How to Cover Your Forehead with Curly Hair

Co-authored by Sahra Brandt and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: January 4, 2023 References

Curly hair can be gorgeous, but it may leave your large forehead feeling exposed. While there's nothing wrong with having a large forehead, you might want to hide yours if you don’t like how it looks. Fortunately, you have several options for covering your forehead with curly hair. No matter how you like to style your hair, you can minimize your forehead without fighting your curls.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Styling Curly Hair to Hide Your Forehead

1
Try a deep side part to create the illusion of a smaller forehead. A deep side part creates a swoop in your hair that can hide the top of your forehead, making it look smaller. Use your fingers or the end of a fishtail comb to part your hair to one side. Arrange your curls until you’re happy with how your hair looks.^{[1]
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- If your hair won’t stay, use a bobby pin to keep your part in place.
- It’s easiest to part your hair when it’s still wet. Use a comb to divide your hair into 2 parts after you apply your leave-in products. Then, apply a curl cream and let your hair air dry.
2
Style your hair to the side when pulling it back. Ponytails, buns, and braids are all cute styles that are great for taming your hair, but they typically leave your forehead exposed. For an easy solution, part your hair to the side and create your desired style on that side of your head. This allows your hair to droop across your forehead, making it look smaller.^{[2]
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- For instance, create a messy side pony, a loose side bun, or a stylish side braid.
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3
Frame your face with a few side pieces when wearing your hair up. Up-do’s are also a great way to tame your curls, but they leave your forehead totally exposed. Fortunately, you can easily minimize your forehead by pulling a few pieces down around your face. This hair will minimize your forehead so you can rock any style you like.^{[3]
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- If the pieces of hair lose their curl or get frizzy when you pull them down, use a curling iron to restore the curl. Alternatively, wet the pieces and twirl them around your finger to reactivate the curls.
Tip: Don’t backcomb your hair because it’ll lengthen your forehead. When you backcomb your hair, it exposes your entire forehead and pulls your hairline back.^{[4]
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4
Part your hair down the middle and tuck a front section behind each ear. Create a center part. Then, section off about a .25 to .5 in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) piece on each side. Tuck each piece behind your ear on either side to frame your face, making your forehead look slightly smaller. Fluff up the rest of your curls to make it look natural.^{[5]
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- If your hair won’t stay behind your ears, use a bobby pin to hold it in place.
5
Bring about 1/3 of your hair forward if you have short hair. Use your hands to shift your hair forward toward your face. Then, create a deep side part to shift your hair out from in front of your eyes. Fluff up your part to help conceal your forehead.^{[6]
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- If you still feel like your forehead still looks too big, you can tuck small sections of hair behind your ears to give the illusion of a lower hairline. Pull a thin section from under your part on each side and slide the hair behind your ears.
6
Make fake bangs using the front section of your hair and a few bobby pins. Use your fingers to divide a section of hair at the front of your hairline. Position the ends of your strands where you want your bangs to fall. Pull and adjust your curls until you’re happy with how the bangs look. Use bobby pins to secure the top of the bangs in place.^{[7]
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Research source} Tie any excess hair at the top of your head into a tiny top knot.^{[8]
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- Adjust your curls to help hide the bobby pins and make your bangs look real.
- If you don’t like the look of the top knot, cover it with a fabric headband.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Updating Your Haircut

1
Ask your stylist for long layers so your curls look big and bouncy. A voluminous hairstyle will minimize the look of your forehead. Layers increase volume because the top layers aren’t as weighed down by length, which allows the curls to be tight and bouncy. Ask your stylist to cut layers for you so your curls provide a better frame for your face.^{[9]
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- Layers can work for any hair length. Talk to your stylist about what type of layering they recommend for your desired length.
2
Get side-swept fringe if you want to wear your bangs curly. You might worry that bangs won’t work for you since your hair is curly, but that’s not true! Ask your hairstylist to cut longer bangs that part toward one side of your face. The fringe will cover part of your forehead and make it look smaller. Your bangs will look cute whether you’re wearing your natural curls or decide to straighten your hair.^{[10]
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- Longer fringe works better with curls because the extra weight keeps your curls from frizzing.
3
Cut straight-across bangs if you're okay with straightening them. If you want thick fringe across your forehead, straighten just your bangs to make this style work for you. While your bangs are wet, comb them down over your forehead and apply a dab of styling gel for frizz control. Blow dry your bangs straight by combing through them as you dry them. Then, run your hair straightener over just your bangs to smooth them down.^{[11]
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- The gel will help prevent your bangs from frizzing up or curling back up after you straighten them.
Variation: Try wearing your straight across bangs curly to see if you like the look. Depending on how thick your fringe is, curly bangs can look super cute, especially if you have a shorter hair cut.
4
Choose a fringe cut if you prefer a shorter style. Hiding your forehead can feel difficult when you keep your hair short. However, it’s totally possible to cover your forehead with short curly hair! With a fringe haircut, your style is super short but your stylist leaves a longer section at the top of your head that’s styled forward like bangs. Ask your stylist to cut your hair so that there’s a curly coif at the front.^{[12]
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- This type of fringe actually looks super cute with curls, so it’s a great choice for your hair texture.
5
Avoid blunt cuts and straight lines that can emphasize the forehead. Layered and messy styles are the best way to minimize your forehead and are also the most flattering styles for curls. While blunt cuts may be stylish, they might not be the best look for you. Tell your stylist that you want to avoid these types of cuts because you want to visually shrink your forehead.^{[13]
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- For instance, a bob likely won't be the most flattering look for your face.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Accessories to Minimize Your Forehead

1
Try a bandana or fabric headband to make your forehead look smaller. Choose a bandana or fabric headband that will also cover the top of your forehead. Position the bandana or headband so that it falls below your hairline to give the illusion that your forehead is smaller.^{[14]
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- You might also wear the bandana or headband as a circlet around your head. This will cover your forehead and tame your curls all at once.
2
Tie a headscarf around the front of your hair. A headscarf is also a great way to cover part of your forehead while controlling your curls. Plus, you can style your scarf in different ways. Wear it like a headband, tie it over your forehead like a halo, or cover all of your hair. No matter how you style it, the scarf will help hide your forehead.^{[15]
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- Try different styles to see how you like wearing your scarf.
- Bobby pins can help hold the headscarf in place if it’s slipping.
3
Complete your outfit with a hat for an easy solution. From a baseball hat to a sun hat, they work great for covering your forehead because they’re cute and functional. Choose a hat that complements your outfit, then wear it down over your forehead. No one will know that your hat is hiding your forehead.^{[16]
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- Pick a ball cap or cowboy hat to go with jeans and a shirt.
- Choose a floppy hat, felt hat, or fedora if you’ve dressed up.
- Try a beanie if it’s cold outside.
4
Wear a huge pair of sunglasses that reaches your lower forehead. While sunglasses won’t cover all of your forehead, they can make your forehead look smaller. Pick sunglasses that cover your eyebrows because they’ll make your forehead look a lot smaller.^{[17]
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- Pair your sunglasses with a hat for even better coverage. Your forehead will barely be visible!