What haircut should men with square faces avoid?

To best balance the features of a square face, you want to avoid any hairstyle that has a lot of volume on the sides. You'll also want to avoid a middle part; instead, opt for a side part or a hairstyle that has fullness or height on top.

What is the best haircut for men with square faces who have thinning hair?

Men with square faces and receding hairlines look great with buzz-cut and crew-cut hairstyles. For those who have thinning hair at the crown, a quiff or pompadour hairstyle will flatter your face shape and conceal the bald spot.

Do men with a square face look good with long hair?

Yes, but make sure your hair is longer (or shorter) than your jaw. Hair that stops at the jaw will make your face look wider. Look for styles that still have volume at the crown of your hair as well.

25 Men's Haircuts That Are Perfect for Square Faces

One of the surest ways to get a stellar haircut is to assess the shape of your face and then apply some geometric logic to the canvas.

Take square-shaped faces, for example, which are characterized by a wide-set bone structure that stays nearly uniform from the temple to the jawline. To contrast the strong look, you want a style that adds roundness, height, or texture up top.

To compile a list of looks perfect for square-faced fellows, we sought input from two experts at Rudy's Barbershop: hairdresser Alejandro Ulloa and director of education Jesse Taylor. While some of the men featured here may teeter between square and diamond or oval structures, they all have wider and sharper features overall—thus, the included hairstyles should look universally flattering on square faces.

Below are 25 of the best hairstyles for square faces, as worn by some of the most famous sharp-jawed men.

Meet the Expert

Alejandro Ulloa is a hairdresser at Rudy’s Barbershop.
Jesse Taylor is director of education at Rudy's Barbershop.

01 of 25

Gelled to the Side

Charles Melton's ear-length hair gets a touch of edge with a side-slick. To mimic the look, use a dime-sized dollop of a flexible-hold gel and distribute it through the ends of the hair with a comb, slicking to the side as you style.

02 of 25

Full Shave

Barry Jenkins shows how a bald head looks terrific with sharp, square bone structure. Ulloa suggests that bald guys still spray some tonic spray (like Rudy's Tonic Spray, $18) to tone the scalp and prevent flaking. He also adds that Jenkins' round glasses are pulling a lot of weight, too, in terms of adding geometric contrast to his sharp angles.

Byrdie Tip

A total bald-head shave can flatter a square face. The round dome offsets the sharp angles of the bone structure.

03 of 25

Mega-Pompadour

Tan France salt and pepper ultra dramatic pompadour — Jean Baptiste Lacroix / WireImage / Getty Images

Understated, this look is not. But if you have the thickness and the length, why not go for it? Here, the hair is buzzed on the sides to allow for further drama up top, where Tan France's salt and pepper hair is brushed upward in a dramatic pompadour.

04 of 25

Bare-Guard Buzz

"Christopher Jackson's head shape is taller and pointy," notes Ulloa (as opposed to Jenkins' head in the previous shot). For this, Ulloa says that the high-fade skins on the sides provide subtle gradation all the way to the top outline of his hairline. While Jackson's structure might technically teeter into rectangle territory, the fading lessons apply to any square-shaped faces with pointier domes.

05 of 25

Line-Up Buzz

Any clean, uniform buzz will flatter a square-shaped face, but a line-up also has the benefit of utilizing geometry and clean lines on the interior of the cut. Paired with the roundness of Pooch Hall's head, it creates a more thoughtful cut than any DIY at-home buzz. Ulloa says to clean it up every two weeks to keep it looking fresh.

06 of 25

Receded Buzz

The barber on Liev Schreiber's cut transitioned cleanly from the sides to the top, Ulloa says. This keeps his head looking round rather than poofing and widening at the sides.

07 of 25

Buzz and Fuller Beard Combo

Y'lan Noel has a sharp jaw under all that beard hair, which he utilizes to create an oval effect for his overall face shape. "The timeless fade compliments the beard with great detail," Ulloa says. It even allows Noel to wear a short, boxy style atop the fade since it's not competing with his sharp jawline.

08 of 25

Close-Cropped Curls

Michael Ealy with close cropped curly hair — Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty

Notice that Michael Ealy's curls are slightly taller than they are wide. That's the classic rule of "flattering" hairstyles: Create an oval effect if you want a guaranteed hit. As for styling, his strands are on the finer side, says Ulloa; if yours are too, use a curl cream (like Bevel's Curl Creme, $17) and apply with fingers.

09 of 25

Modern Flat Top

Ulloa likes the detail at the front of John Cena's hair—a cowlick that creates a natural part. Here's one example of a square cut up top that doesn't contrast inversely with the square bone structure simply because of the high fade on the sides that keeps the cut narrow and tall.

10 of 25

Undercut

Brad Pitt has entire roundups dedicated to his hairstyle archives, and rightfully so. But one of his most famous looks was the undercut, which spawned an entire hairstyle trend in the mid-2010s. This is a shorter execution of the look, as many guys wear the undercut with longer lengths up top. It borders on high-and-tight territory, Ulloa says, before the length shift at the top sides of the crown. He estimates that Pitt has 4 inches brushed back on top in this particular look.

