Best Haircuts for Fat Faces | 20 Cuts That Slim the Face

The right haircut can slim your face, but the wrong haircut can make it look rounder. Find the best haircuts for fat faces to camouflage chub and reveal a leaner-looking you. See 20 examples of cuts that help sculpt your face in our informative guide! 

What Are the Best Haircuts for Fat Faces?

First things first, “fat faces” can belong to people of all sizes. Some people have a very round face shape at their healthiest weight. Others tend to gain weight in the face disproportionately or before weight gain shows up elsewhere.

Plus size people can also deal with unwanted facial weight gain.

If your face is looking a little rounder than you’d like, the double chin is making its dreaded appearance, or you’re just not seeing the sculpted face shape you’d like, this guide is for you. 

The great thing about having a “fat face” is how easy it is to downplay it with the right haircut. The best haircuts for fat faces use visual balancing to put focus on your most flattering areas while obscuring or camouflaging problem areas.

It sounds like magic, but it really comes down to simple principles of balance. So-called fat faces tend to adopt a round face shape, even if you once considered yourself an oval, heart, or square face shape.

By following the recommendations of haircuts for round faces, you can take advantage of their sculpting power to create the illusion of a leaner, more angular face. 

4 Keys to Slimming Haircuts

The best haircuts for fat faces follow 4 simple principles that we call the keys to slimming haircuts. It’s all about creating balance, accentuating your best facial features, parting your hair in the most flattering way, and avoiding the worst haircuts for round faces.

Create Balance

The first key to slimming haircuts is creating balance. Where there’s too much visual weight – say, in your cheeks or under your chin – you can add height and volume in another area (like the top of your head) to counter and balance it. 

Creating balance in your haircut and style will help you keep the focus and attention where you want it without adding more visual bulk or weight where you don’t. 

Accentuate Your Best Features

Key number two is playing up and accentuating your best facial features, like your cheekbones or eyes, to keep the focus on these flattering areas. 

Round faces carrying extra weight tend to have striking cheekbones, which can help provide some structure and sculpting for the face when they’re highlighted properly with your haircut.

Cheekbone-grazing layers and wispy bangs that hit at the top of the cheekbones can help you achieve this flattering effect by drawing the eye to these more angular zones. 

Play the Right Part

The third key to slimming haircuts is choosing the right place to part your hair. Part your hair to the side to disrupt the visual line, which creates the illusion of a slimmer and slightly lengthened face. 

If you prefer a middle part, that can work, too. Just make sure you’re creating plenty of volume at the roots to lengthen the face. Avoid wearing a flat middle part, which can accentuate roundness and make your face look wider. 

Avoid Haircuts That Widen the Face

The final key to slimming haircuts is avoiding looks and styles that can make your face look rounder, wider, or fuller. Some of the worst haircut offenders for fat and round faces are blunt bangs, chin-length bobs, sleek styles that lie flat on the head, and styles with a lot of volume on the sides. 

As you check out the examples of the best haircuts for fat faces below, you’ll notice that you don’t see these face-widening features in any of the slimming haircuts we’ve compiled. 

20 Best Haircuts for Fat Faces in 2024

Now that you’ve learned the 4 simple keys to slimming haircuts, let’s take a look at some trendy examples you can try. 

The best haircuts for fat faces are all about creating balance by adding visual weight and volume up top, making your best features pop, and parting your hair in a flattering way to make your face look longer and more sculpted. 

See how these cuts can help create a more sculpted appearance and decide which cuts would look best on you! 

1. Shoulder-Skimming Length With Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs with a middle part don’t always work in favor of a fat face, but in this case, they do. The key is making sure your roots have plenty of volume to keep the bangs from lying flat on the head.

With a flattering shoulder-skimming length, this look is a winner across the board for round faces. The bangs curve inward at the cheekbones and sweep back out at the fullest part of the cheeks, accentuating the cheekbones.

The extra volume at the roots paired with the shoulder-grazing length detracts from any visual weight below the chin and lengthens the face. 

2. Layered Shag With Bottleneck Bangs

This layered shag avoids sleek, blunt lines in favor of choppy layers that break up the bulk of the hair and keep things light and full of movement.

