MomSkoop
Your hairstyle can dramatically change how your face appears to others. Sometimes, the choices we make with our hair can accidentally add width to our faces, making them look rounder or broader than they actually are.
Understanding which styling mistakes to avoid can help you create a more flattering look that highlights your best features and balances your face shape perfectly.
1. Blunt, Straight-Across Bangs
Heavy bangs that cut straight across your forehead create a strong horizontal line that draws attention to the width of your face.
When bangs sit flat and blunt, they essentially put a frame around the widest part of your face, making it appear broader.
This style works against you if you want to create length and vertical lines.
Instead of blunt bangs, consider side-swept or wispy bangs that angle diagonally across your forehead.
Soft, textured bangs help break up that harsh line and guide the eye in a more flattering direction.
Always remember that angles and movement are your friends when trying to slim your face shape.
2. Hair Tucked Behind Both Ears
Pushing all your hair behind your ears might feel practical, but it exposes your entire face without any softening elements.
Your face becomes the complete focus, and without hair framing it, every wide angle becomes obvious.
This mistake is especially common when people want to keep hair out of their way during the day.
A better approach is to leave some pieces loose around your face to create shadows and dimension.
Face-framing layers or strategic strands can work wonders in slimming your appearance.
Even just keeping one side tucked while letting the other fall naturally makes a huge difference in how balanced your face looks to others.
3. Chin-Length Bobs Without Layers
Bobs that end right at your chin or jawline can emphasize the widest part of your face rather than slim it down.
Without layers or texture, the hair creates a solid, heavy line that adds visual weight exactly where you do not want it.
The blunt cut draws a horizontal boundary that makes your face appear wider and boxier.
Adding long layers or angling the bob so it is longer in front helps create vertical lines instead.
Textured ends also prevent that harsh, straight edge from sitting too heavily at your jaw.
Consider asking your stylist for a graduated bob that slopes downward to elongate rather than widen your overall appearance.
4. Center Parts on Short Hair
A center part divides your hair into two equal sections, which can make your face look perfectly symmetrical but also wider.
Short hair with a center part lacks the vertical length needed to balance out facial width.
The symmetry draws attention to the horizontal proportions of your face instead of creating height.
Switching to a deep side part instantly adds asymmetry and diagonal lines that are far more flattering.
Side parts create volume on one side, which adds dimension and makes your face appear longer and slimmer.
Even a slight shift from center can make a noticeable difference in how your face is perceived by others around you.
5. Overly Voluminous Sides
Adding too much volume at the sides of your head creates width exactly where you are trying to minimize it.
Big, puffy sides make your face look broader because they extend outward horizontally from your head.
This often happens with certain curly styles or when using too much teasing or product on the sides.
Focus on building volume at the crown or top of your head instead, which creates height and elongates your face.
Keep the sides sleeker and closer to your head to avoid adding unnecessary width.
Strategic styling that emphasizes vertical rather than horizontal volume will always give you a more balanced, slimming effect overall.
6. Super Short Pixie Cuts
Pixie cuts can be stunning, but when they are too short without enough height on top, they can widen your face.
Short hair that sits flat against your head removes the vertical dimension needed to balance facial proportions.
Without length or volume at the crown, your face becomes the dominant feature with nothing to elongate it.
If you love pixies, opt for styles with more height and texture on top to create upward movement.
Adding layers and lift at the crown helps draw the eye upward rather than across.
A well-styled pixie with strategic volume can actually slim your face, but the key is avoiding anything too flat or cropped.
7. Tight, Slicked-Back Ponytails
Pulling your hair back tightly into a ponytail removes all the softening elements around your face, exposing its full width.
Slicked-back styles create a severe look that emphasizes every angle and contour without any balance.
The tight pull can even make your face look rounder by stretching the skin slightly.
Instead, try a looser ponytail with some face-framing pieces left out to soften the overall effect.
Adding a bit of volume at the crown before securing your ponytail also helps create length.
A relaxed, textured ponytail with strategic wisps around your face is far more flattering than a super-tight, severe style that shows everything.
8. Horizontal Curls at Face Level
Curls that bounce out horizontally at the level of your cheeks or jaw add width right where you want to minimize it.
When curls spring outward instead of falling downward, they create a widening effect that makes your face look rounder.
This happens especially with tight ringlets or curls that have too much volume at the sides.
Encourage your curls to fall in a more vertical pattern by using styling techniques that elongate rather than expand.
Products that add weight and definition can help curls hang down instead of bouncing out.
Vertical, flowing curls create length and movement that naturally slim your face, while horizontal curls do exactly the opposite every time.
9. Blunt Lobs at Shoulder Length
A long bob that ends bluntly right at your shoulders creates another horizontal line that emphasizes width.
The straight-across cut at shoulder level draws attention to the broadest part of your upper body and face.
Without layers or angles, the style looks boxy and adds visual weight rather than creating flow.
Asking for long layers or an angled lob that is longer in front helps break up that harsh line.
Textured ends also add movement and prevent the hair from sitting too heavily at one level.
An angled or layered lob creates diagonal lines that guide the eye downward, making your face appear longer and more balanced overall.
10. Rounded, Bowl-Cut Shapes
Bowl cuts and rounded hairstyles that curve around your head emphasize circular shapes, which naturally make your face look wider.
The curved lines follow the contours of your head and face, drawing attention to roundness rather than length.
This style lacks the angles and vertical lines needed to create a slimming effect.
Instead of rounded cuts, look for styles with angles, layers, or asymmetry that break up the circular shape.
Sharp lines and textured layers create dimension and movement that work against width.
Even small changes, like adding choppy layers or an angled fringe, can transform a rounded cut into something far more flattering and modern.