If you have a round face, I want to start with some good news: you are working with one of the most youthful face shapes there is. Soft cheeks, a gently curved jawline and balanced width hold up beautifully as we age. Somewhere along the way, though, many of us were told to hide our faces behind heavy curtains of hair. That approach is outdated. The best hairstyles for round faces add height, create angles and draw the eye up and down instead of side to side.
Below you will find 20 flattering ideas: long layers, angled lobs, shags, updos, braids and pixies, each with notes on who it suits best in her 40s, 50s and 60s. Bookmark this collection so you have it on hand the next time you book a cut. Your stylist will thank you for the visual reference.
1. Side-Parted Long Face-Framing Layers
This is the cut I recommend most often to round-faced friends, and for good reason. A deep side part breaks up the symmetry of a round face, and long layers that start at the chin or just below create soft vertical lines that visually lengthen. If you love movement around the face, my collection of soft feathered hairstyles builds on the same principle. In your 40s, keep the ends blunt and healthy. In your 50s and 60s, ask for slightly more layering near the cheekbones to add lift.
2. Asymmetrical Ash Brown Angled Lob
An angled lob, shorter in back and longer in front, is a round face’s best friend because those front pieces fall below the jaw and carve out a longer silhouette. Adding asymmetry, with one side slightly longer, adds an angle that soft features need. The cool ash brown tone keeps it modern and plays down warmth in the cheeks. Women with fine hair in their 50s will love how a lob instantly makes thinning ends look fuller.
3. Auburn Shag with Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs belong on round faces when they are cut right: parted in the center, longer at the edges and sweeping down past the cheekbones. Paired with a choppy shag, they add height at the crown and texture through the lengths. If you are past 60 and want this mood with more length, my roundup of long shaggy styles is full of ideas. The rich auburn color warms up skin that has lost some of its natural glow.
4. Sleek High Crown Ponytail
Many of my readers believe that pulling hair back is off-limits with a round face. It is not, as long as the ponytail sits high. A ponytail placed at the crown lifts the whole face and acts like an instant mini facelift. Smooth the sides with a little balm and add a touch of teasing at the crown so the top is not completely flat. It is a sharp, polished option for busy women in their 40s and a chic dinner look at any age.
5. Voluminous Blowout with Caramel Balayage
A bouncy blowout with lift at the roots builds vertical volume, exactly where a round face needs it. The caramel balayage helps too: lighter ribbons placed through the lengths and around the face pull the eye downward and add dimension. Use a round brush at the crown and direct the front sections away from your face. For women over 50, the soft caramel tones also blend early grays effortlessly.
6. Copper Waves with Side-Swept Bangs
Side-swept bangs are probably the safest fringe for a round face because they create a diagonal line across the forehead, which slims and lengthens at the same time. Loose copper waves add warmth and movement without bulk at the cheeks. Keep the wave pattern starting at the jaw rather than at the ears so width stays low. This is a gorgeous, low-commitment way to try bangs in your 50s.
7. Half-Up Top Knot with Ash Waves
The half-up top knot gives you the height of an updo and the softness of loose hair all at once. Twisting the top section into a small knot at the crown adds inches of height, while the waves left down keep the face framed. I love the cool ash shade here for women going gradually gray. Pull out a couple of thin pieces at the temples for an effortless finish.
8. Long V-Cut Chocolate Layers
A V-cut tapers the back of your hair into a point, which naturally draws attention downward and elongates the whole silhouette. Combined with long layers in a deep chocolate brown, it looks glossy, healthy and expensive. This cut is ideal if you are in your 40s and still want plenty of length. Ask your stylist to keep the shortest layers below the chin.
9. Layered Natural Curls with Crown Height
Curly hair can widen a round face if all the volume sits at the sides, so the secret is layering for height. A stylist experienced with curls can cut the top shorter to lift the crown and remove bulk around the cheeks. If you love your texture, my collection of gorgeous curly styles has plenty more inspiration. Diffuse with your head tipped forward and use a pick at the roots for extra lift.
