Wavy hair is a balanced texture blessing that deserves a cute, cropped, and flippy body to do it justice. For that, I’ve scoured the interwebs to collect the very best short hairstyles for wavy hair that lift, define, and hold your baby curls.
Regardless if you’re into blunt or choppy cuts, you’ll find all the bobs, pixies, and styling ideas you can hope for. Say goodbye to frizz and hello to beachy waves by scrolling through the low maintenance short hairstyles for thick wavy hair, thin wavy hair, and more below.
Short Hairstyles for Thick Wavy Hair
Thick Shaggy Bob Haircut with Textured Bangs
Take advantage of naturally thick and wavy hair for a super shaggy and textured haircut with bangs. Ask your stylist to use overdirecting as a cutting technique to get a voluminous, heavily layered haircut. You only require some light tousling to style.
You mai also be interested in 50+ Alluring Short Hairstyles with Bangs
Blunt Angled Medium Bob Haircut for Thick Wavy Hair
A blunt cutting line will accentuate the thickness of your hair while removing weight. With a medium-length inverted bob, your waves will fall just above your shoulders at the perfect angle. The hairstyle also allows for more body in the front than in the back.
Cropped Ear-length Bob Haircut with Messy Face-framing Baby Bangs
To take even more weight out of your hair, choose a tighter cutting line right below your ears. All the attention will be geared towards the first half of your face, which makes it the ideal haircut for highlighting your eyes. Some short, textured baby bangs will soften up the look towards the front.
Thick Tapered Undercut and Long Side Tossed Bangs
If you’re sick and tired of thick hair, chop it off with a full taper undercut. To still enjoy some length to play around with, keep your waves longer at the top and toss them to the side. Add some shaggy layers to the upper area for definition.
Piecey Back Cut Thick Pixie Bob Haircut
For some much-needed de-bulking and additional texture, get a lot of back cutting done in thick sections. These piecey layers rid you of unwanted weight and define the tips of your wavy locks. As for the front, you can go for a messy side or frontal fringe.
Short Hairstyles for Thin Wavy Hair
Inverted Wavy Bob Haircut with Balayage Highlights for Thin Hair
For fine or thin hair, angles can boost the body and create a volume-driven silhouette. With a medium inverted bob, your waves will effortless cascade around your jawline. A set of balayage highlights will help you improve definition and brighten your features.
Scrunched Short Bob Hairstyle for Thin Wavy Hair
The finer your strands are, the more texture will help to heighten them. To get a curlier pattern, scrunch your waves with a quarter size of quality styling product. They will take any medium blunt or choppy bob and lift it tenfold.
Medium Box Bob Haircut for Fine Wavy Hair
The purpose of a box bob cut is to create shape and push the appearance of density in fine hair. As far as short hairstyles for thin wavy hair are concerned, it’s likely the most efficient in molding volume-less locks and bumping them up.
Messy Textured Asymmetrical Pixie Bob Haircut for Thin Hair
For excessively thin hair, there’s nothing that a messy textured pixie bob can’t fix. While you shouldn’t go hard on the layering, the key is to style your waves in a shaggy fashion. Longer bangs in the front will contour and complement your facial features.
Short Concave Razor Cut Bob Hairstyle for Thin Wavy Hair
If you want a soft and feathered look, you should consider a razor cut. Using a straight razor, carve out a short and slightly concave bob for the aspect of fullness. There’s no aggressive cutting involved – just natural texture and a good boost of volume.
Layered Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
Short Graduated Back Layers Messy Bob Haircut
Triangle is the sure-fire way to add height and therefore obtain a solid foundation for your hairstyle. Get more layers cut in the back in overlapping sections to lift your waves from the bottom up. Around your face, leave a few strands slightly longer for framing purposes.
Disconnected Layers on Wavy Piecey Medium Bob Haircut
Alternatively, opt for a disconnected approach for a more piecey outcome all around. No matter what angle you view the hairstyle from, you’ll see plenty of choppy layers all around. The resulting texture supports your waves with added movement.
Carve and Slice Layered Shoulder-length Wavy Hairstyle
If your waves lean a bit towards the curly side, you should definitely keep the carve and slice cutting technique in mind. The lengthy process involves cutting each piece of hair individually, analyzing how they fall into the rest of the hairstyle along the way.
Short Messy Bob Haircut with Low Layers
Not into heavily layered looks? Tone things down with low layers just a pinch above your cutting line. Combine it with some point cutting to obtain what stylists know as shattered ends, i.e. feathered tips.
Textured Shaggy Layers on Triangle Graduated Bob Haircut
For the ultimate texture boost, work in a lot of shaggy layers throughout your short haircut. It’s another case in which triangle graduation helps form a flattering angled silhouette, regardless if you view it from the back or sides.
Bob Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
Stacked Angled Choppy Bob Haircut
Arguably the most popular bob haircut out there right now – and rightfully so – is the angled and stacked bob with choppy layers. This type of graduated bob has a subtle concave effect, hugging your jawline and outlining your facial features.
