Contrary to popular belief, having a full face doesn't always mean having a round face. Fuller faces can be any size or shape, but the defining feature is that there is less bone definition and a softer overall look. If you have a full face, count your blessings! Your face will age better than most and retain a youthful plumpness in the cheeks well into old age. If you have a drier skin type then you are even luckier as dry skin types tend to age slower. So overall, fuller face shapes have all the benefits of ageing slower and looking gorgeous!

Faces come in all shapes and sizes and for many women, this means having a fuller face. This isn't an actual face shape per say - full faces can be oval, round, square heart shaped or diamond shaped - but rather, it's when more weight is carried in the face than usual. Please keep in mind that sometimes a fuller face can go away. When you are pregnant, a lot of women develop a fuller face shape and then once your hormones and everything else calms down, you tend to go back to your usual face shape.

Some ladies tend to have more than one face shape definition. That can be common as you can have an oval looking forehead and eye area and then your chin area can be more square in shape. It is going to be up to you and your stylist to choose a hairstyle that is going to suit your specific face shape the best as well as make sure that t suits your personality.

Sometimes this appears as super cute chipmunk cheeks, a fuller neck and jaw area, or it can simply be all over fullness in the face. If this applies to you and you are looking for a hairstyle solution, have no fear because we are bringing you the greatest 'dos for fuller faces straight from the red carpet. These hairstyles will give you some ideas for your next salon visit and will make the most of your fuller face shape.



Oblong face shape

Betty Who Short Straight Hairstyle for Oblong Faceshape.

Betty Who Short Straight Blonde Hairstyle for Oblong Faceshape.

Betty Who has an oblong shaped fuller face. She makes the most of it by wearing an edgy hairstyle with plenty of volume on top - this is a great tip to use if you have a similar face shape. By keeping short sides and a voluminous crown, Betty balances out any excess fullness in her face while looking chic and trendy. To create this 'do at home, you'll need to use a good root lifter, then simply blow-dry the hair up and away from the face. Set it in large rollers in the same direction for extra lift. Or, you can go for a curly look as seen on Betty here. This 'do is created by using a large curling iron (instead of rollers) to create curled sections throughout the top. Spray the curls into place to get this cool curly finish.



Round face shape

Rebel Wilson Updo Hairstyle for Round Faceshape.

Rebel Wilson is another full-faced beauty who really knows how to work her round face shape well. Her light blonde locks are usually worn down and long, but here she has gone for a fun up do. She has used a high volume hairstyle to balance out her full face nicely.  The volume on the top gives off the illusion that her face is longer than it really is. To create this 'do, simply make a high ponytail at the crown, then create a bubble and secure the ends underneath, allowing the ponytail to fan out. Rebel's straight blunt fringe also works well here with her fuller face shape.



Heart face shape

Hillary Scott Long Straight Hairstyle for Heart Faceshape.

Hillary Scott has a heart-shaped face that is on the fuller side. Her gorgeous cheeks and dainty chin (two main benefits of the heart shaped face) look fabulous in this medium length straight hairstyle. Keeping your hair straight and sleek can be a great way to minimize any extra fullness, plus it will bring out your hair's natural sheen. As you can see there is not a lot of volume with this hairstyle as you do not want your cheeks to look fuller however, this hairstyle is simple and easy to do and looks gorgeous.



Square face shape

Miranda Lambert Medium Wavy Hairstyle for Square Faceshape.

Here we have Miranda Lambert working her fuller square shape face here in a simple blonde bob. This hairstyle has soft waves and a long side swept fringe to balance out the extra fullness of her face shape nicely and it softens up her square jaw line too. If you have a similar face shape, consider this type of fringe for yourself. Another good tip is to always curl or wave your hair away from the face, just as Miranda has done here. Styling the curls away from your face will help to soften your edges as well as not give your cheek area extra volume which is does not need.



Various Face Shapes

Melissa McCarthy hairstyle with an eye-skimming fringe

Melissa McCarthy looks gorgeous here in an eye-skimming fringe and a blunt medium 'do. Ladies with a fuller face like Melissa has tend to do well when they bring the attention to the eyes, and what better way to do this than with long bangs? Instead of going for a blunt, straight across fringe (which would not flatter a full face), Melissa has opted for an arched fringe with jagged ends. This is the perfect fringe for heavier faces.  For these types of face shapes, it is great when you do eye makeup that stands out as it will bring more attention to your eye area as well. The rest of her hair looks glossy and healthy, thanks to her rich brown hair color with sun-kissed highlights and the blunt finish at the bottom (which is a great technique to use to make your hair look thicker). The blunt edges also gives this look definition and gives off the sense that you know what you want and you are not afraid to ask for it! Shows that you are decisive and stand behind your decisions all the way!



