As the cliché goes, everyone wants what they don’t have. While haircuts for thin hair focus on adding volume, the best haircuts for thick hair aim to reduce excess weight and create more movement. “The trick isn’t taking it all off, it’s removing weight in the right places so it moves and doesn’t feel heavy,” says celebrity hairstylist Tamás Tüzes.
But before deciding on a haircut, it’s important to know your hair type. Scott Martinez, a hairstylist at Manhattan’s Jenna Perry Hair, notes that hair thickness relates to the diameter of an individual strand of hair, which you can evaluate by feeling or by sight. If the hair is coarser and more opaque, it’s thick. Another factor that’s associated with hair thickness is hair density, which celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble describes as the number of strands per section of the scalp. If there are a lot of them, you have high-density hair, she says. To determine density, you can part a section of your hair to the side to see how much of your scalp is showing; if it’s visible, you have less hair density, and if it’s not, you have more density.
If you have thick hair, you’ve got plenty of options for cuts and styles. “Thick hair is kind of the best starting point—it has volume, it holds shape, and you can do a lot with it,” says Tüzes. With that, here are 16 haircuts for thick hair, no matter your length or texture.
Textured pixie
“Pixies look great,” Kimble says, citing Teyana Taylor’s modern short crop as an excellent source of inspiration. Shahid Dilshad Pasha, master trainer manager at Davines India, previously told Vogue that when cutting wavy hair, “Always cut with the natural wave pattern in mind,” adding, “Fighting the pattern creates inconsistency and frizz.”
Curly wolf cut
Hairstylist mononym Ward says the wolf cut is a “hip and cool way” to wear your natural curls without being weighed down by weight. James Pecis, hairstylist and founder of Blu & Green Beauty, agrees, adding that the layers create volume and movement, and are “great for face framing with a fringe.” Pecis adds, “Remember that the end shape is big, bouncy, and round. Don’t fight it. Embrace it. Let your thick hair get big.”
Feathery layers
Kimble recommends feathered hairstyles with rounded, longer layers like Farrah Fawcett’s signature do. It’s “a very popular style that keeps coming back,” she says.
Long Layers with curtain bangs and face-framing pieces
“This is probably the easiest, most universally flattering option,” says Tüzes of long layers with curtain bangs and face-framing pieces. “You keep the length, but it doesn’t feel dense or overwhelming. It works on pretty much every texture—straight, wavy, curly—and you can tailor it to any face shape. The curtain fringe and shorter pieces around the face just open everything up and make it feel lighter.”
Tüzes adds that maintenance is pretty easy, as the style grows out nicely with regular bang trims. “For styling, I’d focus on the front—round brush, away from the face—then either let the rest do its thing, add a few soft bends with an iron, or just let it air dry if you want it to feel more effortless. Keep products light so you don’t collapse the natural volume,” he says.
Textured bob
“A bob can look really strong on thick hair, you just have to take the weight out so it doesn’t sit like a block,” says Tüzes. “What’s nice about this is that it can actually work on any texture and pretty much any face shape—it just depends on where you place the length and whether you add a fringe or softer pieces around the face.”
Regular trims are important for maintaining your shape, but overall, “it’s very wearable,” and “styling can be as polished or as relaxed as you want,” adds Tüzes.
Cropped Wolf Cut
A traditional wolf cut is also great on thick hair because “the layering is so aggressive,” Pecis says. “It is important to remember that shorter pieces mean more volume, so you need to be ready to embrace some height,” he adds, noting that the style is soft around the face, and you can keep length in the back.
Face-Framing Pieces
Face-framing pieces work well for thick hair, too. Hairstylist Luke Hersheson previously told Vogue that Jennifer Aniston’s shorter pieces around and just above the chin “help reduce the feeling of length” and are good for long faces.
Bixie
Short haircuts are still trending, and styles like the bixie can look incredible on thick hair. Tüzes cautions, though, that short hair is “definitely more commitment,” as you have to stay on top of the shape with frequent trims and make styling part of your daily routine.
