Haircuts for Big Foreheads: Fringes, Crops and Forward Styling

What makes a forehead look big

A forehead looks big when the distance from the eyebrows to the hairline is noticeably longer than the distance from the eyebrows to the nose tip or from the nose to the chin. Barbers often think of the face in these three rough thirds; when the top third is the tallest, it draws the eye.

A high natural hairline, a maturing hairline, or simply a tall face can all create it. The cut cannot change the bones, but it can change how much forehead is on show and where the eye lands.

Fringe styles that shorten the forehead

A fringe shortens the forehead by covering its upper part, which is the most direct fix. How much you cover is up to you; even 2 or 3 centimetres of fringe makes a clear difference.

• French crop: a short, neat fringe cut fairly straight, sitting about a third of the way down the forehead. Works on most hair types and needs little styling.
• Textured crop: the same idea with a choppier edge. Better if you have a cowlick at the front or want a less formal look.
• Longer fringe haircut: falls lower toward the brows for straight or wavy hair, with more movement.
• Curtain style: a centre or off-centre split that frames the forehead rather than covering it, good for hair with some wave and length.

Styles to skip with a large forehead

Skip anything that pulls every hair up and away from the face. A slick back or tall pompadour frames the entire forehead and makes it the centrepiece. Very high skin fades with a tall top also stretch the face vertically.

That does not mean you can never wear volume. A short, loose quiff that pushes forward first and then up keeps some hair over the forehead's top edge, which is a fair compromise if you prefer lift to a fringe.

Getting the sides and the fringe length right

Keep the sides at a medium height. A low or mid taper keeps the head proportional, whereas taking the sides very high makes the head look taller and the forehead along with it. We usually leave slightly more at the temples to keep the face from looking narrow.

Fringe length is set during the consultation with your hair dry and in its natural fall. We check where your eyebrows move when you talk and stop the fringe clear of them, so it does not sit in your eyes by week three.

The lineup deserves a word too. On a tall forehead, the front edge should be left exactly where it grows. Cleaning up stray hairs is fine, but a barber who straightens the hairline by shaving it back adds forehead you did not have when you sat down.

How a beard balances a big forehead

A beard balances a big forehead by adding visual weight to the bottom of the face, so the top third no longer dominates. A short boxed beard or full beard with a squared chin works well because it lengthens the lower face slightly and adds width at the jaw.

Even heavy stubble helps. What matters is keeping the beard shaped and the cheek and neck lines clean; a scruffy beard pulls the eye up again. Our short boxed beard page covers the shape in detail.

Styling a fringe so it stays down

A fringe stays down when it is dried in the direction you want it to fall. Towel dry, then blow dry the front forward and slightly down with your fingers, and finish with a pea-sized amount of matte clay or paste worked through the ends.

Avoid heavy wet products on a fringe; they separate it into strips and show forehead between them. A light texture spray or powder before the clay keeps it full and piecey.