23 Hot Hairstyles For Medium Hair
You’re about to explore 23 sizzling hairstyles perfect for medium hair, each offering a unique flair. Try a layered lob for sophistication or a blunt bob for a sharp, bold statement. Add waves with beachy styles or embrace sleek, straight cuts for a chic look. If you prefer volume, opt for a textured shag or messy bun.
Get playful with a twisted updo or laid-back with a low ponytail. Curly bob and asymmetrical bob also provide unique shapes and movements. Your medium hair can easily transform from casual to glam, enhancing your style effortlessly. There’s plenty more to discover.
Layered Lob
A layered lob adds flair to medium-length hair by offering a blend of sophistication and ease. This stylish haircut incorporates layers that enhance texture and movement, giving the hair a fuller and more dynamic appearance.
The lob, or long bob, is adaptable to various face shapes and hair types, ensuring a flattering style for everyone.
To achieve the layered lob, ask your stylist for layers that suit your natural hair texture. Fine hair benefits from subtle layers for added volume, while thicker hair can have more pronounced layers to prevent heaviness.
Regular trims every six to eight weeks maintain the layers and prevent split ends, making the layered lob a chic and modern choice.
Beachy Waves
Beachy waves offer a relaxed yet stylish look for medium hair, perfect for capturing that sun-kissed, ocean-inspired vibe.
Begin with slightly damp hair and apply a sea salt spray or texturizing mousse to add grit and hold. Gently scrunch your hair with your hands to encourage natural waves.
Use a curling iron with a medium barrel, about 1 to 1.5 inches, and wrap small sections of hair around it, leaving the ends out for a natural finish.
Alternate the direction of each curl for a tousled effect. Once your hair has cooled, run your fingers through the curls to break them up, finishing with a light mist of hairspray or a shine spray for added gloss.
Sleek Straight Cut
The sleek straight cut offers a polished and sophisticated look for medium-length hair, embodying elegance and simplicity. This style is versatile and suitable for any occasion, effortlessly transitioning from professional settings to evening outings.
Achieving this look involves a precise haircut that highlights your hair’s natural shine while emphasizing clean lines.
To maintain the sleekness, a quality flat iron is essential for creating smooth, straight strands. Begin by applying a heat protectant to prevent damage, then section your hair and glide the flat iron from root to tip at a moderate temperature.
Finish with a lightweight serum or oil for added shine and to tame flyaways, or use dry shampoo if your hair tends to be oily.
Textured Shag
The textured shag offers a playful and modern vibe, ideal for medium-length hair seeking a touch of edge.
This hairstyle combines layers and movement, providing a fresh look full of personality. It’s perfect for adding volume and dimension to your hair effortlessly.
Request choppy layers from your stylist, with shorter layers at the crown and longer ones towards the ends.
This creates a dynamic, voluminous appearance while retaining length. The key is balancing texture and structure to ensure the layers aren’t too heavy or too light.
Blunt Bob
A blunt bob is a classic hairstyle that exudes elegance and simplicity for medium-length hair. It’s a chic and versatile option suitable for various occasions, from professional settings to evening outings. By cutting the ends straight across, this style creates a sharp line that frames the face and emphasizes facial features, adding a modern flair.
Consider your hair’s texture and thickness when opting for a blunt bob, as it’s most effective on straight or slightly wavy hair.
This low-maintenance style requires minimal effort to look polished, often needing just a quick blow-dry for a smooth, straight finish. Regular trims every six to eight weeks help maintain the crisp edge, while a good-quality smoothing serum or spray keeps frizz under control and hair looking sleek and shiny.
Curly Bob
Curly bobs offer a lively and dynamic twist to medium-length hairstyles, perfect for adding bounce and character. This style beautifully frames the face, enhancing natural features and delivering an effortlessly chic vibe.
It’s adaptable to various occasions, from a day at the office to a night out.
Achieving the ideal curly bob starts with the right haircut, ensuring layers complement your natural curl pattern. A good curl-enhancing product can simplify styling; scrunch it into damp hair and either air dry or use a diffuser for volume.
Regular trims every 6-8 weeks maintain freshness and prevent split ends, allowing you to embrace your natural texture with confidence.
Side-Swept Bangs
Side-swept bangs add an elegant and modern touch to medium hair, effortlessly softening your overall look. By sweeping your bangs to one side, you create a flattering asymmetry that highlights your eyes and cheekbones, offering a chic style without a drastic change.
This versatile style works well with straight, wavy, or slightly curly hair, allowing you to maintain your natural texture.
To achieve the look, ensure your bangs are cut at an angle, starting from above the eyebrow and tapering down towards the cheek. A round brush and blow dryer can give them a slight lift and direction, while a light hairspray or styling cream keeps them in place.