Asymmetrical Medium Bob Haircut for Wavy Hair
While a haircut with dramatic unevenness might be too much to handle, a touch of asymmetry can accentuate the angles in your face. For wavy hair, a medium asymmetrical bob haircut holds the soft curls in all the right places.
A-line Wavy Bob Haircut with Babylights
In terms of visual impact, a discretely angled bob pales in comparison to the deep A-line bob haircut. It integrates a sharp and steep angle for an inverted hairstyle to remember. Here, the babylights help define the waves, making them shine at turning points as light hits them.
Textured Ends on Medium Bob Haircut
Now, we have a more emphasized version of shattered tips to consider for medium-length bobs. All the texture is reserved for the edges, which are feathered and spread out from any angle. As a result, the waves will make up the main body and catch the most attention.
Step Bob Messy Angled Haircut
For a more dimensional and sculpted hairstyle, go for a step cut. In essence, you’ll be splitting your hair into two horizontal sections and cutting the top layer for effortless volume. The technique is ideal for getting beachy waves with full body and straighter tips.
Very Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
Tousled Pixie Bob Haircut with Angled Back
When cropped short, wavy hair will also enjoy tons of texture. A short pixie cut, for example, reduces as much weight as possible to allow your strands to form into waves. The angled back cutting also completes the look, as well as messy, tousled styling.
Piecey Short Messy Haircut for Mature Wavy Hair
Mature hair can be challenging to work with due to thinning, but it’s certainly doable with a short and piecey haircut. The thicker sections of hair should be individually cut in order to form the pieces. When you’re done, mess everything up for a casual finishing touch.
Gamine Hairstyle with Blocked Neckline
It’s 2019, which means that androgynous haircuts have finally been embraced on a larger scale. Channel your masculine energy with a bold gamine hairstyle. Basically, it’s a short pixie cut with a boyish vibe, complete with a thick blocked neckline.
Multi-color Highlights on Pixie Cut with Long Bangs
If definition is your main objective, you should keep coloring techniques in mind, in addition to lightly layered cutting. I encourage you to express your creativity with a set of multi-color highlights, together with some funky shadow roots. You can even choose individual tones for each wavy strand.
Shaggy Short Mullet Haircut
Mullet haircuts are back among the mass of current retro trends, and you can use a short variation to complement your wavy locks. Cut the bangs shortly over the hairline, leave the sideburns and back longer, and thin out the area just above your ear.
Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair with Bangs
Wavy Bob with Straight Blunt Side Bangs
Having naturally wavy hair enables you to combine textures as you please. For instance, you can mix a wavy body with straight bangs for high contrast in your hairstyle. The fringe should be blunt and cropped over your eyebrows so you can wear it to the side or directly over the forehead.
Curtain Fringe on Medium Wavy Bob
Another straight fringe idea involves using the stylish curtain approach. Pick a medium bob as your base cut and cut your bangs at a slight angle on each side. Do note that your fringe needs to be longer for you to be able to part them in the center.
Long Side Bangs on Graduated Pixie Bob
Side bangs are always a solution for partial coverage and casual styling. To work them into your hairstyle, choose a cut like a graduated pixie bob that the fringe can continue from. Add textured layers throughout the body for an easy messy hairstyle.
Front Arched Bangs with Wavy Bob and Harsh Blunt Cut
A highly flattering salon cut uses a harsh blunt line to block the field of view and bring it up towards the main silhouette of the hairstyle. In this case, it’s a wavy bob that comes with frontal arched bangs to even out the look.
Wide-set Wispy Bangs with Medium Concave Bob Cut
For a more easygoing take on bangs, try a wispy fringe style. It goes extremely well with a medium-length concave bob haircut, boosting the contrast between the top and bottom areas of your face. Additionally, wispy bangs aren’t as high maintenance as other types of fringes.
Braided Hairstyles for Short Wavy Hair
Half Up Half Down Two Sided Plait
Thick braids are among the easiest short hairstyles for wavy hair. For an original approach, start by parting your hair half up half down. Take two large sections – one on each side – and braid them towards the back-center of your head. To finish off, tie them together in the middle.
Loose Messy French Braid Pigtails
If you’re in a more casual mood, you can count on loose and messy French braid pigtails. Don’t worry about parting your hair symmetrically with this one. The more careless the styling, the better the shaggy pigtail braids will turn out.
Bouffant Halo Braid Chignon Hairstyle with Loose Strands
For a 3-in-1 combo of volume, texture, and definition, test out a crown braid, chignon, and bouffant hairstyle. Create a wide braid that wraps around your head and tie it into a low chignon bun at the base of your neck. Gently tease the hair on the crown of your head and leave out two or three wispy strands in the front.
Faux Hawk Crown Dutch Braids Hairstyle
If you have an angled choppy bob base, you can boost the contrast in your appearance with faux hawk top braids. Here, the technique used is Dutch braiding, but you can swap it for French braiding if you’re more familiar with the style. Two braids will widen the faux hawk area of the hairstyle.
