fall below.
While bangs usually end at the point where your eyebrows end, you can strike balance on a long face shape by cutting bangs a bit further beyond that point, and feathering some layers into the outer portion of the bang for a flawless transition.
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If you have curly hair
The good news is that you’ve hit the genetic lottery. “Curly hair is great for long faces because it adds width before you even do anything to it!” says Guido. As with anyone with a square jawline, it’s advised you keep bulk away from the chin, so as not to overwhelm the face. Instead, look to long, rounded layers for an especially dramatic effect. If your hair is short, cascade layers above the chin, so that they move inwards towards the face, and accentuate bone structure.
If you would like bangs without the added effort of having to straighten them, try a side part a little off from center to highlight shorter side swept pieces. Remember that since curls lay with more volume, the part need only be subtle to be effective.
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If you have highly textured hair
Use your hair’s natural propensity towards volume to your advantage, by playing it up in order to balance out the length of your face. Since the prominent lines of a square jawline can overpower a pixie-short cut, it’s best to go with a length that hits at the middle to base of the neck, or longer.
To draw attention to your eyes, trying stacking graduated layers of shorter strands underneath longer ones as you work from the nape of the neck to the crown. This creates beautiful fullness at the top of the head. Bangs can also open up eyes if they end at the area of the forehead that is just about the eyebrows.
