20 Stylish Hairstyles for Men with Oval Faces

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Styles to flatter an oval face on men with thick, thin, and long hair
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If you’re a guy with an oval face, you’re in luck—this is one of the most versatile face shapes because almost any hairstyle looks great on you! We’ve rounded up the best looks for your face shape, plus how to ask for each cut at your stylist and How to Style the cut at home. We’ve also interviewed expert makeup and hair stylists for insight on how to pick the right cut for your face shape.

Section 1 of 10:

Short Hairstyles for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. A short fade is fairly short on top, then it fades down even shorter. This style is great for oval faces because it keeps volume off the sides, and the top is short enough to show off your symmetrical features. This is a versatile look that can work for casual settings, a professional environment, and everything in between. [1]
    • Best Hair Textures: There’s no wrong hair texture for a short fade—it works for everything from fine to coarse hair, as well as straight, coily, and everything in between.
    • What to Ask For: When you ask your barber for a fade , let them know where you want your hair to start tapering down. A high fade starts tapering close to your temples, a mid fade will start fading closer to your ears, and a low fade will taper closer to the nape of your neck.
    • How to Style: Because your hair is fairly short on top, you don’t have to do much with this style. If you want to add a little texture on top, work in a small amount of texturizing powder or spritz salt spray on your hair while it’s still damp.
  2. 2
    Textured Crop/French Crop With a textured crop (also called a French crop ), the sides are faded high, and the top of your hair is left a little longer, then point-cut to give it a messy texture. This modern look is casual and cool, and the unkempt texture adds some contrast to the soft features of an oval face. [2]
    • Best Hair Textures: Any—it adds texture and fullness to thin hair, or it can help show off curly hair while adding structure that complements an oval face.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for either a French crop or a textured crop that’s faded short on the sides. Let them know about how long you want the top to be—this is a pretty versatile cut, so the top length is up to you.
    • How to Style: Shake in a little texturizing powder to enhance the messy look, then comb the front of your hair straight down or down and to the side.
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  3. 3
    Short Afro If you have coarse or coily hair, wear your hair longer on top and shorter on the sides in an afro fade . The extra volume on the top will elongate your oval face, and the shorter sides will keep your face from looking too wide.
    • Best Hair Textures: Afros work best with hair that’s coarse or coily.
    • What to Ask For: Tell your stylist you want an afro fade—let them know what length you want on top, whether you want a high, mid, or low fade, and how long you want the hair to be on the sides.
    • How to Style: Use a pick to detangle your hair, then work in a moisturizing cream . Then, create the shape you want by brushing your hair with a sponge brush in a circular motion.
  4. 4
    Ivy League Show off your preppy side with this clean-cut haircut. The Ivy League is shorter on the sides, and the top is left longer than it would be for a crew cut. The classic style is typically side-parted and worn up and back. It’s an instantly-refined look that shows off the symmetry of an oval face. [3]
    • Best Hair Textures: The Ivy League haircut will work for any hair texture, but if you have thin hair, you may need volumizing products to get the lift you want.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for an Ivy League, Harvard, or Princeton cut, and bring pictures of the length you want on top.
    • How to Style: Comb your hair up and back while it’s wet. If your hair tends to fall forward, use a little thickening paste or powder for added volume.
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Section 2 of 10:

