The most effective way to deal with thick hair is to get Short Hairstyles for Thick Hair that take some weight out of your locks. To help thin out your hair and reduce daily maintenance, I’ve rounded up the best short hairstyles for thick hair you could dream of.
Whether you want a layered pixie, a blunt bob, or a lightweight styling idea, keep scrolling to discover the most flattering short haircut or hairstyle for your thick hair.
Short Layered Haircuts for Thick Hair
1. Messy Medium Bob with Thick Wispy Layers
The right amount of thinning will take some bulk off your hair without overdoing it. For a shaggy bob, get your locks cut in wispy layers that are longer towards the perimeter and shorter towards your scalp. Style messily by raking your fingers through your hair and tousling it.
2. Modern Bowl Cut with Textured Layers
Take advantage of the bowl cut come-back and add your own modern twist with short textured layers. The length should be about the same in the front as it is in the back, with the sides cut slightly shorter than the rest.
3. Choppy Shaggy Medium Bob with Asymmetrical Bangs
Having naturally thick hair allows you to push the boundaries of symmetry for an effortless choppy look. Consider getting asymmetrical side bangs and combine them with short jagged layers throughout the rest of your hair.
4. Graduated Bob Haircut with Back Layers
You can also use layers to hold volume only in a specific area of your hair. A graduated or stacked bob will lift your locks in the back, allowing a sleeker image in the front. Get the back layers as short as you prefer, according to how voluminous you want the region to be.
5. Short Textured Piecey Haircut with Long Back
Make the most of your natural texture for a heavily layered pixie cut. To balance out the look, thin out the hair in the back and leave it longer down your neck. The top should be full of thick, piecey, textured layers.
Pixie Cuts for Thick Hair
6. Side-swept Pixie Cut with Taper Skin Fade Undercut
Draw inspiration from barbershop haircuts for a statement pixie cut. For example, you can use the taper fade technique to shave your hair down gradually on the sides and back until you reach the scalp. As for the top, a longer, casual, side-swept approach will complement the edgy undercut.
7. Textured Pixie Cut with Taper Neck Fade
Another way to incorporate tapering into your pixie cut while removing weight is with a low taper fade at the back of your neck. To create contrast, mix the neck fade with a full textured top that features short layers in abundance.
8. Two Tone Short Pixie Cut with Textured Top
If you want all the attention to be on your textured top, dye the upper section of your pixie in a bright color, such as pink. The piecey layers will stand out even more while maintaining a darker lower area will even out your appearance.
9. Taper Fade Pixie with Rounded Shape Up
To get a real “wow” factor, take the taper fade a bit closer towards the top. Both high and mid fades relieve you of a ton of hair. Simultaneously, you’ll still be able to flaunt your thick top without excessive maintenance. The rounded shape up around the temples is a classy finishing touch.
10. Outgrown Pixie Cut with Long Side Bangs
If you’d rather retain some length, opt for a longer pixie cut with side-swept bangs. I also highly recommend the approach if you want to transition to a bob haircut at one point or another.
Bob Short Hairstyles for Thick Hair
11. Medium Asymmetrical Bob Haircut
For even more length retention, blend the concepts of a medium bob and a long bob for an impressive asymmetrical haircut. The thickness of your hair will give you the bobbing effect without any effort, whereas some concave cutting will rid you of weight in excess.
12. Blunt Medium Bob with Soft Graduation
Using a texturizing shear, remove a narrow section of hair at the perimeter for a practical and classy blunt bob. The technique will reduce density while creating a clean-cut shape for your short hairstyle.
13. Medium Inverted Bob Haircut
One of the most popular takes on the medium bob these days is the inverted cutting approach. Your hair will be a bit longer in the front than in the back, literally taking the weight off your shoulders in the process.
14. Short Angled Bob Haircut
In a similar manner, you can continue to cut out the length with a short angled bob. The main silhouette should be short all around, aside from a few strands in the front. The cutting line should be progressively shorter until you reach ear level.
15. Stacked Two Tone Bob Hairstyle
For an intriguing visual illusion, dye your bob in two different colors with what is known as the “peekaboo” method. After cutting your locks in a stacked bob, dye the cover layer in a lighter color and the one underneath darker.
Edgy Short Hairstyles for Thick Hair
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16. Messy Quiff Hairstyle with Disconnected Undercut
To rock a short ‘do with boldness, take a peek at trending haircuts for men. An eye-catching combo is a messy quiff hairstyle for the top and a disconnected undercut halfway through the bottom. For the last lower area, go ahead and shave it all off with a bald fade.
17. Shaggy Textured Short Pixie Cut
With an excessively layered short and shaggy pixie cut, you won’t have to worry about your thick hair being too dense. The texturized approach takes away a lot of fullness, all while defining your individual strands when styling.
