If you have a big forehead, there are many things you can do to cover it or make it smaller. You can wear bangs, get forehead reduction surgery or opt for a hairline-lowering hair transplant. However, if you were born with a small forehead, your options are more limited.
The good news is that while hairline transplant surgery can’t make your forehead larger, there are still ways to achieve a fantastic look even with less than 5-6 cm between your hairline and eyebrows. And the most convenient ones are through some creative styling. This article will tell you all you need to know about how to make the most out of your small forehead, such as:
At this time, there is no firm consensus regarding the ideal forehead height. The standard differs with gender, ethnicity, cultural beauty standards and personal preferences. However, plastic surgeons who perform hair transplants have remarked that the male hairline is usually 7-8 cm above the area between your eyebrows. The female hairline is often a little lower, only 5-7 cm above that area [1].
One 2005 study defined the small forehead as being under 6 cm in height [2]. In a nutshell, if the distance between your hairline and your central eyebrows is under 6 cm, you may have a small forehead. Of course, that depends on the overall height and proportions of your face.
In most cases, the shape and width of your forehead are genetically inherited, just like the colour of your eyes or the shape of your nose. There are some rare medical conditions – such as Prader-Willi syndrome – which can manifest with a narrow forehead, but they also have genetic causes, as well as many other specific symptoms [11]. So, the vast majority of people get their small foreheads from a close genetic relative who shares this rather common trait.
Moreover, your forehead size depends on your facial bone structure. That means it is closely related to the shape of your face. For example, people with a heart-shaped face typically have a wider forehead and a narrower chin. Those with round or bell-shaped faces typically have a narrower forehead, while people with a rectangular face tend to have a longer one. So your smaller forehead may be what helps shape your face.
The easiest way to disguise a small forehead is to select a hairstyle that highlights the best traits of your face and makes your hairline appear higher. Here are some of the best options.
If you are a man, you can choose to either make the most of your forehead by showing off as much of it as you can or cover it entirely. Here are 5 hairstyles that suit men with a smaller forehead.
Using some hair gel to slick your hair back can free up your forehead, making it all visible up to the hairline. And if your strands have some natural volume, the resulting height will distract from your small forehead. The slicked-back style can give you a neat and stylish appearance and looks particularly good with medium-length, textured hair.
A mop top is an excellent choice to cover up a small forehead in men, as it is difficult to tell where it begins underneath the shaggy strands. This style gives you a messy, retro look and – especially if you have a rounder face – also conveys a boyish charm.
Few hairstyles are more manly than a good old-fashioned buzz cut. And if you worry that your small head is making you look less masculine, this will likely solve your problem. Moreover, it is one of the best hairstyles for men with thin hair, so if you are developing a bald spot on the crown, a neat, rugged buzz cut will help you solve two problems at once.
Opting for a messy, wispy fringe can soften your look and give it a fun, youthful note. At the same time, this type of fringe can also mask your forehead and draw attention to your eyes instead. This style works great for an oval or heart-shaped face.
Tying your hair up can both make your forehead seem larger and draw attention away from the upper part of your face. For added masculinity, you can wear this style with a beard. However, make sure you don’t tie your hair too tightly or wear it for very long periods, as man buns can cause hair loss (you can develop a condition called traction alopecia [4]).
There are many excellent female hairstyles to choose from that can help make your forehead seem wider, cover it up or divert attention from it. Here are some great options to choose from, depending on your features and preferences.
Normally, trichologists don’t recommend this kind of hairstyle, as worn excessively, ponytails can cause hair loss. However, if you wear it sparingly, this simple hairdo can pull your hairline back and make your forehead seem wider and more luminous. Moreover, its versatile nature works as part of a fun, casual outfit or to a classy, black-tie event.
A regular fringe can appear cropped on a small forehead, emphasising your problem. However, a longer curtain fringe can frame your face on both sides, leaving only a glimpse of your forehead. This is an excellent style for women with an oval face, but can accommodate any face shape when expertly cut.
An updo brings elegance and femininity and at the same time, it leaves your forehead clear, making it appear wider. Whether it’s a romantic low bun, a sleek, graceful chignon or a messy top bun, it can highlight your delicate features and draw the gaze away from your forehead.
Any side-swept style is a good way to mask a forehead size you are unhappy with. However, a messy look, with tendrils framing your face on the sides, diverts attention towards your smile. This hairdo also gives you a playful, lively vibe and can make you appear younger.
The bob is an excellent choice for women of any age. But when you add asymmetry into the mix, this haircut becomes fresh and modern and complements all face types. Furthermore, the side part covers a significant portion of your forehead, masking its small height and focusing attention on your eyes and hair instead.
While finding the perfect hairstyle can do wonders in hiding your small forehead, there are other things you can try as well. Some of them are simple and anyone can do them at home. Others are more radical and require medical procedures. See your options below to decide which would suit you best.
