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What Face Shapes Work Best with an Angled Bob Haircut?

B. Miller
B. Miller

An angled bob haircut, in which the hair is left slightly longer in front and then angled toward the back of the head, can be flattering on a number of different face shapes. Keep in mind that there is no one way to create this haircut; some will cut it with very blunt ends, while others will add more layers and movement. This can help to make the angled bob appropriate for different face shapes. As a general rule, however, an angled bob with some layers looks the best on narrow, oval, or heart-shaped faces, while those with wider, round, or square faces will probably want to keep it simpler.

There are a few reasons that long, narrow faces work best with an angled bob haircut. Most bob haircuts end just below the chin, with more fullness around the sides of the head. This helps to give the appearance of a slightly shorter, rounder face, which can help to soften severe features. Long hairstyles can actually drag down an oval face, but an angled bob is extremely flattering. A simple blunt-cut bob is a great option, though some people add side bangs, blunt bangs across the front, or a bit of texture for more interest.

A hairstylist cutting an angled bob.
A hairstylist cutting an angled bob.

Heart-shaped faces are another great canvas for an angled bob haircut. These faces are typically slightly longer and narrower than others, similar to an oval shape, but with an especially narrow chin and wider forehead. Again, cutting the hair so it ends just below the chin will help to balance it out, and provide the appearance of more fullness. It may even help to highlight a nice defined jawline -- or create the appearance of a more defined jawline due to the shadow that the hair will create. Many people will create an angled bob with layers for this face shape.

Individuals with very round or square face shapes may find that an angled bob is not the best choice, particularly one that is cut very short around the jawline in the front. This will only accentuate the face and make it look wider. If an individual absolutely wants an angled bob haircut with a wide face shape, it is best to leave the hair much longer in the front so that it is closer to the shoulders. Layers or bangs typically don't work very well with these face shapes either, as they too make them look wider.

Discussion Comments

irontoenail

@clintflint - I think there are some websites that can help out with the face shape thing. They let you put your photo in and then put different styles over it.

The thing I look for, above everything else, is how much time it takes to prepare a hairstyle. I wouldn't get this one, for example, because I have fairly wavy hair and it seems to be the kind of thing that you really need your hair to be dead straight every time to pull off.

It might look good if I spent an hour with the straighteners every day, but I'm not willing to do that. I have enough to do every day without adding in an hour of messing around with my hair.

I like a look that will look good whether I have ten minutes to spare on it, or an hour. But, if you had dead straight hair, I think this look would be fairly easy to maintain.

clintflint

I find if I'm considering a particular haircut that it helps to try and find pictures of that cut and then to cut them out and put them over pictures of my face. I used to do it with magazines and photos, but now I just do a quick job in Photoshop and it works just as well.

It might also help to figure out which celebrities have the same face shape as you and to keep an eye on what kinds of cuts they use. I don't think I'd suit an angled bob, for example, because I've got kind of a chubby face.

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    • A hairstylist cutting an angled bob.
      By: Rido
      A hairstylist cutting an angled bob.