Medium-Length Hairstyles for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. 1
    Undercut An undercut is a timeless look that’s longer on the top and shorter on the sides. It’s typically a disconnected cut, meaning there’s a dramatic difference in length rather than a gradual fade. The closer cut on the sides makes an oval face look longer, and the length on top allows you to play around with different styles. [4]
    • Best Hair Textures: An undercut works really well with thicker hair textures. If you have thinner hair, talk to your stylist about the best way to style the top to make it look fuller.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for an undercut, but be specific about what you want the top to look like.
    • How to Style: You have a lot of options for styling an undercut —you can brush it up and back for lots of volume on top, wear it slicked back for a classic, sleek look, or part it on the side for a neat but casual look.
  2. 2
    Pompadour A pompadour is longer on the top and shorter in the sides, and the hair on top is worn up and back with a lot of volume. Originally, pompadours featured long sideburns, but these days, most guys fade down their sideburns for a more modern, subtle look. And because this look keeps your hair off your forehead, this is a flattering look for oval faces. [5]
    • Best Hair Textures: Pompadours work with thin or thick hair, and they can be worn straight or curly.
    • What to Ask For: Tell your stylist you want a pompadour—but to make sure you get the length you want on top, bring pictures of what you’re hoping to achieve.
    • How to Style: Work a styling product into your hair while it’s still wet—use pomade for a classic look or matte cream for a more natural modern look. Then, then use a round brush and a hairdryer to style your hair up and back, and set the style with strong-hold hairspray . [6]
  3. 3
    Mid-Length Mullet Go with a short mullet to add a modern touch to this fun style—wear your hair textured and messy on top, then just a little longer in the back so your hair just comes out from under your ears. This isn’t a super dramatic look, so it’s versatile, and the shorter sides flatter an oval face. [7]
    • Best Hair Textures: Wavy hair is probably the easiest to style in a mullet because of the natural texture, but any hair texture can rock a mullet.
    • What to Ask For: You’ll definitely want to bring pictures of the style you’re going for here—think about where you want your sides to start fading, how disconnected you want the shorter top and the longer back, and what length you want the top and back to be.
    • How to Style: Mullets are pretty low-maintenance, but if you want to add a little definition, spritz the top with sea salt spray while it’s damp, or work in a little texturizing powder after it dries.
  4. 4
    Mohawk or Faux Hawk If you’re into a bold, edgy look, try a mohawk or a fauxhawk . With a mohawk, your hair is cut very short on the sides, and only a strip in the middle is left long. With a fauxhawk, your sides are blended down from the longer section on top. Both of these styles are worn up and off the face, so they suit oval faces. [8]
    • Best Hair Textures: Mohawks are pretty versatile, but it may be easier to get medium-textured hair to stay in place. If your hair is finer, consider a fauxhawk, and if your hair is coarse, a shorter mohawk may work better.
    • What to Ask For: If you’re asking for a mohawk, all you really need to decide is how wide you want the top section to be. For a fauxhawk, you’ll need to let your stylist know how long you want the top, how wide you want the hawk to be, and how short you want the sides.
    • How to Style: Comb your damp hair straight up, then spray both sides with strong-hold hairspray , blow-dry it, and finish by shaping it with your hands. If you need to style your hawk in a more professional way, comb it over to the side or use gel to slick it back.
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Section 3 of 10:

Long Hairstyles for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. Add movement and dimension to long hair with layers. This will provide shape and definition around your face, helping flatter your oval face shape. Layers in hair add movement and dimension.
    • Best Hair Textures: Fine and medium hair work especially well with long layers—if your hair is thicker or very curly, this style can add too much volume to the sides of your face, which can make an oval face shape look rounder.
    • What to Ask For: Tell your stylist you want long layers. If you want a messier look, ask for shaggy layers—this works especially well with wavy hair.
    • How to Style: If you want to add more texture to your hair, spritz in sea salt spray or work in mousse while your hair is damp, then let it air dry.
  2. 2
    Long Mullet A long mullet is the best way to let everybody know you’re here for the party. And because it’s short on the top and sides, it looks great on guys with an oval face.
    • Best Hair Textures: Long mullets work best with fine or medium textured hair.
    • What to Ask For: Ask your stylist for a mullet—let them know how long you want the top and back, where you want the fade to start, and how connected you want the long and short parts to be.
    • How to Style: Mullets are the ultimate care-free hairstyle, so you really don’t have to do much to it, but you can add a texture spray or mousse for more control.
  3. 3
    Modern Wolf Cut A wolf cut is similar to a mullet, but it’s longer on the top and usually features shaggy, wolf-like layers at the crown. It’s a great blend of casual and edgy, and the shorter sides balance out any roundness in an oval face.
    • Best Hair Textures: Any hair type can rock a wolf cut.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a wolf cut, and bring reference pictures that show your stylist what you want the top, sides, and back to look like.
    • How to Style: This style looks best with a little added definition, so use a sea salt spray or mousse on your damp hair to add texture.
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Section 4 of 10:

Hairstyles With a Beard for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. 1
    Slicked Back A slicked-back hairstyle instantly shows everyone around you that you mean business. This classic look is timeless for a reason, and it’s perfect for formal or professional settings. Because your hair is worn off your forehead, it’s great for oval faces—and it makes any beard instantly look more polished. [9]
    • Best Hair Textures: This style usually works best with finer hair textures, but you can slick back thicker hair with stronger-hold products.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a cut that’s long on top and shorter on the sides, and let your stylist know you want to wear it slicked back.
    • How to Style: To slick back your hair , apply gel or pomade to damp, towel-dried hair, then comb it straight back until it’s smooth.
  2. 2
    Quiff Like a pompadour, the quiff also has volume on top and faded sides, but it’s styled a little more casually, so it looks more natural and modern. Like other flattering hairstyles for men with oval faces, this one is shorter on the sides, and the top of the hair is worn up and back to keep it off your forehead. It’s also especially flattering with a beard. [10]
    • Best Hair Textures: Quiffs work especially well with thicker hair, since it already has plenty of volume. Quiffs can be worn straight or curly.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a quiff, or tell your stylist you want to wear the top of your hair up and back with shorter sides. There are a lot of different ways to style a quiff, so bring reference pictures to make sure you get what you want.
    • How to Style: After you wash your hair, blow dry it up and back using a round brush. Finish by working in a little pomade .
  3. 3
    Messy Fringe If you’re looking for a mid-length, casual style, you can’t beat a messy fringe . Featuring messy layers on top and faded sides, this unkempt bed-head look suits the symmetrical features of an oval face. Go with a short, neatly-trimmed beard for a nice contrast to this style. [11]
    • Best Hair Textures: A messy fringe works great with any hair type, but it’s especially good for adding thickness and volume to fine hair.
    • What to Ask For: Ask your stylist to create a style with messy texture on top and low, blended sides. Bring reference pictures to show them what you want the top to look like.
    • How to Style: While your hair is damp, spritz the top part with sea salt spray to create a messy, piecey texture. Scrunch your hair with your fingers, then let it air dry or blow dry it with a diffuser . If you want the messy pieces to look more defined, finish by working in a little texturizing powder .
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Section 5 of 10:

Hairstyles with Minimal Maintenance for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. A crew cut is similar to a buzz cut, but it’s a little longer on top. This haircut is low-maintenance but still looks neat—perfect for busy professionals on the go. And with its short, faded sides, it’s another perfect style for showing off an oval face.
    • Best Hair Textures: Crew cuts work with all hair types, especially thick,wavy, or curly hair.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a crew cut with a scissor cut on top and a #4 clipper guard on the back and sides. Let the stylist know how you plan to style the top (like parted on the side or swept back) whether you want a high, low, or mid fade.
    • How to Style: Add a little pomade or wax while your hair is still damp. Then, comb it forward or to the side. [12]
  2. 2
    Man Bun If you want a style that says “confident but casual,” we’re voting man bun all the way. Because your hair is up and back, it flatters the shape of an oval face, and the extra volume on top won’t make your face look overly long like it can with some shapes. [13]
    • Best Hair Textures: Man buns work with any hair texture, as long as it’s long enough to be pulled to the top of your head. But if your hair is really thick, consider an undercut or man bun fade to take down some of the volume on the sides.
    • What to Ask For: If you have long hair, you don’t necessarily need to ask for any certain style to rock a man bun. But if you want a man bun fade, ask your stylist to leave your hair as long as possible on top, then choose whether you want a low, mid, or high fade on the sides.
    • How to Style: To style your hair in a man bun , pull your hair up to the crown of your hair, then wrap a hair tie around it and you’re good to go. For a sleeker look, brush your hair up to the top of your head before you tie the bun.
  3. 3
    Angled Fringe If you like to keep your hair a little longer on top, an angled fringe can be a great way to get the length you want while still showing off your oval face. This cut allows you to sweep your hair down and over to one side—so your face won’t appear as round as if you had a heavy, straight-down fringe. [14]
    • Best Hair Textures: This works best for fine to medium textures—thick or curly hair may not lay flat on your forehead.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for an angled or side-swept fringe that’s shorter on the sides, and bring reference pictures to give your stylist an idea of the texture you want on top.
    • How to Style: Just comb your hair down and to one side while it’s damp. If you want to add a messy, piecey texture, work in a little hair clay or spritz on some salt spray before you style.
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Section 6 of 10:

Hairstyles for Thin Hair and Oval Faces

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  1. 1
    Buzz Cut A buzz cut is about as easy as it gets—it’s short all over. Most people do choose to leave the hair a little longer on the top than the sides, but otherwise, there’s not too much to change up with this one. This is a great look for men who want to show off their symmetrical oval faces. [15]
    • Best Hair Textures: Buzz cuts work for any texture, including thick, fine, and thinning hair.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a buzz cut, and let them know what length you want to start at or if you want a longer guard on top.
    • How to Style: You don’t need to do much for a basic buzz cut, but as it grows out, you can use matte clay or salt spray to add texture.
  2. 2
    Caesar The Caesar cut has been around since the days of Julius Caesar himself, and it’s so flattering and versatile that it keeps coming back around. Like other short haircuts for oval faces, this works well because it’s shorter on the sides. And even though it’s worn forward, the Caesar doesn’t cover much of your forehead, so it still shows off your symmetrical face.
    • Best Hair Textures: The Caesar cut can work for any hair texture, but if your hair is especially thick or coarse, keep it on the shorter side.
    • What to Ask For: Just ask for the Caesar! It’s the same length all the way around—usually around 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm).
    • How to Style: While your hair is damp, comb the front forward and down. If you’d like, you can use a little matte clay or pomade for texture and hold.
  3. 3
    Side Part/Comb-Over Fade The term “ comb over ” might have a bad reputation, but side parts are in right now. These cuts are longer on the top with a deep part, and they’re undercut or blended on the sides. This bold shape adds contrast to an oval face, and it doesn’t cover your forehead, which can make oval faces look rounder. [16]
    • Best Hair Textures: This is a great cut for adding fullness to thin hair.
    • What to Ask For: Ask for a side part that’s longer on the top, shorter on the sides, and blended in the back. If you want a more defined part, ask your stylist to widen your natural part with clippers.
    • How to Style: Work a dab of pomade into your hair while it’s damp. On the short side, comb your hair back and behind your ears. On the longer side, comb your hair over for a sleeker look, or brush it up and back to add more volume. [17]
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Section 7 of 10:

What styles look best on men with oval faces?

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  1. Oval faces look great with almost any hairstyle. Stylist Frankie Sanderson says that “oval faces are the ideal shape because they’re very balanced. As stylists, we have to figure out how to create that same balance in someone who has a square-shaped, triangle-shaped, or diamond-shaped face.”
    • That said, the most flattering styles tend to show off your face, like shorter cuts or cuts that you wear up or back. [18]
    • Avoid styles that come down low on your forehead—this will make your face look rounder.
    • To get the exact style you want, licensed cosmetologist Tiffany Carnevale-Russo recommends “bringing pictures to your stylist. They’re more explanatory than trying to verbalize what you’re looking for. Then your stylist can give you their opinions on whether that style is going to work for you.”
Section 8 of 10:

How do I know if I have an oval face shape?