Face-Framing Layers
Face-framing layers enhance the natural beauty of medium hair by accentuating facial features. These layers create a soft contour around the face, highlighting the eyes, cheekbones, and jawline while adding dimension and movement for a fuller, more vibrant look.
When choosing face-framing layers, consider your face shape. Round faces benefit from longer layers that start below the chin. Heart-shaped faces look great with layers beginning around the cheekbone. Soft, subtle layers can soften angular lines for square faces. For oval faces, almost any layering style works well, offering versatility.
Asymmetrical Bob
The asymmetrical bob is a chic and modern hairstyle perfect for medium hair. It offers a fresh twist on the classic bob by incorporating uneven lengths, creating an edgy and contemporary look.
This style draws attention to your facial features and enhances your overall appearance, making it a bold choice without sacrificing too much length.
Customize your asymmetrical bob to reflect your personality and lifestyle. Choose a subtle difference in lengths for an understated look or opt for a dramatic contrast between the sides.
This flexibility allows you to express your individuality while keeping your hair at a manageable medium length.
Wavy Lob
A wavy lob is a chic and adaptable hairstyle for medium-length hair that seamlessly blends sophistication with a hint of playfulness.
It’s suitable for various face shapes and hair types, making it a favorite among many. The length typically skims the shoulders, allowing for creative styling without the commitment of being too long or too short.
To achieve a wavy lob, start by applying a heat protectant to damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser to emphasize natural waves.
For straight hair, a curling iron or flat iron can be used to craft loose, beachy waves, ensuring to alternate curl directions for a more natural appearance.
Finish with a light-hold hairspray or texturizing spray to keep the waves intact throughout the day, offering a fresh and stylish update for any occasion.
Feathered Layers
Feathered layers provide a dynamic option for medium hair, adding texture and movement while maintaining length. This haircut features light, airy layers that create a soft, feather-like effect, resulting in a voluminous, full-bodied look.
It’s an excellent choice for those who enjoy a retro flair with a modern twist. Your stylist will cut your hair to frame your face, enhancing your natural features.
This style works well on both straight and wavy hair, adding dimension and making hair appear thicker and more voluminous. Regular trims every six to eight weeks keep the shape fresh, and styling is easy with options like blow-drying for a sleek finish or air drying for a natural vibe.
Tousled Bob
The tousled bob is a hairstyle that epitomizes low maintenance while maintaining a chic, effortless look. Perfect for busy mornings, this style offers a put-together appearance without the need for precision or excessive products.
Its charm lies in carefree, undone waves that give the impression of just having returned from a beach getaway.
To achieve a tousled bob, begin with a suitable haircut tailored to your face shape, ideally around chin length or slightly longer.
After washing, apply a lightweight mousse or texturizing spray to damp hair and scrunch it with your fingers as it air-dries. For added volume, use a blow dryer with a diffuser or loosely wrap sections around a curling wand, and finish with sea salt spray for enhanced texture.
Inverted Bob
The inverted bob is a sleek and stylish haircut featuring a distinct graduated cut with shorter layers in the back that gradually lengthen towards the front. This design creates a striking silhouette, adding dimension and a polished look to your hair.
Ideal for those seeking a sophisticated yet manageable style, it beautifully frames the face and accentuates your best features.
The inverted bob is adaptable to various hair textures, whether straight, wavy, or curly, making it versatile for professional and social settings.
Styling is easy—keep it sleek with a straightener for a chic look or add waves for flair.
Experimenting with different partings can help determine the most flattering angle for your face shape, and regular trims are essential to maintain its sharp lines.
Choppy Layers
Choppy layers add an edgy and modern twist to medium-length hair, perfect for enhancing volume and texture. This style involves cutting the hair into uneven lengths, creating a lively and dynamic appearance.
It’s incredibly versatile, allowing customization to suit your face shape and personal style.
Begin by consulting with a stylist who can tailor the layers to your natural hair type. Choppy layers can enhance the natural movement of straight, wavy, or curly hair.
Maintenance is simple, using lightweight mousse or texturizing spray to define the layers and keep them looking fresh.
Braided Crown
For a romantic and elegant look, consider trying a braided crown. This hairstyle offers a sophisticated appearance suitable for both casual outings and formal events.
Ideal for medium hair, it combines simplicity with a touch of bohemian flair.
To create a braided crown, start by parting your hair down the middle. Braid a section of hair from near your temple, directing it along your hairline toward the back.
Repeat on the other side, then secure both braids at the back with bobby pins, using a light hairspray for hold and shine.
Half-Up Bun
The half-up bun is a hairstyle that combines elements of both casual and chic styles, making it suitable for various settings.