10. Long Pixie with Side-Swept Volume
Yes, round faces can absolutely wear a pixie. The key is length on top and a side-swept fringe that creates an angle, while the sides stay close to the head. This shape shows off your cheekbones and eyes beautifully. It is one of my favorite youthful cuts over 50 because it is light, easy and full of attitude. Women in their 60s with thinning hair often find a pixie makes hair look thicker.
11. Textured Lob with Face-Framing Highlights
A textured lob that hits around the collarbone is long enough to elongate and short enough to feel fresh. Bright face-framing highlights, often called a money piece, act like contour for your hair, adding light to the vertical lines around your face. Use a texturizing spray and twist sections loosely for a lived-in finish. It is wonderfully low maintenance between salon visits.
12. High Messy Bun with Face Tendrils
A high messy bun gives the same lift as a high ponytail with a softer, romantic feel. The tendrils are the important part: leave a few long, thin pieces in front of the ears that fall past the jaw. Short wisps that stop at the cheeks will emphasize width, so keep them long. This is my go-to for hot days, gardening and lazy weekends.
13. Side-Parted Long Bob in Mocha
The long bob is the classic for a reason, and a deep side part makes it work for round faces. The weight falling across one side of the face creates asymmetry and a long, flattering line. A soft mocha brown is a beautiful, forgiving shade for women in their 40s and 50s, and it blends gray regrowth well. Keep the ends slightly beveled under for polish.
14. Platinum Straight Hair with Wispy Side Fringe
Long, straight hair is naturally elongating, and a wispy side fringe softens the forehead without shortening the face. Platinum is a bold, modern way to embrace graying hair, and it brightens the complexion when the tone is right for you. Use a purple shampoo once a week to keep brassiness away. Straight styles are best kept with a little root lift so the top does not lie flat.
15. Loose Side Dutch Braid
A side braid works on round faces because it pulls the visual line diagonally across the head and down one shoulder. A Dutch braid, where strands cross under, stands up off the head and adds dimension. Pancake the braid gently for a fuller look and leave a few soft pieces near the face. It is a lovely, age-proof style for weddings and summer gatherings.
16. Espresso Waves with Long Side Fringe
A long side fringe that blends into the layers is one of the best tricks for softening a round face without committing to true bangs. With deep espresso waves, the effect is glamorous and rich. Darker shades around the sides of the face can act like subtle contouring. Add a gloss treatment every few weeks to keep dark color shining.
17. Strawberry Blonde Butterfly Cut
The butterfly cut combines short face-framing layers with long lengths, so you get a lot of movement while keeping the length that elongates the face. For round faces, ask that the shortest layers start at the cheekbones and sweep outward. The soft strawberry blonde shade is wonderfully flattering on fair skin in the 50s and 60s. Blow-dry the front pieces away from your face with a large round brush.
18. Auburn Curly Shag with Crown Height
The curly shag is a texture lover’s dream: layers stacked at the crown create height, and tapered sides keep curls from puffing out at the cheeks. Auburn tones make the curl pattern pop. Use a curl cream on soaking-wet hair and avoid touching it while it dries. This shape is flattering and carefree, especially for women in their 60s who want low effort with high impact.
19. Side-Parted Glossy Brunette Glam Waves
Old Hollywood glam waves with a deep side part are elegant, timeless and wonderfully flattering on round faces. The S-shaped waves cascading over one side create a long, sculpted line. Set your hair in large rollers or curl in one direction, then brush out gently. It is my top pick for special occasions in any decade.
20. Long Jet Black Tapered Layers
Long tapered layers that get thinner toward the ends draw the eye downward and keep weight away from the cheeks. Jet black is striking and adds incredible shine, though it is best for women whose natural color is already dark. If gray is coming through, try a soft black or deep brown to minimize regrowth lines. It is simple, sleek and endlessly versatile.
Care Tips to Keep Your Style Looking Its Best
Even the most flattering cut falls flat without the right care. After 40, hair often becomes finer, drier and more porous because of hormonal changes, so your routine needs to evolve with it.
- Focus on root volume: Volume at the crown is the most important styling move for round faces. Use a lightweight mousse at the roots and blow-dry with your head tipped forward.
