27 Best Hairstyles for Chubby Faces (Instant Slimming)

When choosing a new look, the key principle for Hairstyles for Chubby Faces is simple: seek styles that fall below the chin or offer significant height on top. Cuts that hit right at the chin line tend to emphasize the widest part of the face, which is what we aim to avoid for a slimming effect. A skilled stylist will know exactly how to incorporate layers that start below the jawline and add volume at the crown, which instantly creates the illusion of a more oval face shape.

Understanding your hair texture is just as important as the style itself, as fine hair benefits from blunt cuts for thickness, while thick hair often requires aggressive texturizing to prevent it from ballooning out at the sides. Ultimately, the best hairstyles for chubby faces are those that bring balance and symmetry to your unique bone structure. Don’t be afraid to discuss angle and proportion with your hairdresser—they are your greatest asset in achieving a stunning transformation.

27 Flattering Ideas: Hairstyles for Chubby Faces

Long Side-Swept Bangs (Asymmetrical fringe)

Long, side-swept bangs are incredibly effective because they break up the roundness of the face with a sharp, diagonal line. This asymmetry distracts the eye from the width, drawing it across the forehead and down the side of the face. They can be effortlessly paired with almost any hair length, making them a versatile and slimming addition to your style.

These bangs should ideally skim the cheekbones and blend seamlessly into the rest of your hair, creating a soft, continuous frame. The slight peek of the forehead they allow is another subtle trick that contributes to a more elongated and less circular appearance overall.

Voluminous Waves (Soft movement)

Adding soft, voluminous waves is a fantastic strategy because the movement of the hair prevents a flat, blocky look that would otherwise emphasize the face’s perimeter. The waves should start below the chin to avoid adding bulk where the face is widest. This style brings a romantic, glamorous air to the overall look.

The trick to this style is to curl the hair away from the face, using a large barrel iron to ensure the waves are loose and flowing, not tight and springy. This adds a flattering width to the lower half of the hair, which helps to balance the width of the cheeks and jawline.

Long Layered Cut (Face-framing layers)

A long layered cut is perhaps the most universally recommended style for women with round faces, as the length provides the necessary vertical drop. The layers are essential, as they create movement and avoid a monolithic shape that can look too heavy.

The crucial detail is where the layers begin: they must start below the jawline, preferably around the shoulders, to hug the face in a flattering, slimming way. These strategic layers effectively contour the face, much like makeup highlights and shadows.

Lob with a Deep Side Part (Angled long bob)

The long bob, or lob, is a modern and chic choice, provided it’s cut with a deep side part. The deep part is the slimming secret, as it creates an extreme diagonal line that adds instant height and asymmetrical interest on top. This avoids the severe, symmetrical look of a middle part, which can make a round face appear even rounder.

For extra impact, ask your stylist for a slightly angled cut, where the front pieces are a little longer than the back. This angle provides a sharp, sleek line that visually slices away width, enhancing the slenderizing effect of this popular cut.

Shaggy Cut with Side Fringe (Textured layers)

The shaggy haircut is a fabulous option that uses texture and choppiness to its advantage. This cut inherently incorporates a lot of irregular layers that break up any horizontal lines on the face. Paired with a side fringe, the overall effect is youthful and effortlessly cool.

The movement and ‘un-done’ nature of the shaggy cut mean that your hair won’t sit flat against the sides of your face. This strategic volume at the crown and texture throughout the mid-lengths help to slim the face by creating an appealing distraction.

High Ponytail (Crown volume)

While a haircut is permanent, styling is temporary, and a high ponytail is one of the best temporary fixes for a round face. Pulling the hair up high on the crown immediately lifts the eye line and adds significant vertical height, making the face look longer and thinner.

The key to perfecting this look is to secure the ponytail as high as possible and to slightly tease the hair at the crown before securing it. This extra bump of volume on top is the magic ingredient that gives the slimming illusion.

A-Line Bob (Graduated bob)

The A-line bob is a slightly severe but highly effective style, perfect for those who want a shorter cut without widening their face. The front pieces are kept significantly longer than the back, creating a sharp, downward-pointing angle that draws the eye vertically.

This angle cleverly masks the roundness of the jaw and cheeks, offering a sleek, sophisticated silhouette. This style works particularly well with straight or lightly waved hair to maintain the crispness of the lines.

Pixie Cut with Side-Swept Volume (Short with height)

Many people avoid a pixie cut, fearing it will expose too much of their face, but a well-executed pixie can be incredibly flattering. The essential element is a lot of side-swept volume on top, which creates that necessary height.

The sides should be kept neat and close to the head, with the focus on the longer, angled fringe that sweeps across the forehead and cheek. This combination of height and the diagonal line of the fringe provides a beautiful contouring effect, making it a surprisingly excellent style for chubby faces.