Bottleneck bangs are similar to curtain bangs, and they’re the freshest take on the trend. Bottleneck bangs work very well for full faces when they hit at the cheekbones. 

This puts your cheekbones on display, while the bottleneck shape of the bangs draws the eye upward and creates a slimming silhouette. The length is well past the shoulders, which adds enough visual weight to counterbalance a full or rounded jawline. 

3. Inverted Bob With Crown Volume and Side-Swept Bangs

Inverted bobs are great for fuller faces as they keep the length pretty short overall for less visual bulk, but leave extra length in the front to make the face appear longer.

This gorgeous copper bob is styled with extra volume at the crown and back of the head to draw the eye upward. Side-swept bangs with long layers sliced in direct the line of sight off to the side.

With the length in front hitting just below the chin, the face is visually lengthened a bit. Directing the hair forward in front with a round brush (or just curving your flat iron toward you on the front sections) can help physically camouflage a double chin as well. 

4. Tapered Top-Heavy Short Coils

Coily hair is the perfect medium to help downplay a fuller face and create a slimmer silhouette. Voluminous coils can help you direct attention away from full cheeks or a double chin by stacking the height and volume up top. 

A tapered cut keeps the bulk and weight out of the ends, while leaving the front and top sections longer adds visual weight to draw the eye upward. Try this natural style to lengthen and slim a round face! 

5. Shoulder Length With Graduated Layers

Graduated layers were big in the 90s and early aughts, and now they’re back in style. We’re glad because this is such a flattering look for a fuller face!

The length hits just below the shoulders to accentuate your collarbones and make them pop. But the graduated stair-step layers around the face do most of the slimming here. 

By gradually getting longer in an even and symmetrical fashion, the layers keep the weight and bulk out of the ends and help create the illusion of a leaner, longer face. Tuck behind your ears to accentuate your cheekbones, or leave the hair untucked for a little cheek-slimming power!

Read Next: The Best Layered Haircuts in 2024

6. High-Volume Bangs and Big Waves

Our favorite trick to slim the face is using volume to make the face look longer and leaner. This cut adds lots of volume at the roots for additional height in the style.

Big, loose waves open up the face while tucking in around the fullest part of the cheeks to camouflage any cherub cheeks you might have going on. 

The longer length here works well, but you could easily take this cut a little shorter – up to the shoulders, or just below the jawline – with equally flattering results. It’s all about the length you prefer! 

7. Long Waves with Microbangs

Blunt bangs are typically a no-no for fat faces, but the short microbang length makes it work by creating more open space at the top of the face for added visual length. 

Paired with long, flowing waves, the eye is drawn both upward (to the bangs) and downward (to the ends). The overall effect is very slimming for round faces and lends a more sculpted look. 

8. Side-Swept Asymmetrical Bob

Relaxed coily hair tends to lie flat against the head, which can work against you when you’re trying to find slimming haircuts. But cutting it into a side-swept asymmetrical bob might be the perfect solution! 

This look stacks the hair on one side while leaving the other side cut short for balance.

The extra height on top and parting the hair entirely to one side makes the face look leaner. With the ends of the bangs hitting just below the cheekbones, that sculpted area is highlighted and accentuated. 

9. Modern Pixie Quiff With Disconnected Layers

If you’re a fan of short haircuts, an edgy pixie with a quiff (longer section of styled bangs) is a great option to slim the face. This look does a lot of the work for you in terms of slimming your face.

A deep side part pulls the eye to the side and top, the styled quiff attracts focus and adds visual weight to the top side, and disconnected layers add sharp angles to the style to counterbalance roundness in the face. 

10. Long Waves With Face-Framing Layers

Face-framing layers can be used to help create the illusion of a slimmer face when they’re placed properly. Here, the shortest layers begin at the shoulder level to draw the eye downward.

The extensive length also brings the line of sight further down, which helps lengthen the face a bit more. 

By keeping the wavy texture of the style to the lower 2/3 of the look, you avoid putting too much volume around the sides of the head, which can make the face look wider. This is a really flattering look that can work on straight, wavy, or relaxed curly/coily hair types.  

