20 Haircuts for Women Over 60 With Round Faces That Add Height

What Flatters a Round Face After 60

• Build height at the crown. Short layers on top plus a root-lift spray add an inch or two of vertical lift. That extra height makes the face read longer and more oval.
• End the cut below the chin, not at it. A blunt line right at the jaw or cheeks adds width exactly where you don't want it. Go at least an inch past the chin, or crop it short above the ears.
• Part off center. A side part draws a diagonal line across the forehead and breaks up the roundness. Even a half-inch shift from the middle helps.
• Choose angled bangs over straight ones. Heavy bangs cut straight across make the face look shorter. A long fringe swept to one side angles the eye downward.
• Keep the sides close. Ask for weight to come out above the ears with internal layers, especially if your hair is thick or curly.
• Budget 5 to 10 minutes. A volumizing mousse, a 1.25-inch round brush plus a few Velcro rollers for the crown cover almost every cut below.

1. Tousled Pixie With Height on Top

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A pixie flatters a round face when the length sits on top, not at the sides. Ask for 2 to 3 inches through the crown and close-cut sides above the ears.

Work a little texture paste through dry hair and push it up and slightly back. The lifted top stretches the face visually, while the short sides keep it narrow.

Styling time: 4 minutes.

2. Asymmetric Pixie With a Long Side Sweep

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One side is short and tucked, while the other carries a long sweep of hair across the forehead. That diagonal line breaks up the width of a round face better than any symmetrical cut.

Blow-dry the long side across with a flat brush, then set it with a light spray. If your hair is thinner on one side of the part, put the long sweep there.

3. Brushed-Up Crop With Tapered Sides

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This short crop brushes up and back from the hairline, like a soft quiff. Tapered sides and a neat nape keep all the visual weight above the cheekbones.

Thick or coarse silver hair that stands up on its own suits it best. Fine hair can wear it too with a volumizing mousse and a quick blast from the dryer.

Best for: strong features and fans of a sporty, low-fuss cut.

4. Pixie With Pointed Sideburns

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Small, pointed sideburns in front of the ears are a clever trick for round faces. They draw two slim vertical lines along the cheeks, which reads as length.

Ask your stylist to point cut them to a tip rather than leaving a blunt square. The top stays a little longer, with soft, piecey layers.

5. Short Curly Cut Shaped Long on Top

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Curly hair tends to grow out, not down, which can widen a round face. The fix is a cut that keeps curls longer on top and tapers them close around the ears and neck.

That shape gives an oval silhouette right away. Refresh the curls each morning with a spray bottle of water and a dab of curl cream.

Stylist tip: ask for the sides to be cut with a soft taper, not a hard clipper line. The grow-out stays neat for an extra two weeks.

6. Graduated Bob With Crown Volume

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A graduated bob is short at the nape and longer toward the front, with stacked layers that build height behind the crown. From the side, it forms a gentle wedge.

Keep the front pieces an inch or two below the chin. That length lets the eye travel down past the widest part of the face.

7. Asymmetric Bob With One Longer Side

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In this bob, one side falls an inch or two longer than the other. The uneven line pulls attention off the cheeks and adds a modern edge.

Wear it with a deep part on the longer side. A flat iron run through the ends keeps the line crisp.

Ask your stylist for: a bob with a 1 to 2 inch difference between sides, the longer side falling below the chin.

8. Below-the-Chin Bob With an Off-Center Part

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Keep the classics simple. Here a soft bob ends about two inches below the chin, and an off-center part adds a slanted line across the forehead.

Bend the ends slightly under with a round brush so the bob hugs the neck. Ends that flare outward would widen the jaw.

9. Textured Lob With Face-Skimming Layers

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A lob that hits the collarbone is one of the easiest round-face cuts to live with. Layers that skim the cheeks and jaw break up the outline, and the length keeps everything moving downward.

Air dry with a texturizing spray, or rough-dry for 5 minutes. Then wrap two or three pieces near your face around a curling wand and leave the ends straight for a modern finish.