Braided Bangs Short Scrunched Bob Hairstyle
However, if your hair isn’t long enough for full or even half up braids, you can stick to braiding your long bangs. This works particularly well for women with short and messy bobs who want to add some definition and texture to their look.
Updo Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
Half Updo Hairstyle for Short Wavy Hair
Bobby pins will help you achieve pretty much any updo or half updo short hairstyles for wavy hair. As an example, you can use them to pin back a full section of hair on top. The method will bring body to the back of your hair and fluff up any piecey layers you have going on there.
Cute Messy Space Buns Hairstyle for Wavy Hair
Both cute and feminine, space buns can be obtained even if you have a super short haircut. Using a place and pin technique, work with separate wavy strands and secure each one in place until you form mini buns. You can apply the same principle to low buns that rest around the corners of your jawline.
Ornate Formal Pinned Updo for Short Wavy Hair
If you have a formal event coming up, there’s no better hairstyle than the intricate pinned updo. Like with most other updo hairstyles for short hair, use bobby pins to piece together the hairstyle strand by strand. If you have a lot of short layers in the back, you can leave them down and over your nape.
Pearl Pin Piecey Updo for Short Wavy Bob
For short bobs or long pixies, you should use decorative accessories like pearl pins to accentuate pieces of hair. Even though your hair might not be long enough to pull up entirely, the flashy pins will help you arrange your waves in a swirling fashion.
Half Up Top Knot with Shaggy Face-framing Bangs
Yet another way to go about half up short hairstyles for wavy hair is with a top knot and shaggy base. You only have to wrap a section of your hair at the top to emphasize your full shape. It’s especially useful if you have full, face-framing bangs.
Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair Based on Face Shape
Pixie with Wide Side-swept Bangs for Rectangular Face Shape
If you have a rectangular face shape, the best tip is to reduce some length in the appearance of your face. However, do so without concealing your sharp jawline. For that, I recommend a thick textured pixie cut with mid-length, wide-set, side-swept bangs.
Blunt Chin-length Bob Cut for Round Face Shape
Women with round faces, on the other hand, could use a bit more definition in their jaw area. To do so, you should get a chin-length bob haircut with long, sweeping side bangs. The angles will flatter your features by sharpening them around the edges.
Curled Waves Short Bob for Square Face Shape
To balance out a hard square jawline, push your waves towards curls with a short bouncy bob. Cut the bob at a concave angle, starting from your ear and downwards as you get to your next. Style your hair with curly products and scrunch your waves for ringlet-like definition.
Bouncy Wavy Bob with Wispy Fringe for Oval Face Shape
With oval face shapes, you’ll want to cut down on the length and create angles at the same time. Wispy bangs will help you out without covering your forehead and blocking out length entirely. After that, a choppy shoulder-length bob will give you the feature accentuation you’re looking for.
Rounded Pixie Bob with Side Bangs for Heart Face Shape
Girls who have heart-shaped faces should take advantage of the haircut that was basically made for them – the pixie. The hairstyle will add depth and body to your appearance, emphasizing your facial features and bringing attention towards the front. As the cherry on top, add some side bangs to highlight your eyes.
Low Maintenance Short Hairstyles for Wavy Hair
No-Part Short Messy Bob with Natural Bangs
If your schedule doesn’t leave any time for daily styling, a short and messy bob with shaggy bangs will help you out. When you get the haircut, don’t incorporate a part into it at all. That way, you won’t have to worry about styling your hair in a specific way.
Wedge Bob Haircut with Pink Ombre
The great feature that wedge bobs bring to the table is their ability to easily grow into a mid-length concave bob in time. You won’t have to visit your stylist for frequent dusting, and you’ll get all the volume in the world in the meantime. Pair it with an ombre that can grow out into dip-dye-like tips as well for additional convenience.
Textured Crop Pixie with Tapered Sides and Back
For a low maintenance pixie cut, crop the top in thick, piecey, textured layers. While the tapered back and sides will indeed require an occasional touch up, you won’t have to be concerned about styling the top.
Shaggy Messy Wavy Bob Haircut
Yet again, graduated layers prove that the need for styling can be reduced through initial texture integration. If your layers are feathered at the bottom, all you have to do is tousle them for an instant chic messy hairstyle.
Dimensional Pixie Bob with Messy Bangs
A last but nonetheless flattering alternative for effortless styling is a dimensional pixie bob. Have your stylist sculpt the bob in a diamond shape to add volume in the best places and cut down the time you have to spend on styling every day.
Conclusion
To conclude, short hairstyles for wavy hair are the perfect way to shine light on your ultra-adaptable hair texture. It all starts with getting a cut that boosts your waves instead of weighing them down.
You can keep things simple with a quick blowout or curling wand touch up, or you can go all out with a rich mane full of big curls. To prevent frizz or flatness, make sure you use a gentle shampoo with no suflates and a volume-enrichening mousse, cream, or pomade. Finally, don’t forget that a blast of hairspray can go a long way for holding any of these short hairstyles for thin wavy hair or thick wavy hair alike.