Tamela J Mann hairstyle

Tamela J. Mann has most of her fullness in the cheek area, which is nicely balanced out by this wild fiery 'do! By creating a ton of volume on the top, Tamela avoids adding more width to her face, plus, it's just a super cool hairstyle to wear. This hairstyle is fun and shows that you have a more edger side to your personality. It is easy to style but you might want to ask your stylist to show you how you can style this at home to ensure that you look this fierce all day every day! Work your best features with this tapered cut that has longer jagged layers on top for maximum style versatility. Although this haircut would look good in any color, Tamela's deep red base with fiery tips wins the prize for best color!



Sarah Baker elegant medium hairstyle

For ladies who want a longer, romantic look, check out Sarah Baker's elegant medium hairstyle here. Sarah's fullness is in her cheek and jaw area so she uses soft waves and a cascading side part to camouflage that area. This is a soft and feminine look that suits the fuller face nicely - plus it has the added versatility of updos as well. Wearing the hair up or off the face is very slimming and will suit the fuller face nicely. If you have layers around your face, leave those down to create a nice frame and provide a bit more coverage if you prefer.



 Kelly Osbourne smooth side-parted hairstyle

And finally, for a do' that's sleek and sophisticated, check out Kelly Osbourne's smooth side-parted hairstyle here. Kelly has fullness in her chin and cheek areas, so keeping the volume on the top and the ends tucked away is a great way to balance out the face. This is a simple yet elegant hairstyle that takes only minutes to style, so you may want to try this one out if you are in the mood for a trendy new look. The color on this look is also gorgeous and if you are the type of person who likes to play around with color, we strongly suggest this one!

As you can see, a full face does not mean an overweight looking face. It simply means that there is extra fullness in certain areas, which you can certainly make the most of like these celebs have done! Often fuller face shapes tend to go for a more open face looking hairstyle. This allows the hairstyle to shape the face and yet still keep your facial features the star of the show. This is a great thing to keep in mind if you are the type of person who wears glasses. With an open face hairstyle, glasses will suit the look and not hide your face however, if you have decided on a style that has bangs that are side-swept and cover your eyes, glasses will not suit that look.



Choosing your hairstyle

  • If you do not want to spend a lot of time styling your hair in the morning, make sure that you choose a hairstyle that is easier to maintain.
  • You are going to need to cut your hair once every 6 weeks to keep your ends looking healthy and keep your hairstyle in shape.
  • If you are going to color your hair, make sure that you touch up the color once every 4 weeks or so to ensure that the color stays vibrant and packs a punch!
  • If you wear glasses, make sure you choose a style that is going to look nice with glasses on.
  • You need to keep in mind your hair texture. If you have wavy or curly hair, choose a style that is going to utilize your gorgeous hair texture. You want to show off your natural curls and not always hide them.
  • Remember that a little product goes a long way! If you start to use a lot of product in your hair, your hair will start to look messy and greasy and that is something none of us want!


Doing your makeup

  • If you want to make your face look slimmer using makeup, you should contour the areas of your face that look fuller such as your cheeks, neck and chin area. This means that you should use a darker shade to hide the edges of the area so that you create the illusion that your face is slimmer.
  • You are going to want to bring forward some of your facial features and make them stand out. This means that you should apply highlighter on top of your cheek bone, on the top of your nose, tip of your lips and the tip of your chin. This is going to bring these features forward and hide the fuller edges of your face.
  • When it comes to doing your eyes, you can do whatever you like. Play around with it and see what makeup styles suit your face and personality. Keep in mind that if you are going to do a bold eye, you do not want to do a bold lip as well because then it is going to be a bit too much and you will start to look like a mashed up clown.


There are a variety of fuller face shapes out there, and each one has many hairstyles that flatter it. This was just a small selection of hairstyles for fuller face shapes, but be sure to visit thehairstyler.com for new hairstyles that are added monthly!