11. Messy Pixie With Styled-Up Quiff

This tousled, messy look is super-flattering for a full face and helps create a thinner appearance. It features two of the keys to slimming haircuts: Volume on top and sleek sides with no added bulk. 

Tease and style the longer quiff bangs upward for extra lift and lengthening power. The sides are flat ironed using a downward C-shape to add a little extra volume on the top sides to counter extra weight in the cheeks and jaw area.

Read Next: What Is a Pixie Haircut?

12. Tumbling Curls With Side Part 

This is more of a hairstyle than a specific cut, but if you love the shape of the cut you can keep your current length and ask for long, blended layers.

The most flattering parts of this look are the cascading curls that begin below the chin and the face-framing tendril that accentuates the cheekbones. With the curls kept below the chin, the bulk of the look is lower than your face.

This creates a lengthening, slimming effect when your hair is curled from the jawline down. Curl a face-framing piece to highlight your cheekbones and you’re done! 

13. Wavy Midi Bob With Voluminous Bangs

This haircut is close to breaking the rules for wide faces, but it has some important features that give it a slimming effect. While volume on the sides is usually avoided for fuller faces, this look balances it out with extra volume on top to create balance. 

The side part and big, loose waves direct your attention up and over to the side, breaking up the usual visual line.

Parting the hair to the side leaves more visual bulk on one side than the other, which makes the face look thinner by comparison. Plus, it’s a fun look with lots of styling options! 

14. Long Layers With Wispy Brow-Grazing Bangs

Layers can be your best friend when you’re trying to sculpt and slim your face! They need to be placed in the right areas to do the job, so copy this look and have your layers start below the jawline to draw the eye downward and keep the bulk out of your ends. 

Long, wispy bangs that just graze the eyes will accentuate your peepers and direct attention to the top center of your face. Part the bangs off-center as shown for the most slimming effect.

Read Next: Wolf Cut Hairstyle Ideas for 2024

15. Asymmetrical Bob With Shaved Side

This bob is both inverted (longer in the front) and asymmetrical (longer on one side). One side is shaved short for the edge factor and the overall effect is very flattering for a full face.

With all the bulk concentrated on one side here, your face will appear leaner as a result. 

The shaved side begins along a deep side part, which creates a nice diagonal line for the eye to follow across the face. As the hair comes to a thin point in front, there’s no bulk around the sides of the face to accentuate roundness.

Read Next: Shaved Hairstyles for Women

16. Midi Bob With Feathered Ombre Side Bangs

Take on 3 trends at once with this universally flattering haircut! The midi bob length works well for a rounder face since it hits below the chin and helps add visual length to the look.

Feathered, layered bangs with ombre color (lighter at the ends) draw the eye off to the side and give you that coveted Farrah Fawcett factor. The bangs curve back and away from the face to avoid covering your prized cheekbones.

Plus, it does a little added sculpting! We love how the strawberry golden blonde at the roots gradually lightens to the white-hot blonde at the tips in this look.

Read Next: Trending Feathered Hairstyles for 2024

17. Tousled Long Layers With Side Part

A side part is really the best choice for a full face as it directs the attention a little off-center, creating an alluring diagonal line of sight across your face. This can make your face appear a little longer and slimmer. 

Pair a side part with an easy, low-maintenance haircut like this and you’ve got the recipe for a slimming look that flatters you without a ton of effort! Long layers begin at the collarbones, a favorite area to accentuate and offset a full face.  

18. Sleek Bob With Side Bangs and Wispy Ends

Sleek looks aren’t always a great fit for fat faces, but this is how you can make it work. This look actually helps sculpt the face and reduce roundness by keeping the volume low on the sides to avoid added extra visual bulk around the cheeks. 

The razored ends tuck in just under the chin to give the area a touch of wispy lightness instead of heavy, blunt ends. The side bangs are also key as they direct the line of sight diagonally and keep your striking cheekbones visible. 

19. Razored Lob With Teased Side Volume 

A razored lob (long bob) should be on your list if you’re looking for a haircut that’s not too short or long. This midi length paired with a deep, uneven side part can really flatter faces carrying extra weight by making them look longer and thinner. 

The real secret to this look, however, is the teased volume on the sides.

