Quick Answer:
A long face shape is a face clearly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones, and jaw of similar width. It is the same family as oblong; style it by adding width, not height.
A long face shape means your face is clearly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones, and jaw close in width. This OvalFaceShape.com guide is for anyone unsure whether “long,” “oblong,” or “rectangle” fits them, and for readers ready to pick a haircut, glasses, or makeup.
I build the Face Shape Detector, so this page publishes its ratio rules openly instead of hiding them.
Long, Oblong and Rectangle: One Face Family
| Term | Where you see it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Long face shape | Everyday searches, beauty blogs | Any face clearly longer than wide |
| Oblong | Styling and measurement guides | Long with even widths, usually a softer jaw |
| Rectangle | Some styling guides | Same proportions, more angular jaw |
For haircuts, glasses and beards, treat all three as one shape; the styling logic is identical. Guides split oblong from rectangle by jaw angle, but the line is not standardised, so two sites may label the same face differently.
How to Know If You Have a Long Face Shape?
Take the long face shape test with a soft tape measure and about three minutes:
- Pull your hair fully back; a fringe hides the hairline and skews the result.
- Measure length from the middle of the hairline to the tip of the chin.
- Measure cheekbone width at the widest point, just below the outer eye corners.
- Divide length by cheekbone width. Example: 21 cm ÷ 13.5 cm = 1.56.
- Compare forehead, cheekbone and jaw widths. On a long face they sit close together; if the cheekbones clearly lead, you are likelier oval or diamond.
A ratio above about 1.5 points to a long face; roughly 1.3 to 1.5 points to oval. Near 1.5, let width consistency decide, or confirm with the Face Shape Detector. A receding or shaved hairline blurs the starting point, so treat a borderline ratio as a range, not a verdict.
Why Different Sites Give Different Results?
Anthropologists use the morphologic facial index: face height from nasion to gnathion divided by bizygomatic width, times 100 (source). In one common scheme, leptoprosopic (long) runs from 90 to 94.9 and hyperleptoprosopic (very long) starts at 95 (source), though cutoffs vary slightly by author.
That ratio starts at the nose bridge, not the hairline, so it cannot be compared with the 1.5 tape-measure figure above. Sites that mix formulas will disagree.
How Common Is a Long Face Shape?
It depends on who is measured. In 1,003 Turkish adults, 8.7% of men and 11.8% of women were leptoprosopic, with another 4.7% and 3.9% hyperleptoprosopic (source). Among Tibetan youth the two long types covered about 4.5% of males but about 30% of females. baskentnih
Long Face vs Oval Face
| Trait | Long | Oval |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio | Above about 1.5 | About 1.3 to 1.5 |
| Sides of face | Straight, near parallel | Gently curved, tapering |
| Widths | Forehead, cheekbones, jaw similar | Cheekbones lead slightly |
People with long faces often assume they are oval, because oval is the default most guides lead with. Faces near 1.5 can sit between the two; oval vs oblong covers borderline “oval-long” cases.
The One Styling Rule for a Long Face Shape
Add horizontal width; Avoid vertical height. A long face already has a strong vertical line, so crown height, long centre-parted straight hair, pointed goatees and narrow, tall frames extend it. Fringes, waves, side sweeps, wide frames and fuller sides cut across it. This is styling guidance, not a medical standard.
Long Face Shape Hairstyles for Women
For women, the best long face shape haircuts add width at the cheeks and jaw and shorten the forehead.
Bangs for a Long Face Shape
Yes, bangs usually help. Bangs make the forehead look shorter, and full bangs suit thicker hair. Medium to long curtain or side-swept bangs are safest; very short bangs can emphasise length. purewow
Bob for a Long Face Shape
A bob landing at or just below the chin creates the illusion of width. Add layers or texture for movement. Stylist Gregga Prothero warns that one-length hair past the chin with no face-framing layers can drag the face down. Layered long hair with waves also works. purewow
See real examples in celebrities with an oblong face shape.
Long Face Shape Hairstyles for Men
For a long face shape haircut, keep volume at the sides, not the crown. Curtain hair, a side-swept textured crop, a French crop and a side part add width or fringe; pompadours, mohawks, top knots and tight crops with height on top add length. A short boxed beard or fuller sides widens the jaw; long pointed goatees and chin straps lengthen it.
Find more options: hairstyles by face shape.
Asian Male Hairstyles for a Long Face Shape
If your hair is thick and straight, a textured fringe, a two-block cut or a soft perm can add the side width flat hair lacks. Skip tall, swept-back styles, which stretch the face.
Glasses for a Long Face Shape
Choose frames wider than they are tall, such as wide rectangular, browline, round or aviator shapes. They add a horizontal line; narrow, small or tall frames emphasise length.
Earrings and Makeup for a Long Face Shape
Wide hoops, studs and clusters add width; long drops extend the line. Sweep blush horizontally across the cheekbones, place contour at the hairline and under the chin to shorten, and keep brows soft with a low arch.
Wedding Hairstyles for a Long Face Shape
Soft waves, a half-up style with side volume or a low side chignon keep width; tall, sleek updos add height.
Key Takeaways
- Long, oblong and rectangle describe one face family; styling advice is the same.
- Above about 1.5 (hairline-to-chin ÷ cheekbone width) points to a long face.
- Tape-measure and clinical ratios use different landmarks and cannot be compared.
- Add width, not height: bangs, layers, wide frames, fuller sides.
- Treat borderline results as a range and confirm with a second method.
Next step:
Confirm your result with the Face Shape Detector.
FAQs
How to Know If You Have a Long-Shaped Face & The Best Hairstyles for You?
Divide face length (hairline to chin) by cheekbone width; above about 1.5, with similar forehead, cheek and jaw widths, points to a long face. The best hairstyles add width: curtain bangs, chin-length bobs and layers for women; curtain hair and side-swept crops for men.
Is it the same as the oblong face shape?
Yes. Long is the everyday name and oblong the styling-guide term. Both describe a face clearly longer than wide, and the styling advice is the same.
Should a long face have bangs?
Usually yes. Medium to long curtain or side-swept bangs shorten the forehead; very short bangs can emphasise length.
Does a long face mean I must avoid long hair?
No. Long hair works with face-framing layers and some wave; the problem is one-length hair with no layering.
How is a long face different from an oval face?
A long face sits above about 1.5 with straighter, parallel sides; an oval face sits around 1.3 to 1.5 with gently tapering sides.
Why did two websites give me different face shapes?
They likely use different formulas, such as hairline-to-chin versus nasion-to-chin, and different cutoffs, so the numbers are not comparable.
Is knowing my face shape worth it before changing my haircut?
It is a useful starting filter, not a rule. Hair texture, density and lifestyle matter as much.