10. Air-Dried Wavy Lob

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Natural waves add movement, so the face isn't boxed in by a solid block of hair. A lob just past the shoulders gives the waves room to hang.

Apply mousse to damp hair, scrunch and leave it alone until dry. Shake out the roots at the crown with your fingertips for lift.

Styling time: 2 minutes plus air drying.

11. Sleek Angled Lob

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Long in front and slightly shorter in back, the sleek angled lob creates strong diagonal lines that slim the face. Smooth, straight hair shows the angle best.

Blow-dry with a paddle brush and finish with a drop of shine serum. Tuck one side behind the ear for extra length on the other.

12. Shoulder-Length Cut With Cheekbone Layers

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Layers that start at the cheekbone and fall downward create soft angles around a round face. The shoulder length keeps the overall shape long and lean.

1. Blow-dry the front layers away from the face with a round brush.
2. Set the crown in three or four Velcro rollers while you do your makeup.
3. Remove the rollers, finger-comb and spray lightly.

13. Medium Shag With Crown Lift

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Shags pile their shortest layers at the crown, exactly where a round face wants volume. Keep the fringe long and wispy rather than heavy.

Scrunch in a light mousse and diffuse upside down for a minute or two. The result looks lived-in, never stiff.

14. Feathered Layers Brushed Away From the Face

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Feathering means layers cut at an angle and blown back from the face, a look borrowed from the 1970s. Sweeping hair back opens up the face and pulls the eye toward the cheekbones.

Use a medium round brush and roll each front section back and down. A flexible spray holds the shape all day.

15. Medium Curls Shaped for Height

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Curly medium hair suits a round face best if the stylist removes bulk at the sides and keeps volume on top. The finished outline looks more like an oval than a circle.

Clip the roots up with a few duckbill clips while the curls dry. Take the clips out once everything is set and fluff with a pick.

Best for: naturally curly or permed hair with plenty of spring.

16. Side-Swept Fringe With Collarbone Layers

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Of all the bang styles, a long sideways fringe is the friendliest for a round face. It cuts across the forehead at a slant, while collarbone layers keep everything else long and light.

Dry the fringe first, pushing it across with the dryer nozzle pointed down. On windy days, a bobby pin hidden behind the ear keeps it in place.

17. Long V-Cut Layers

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Cut into a soft V at the back, long layers fall in vertical lines that make a round face look longer. Ask for the face-framing pieces to start below the chin.

Brush the lengths smooth and let the V show over your shoulders. Bring a few front pieces forward to frame the face.

18. Long Bouncy Blowout

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A good blowout adds lift at the roots and bounce at the ends, both good news for a round face. Hair falls in long lines past the shoulders, with the fullness kept away from the cheeks.

Use a large round brush and dry each section up from the root before rolling the ends. Book a salon blowout before an event, or try a hot air brush at home.

Styling time: 15 to 20 minutes.

19. Long Waves With a Deep Side Part

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Long waves add movement, and a deep side part adds asymmetry. Together, they soften a round face and give it more length.

Curl vertical sections with a 1.25-inch iron, turning each one away from your cheeks. Run your fingers through once the waves cool so they loosen into soft bends.

20. Long Sleek Hair With a Center Part

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Center parts get a bad rap with round faces, but they work once hair is long and sleek. Straight lengths act like two vertical curtains on either side of the face.

Smooth the hair with a flat iron on low heat, and keep it past the collarbone. At chin length, the same part makes the face look wider.

Best for: straight, healthy hair at least 4 inches past the shoulders.

What to Tell Your Stylist

Bring a photo, then use words like these:

• "I have a round face and want more height at the crown."
• "Please keep the sides close or take weight out above my ears."
• "Let's end the length below my chin, not right at it."
• "Can we try a side part and a longer, angled fringe?"

For more round-face ideas in shorter lengths, see these short haircuts for women with round faces. Our main guide to haircuts for women over 60 covers every face shape and hair type.