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20 Best Medium-Length Hairstyles for Thick Hair

Go straight and sleek or embrace your natural curls.

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medium hairstyles for thick hair
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If you've got thick hair, you know the constant struggle of looking at the latest and greatest hair trends and wondering just how hard it's going to be to duplicate. Sure, we all dream of those long luxurious locks but thick hair can be heavy. And those short hairstyles for thick hair can be adorable, but require a lot more maintenance especially if your hair grows fast. So what's the answer? Go for the best of both worlds with medium-length hairstyles.

The great thing about medium hairstyles is that they're super versatile. You can put them up when you're in a hurry or off to a special occasion, plus they give you time to consider a more dramatic look. Maybe try a lob (a long bob) before you commit to a shorter cut or take the time to learn how to grow your hair faster if you want to go long again. Plus, for thicker hair, medium-length looks remove some weight, which makes them even easier to manage and style.

Of course, medium hairstyles for thick hair do require some thought before hitting the salon. You want to consider the texture of your hair and how you prefer to wear it before going for that cut. For instance, if you have naturally curly hair, do you want something that looks good all natural or do you sometimes straighten it, too? You'll need to find a cut that looks great either way in that case. Don't worry, there are plenty here that do and more! So take a scroll and see what you like best.

1

Blunt Waves

medium hairstyles for thick hair jessica alba
Prince Williams//Getty Images

If you have natural waves in your hair like Jessica Alba, blunt ends will keep you from having to worry about frizz or fighting with the bottom of your hair to curl the way you want it.

2

Triangle Baby Bangs

medium hairstyles for thick hair zendaya
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis//Getty Images

Zendaya constantly proves that having thick hair can be so much fun. Cutting blunt baby bangs into a point at the front makes a bold statement on its own, so the rest of your hair can be worn simple and straight to not distract from the main focus.

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3

Flipped Lob

medium hairstyles for thick hair selena gomez
Steve Granitz//Getty Images

Flipped ends are back! Selena Gomez takes a glam approach with a voluminous bouncy curls and a side part. You can achieve this with a large round brush and a hairdryer. The thicker your hair, the smaller sections you should do at a time.

4

Bouncy Curls

medium length hairstyles for thick hair blake lively
Arturo Holmes//Getty Images

Take a tip from Blake Lively and have layers in your hair to reduce the weight if you want to wear it a bit longer. That also gives big curls the chance to be bouncier. Try this look with a curling iron or cheat with a head full of hot rollers.

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5

Classic Lob

medium length hairstyles for thick hair ciara
Monica Schipper//Getty Images

Shorter bobs might be difficult to maintain if you have thick hair. If you go for a longer bob (or "lob" as it's often referred), you don't have to worry about all that volume against your face. Instead, it will frame it if you go closer to the shoulder.

6

Face-Framing Layers

medium length hairstyles for thick hair jennifer garner
Shane Anthony Sinclair//Getty Images

If you're looking to grow out a one-layer lob, consider getting layers that frame around your face. Chin-length layers at the front and shoulder-length at the back like Jennifer Garner's will add interest without being complicated to style.

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7

Soft Frame

medium length hairstyles for thick hair anne hathaway
Theo Wargo//Getty Images

If you want to keep you hair straight and on the longer side but blunt isn't good for your face shape, opt for a few shorter pieces on the sides like very long side bangs. They will soften the framing around your face without looking too layered, just like Anne Hathaway.

8

Voluminous Layers

medium length hairstyles for thick hair faith hill
Frazer Harrison//Getty Images

Hello, Hollywood glamour! Faith Hill always has interesting hair, and this latest version has us all in on old school glam. As you can see, she's got a lot of shorter layers on the top and sides that add a frame to her face when curled.

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9

Blunt Bangs

medium length hairstyles for thick hair taylor swift
Amy Sussman//Getty Images

Sure, bangs need maintenance, especially if your hair grows fast. But just look at what a statement Taylor Swift makes with her thick set. When they get a little longer, she sweeps them to the side (which is totally on trend right now anyway).

10

Medium Layers

medium length hairstyles for thick hair cindy crawford
Cindy Ord//Getty Images

Medium-length layers like Cindy Crawford's help reduce the weight of longer hair, allowing a nice amount of volume on the top. Plus, you can easily switch your part!

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11

Sleek and Straight

medium length hairstyles for thick hair mila kunis
NBC//Getty Images

If you have naturally straight hair, going with a simple, sleek look like Mila Kunis will require very little maintenance. If you have wavier hair, you can still go for this look with the help of a flatiron and a little patience to work with a small section at a time.

12

Textured Lob

medium length hairstyles for thick hair chrissy teigan
Kayla Oaddams//Getty Images

You don't have to go super straight with a lob if you don't have the time and the patience to tackle those waves. Embrace your texture like Chrissy Teigan with a more voluminous version.

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13

Spiral Bob

medium length hairstyles for thick hair kerry washington
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images

For naturally tight curly hair like Kerry Washington, you can embrace the volume yet still reduce it a bit with bangs and a lot of layers. It looks shorter in front but actually tapers to the shoulder in the back.

14

Ombre Waves

medium length hairstyles for thick hair jennifer love hewitt
Chelsea Guglielmino//Getty Images

Jennifer Love Hewitt's thick waves get a boost of subtle color. The lighter ombre on the bottom half of her hair helps lighten and brighten up around her face and quite literally highlights the waves.

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15

Long Layers

medium length hairstyles for thick hair sarah jessica parker
Jamie McCarthy//Getty Images

Going for longer layers like Sarah Jessica Parker will help thin out some of the weight of your thicker hair. It also creates texture if you have natural waves that you want to accentuate.

16

'70s Fringe

medium length hairstyles for thick hair bryce dallas howard
Steve Granitz//Getty Images

You can fringe your bangs or you can fringe all around your face! Either way, channel the 1970s with this fun, face-framing look like Bryce Dallas Howard. Keeping it longer in back will make it so easy to put up, too.

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17

Highlighted Lob

medium length hairstyles for thick hair penalope cruz
Frazer Harrison//Getty Images

What we love about Penelope Cruz's lob is all the pretty color variations throughout her head. A lot of the lighter pieces are actually towards the middle, creating a '60s-style vibe at the crown of the head.

18

No-Part Part

medium length hairstyles for thick hair connie britton
Ethan Miller//Getty Images

Where exactly is Connie Briton's part? It's hard to say, and that's the point! Because whether she wears it straight or curly, she can let her hair tell her where it wants to go that day.

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19

Sleek Side Part

medium length hairstyles for thick hair salma hayek
Theo Wargo//Getty Images

The best way to admire Selma Hayek's super shiny hair is when she wears it completely straight like this. The side part gives her a sultry attitude and the subtle long fringe at the front helps soften the look a bit.

20

Wavy Side Part

medium length hairstyles for thick hair amanda seyfried
Dominik Bindl//Getty Images

To show you just how versatile the side part with a little fringe on the sides can be, look how nice Amanda Seyfried's hair looks in its naturally curly state!

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AnnMarie Mattila
Senior Editor

AnnMarie Mattila is the Senior Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering a wide range of topics from food and cooking to home, beauty, style, and more.

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