- Keep ends healthy: Trim every six to ten weeks. Healthy ends keep long and mid-length styles looking sleek instead of straggly.
- Hydrate without heaviness: Choose lightweight conditioners and apply masks only from mid-length to ends so roots stay lifted.
- Protect from heat: Always use a heat protectant and keep tools below the highest setting, especially if your hair is gray or color-treated.
- Sleep smart: A silk pillowcase reduces frizz and breakage and helps blowouts last an extra day.
In your 40s, focus on protecting color and preventing damage. In your 50s, add a scalp serum and look for volumizing formulas. In your 60s and beyond, prioritize moisture and gentle handling, and ask your stylist about cuts that work with your natural texture rather than against it.
Color Options That Flatter Round Faces
Color is a powerful tool for shaping a face, and I think it is underused. A few strategies I always share:
- Face-framing highlights: Brighter pieces running vertically along the face create length and draw the eye downward.
- Balayage with depth at the root: A slightly deeper root with lighter lengths adds dimension and makes regrowth softer.
- Avoid one solid flat shade: Single-process color can look heavy and make a face appear wider. Multitonal color reads younger.
- Soften as you age: Skin tone lightens over time, so going a shade or two softer than your youthful color is usually more flattering.
- Embrace silver strategically: Blending gray with lowlights or highlights eases the transition and keeps the look intentional.
Warm shades like copper, auburn and caramel bring life to complexions that look sallow, while cool ashes, mochas and platinums tame redness. Ask your colorist to check your undertones in natural light before deciding.
Face-Shape Guide: How to Tell If Your Face Is Round
Pull your hair back and look straight into a mirror. A round face is about as wide as it is long, with full cheeks, a soft rounded chin and a jawline without sharp angles. The widest point is usually across the cheeks. If your jaw is angular, you may be square. If your face is noticeably longer than it is wide, you are likely oval or oblong.
Once you know you are round, the rules are simple:
- Do add height at the crown, choose side parts, keep length below the chin and look for angles and asymmetry.
- Do use long, side-swept or curtain bangs that fall past the cheekbones.
- Avoid chin-length blunt bobs, heavy straight-across bangs and volume concentrated at the cheeks.
- Avoid flat, center-parted styles with no lift, which emphasize width.
Remember, these are guidelines, not laws. Confidence is the most flattering thing you can wear, and a great stylist can adapt almost any look to your features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most flattering haircut for a round face over 50?
An angled lob or long face-framing layers with a side part are the most universally flattering choices. Both add length, create angles and are easy to style as hair texture changes.
Can I wear bangs if I have a round face?
Absolutely. Choose side-swept, wispy or curtain bangs that fall past the cheekbones. Skip short, heavy, blunt fringe, which tends to make a face look wider.
Is short hair a good idea for round faces?
Yes, if it has height on top and stays close at the sides. A long pixie with side-swept volume is beautiful on round faces. Avoid rounded, chin-length shapes that mirror your face shape.
Should I wear a center part or a side part?
A side part is usually more flattering because it breaks up symmetry and creates a diagonal line. A center part can work with curtain bangs or long layers that frame the face.
How can I make my round face look slimmer with hair?
Add volume at the crown, keep length below the chin, use face-framing highlights and avoid width at the cheeks. High ponytails and buns also lift the face instantly.
Do curly hairstyles work for round faces?
They do, as long as the curls are layered for height rather than width. Ask for a shape with more volume at the crown and less bulk at the sides.
Final Thoughts
A round face is not a problem to solve. It is a soft, youthful canvas, and the right cut simply brings out your best features. Whether you choose sleek long layers, a breezy lob, a playful shag or a polished high ponytail, the formula stays the same: lift at the crown, length below the chin and a little asymmetry. Take your favorite photo to your stylist, talk through your texture and lifestyle, and give yourself permission to try something new. Some of the best haircuts of my life happened after 40.
Found a look you love? Save this post to your Pinterest hair board so these hairstyles for round faces are ready whenever you need fresh inspiration.
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