Makeup has been used for a long time to enhance your facial features. Here are some of the best tricks you can use to make your forehead look bigger:
The easiest way to cover a small forehead instantly is to use headwear and/or hair accessories. Putting on a stylish hat, cap, scarf or bandana that covers the top of your forehead can effectively hide its true height. If you want to go for a lighter approach, a large hair clip or a small bow placed strategically on one corner of your forehead can draw all the attention to it.
Lifting your hairline can make your forehead appear wider. This can be achieved by removing some of your frontal hair. If you have a high pain threshold, you can do this by plucking or waxing, but you will have to keep doing this as it grows back. Alternatively, you can get 6-12 sessions of laser hairline hair removal and be rid of the unwanted strands forever.
This surgical procedure involves inserting an implant into your forehead so it appears rounder and larger, giving the illusion of greater height. These implants can be made from a variety of surgical materials, such as fat, bone cement, silicone, microporous high-density polyethylene (Medpor) [5], or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE/Gore-Tex).
The procedure involves making a cut a few centimetres behind your hairline, a space is created between your forehead skin and bone and the implant is carefully inserted in that space [6]. Then, the cut is sutured and the healing process begins.
Unfortunately, while you can get a big forehead hair transplant, there is no similar option for a small one. That is because it is significantly more difficult to create room on your face for a wider forehead than to simply lower your hairline.
The procedure would likely require separating your facial bones to create more room between them (craniotomy). This is sometimes performed in patients with health-impairing facial deformities [7], but it is not normally offered cosmetically, due to the risks of complications involved.
However, there are some surgical options that can help you alter the shape of your forehead or give it more volume so that it appears to be wider. Some of the most common include forehead augmentation (implant) surgery, and forehead reshaping surgery.
By all means, small foreheads can be just as attractive as larger ones, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder [8]. Some people prefer foreheads on the larger side, while others appreciate smaller ones.
A study [9] performed in 2017 on 50 Spanish people asked them to rate distinct physical features of models of both genders. It revealed that small foreheads were sometimes deemed less appealing than wider ones. However, the sample size was very small and comprised people from a single country, which means local beauty standards may have been in play.
In fact, different research [10] conducted in 1986 on 75 young men from the U.S. who evaluated the photographs of 50 young women revealed no correlation between forehead width and attractiveness. The authors note that the models’ hairstyles may have influenced this outcome, which goes to show that hairstyles can influence the perception of facial beauty and symmetry.
Finally, a recent analysis [3] performed in 2023 of the facial features of 60 attractive Caucasian celebrities of both genders (30 male and 30 female) revealed that the average forehead height above the eyebrow peak was 4.34 cm in women and 5.55 cm in men. This proves that a small forehead is not necessarily a negative feature, in fact, it seems to be the norm rather than the exception among famous people considered physically desirable.
Keep in mind that a person’s attractiveness is generally not determined by any one specific facial feature. It is often the result of how their various traits combine, their styling skills and their overall vibe. So even if you are unhappy with the shape and size of your forehead, using a few cosmetic and hair styling tricks, you can achieve a gorgeous look that works perfectly with the facial features you’ve got.
If you’ve always had a small forehead, a sudden widening can be one of the first signs of hair thinning and balding, especially if you are a man. Male pattern baldness affects 85% of men during their lifetime and one of its first symptoms is often a receding hairline. This can make your forehead appear larger.
If you are a woman, female pattern baldness will normally cause diffuse hair thinning, but spare your hairline. However, there are still other, albeit much rarer, types of alopecia that can make your forehead suddenly become higher. Hair recession in women is often the result of frontal fibrosing alopecia, especially if you are postmenopausal.
These conditions will advance if left untreated so you will need the help of a trichologist to curb your hair loss and restore some growth. Book a consultation now with one of our experienced hair specialists at your most convenient clinic locations. They will provide an accurate diagnosis of your frontal balding and recommend the best hair loss treatment for men or the most effective hair loss treatment for women.
If you would like to know more about small foreheads and how to disguise them, read the answers to these frequently asked questions:
There is nothing inherently wrong with having a small forehead. However, a wider forehead is traditionally associated with masculinity and some men may feel like not having one undermines the manliness of their facial features.
While female hairlines are naturally lower and more oval-shaped, some women also find their foreheads too narrow. While this is not rooted in gender norms, it is sometimes rooted in some societies’ cultural beauty standards, as well as in personal preference.
That depends on several factors, such as your gender, the size of your fingers and the general height and proportions of your face. While, on average, a normal forehead is over 6 cm wide, this can vary from one person to another. What matters most is whether you are comfortable with your forehead width and general facial appearance.
Commonly, a small forehead refers to its height, not necessarily its length. A small forehead is generally narrow. While it may also be short horizontally, it can also have regular length or even be long if you have a wide, square face.
Bangs can sometimes go a long way to mask a forehead size you’re not fully comfortable with. However, if you have a small forehead, you might be better off opting for curtain bangs, which can go lower on the sides or wispy bangs, which are airy and whimsical.
If you are a man, the Caesar cut may also help, as the fringe can be quite short. However, blunt bangs are tightly packed and conspicuous and they need a certain length to provide the desired look. On a narrow forehead, they can appear cropped, highlighting the very feature you are trying to obscure.
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