18. Textured Pixie with Contour Undercut and Nape Design
Thin out the bulk of hair in the back and around the sides with a tapered pixie. You can taper the last inch of hair with a contoured perimeter and even throw a shaved nape design in the mix. Finish off with a longer textured top and you’re good to go.
19. Side-tossed Long Razor Pixie Cut
If you’re in the mood for an aesthetic adventure, go ahead and start shaving entire sections away. For starters, you can shave down one side and toss the longer top on the opposing side. Let the rest flow naturally down the back of your head.
20. Tapered V-shaped Pixie Cut with Long Piecey Top
An alternative could be tapering the hair in the back to form a certain shape, like a V. In the V-shaped area, thin out a lot of the hair as you get towards the point on your nape. You can leave the top longer and layered, complete with messy styling.
Side Bangs Hairstyles for Short Thick Hair
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21. Short Bob with Sweeping Side Bangs
The fact that you’re a woman with thick hair enables you to sport side-swept bangs without breaking a sweat. For a low-sweeping look, trim your locks in a short, concave, blunt bob, parting your hair to the side for instant bangs.
22. Shaggy Messy Wedge Cut with Angular Fringe
You shouldn’t try to get rid of the thickness of your hair altogether, but rather focus the quality in a designated area. Cut all the hair around the sides and back and maintain a full shaggy top with a wedge cut. Your bangs can be as long as the rest of your locks and you can style them in an angular fringe.
23. Textured Side Bangs Pixie Cut
Piecey layers with texture are a must for handling thick hair the smart way. Why not extend them to your side bangs while you’re at it? Cut your fringe at an angle from one side to the other and work in lots of layers towards the upper part.
24. Messy Emo Pixie Cut
You can even go so far as to make your bangs the centerpiece of your hairstyle, thanks to their natural thickness. Emo bangs have always been a favorite for edgy girls, so don’t hesitate to incorporate them into a longer pixie cut with attitude.
25. Asymmetrical Pixie Cut with Face-framing Bangs
Use your fringe to accentuate your facial features as part of your pixie cut. Maintain generally longer bangs that are a bit shorter towards the side your part is on. Your hair on the other side and in the back can be thinned and cropped as you desire.
Front Bangs Hairstyles for Short Thick Hair
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26. Choppy Chin-length Bob with Medium Blunt Bangs
With medium-length blunt bangs, you can thin out some of your hair in the front by choosing a slimmer layer for the fringe. As for your base hairstyle shape, a chin-length bob with choppy tips will help your locks fall into place with ease.
27. Bowl Cut with Short Blunt Bangs
Feeling rebellious? Dare to go shorter with your bangs and bring them only about an inch over your natural hairline. A bowl cut will help you out in the process, with plenty of side and back cutting to remove density and weight.
28. Arched Wispy Bangs on Messy Medium Bob Cut
To reduce the overall appearance of thickness, even more, select the thinnest layer of hair for a set of wispy arched bangs. You can continue to thin out the rest of your tresses together with a medium bob haircut.
29. Textured V-shaped Bangs and Faux Hawk Haircut
A faux hawk haircut is an excellent silhouette for thick hair, as long as the top is fully textured with layers. If you aim on wearing a faux hawk daily, you can continue the pointed shape with short V-shaped bangs in the front.
30. Curtain Bangs and Short Bob Haircut
For a romantic hairstyle, try a shorter bob with sweeping curtain bangs. You can part them down the middle to keep them out of your face and maintain the thick aspect of your hair only over your forehead.
Short Hairstyles for Natural Afro-textured Hair
31. Curly Mohawk with Fully Shaven Sides on Natural Hair
Natural kinky hair can be quite a handful in terms of maintenance, but not when you sculpt it into a full mohawk. Remove weight from the sides entirely by shaving them and cut the back shorter than the top. The upper area should be full and thick for ease of styling.
32. Natural Layered Medium Bob
For more length without having it become a burden, shoulder-length bob with a blend of long and short layers will give you a flawless round contour. The multi-layering technique lifts your curls by not weighing them down, letting them bounce all around.
33. Finger Waves Pixie Cut
A sophisticated hairstyle that goes hand in hand with afro-textured hair is the pixie cut with finger waves. Reminiscent of the 1920s, the cut and style mix is an ideal choice if you’re ready for the big chop.
34. Blunt Wedge Bob Haircut on Brushed Out Natural Hair
Just as stylish is the medium-length wedge bob with a middle part. When cutting the hair, your curls should be brushed out entirely to get that picture-perfect blunt line. Even if you decide to switch back and forth between curls and relaxed locks, the cut will support painless styling.