“It works best when it’s customized to the face—it can really bring out cheekbones and jawlines in a strong way,” he adds, noting that he’d use a cream, paste, or light wax to break things up and give the hair some movement.
Side part
Side parts are officially back, and those with thick hair can definitely partake in the trend. “A side part with hair sweeping across feels much more relaxed and less done, while still letting hair take up space. It’s noticeable, brings hair into the look, and allows you to play with volume and texture much more,” writer Rachael Gibson, known as the Hair Historian, told Vogue.
And if you want even more volume, celebrity hairstylist David von Cannon previously recommended going against your natural part.
Graduated bob
Similar to the textured bob, the graduated bob is characterized by a gradual lengthening of the hair from the back of the head to the front. The soft layering and texture work well to balance the hair’s natural thickness.
Lob
Kimble recommends a lob-length bob for thick hair. Pasha previously told Vogue that the key to lobs for wavy hair, specifically, is precision: “A precise cut reduces frizz by improving wave clumping and removing blunt weight lines.”
Long layers
Effortless, long layers are a classic style that always works well for long, thick hair. For thick, wavy hair, Martinez suggests starting your face-framing layers between your chin and an inch past your chin and “connecting through the perimeter with seamless long layers in the back.”
“Doing so allows clients to have flexibility for heat style blowouts but still preserving enough length for an on-the-go air-dry style,” he says.
Curtain bangs
Curtain bangs are universally flattering. “It’s a style that every face shape and every hair texture can have,” celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend previously told Vogue. The tapered nature of curtain bangs helps eliminate the blunt heaviness people may not like, Kimble adds.
Marquise layers
Marquise layers are inspired by the shape of a marquise gemstone, drawing attention to your eyes, cheekbones, and jaw, helping to balance the heaviness of thick hair. To achieve its sculpting effect, soft, face-framing layers start around the forehead, move out from the eyes and cheekbones, then return to frame the jaw.
Butterfly cut
Larry King Salon hairstylist Jake Wanstall previously told Vogue, “The butterfly cut is a meticulously shaped haircut. Focusing on framing the face, short layers are cut in at the front, and they get longer toward the back.”
“The aim is for the cut to appear relaxed, undone, and effortless—so it’s a great option for those who are short on time or want to focus on the health of their hair,” Wanstall said, noting that it works on all hair types.
Soft shag
“This is where thick hair really comes alive,” says Tüzes. The soft shag “removes a lot of internal weight and gives you movement without trying too hard.”
It works best for those with longer or oval faces and with wavy or curly hair, but it can be customized to highlight your cheekbones and jawline. “It’s meant to feel a little undone,” Tüzes says, so you can air-dry with a curl cream or mousse, diffuse for more shape, or leave it natural.
What are some hairstyle maintenance tips for thick hair?
Depending on your cut, it’s important to keep up with regular trims to maintain your hair’s shape and balance. You can also use styling products that align with your hair’s natural texture, like a hair mask, lightweight curl cream, mousse, or a texture cream or spray to help keep your hair healthy and your styles intact.
Are layers good for thick hair?
Yes! “If you’re looking for more movement in your look, absolutely,” says Martinez. Kimble agrees that longer layers, especially, are great for thick hair.
Meet the Experts:
- Celebrity hairstylist Tamás Tüzes
- Hairstylist at Jenna Perry Hair Scott Martinez
- Celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble
- Master trainer manager at Davines India Shahid Dilshad Pasha
- Celebrity hairstylist Ward
- Hairstylist and founder of Blu & Green Beauty James Pecis
- Celebrity hairstylist and CEO of Hershesons Luke Hersheson
- Celebrity hairstylist David von Cannon
- Writer, “The Hair Historian,” Rachael Gibson
- Hairstylist and founder of Aevum Hair Salon Tom Smith
- Celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend
- Larry King hairstylist Jake Wanstall
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