Balayage Hair Color (Dimensional color)

Color is a tool just as important as the cut itself, and balayage is a coloring technique that can visually slim a round face. By placing lighter highlights strategically, specifically around the face and on the ends, you can trick the eye.

The lighter pieces should start below the chin, creating a slimming shadow effect where the hair is darker closer to the face. This dimensional color adds depth and movement, breaking up the width and drawing attention down the length of the hair.

The Flippy Ends Look (Outward movement)

Styling the ends of a mid-length cut to flip slightly outwards, rather than tucking under, can be very slimming. This subtle outward movement at the bottom of the cut creates a distraction from the roundness of the cheeks.

This effect works well with cuts that are just past the collarbone. It adds a playful energy while creating a soft V-shape at the bottom, which is a key shape for elongating the facial structure.

Center Part with Curtains (Gently parted fringe)

While a center part is often discouraged, it can work with a round face when paired with soft, long curtain bangs. The bangs should part gently at the center and angle downwards, starting at the temples and grazing the cheekbones.

The key is that the parting is not severe and the bangs are long enough to truly frame and contour the sides of the face, acting like subtle, vertical curtains. This style works best with hair that is mid-length or longer.

Half-Up, Half-Down Style (Lifted crown)

Similar to the high ponytail, the half-up, half-down style offers a simple way to add volume at the crown while keeping the rest of the hair down to frame the face. The lifted section on top instantly creates the illusion of a longer face.

Make sure the front pieces are left out to softly frame the cheeks before pulling the top section back. This combination of vertical height and soft face-framing pieces is an ideal strategy for a round face shape.

Sleek and Straight (Minimal volume at sides)

A long, sleek, and straight hairstyle can be very slimming, provided it has minimal volume at the sides of the head. The absolute straightness of the hair creates strong vertical lines that naturally draw the eye down, elongating the face.

This style should be well-conditioned and frizz-free to maintain a smooth, uninterrupted line. It’s important that the hair is parted either slightly off-center or with a deep side part to avoid a harsh, symmetrical frame.

Mid-Length Razor Cut (Feathered ends)

A mid-length cut that utilizes a razor for texturizing creates feathered, lightweight ends. This avoids the heavy, blunt ends that can add bulk to the bottom of the cut, which can drag a round face down.

The feathering allows the hair to fall softly around the shoulders, providing movement without bulk. This is an excellent technique for those with thick hair, as it removes weight in a slimming way.

Undercut with Length on Top (Contrasting layers)

An edgy undercut, where the hair underneath is buzzed or cut very short, allows the rest of the hair to sit flat against the sides of the face. This removes the unwanted side volume that many haircuts create.

The longer hair on top and on the sides should be styled either straight or with soft waves to maintain the vertical focus. This modern contrast is one of the more avant-garde hairstyles for chubby faces.

Wavy Shag (Effortless texture)

The wavy shag cut, an evolution of the traditional shag, is a perfect blend of texture and soft movement. It incorporates loose waves into the heavily layered structure, creating a very flattering, carefree look.

This style avoids a flat top by having sufficient volume at the crown while the waves gently break up the width of the cheeks. The resulting style is one that is low-maintenance yet highly complementary to a rounder face.

Angled Layers Below the Chin (Soft face-framing)

Focusing the layering just below the chin is a subtle yet powerful technique. These layers should be angled slightly inward, which helps to “tuck” the roundness of the jawline and create a softer, more tapered look at the bottom.

This approach works beautifully on long or mid-length hair, providing definition without committing to a full, heavily layered style. The face-framing pieces are kept long and soft for a very natural contour.

Asymmetrical Lob (Unbalanced cut)

The asymmetrical lob takes the basic long bob and makes one side noticeably longer than the other. This extreme imbalance is the key to its slimming effect, as it instantly creates a strong diagonal line.

The longer side should fall below the chin, directing the eye downwards. This style is chic, modern, and highly effective at breaking the visual symmetry of a round face, ensuring the cut doesn’t widen the jaw.

Long Hair with Volume at the Roots (Lifted top)

If you love your long hair, focus on styling volume specifically at the roots and crown. Flat hair, no matter the length, will only emphasize the width of the face, whereas volume on top creates instant lift.

Use root-boosting sprays and a round brush while blow-drying to achieve this height. The long hair provides the vertical length, and the root volume adds the necessary vertical dimension, making it one of the simplest hairstyles for chubby faces to manage.

Deep Side Part on Short Hair (Angled parting)

For those who prefer very short hair, a deep side part is non-negotiable. It prevents the style from looking too symmetrical and blocky, which would draw attention to the cheeks.

The part should be severe, and the hair on the side with less volume should be smoothed down. The greater volume on the opposite side should sweep over the forehead, creating an elongated, diagonal shape.

Tapered Ends (Lightening the perimeter)

Tapered ends involve thinning out the hair towards the bottom so that the perimeter of the cut is light and wispy, rather than blunt and heavy. This technique is great for thick hair.

