Hairstyles That Accidentally Make Your Forehead Look Bigger

At this point, having at least one thing on your body that you don't like is essentially part of the human experience, and even those with radiant confidence have an insecurity or two. We always vouch for loving yourself no matter what, but these insecurities can still pop up. While all perceived imperfections can be uncomfortable to deal with, it's even worse when the thing you're self-conscious about is front and center on your face. Anyone who's not completely happy with their forehead knows the pain of going to every length possible to conceal their insecurity (even if other people swear they don't notice it).

When it comes to hiding larger foreheads, the oldest trick in the book is to go for a strategic hairstyle that either conceals the area or draws attention to another part of the face. Unfortunately, that can sometimes mean forgoing styles that you love or that look particularly great alongside other face shapes. To find out which hairstyles should be avoided at all costs if your goal is a daintier-looking forehead, we reached out to fashion and red-carpet hair and makeup artist Luna Viola. The expert shared exclusively with Glam that styles that highlight this area, like middle parts and tight updos, are no-gos, but there are many other more flattering hairstyles you should try if you have a larger forehead.

Though it seems logical to hide a forehead that you don't want to draw attention to with more hair, you could actually be doing yourself a disservice with this approach. According to Luna Viola, "long hairstyles" accentuate the forehead because they tend to carry less volume. The heaviness that comes with long tresses tends to weigh down the hair and, by extension, drag the entire face down, which ends up highlighting the forehead. For the best results, stick to shorter and medium styles, but if you can't resist the mermaid length, take extra care to ensure your locks are bouncy and voluminous to avoid this effect.

Unfortunately, the chic and trendy middle part doesn't do any favors if you've got a larger forehead, either. "Hair styled with a middle part inevitably shows off the forehead, especially if styled flat behind the ears," Viola observes in our exclusive chat. "The perimeter of the face will seem rounder, and the forehead will look even bigger." Yikes! Luckily, a simple fix to this is any kind of bangs, whether you want to go for full coverage with a thick, blunt fringe, or something lighter and wispier. 

Along those lines, Viola also recommends steering clear of certain updos if your goal is to make your forehead appear smaller. Anything pulled back super tightly will emphasize this area, so try to opt for looser styles instead. "Chignons styled tight back with gel can really show off the hairline and the head shape," Viola explains. "This will lift the eyebrows and forehead, stretching it and making it look wider." In other words, a sleek ballerina bun might help you embrace the balletcore trend, but it's going to highlight your forehead, too. Finally, the hair guru warns against the typical '50s quiff, which naturally makes the forehead seem larger by creating a bulge on top of the hairline.

Though the above recommendations may seem constricting, it's not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of hairstyles that will make your forehead seem smaller, so wanting to hide that area shouldn't limit you too much. When it comes to fringes, Luna Viola specifically recommends curtain bangs and similarly soft styles for the dimension they bring to the face. For example, face-framing bottleneck bangs are perfect for this can be styled effortlessly. If you just aren't a bangs person (it happens to the best of us), consider a deep side part instead. "It's an easy way to make the forehead appear shorter and give your face a slimming effect as it sweeps diagonally across your face," Viola notes.

Along the lines of adding movement and dimension to your look so you can avoid the aforementioned heavy effect, face-framing layers are also a win for drawing attention away from your forehead. As Viola points out in our exclusive chat, cutting in some layers around your face boosts your volume and naturally lures the eye to the cheekbones, allowing the forehead to go unnoticed. And as you might have guessed from Viola's warning against long hair, she recommends a crisp bob or lob instead: "This hairstyle draws attention to the jaw or neck and is usually paired with soft curtain bangs that conceal some of the face and forehead." Even if you don't consider yourself a bob person, there are so many different versions of this cut to try that you just might surprise yourself. Wavy blunt bobs have been one of 2024's most popular hairstyles, but there are also chicer and more classic styles to try, like the beau bob.