11 of 25

Gentleman's Cut

Call Colton Haynes' cut a quiff, a gentleman's cut, or any name you please. Regardless, the effect is the same: "The progression from short to long on the sides to the top is perfect, creating a focal point on top," Ulloa says.

12 of 25

Squared Quiff

"This gives Henry Golding a squared style that compliments his jawline," Taylor says. After all, a quiff emphasizes height, so it's bound to work well for square faces. Taylor says it would be best styled with a pomade—classic or matte. Try Rudy's Matte Pomade ($22).

13 of 25

Modern Caesar/Crop

Josh Hutcherson with a modern caesar haircut — Leon Bennett /Getty Images

"This longer crop haircut on Josh Hutcherson helps create a solid square shape silhouette," Taylor says. "Wearing the front down on his forehead closes the top part of his face, making your eyes focus on his jawline."

14 of 25

Curly Pompadour

Taylor notes that Miguel's curly pompadour gives volume and movement while the tapered sides help keep the face shape lean. "It's best styled by applying a curl cream to damp hair," he says. "Use a blow-dry diffuser on low to bring out the curls."

15 of 25

Modern Combover

Note that the forward swoop on Elijah Wood's style is helping to hide some recession, Taylor says. It's probably styled with a medium-hold cream or balm, too. Try Kevin Murphy's Free Hold Paste ($32).

16 of 25

Curly Gentleman's Cut

"Henry Cavill's take on the classic dapper haircut works perfectly to give him volume," Taylor says. The scruff also frames his jawline, which emphasizes his leading man bone structure.

17 of 25

Disconnected Dollop

Nick Lachey with a longer on top hair — @nicklachey

Nick Lachey proves that height complements a square face with this dollop disconnected from the buzzed sides. Something like this requires a blow-dryer to lock it into place, says Taylor: "It will help create the volume and shape your style [effectively]."

18 of 25

Grown-Out Modern Combover

Robert Pattinson is probably the king of artful dishevelment. To mimic his sweeps and swoops, "style your hair back off the face with a soft moldable product, and keep your sideburns trimmed in front of the ears," Taylor advises. Try Rudy's Perfect Cream ($18).

19 of 25

Swept Pompadour

Kumail Nanjiani with a pompadour — Albert L. Ortega /Getty Images

"Creating a balance between your hair and face isn't always easy, but Kumail Nanjiani makes it look so effortless here by keeping a longer sideburn and a little volume on the top of his cut," Taylor notes. It's an alternate take on Sebastian Stan's approach, with more emphasis given to the quiff/pompadour in front, as opposed to one uniform sweeping back.

20 of 25

High Curly Quiff

Eliot Glazer with a curly quiff — Tommaso Boddi / Getty

Voluminous curls like Eliot Glazer's make it easy to gain height. "Use lighter styling products that are cream- or oil-based to give separation with movement," Taylor says. We like Odele's Air Dry Styler, $12.

21 of 25

Grown-Out Gentleman's Cut

Sebastian Stan with a grown out gentleman's haircut — Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images

We're going out on a limb with this one because those sides are getting dangerously close to the same bulk as the height. But Sebastian Stan's hairstyle is just tall enough to pass the test, and the subtle five o'clock shadow is helping to define his squared jawline.

Byrdie Tip

"Blow-drying with a hair balm will soften thick hair and add control and hold," says Taylor. Try Aesop's Violet Leaf Hair Balm ($35).

22 of 25

Longer Slick Back

Daniel Dae Kim with long slicked back hair — Michael Loccisano / Getty

Of course, we have to include a Daniel Dae Kim style—he might have the most famous bone structure in Hollywood. "Longer hair doesn't mean you have to sacrifice a square shape on your cuts," Taylor says. "This haircut gives a longer, leaner shape by just keeping length in the back behind the ear. By styling it back off his face, it allows us to concentrate on his bone structure and jawline."

23 of 25

Fade and Mustache

Michael B. Jordan with a pencil mustache and a fade — Getty Images

It doesn't get much more classic than a fade, but a thin mustache and goatee add a little oomph. You'll want to go in for trims every two to three weeks to maintain a look like this.

24 of 25

Classic Crew Cut

Channing Tatum crew cut hairtsyle — Steve Granitz / WireImage

Channing Tatum's classic crew cut is kept slightly longer up top, making this an ideal style for men with thinner hair. Use a product like V76 by Vaughn's Texture Cream ($18) to style.

25 of 25

Swept Up

As Matt Bomer demonstrates, styled hair doesn't have to involve stiff products. Here, the actor's hair is swept up with the use of tools (think a round brush and a hair dryer) rather than anything with a harsh hold.

FAQ

What haircut should men with square faces avoid?

To best balance the features of a square face, you want to avoid any hairstyle that has a lot of volume on the sides. You'll also want to avoid a middle part; instead, opt for a side part or a hairstyle that has fullness or height on top.
What is the best haircut for men with square faces who have thinning hair?

Men with square faces and receding hairlines look great with buzz-cut and crew-cut hairstyles. For those who have thinning hair at the crown, a quiff or pompadour hairstyle will flatter your face shape and conceal the bald spot.
Do men with a square face look good with long hair?

Yes, but make sure your hair is longer (or shorter) than your jaw. Hair that stops at the jaw will make your face look wider. Look for styles that still have volume at the crown of your hair as well.