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  1. An oval face is a little longer than it is wide. Measure across the widest part of your forehead, jawline, and cheekbones. Compare the three measurements—if you have an oval face, your forehead will be a little wider than your jawline but smaller than your cheekbones. Also, pay attention to the roundness of your jaw—with an oval face, the edges of your face will be rounded instead of angular. [19]
    • When you’re trying to determine your face shape, makeup artist Anjuli Yera, MD recommends to “divide your face into two halves, with the top half being from the cheekbones up. Determine whether the top of your face has a shape like a circle, heart, rectangle, square, diamond, oblong or oval. Then, look at the lower half of your face and determine its shape. Finally, join the two halves together.”
    • Still not sure whether you have an oval face? Check out wikiHow’s Face Shape Quiz to find out.
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Section 9 of 10:

More Advice for Men with Oval Faces

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  1. 1
    Play around with different lengths. When you’re ready to try a new style, don’t be afraid to let your hair grow out or to cut it super-short. Oval faces are well-suited to tons of different styles, so you can be bold when you’re experimenting with new looks.
  2. 2
    Avoid styles that are full on the sides. If you have an oval face, your features are naturally more rounded. Styles that have a lot of volume on the sides add extra width to your face, which can make your face look rounder. Similarly, avoid styles with heavy fringe that covers your forehead, since that will emphasize the roundness in your lower face.
    • Styles with softer edges and volume on top tend to be most flattering for oval faces.
    • If you do choose a cut with bangs, wear them swept over to one side or brushed up and back.
  3. 3
    Add texture to your look with products. Most men’s styles look better if you add a little bit of a piecey definition with hair products. Good texturizing products for men include:
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Section 10 of 10:

FAQs

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  1. George Clooney, Michael Jordan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Idris Elba, John Legend, Dev Patel, and Ryan Gosling all have oval faces.
  2. 2
    Should I have a beard if I have an oval face? Guys with oval faces look great with or without a beard—this is a very versatile face shape! [20]
  3. What’s considered handsome is subjective. But oval faces are very symmetrical, which is typically considered attractive—especially when you pick a hairstyle that flatters your face and the texture of your hair!
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      References

      1. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/short-hairstyles-men
      2. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/short-hairstyles-men
      3. ↑ https://www.barberstake.com/blog/ivy-league-haircut/
      4. ↑ https://goodmansbarberlounge.com/blog/mens-hairstyles-by-face-shape/
      5. ↑ https://goodmansbarberlounge.com/blog/mens-hairstyles-by-face-shape/
      6. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/short-hairstyles-men
      7. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/short-hairstyles-men
      8. ↑ https://www.thetrendspotter.net/mohawk-hairstyles-for-men/
      9. ↑ https://www.rush.co.uk/blog/short-haircuts-for-men/72034
      1. ↑ https://www.rush.co.uk/blog/short-haircuts-for-men/72034
      2. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/choose-hairstyle-face-shape
      3. ↑ https://www.rush.co.uk/blog/short-haircuts-for-men/72034
      4. ↑ https://goodmansbarberlounge.com/blog/mens-hairstyles-by-face-shape/
      5. ↑ https://www.fashionbeans.com/2016/33-best-mens-fringe-haircuts/
      6. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/short-hairstyles-men
      7. ↑ https://goodmansbarberlounge.com/blog/mens-hairstyles-by-face-shape/
      8. ↑ https://www.menshairstylestoday.com/comb-over-hairstyles-for-men/
      9. ↑ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/mens-hairstyles-for-face-shapes
      10. ↑ https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-hairstyles/choose-hairstyle-face-shape
      11. ↑ https://www.artofmanliness.com/style/hair/the-best-haircut-for-your-face-shape/

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