Face shape
Long face
Clearly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw close in width. The jaw barely narrows, and the midface runs long.
Every guide on long faces: hair, bangs, glasses and contour, in one place.
Long face: measure the length before the widths
Length settles a long face before anything else. On a front-facing photo, set the face length against the width across the cheekbones, then look at the forehead and jaw widths.
- The face is clearly longer than it is wide, with length against cheekbone width clearly above 1.
- Forehead, cheekbones and jaw are close in width, with no clear winner.
- The jaw barely narrows, so the sides run nearly parallel; the forehead is often high and the midface long.
One guide puts length ÷ cheekbone width at about 1.34 for a long face and about 1.24 for an oval. Where the length starts moves that number, so the same photo can read as a short oval or as past the long mark; pick one starting point and keep it.
A long face next to an oval or a square one
Oval face
An oval face is a little longer than wide and narrows evenly to a rounded chin, while a long face is clearly longer and keeps straighter sides. One guide says only the length-to-width ratio separates them.
Square face
A square face turns a corner at the jaw but is about as long as it is wide. Put the same angular jaw on a clearly longer face and most guides call it long.
Both comparisons turn on length, and guides draw that line at different numbers, partly because they measure it differently. Use one guide's scale for all your readings instead of mixing figures from several.
Guides for long faces
Hairstyles for long faces: make the length read shorter
Hairstyles for long faces add width and break the vertical: bangs, side volume and a length table. Not sure it's long? Check your shape free.
4 min readHairstyles for your face shape: seven shapes, one table
Hairstyles for your face shape come down to two moves: add or go easy. One table covers seven shapes. Find your shape free with one front photo.
5 min readHow to tell your barber what you want: four things to say, in numbers
How to tell your barber what you want: photos, lengths as numbers, parting, styling time, plus a script. Not sure of your face shape? Check it free.
10 min readHow to style your hair in 5 minutes: the order, and where the volume goes
How to style your hair: towel-dry, roots first, cool air to set, a pea of product, and where volume goes. Not sure of your face shape? Check it free.
8 min readBangs for your face shape: one table for length, weight and direction
Bangs for your face shape come down to length, weight and direction. A seven-shape table and where guides disagree. Check your shape free in seconds.
4 min readGlasses for long faces: it comes down to lens height
Glasses for long faces: deeper lenses, wide frames and a one-third height check. Eight frames compared. See if yours is long with a free face report.
4 min readGlasses for your face shape: a guide to seven shapes
Glasses for your face shape: contrast your outline or echo it. One chart tells seven shapes what to try and skip. Find your shape free in seconds.
5 min readThick glasses lenses: choose the frame first, then the lens
Thick glasses lenses: what frame width, centring, 1.67 vs 1.74 and coatings really change. Unsure of your face shape? Check it free.
6 min readGlasses size: how to read frame width, bridge and temple length
Glasses size starts with three numbers inside the arm: lens, bridge, temple. Read them, run four mirror checks. A free face report shows your shape.
5 min readBeard styles for face shape: where length and width go
Beard styles for face shape: length, width and edges compared across seven shapes. Grow it a month first. Find your face shape free before you trim.
5 min readHow to shave your face: seven steps, then where the edges go if you keep stubble
How to shave your face in 7 steps, plus where stubble edges go. Blades last 5–7 shaves. Wondering about your jawline? Check it free.
8 min readContouring for your face shape: where shading and blush go
Contouring for your face shape is drawing with light. Where shade, highlight and blush go for seven shapes. Which are you? A free face report shows.
4 min readHighlight and contour basics: where each goes, and why
Highlight and contour basics: highlight where light lands, contour where shadow falls. A placement table, spots to skip. Check your depth free.
4 min readFace shape types: the seven shapes in one table
Face shape types are usually seven. One table sorts them by length, widest part and jaw. Which one are you? A free face report shows it in seconds.
5 min readEyebrow shape for your face: echo its lines or contrast them
Eyebrow shape for your face: place the head, arch and tail, then use the table for seven face shapes. Not sure of yours? A free face report shows it.
4 min readHow to trim eyebrows: strays only, and never the head, arch or tail
How to trim eyebrows without ruining the shape: strays only, in 4 steps, plus which tool to use. Curious about your brow gap? Check it free.
7 min readJawline and face shape: two numbers, not one
Jawline and face shape link through two numbers: corner sharpness and jaw-to-cheekbone width. A table of seven shapes. Check yours in a free report.
4 min read
Compare with the other six shapes
Long face questions: names, forehead height, V-shape and lenses
Are long, oblong and rectangle faces the same shape?
Mostly. All three point to a face clearly longer than wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw close in width. Rectangle usually means the version with a squarer jaw: guides that list nine shapes keep it apart, and guides that list seven fold it into the long face. The styling advice is the same.
Does a high forehead make a face long?
Not on its own. A high hairline lengthens the forehead but does not move where the face is widest, and the shape comes from the whole length against the width. Stylists usually cover part of a high forehead with bangs, which shortens the face that shows.
Is a V-shaped face the same as a long face?
No. V-shaped is about how the width narrows toward a pointed chin; long is about length against width. A face can be both, so measure the length first and treat the chin as a separate question.
How deep should the lenses be on a long face?
Sources agree on the direction, not the amount. Most favour deep lenses, and two Japanese eyewear chains put frame height at about a third of the face's length, but another guide asks for moderate height because very tall lenses repeat the long proportion. These are shop habits, and a Korean survey found preferred frame shapes did not differ by self-rated face shape.