Hairstyles for Big Ears

Girl with big ears
Photo: Stockyimages/Shutterstock
Q: What hairstyles do you advice for someone with big ears? I am a girl and would like to go for a short or medium length (between the chin and shoulders) haircut, but I have rather big ears. My ears really stick out and when I wear my hair straight my ears stick through it.
 
A: This is actually a problem which is more common than you might expect. While not every woman with the problem identifies herself as having big ears, the effect is the same.
 
It may be that the ears are angled in an unfortunate way. Perhaps the hair is so fine and straight that it bulges over ears that are completely normal and balanced in proportion to the face.
 
Regardless of the specific situation the choice of hairstyles to compensate for “big ears” boils down to the need for volume in the hairstyle. Obviously, the shape of the face is still the paramount concern. So length, cutting angles, amounts of layering and levels of volume will vary widely.
 
But at least in the sides of the head, style the hair to have extra fullness and volume. This can be as simple as using a large-barreled curling iron to make the hair stand away from the scalp a bit. You could also use a roller set style or perfect your blow-drying techniques to maximize the lift in the hair.
 
For a chin-to-shoulder range style, I would consider a long-layered “shag” style. This will allow the hair’s natural wave to be maximized in styling, and may be all you need to camouflage the ears. However, if your hair is fine textured and/or straight, you may need to consider a body wave (large curl perm), which will help to slightly thicken the look and feel of the hair, and help you style the hair with a fuller finish.
 
If, however, you really like the “straighter” look, don’t forget that you can use your flat iron to create “sweeping arcs” by drawing the slices of hair through the iron as you hold the iron at a slight angle (keeping the edge leading away from the scalp pointed downward). This will result in a “straight” style that is still fuller in volume and won’t rest against the scalp and allow the ears to poke through.
 
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See also:
 
How to create barrel curls & spiral curls with a curling iron
 
A what's what guide to curling irons
 
How do you create bouncy curls with a flat iron?
 
How do you use a flat iron for curling?
 
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