35. Short Afro Pixie Cut
Your tight coils will look extraordinary with a sculpted afro pixie cut. To get the results you’re looking for, cut your curls at an angle from the upper sides of your head down towards the top of your ears.
Retro Short Hairstyles for Thick Hair
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36. Messy Pompadour Quiff with Short Sides and Back
To mix the old with the new, take the timeless pompadour and quiff hairstyles and add your own dash of personality. Whether it be through multi-hue coloring, messy styling, or tapered sides and a longer top, the results will be unique and alluring.
37. Wedge Cut with Tapered Undercut
The same goes for updating the 70s wedge cut with a tapered undercut. Create a cutting line halfway down your ear and reserve a layer underneath for full tapering. The fact that you have thick hair will help set the hairstyle.
38. Messy Pageboy Haircut
Yet another retro favorite for the free-spirited is the bob-like pageboy haircut. Outline your face with a rounded perimeter, including your bangs. Your remaining locks will naturally bob over your shoulders.
39. Mushroom Bowl Cut
The bowl cut of the 1990s is now the chic mushroom haircut of today ideal for thick hair. While you can choose any length you want up until the corner of your jawline, I recommend an over-ear look. Here, the cutting line should be the same from any angle, from fringe to back.
40. Choppy Mullet and Bowl Cut Hybrid Hairstyle
Starting from the same premise, you can skip the typical undercut that comes with bowl cuts and exchange it for a mullet lower area. Basically, all you have to do is leave a layer of hair longer in the back down your neck. The bowl cut section should be thicker than the mullet below it.
Super Short Hairstyles for Thick Hair
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41. Short Pixie Cut with Short Jagged Bangs
You’d be surprised to see how short you can really go with short hairstyles for thick hair and look outstanding. Take this Tinkerbell-like short textured pixie cut, for instance. The jagged baby bangs complete the textured top like a match made in heaven.
42. Buzz Cut Hairstyle for Thick Hair
More and more women have been deciding to take the leap with full-on buzz cuts, and I’m here for it. Honestly, if you have thick hair, why struggle when you can shave it all off? It will ultimately grow out into a cute pixie cut or short bob anyway.
43. Crew Cut with Long Sides
While still very much a super short haircut, the crew cut works better for women who plan on transitioning into a pixie. You can cut the hair equally all around or leave the top a tad longer than the sides and back. As always, layers will give you that textured look you’re aiming for.
44. Short Spiky Haircut for Thick Hair
Thick hair with short and piecey layers will be easy to mold into a spiky hairstyle. In this case, make sure that the back and both sides are tapered down shorter. The top should be fairly long and full of textured, piecey layers.
45. Very Short Mullet Haircut with Textured Tips
The classic mullet works even if your hair is cut significantly short. To get the look, leave the hair in your sideburns area longer, about along the lines of your earlobe. Likewise, the back should be at least halfway down your nape for the short mullet to work.
Easy Hairstyle Ideas for Short Thick Hair
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46. Faux Hawk Braid Hairstyle for Short Thick Hair
Practical styling can seem to be out of the question when you have thick hair, but not when you know a thing or two about braids. A simple loose French braid is enough to help you achieve a temporary faux hawk without additional cutting.
47. Bob Hairstyle with Two Side Braids
Regardless if you have a shorter bob, long pixie, or a wedge haircut, you can tuck away the hair on one side with some tight cornrow braids. The side-braided hairstyle is appropriate for formal events just as casual occasions.
48. Half Up Top Knot Hairstyle for Short Hair
Thick hair is a dream come true for half up half down hairstyles. You can easily wrap a section of your locks on the crown of your head for a one-minute top knot. Thanks to your hair’s thickness, you won’t have to fluff up the area left down.
49. Side Dutch Braid with Slick Back Hair
For an edgier alternative to the previous duo-side braid hairstyle, here’s a full slick back look with one thick side braid. The technique used is called Dutch braiding, and it’s essentially the reverse version of the standard French braid.
50. Flower Crown Headband on Long Pixie Cut
To keep your hair out of your face when rocking a long pixie cut, a flower crown headband is just what you need. It’s both a stylish and useful accessory that will free your forehead on the days in which you’re not in the mood for side-swept bangs.
Conclusion
All in all, these short hairstyles for thick hair are the perfect starting point for rethinking your look, styling routine and perspective on short haircuts. With thick hair, it’s all about finding the right silhouette that you can easily style and grow out when the time comes.
As a parting thought, keep in mind that layers will lower maintenance, while longer bangs will provide more styling options. Pair either approach with thick hair friendly products and you’re on your way to coexisting with your abundant locks in peace.
