Oblong Face Shape
An oblong face is a long rectangle: the three widths are similar, and the length is what sets it apart. It is often called long face, and the styling problem is always the same — reduce apparent height, add width.
Drop a photo into the panel and it will say whether your four measurements read as oblong.
Click to choose a photo, or drop one here
Straight-on, even lighting, at arm's length gives the most comparable reading.
No photo to hand? Try one of these and see what the tool returns.
Runs in your browser. Your photo is never uploaded.
How a oblong face is measured
Face length exceeds 1.6 times the cheekbone width — the face is distinctly longer than it is wide, with forehead, cheekbones and jaw close in measurement.
- Face clearly longer than wide
- Forehead, cheekbones and jaw similar in width
- Often a taller forehead or longer chin
- Straight sides rather than a taper
An oblong face is a long rectangle: forehead, cheekbones and jaw sit close together in width, and length is the only distinguishing measurement. It is the shape most affected by hairline position, because a high hairline adds directly to the measurement that defines it.
Also called: Long face, Rectangular face.
How to tell if you have a oblong face
Oblong is a length verdict, so the length measurement has to be taken carefully.
- 1Pull your hair back so your real hairline is visible, not where a fringe sits.
- 2Measure from hairline to the base of the chin.
- 3Measure across the cheekbones at the widest point.
- 4Divide length by width — above about 1.6 is oblong.
- 5Check the jaw against the cheekbones. If it is nearly as wide, the shape is oblong rather than oval.
A tape measure held against your own face is accurate to maybe half a centimetre, which is enough for the clear cases and not enough for the borderline ones. The tool above takes the same three widths from 478 landmarks instead.
Oblong vs Oval face shape
Both are long. The jaw separates them: an oval face tapers, with a jaw at least fifteen per cent narrower than the cheekbones, while an oblong face keeps its width all the way down. This is the most searched face shape comparison of the seven, and the taper is the whole answer.
The oval face shape in full →Oblong vs Square face shape
The widths are the same in both — three similar measurements, a defined jaw. Only length differs. Under about 1.2 times as long as wide is square, over about 1.6 is oblong. The middle band has no clean answer.
The square face shape in full →Hairstyles for a oblong face
A fringe is the single most effective change for an oblong face — it removes visible face length directly.
Works
- Blunt or curtain fringes, which cut the vertical
- Volume at the sides, especially at cheekbone level
- Waves and curls, which add width
Fights the shape
- Long straight styles with no width
- High volume at the crown
- Centre partings with flat sides
Beard styles for a oblong face
Beard direction matters more on an oblong face than on any other, because length is the thing you are trying not to add.
- Grow the sides fuller and keep the chin short — the opposite of the advice for a round face
- Mutton chops and full cheek coverage add the width the shape lacks
- Avoid a long goatee or a pointed beard, which extends the face further
Makeup for a oblong face shape
Everything works horizontally: shorten the face visually, widen the middle.
- Contour along the hairline and under the chin to shorten the vertical run
- Blush placed horizontally across the cheeks rather than angled up
- Highlight across the cheekbones, side to side, not down the centre
- A flatter, more horizontal brow, which cuts the length of the upper third
Glasses for a oblong face
Works
- Deep frames that cover more vertical space
- Oversized and wide frames
- Decorative or contrasting temples, which add horizontal interest
Avoid
- Small or narrow frames, which leave the length exposed
- Rimless styles, for the same reason
The oblong face shape on men
Oblong is one of the more searched male face shapes, and the reason is usually hairline recession, which lengthens the upper third and moves a face that measured oval or square into oblong territory over time. It is one of the few results on this site that genuinely changes across adulthood.
Oblong face shape celebrities
Celebrity lists for a long face are unusually unreliable, because hairstyle changes the measurement outright. The same person photographed with a fringe and then without it produces two different ratios. This site does not assign shapes to people it has not measured.
Procedures that change a oblong face
The upper third is usually what people want to change with a long face.
- Hairline LoweringChanges the height of your forehead.
- Cheek FillerChanges cheekbone projection and midface volume.
A simulation is a visualisation, not a surgical plan, and nothing on this page is medical advice.
Oblong face shape — frequently asked questions
Is oblong the same as a long face shape?
Yes, they are the same measurement described two ways. Oblong is the term most face shape charts use.
Is an oblong face the same as a rectangle face shape?
Effectively yes, and some charts use rectangle for a long face with a defined, square-cornered jaw while keeping oblong for a softer one. The length condition is identical in both, so this site treats them as one category rather than splitting on jaw definition.
What hairstyle suits an oblong face?
Anything horizontal. A fringe shortens the visible length immediately, and volume at the sides adds the width the shape lacks. Long straight styles and high volume at the crown both extend it.
Does a receding hairline change my face shape?
It changes the measurement, yes. Face length is taken from the hairline, so recession lengthens the upper third and can move a result from oval or square into oblong across adulthood. It is one of the few results here that is not stable.
Do glasses make a long face look shorter?
They can, and the deciding factor is depth rather than style. A frame with a tall lens covers more of the face's vertical run and breaks it into shorter sections; a narrow, shallow frame does nothing. Decorated or contrasting temple arms help too, because they pull the eye sideways.