It’s especially fitting for medium-length hair, as it highlights the hair’s length while keeping strands away from the face. This hairstyle is achieved by sectioning off the top half of the hair and forming it into a bun at the crown.
To create the bun, twist the ponytail around itself, securing it with bobby pins for either a sleek or a more relaxed look.
You can accessorize with ribbons or clips for extra flair, allowing it to adapt to different occasions effortlessly. This quick and stylish option saves time and effort, making it a popular choice for those with medium-length hair.
Modern Mullet
A modern mullet offers a fresh take on the iconic hairstyle, blending edgy vibes with contemporary style. It’s perfect if you want to stand out while maintaining versatility. This cut features shorter layers at the front and longer layers in the back, creating a dynamic look that suits medium-length hair perfectly.
The modern twist ensures you avoid the extreme contrasts of the traditional mullet, resulting in a balanced and chic appearance.
Styling a modern mullet is straightforward and offers multiple options. Emphasize texture using a texturizing spray or mousse to enhance the choppy layers for a bold, tousled look.
For a smoother finish, opt for a flat iron to create sleek, straight strands. Experiment with parting your hair differently to change the vibe—from a center part for symmetry to a side part for extra volume.
Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs offer a chic and versatile hairstyle option, perfect for softening the bold look of a modern mullet. These bangs frame the face beautifully, drawing attention to the eyes and cheekbones.
They work well with various hair textures and lengths, especially medium hair, and can be styled in multiple ways for a fresh and effortless look.
To style curtain bangs, blow-dry them using a round brush for a signature swoop, or use a flat iron for a sleek finish. Adding a bit of texture with a styling cream can create a more tousled vibe.
Regular trims every four to six weeks keep them in shape and prevent them from becoming a full fringe.
Soft Curls
Soft curls can transform medium hair into a romantic and playful style suitable for any occasion.
Attending a wedding or going out for a casual brunch becomes more elegant with the added touch and movement soft curls provide, enhancing your hair’s natural volume and texture for a soft and bouncy finish.
To achieve these curls, begin by applying a heat protectant to shield your hair from damage.
Use a medium-barrel curling iron to wrap sections of your hair, holding for about 10 seconds before releasing.
For a more natural look, alternate the direction of your curls, and gently run your fingers through your hair to break up the curls for a softer effect.
Twisted Updo
The twisted updo offers a blend of sophistication and simplicity, making it an ideal choice for medium hair.
Begin by parting your hair to your liking, then twist sections from each side towards the back and secure them with bobby pins for a balanced look. Finish by twisting the remaining hair into a bun at the nape of your neck, smoothing flyaways with a comb, and applying a light hairspray for a polished appearance.
This versatile hairstyle suits both casual and formal occasions, keeping your hair neatly off your neck.
Perfect for warm days or lively events, it enhances your facial features and complements any outfit. The twisted updo is a chic and timeless option that garners admiration and compliments.
Messy Bun
A messy bun epitomizes effortless style, making it a fantastic choice for medium-length hair. This hairstyle exudes a casual vibe and is ideal for those hectic days when you still want to appear chic.
Simply pull your hair into a high ponytail, twist it around itself to form a bun, and secure it with a hair tie or bobby pins.
Enhance the messy appearance by gently tugging at sections of the bun to loosen them, and let a few strands frame your face for a relaxed look. This style works well with natural waves or curls, and straight hair can gain texture with a sea salt spray.
The messy bun is versatile, suitable for the office, a casual lunch, or a night out, allowing you to embrace your natural beauty with ease.
Low Ponytail
A low ponytail is an ideal hairstyle for medium-length hair when seeking a sleek and polished appearance. This style effortlessly blends simplicity with elegance, making it suitable for both casual and formal occasions.
Begin by brushing the hair back to eliminate tangles, then secure it at the nape of the neck with a hair tie, optionally wrapping a small section of hair around the base to hide the tie for a more refined look.
The versatility of the low ponytail is its standout feature. It can be worn straight for a minimalist effect or styled with soft waves for a romantic touch.
Adjust the look with a side or middle part and add volume by gently teasing the crown, finishing with a light mist of hairspray to control flyaways for an effortlessly chic appearance.
Slicked Back
Transform medium-length hair into a runway-ready look with a slicked-back style. This chic and sophisticated option exudes confidence while highlighting facial features.
Start by washing your hair, ensuring it’s clean and free of residue, then apply a generous amount of styling gel or mousse, distributing it evenly from roots to ends.
Use a fine-tooth comb to sweep hair back from the forehead to the crown, keeping the sides smooth and sleek for a polished finish. For added hold, spritz a light mist of hairspray or apply a shine serum for a glossy effect.
Consider adding a deep side part before slicking back for a dramatic look, and use a blow dryer on a low setting to set the style.