The lightened ends ensure that the hair falls softly around the shoulders and collarbone, preventing the shape from becoming too wide at the bottom and maintaining a flattering, slenderizing line.

Medium Cut with Subtle Layers (Below the shoulder)

A medium-length cut that falls just below the shoulders is an excellent, safe bet. It provides enough length to elongate the face without the commitment of very long hair.

Subtle layers should be introduced only from the mid-shaft down to provide movement and a soft shape. The overall silhouette is kept sleek and vertical, making it a very classic and slimming choice.

Choppy Ends on a Mid-Length Cut (Textured finish)

Adding choppy, uneven ends to a mid-length haircut brings a modern, edgy finish. This is preferable to blunt ends, as the irregularity of the cut provides necessary texture.

The choppiness at the bottom helps to visually soften the transition from the face to the hair, preventing the hair from acting as a solid frame that would otherwise emphasize the roundness.

Curly Hair with Defined Length (Controlled volume)

Naturally curly hair can be worn beautifully, but the volume needs to be managed carefully. Length is key, as the weight of the hair helps to pull the curls downwards and reduce horizontal volume.

Ensure the curls are well-defined and moisturized, as frizz can create unwanted horizontal bulk. Layers should be cut to control the volume, ensuring the most bulk is below the chin and not at the sides.

Visit Also: Ponytail Hairstyle Ideas

High Top Knot (Extreme vertical lift)

A very simple but striking way to style hair is the high top knot. Like the high ponytail, this style focuses all the volume at the highest point of the head, maximizing vertical elongation.

The sleek sides of the knot visually narrow the face, while the height on top draws the eye up. It’s a chic, minimalist option that is highly effective for a face-slimming appearance.

Voluminous Blowout with a Side Part (Dramatic lift)

A dramatic blowout, especially when paired with a deep side part, adds significant volume at the crown and upper sides, but the key is to ensure the hair falls away from the cheeks.

The voluminous lift is what makes this style so flattering, providing an ovalizing effect. The hair should be blown out smooth and straight, with the ends directed slightly inward or outward to break the line of the jaw.

Textured Pixie with Longer Sideburns (Pointed accents)

For a very short style, extending the sideburns slightly into a soft, pointed shape can be surprisingly slimming. This subtle detail adds a pointed accent near the jawline, creating a delicate, downward-pointing angle.

The rest of the hair should be a textured pixie, with volume on top and sides kept close to the head. The pointed sideburns provide just enough detail to cut into the roundness of the cheek.

❓ FAQs About Hairstyles for Chubby Faces

What is the most flattering haircut for a round face?

The most universally flattering haircut is often considered to be the long layered cut with face-framing layers that begin below the chin. This style works because the length provides vertical elongation, and the layers create movement and contour, preventing the hair from adding width to the sides of the face. A close second is the A-line lob with a deep side part.

Should people with chubby faces avoid a fringe?

No, they should not avoid a fringe entirely, but they should avoid a blunt, straight-across fringe, as this cuts the face horizontally and emphasizes the width. The best option is a long, side-swept fringe or curtain bangs that are parted at the center and angle downwards. This creates a diagonal line that slims the face and draws attention to the eyes.

How does a deep side part help to slim a round face?

A deep side part helps to slim a round face by breaking the symmetry and creating a significant asymmetrical line across the face. A symmetrical middle part can highlight the face’s roundness. The deep part instantly adds volume and height on one side, which elongates the top of the head and visually narrows the face, acting as an instant contouring trick.

Is short hair ever a good idea for a round face shape?

Yes, short hair can be a fantastic idea, provided it is styled correctly. The key is to add vertical volume on the top and keep the sides and back neat. A pixie cut with a lot of side-swept volume or an angled A-line bob are excellent examples. Any short style that is flat and symmetrical should be strictly avoided, as it will emphasize the roundness.

What hair color techniques are best for a slimming effect?

Dimensional color techniques like balayage or ombré are the most effective for a slimming effect. By placing lighter highlights strategically on the ends and below the jawline, and keeping the roots/sides darker, you create a natural, vertical shadow and light effect. This draws the eye downward, making the face appear longer and narrower.

Conclusion

Ultimately, discovering the right hairstyles for chubby faces is an empowering journey that opens up a world of flattering, confidence-boosting options. The consistent principle across all the best cuts is the strategic use of vertical lines, volume at the crown, and soft, downward-angled face-framing pieces. By avoiding blunt cuts at the chin line and embracing asymmetry and length, you can expertly use your hair to beautifully sculpt and elongate your face.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the various forms of the long bob, shaggy layers, or even a chic, volumized pixie cut—each one offers a unique way to highlight your best features. With the right style and a great stylist, you can achieve a look that not only complements your round face but also embodies a sophisticated and effortlessly chic aesthetic.