Volume and height are some of your best weapons to counter a heavier face, so use them to your advantage! Teasing the hair along the top sides of the style draws the eye upward and makes your face look smaller. 

20. Short Crop With a Curly Quiff

This modified pixie cut is perfect if you want to create the illusion of a leaner, more sculpted face. The extra height on top thanks to the curly quiff does a lot for this style, as do the close-cropped sides that create a lean silhouette. 

If your hair is naturally curly, this is a great way to rock those ringlets without adding a lot of volume around the sides that visually widens the face. 

Things to Consider

Before you grab the scissors or book an appointment for your face-slimming haircut, there are a few things you need to think about.

Here are our best tips and considerations for fuller faces and getting a cut that makes you look leaner and more sculpted:

• If you carry extra weight in your face, treat your face shape as round. If your face shape is typically oval, heart, or square but you’ve gained a little weight, drop the recommendations for your base face shape and follow the recommendations for round. Extra weight fills out your cheeks and rounds out your jawline to give your face a rounder appearance, so following tips and checking out haircuts for round faces will be your best bet. 
• Look for personalized recommendations. We’ve compiled the best haircuts for fat faces here, but you might want to take a look at some personalized recs that take your preferences and features into account. You can check our guides next to get custom recommendations: What Haircut Should I Get (Women)? | All Face Types and How to Check Which Hairstyle Suits My Face Online.
• Keep waves and curls to the bottom 2/3 of your hair. Round faces can have a tough time rocking big waves and curls because these textures add a lot of volume to the sides. That can make your face look wider, so if you’re heat styling, keep the texture to the bottom 2/3 for a more slimming effect. If you’re naturally wavy or curly, make sure to counter the side volume with extra volume and height on top or keep the sides shorter. 
• Try facial exercises for a leaner silhouette. You can really make your slimming haircut look great by starting some simple facial exercises that can actually help slim and trim your face to make it look more sculpted. Puffing out your cheeks, holding the fish face pose, doing chin lifts, and mewing (pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth and holding) are all easy ways to tone and slim your face. 
• Get slimming haircut recommendations for guys. If you’re a guy with a round face and you want to learn the tips and tricks to slim it with the right haircut, we’ve got you covered, too. Check out our guide to Mens’ Haircuts for Round Faces and read What Haircut Should I Get? Guide For Men next for cuts that make you look leaner. 
• Avoid chin-length haircuts and be careful with short cuts. Chin-length cuts are known to accentuate roundness and actually make your face look fuller, so that’s a definite no. Short haircuts above the ears can be tricky because you’ll need lots of volume on top to balance your lower face. If you like pixie cuts with a longer quiff, you can make short haircuts work. Otherwise, stick to midi and longer lengths for the most slimming effect. 

Choosing the Best Haircuts for Fat Faces

There are so many ways to slim and lengthen a fat face for a leaner, more sculpted aesthetic. When you’re choosing from the best haircuts for fat faces, you already know these cuts have the right “ingredients” to make your face look thinner.

The only thing left to consider are your personal preferences! Think about the clothing and style you typically wear. Will your potential haircut go well with what you usually wear? Or will it look a little out of place?

If you’re thinking about giving your personal style a total overhaul, you might actually enjoy getting out of your comfort zone a bit. Just consider it before, not after, you get the haircut! 

You should also consider your hair’s natural texture. If you’re rocking straight hair or loose waves, you should be able to pull most any haircut off. Curls and coils can make certain haircuts a little more challenging since you want to keep excess bulk and volume out of the sides to nail that slimmer shape. 

Tapered cuts, long layers, and extra volume on top are all ways to help your hair’s natural texture work with the slimming cut you like best. 

Think about how long it’ll take to style your new cut and how much work the process entails. If you love a heavily layered shag with bangs but don’t like spending time styling it in the mornings, you might want to reconsider.

Search for styles that match what you’re willing to put in in terms of styling time. All things considered, getting a new haircut that can help create a leaner face shape is a real confidence booster.

We think you’ll be thrilled with how your new, flattering cut turns out and you’re sure to get tons of compliments. 

Remember that the best haircuts for fat faces aren’t about hiding your body or disguising your face shape – it’s about accentuating your favorite parts and putting your best face forward!