- Despite the stereotype that bobs make thick hair look blocky, the writer shares her success wearing different bob styles (from blunt cuts to lobs with bangs) over the past four years.
- For curls and coils, very short bobs above the nape can require heavy styling to sit flat; slightly longer lengths help hair fall more naturally.
- Straight thick hair benefits from nourishing care and regular trims, while waves, curls, and coils can be enhanced with air-dry sprays/creams or smoothed with heat-protecting oils.
As a card-carrying member of both the thick hair club and the bob club, I have noticed that there is a dialogue that follows thick-haired girlies when it comes to getting their hair cut. Where bobs are often lauded for adding volume and movement to fine hair textures, for thicker hair, it's often thought that bobs will always make hair look thicker still, and if you have a dense amount of hair, the cut will look blocky.
But, I'm here to prove to you that Lego-figure, Lord Farquaad hair doesn't have to be your destiny. I have thick hair density but medium-textured hair (aka I have lots of hair but the strands themself aren't coarse), so I have been told that a bob wouldn't suit what I have to work with. However, I am happy to report that for the past four years, on and off, I have been rocking a bob, sometimes a short blunt cut, other times a lob with a curtain bang—but anyway that I wear it, it works.
Bob styles to avoid with thick hair:
Unless you want to be heat styling your hair every day, if you have curls or coils, I would avoid any bob styles that are shorter than a couple of inches at the nape of your neck. It's not that it'll look bad when styled, it's just that it'll likely require a lot of styling manipulation to sit flat, as textured hair grows out rather than down. If you have slightly longer hair, gravity and the weight of the hair on top will be enough to flatten it.
How to style bob haircuts on thick hair:
If you have thick, straight hair, your styling routine with a bob will be fairly simple. Just keep hair nourished and conditioned to avoid breakage and keep up with regular cuts to avoid split ends traveling. If you have waves, curls, or coils, the products you use to style them depend completely on whether you want to enhance your natural texture or style into a new look. For texture enhancement, try an air-dry spray or cream on damp hair and scrunch in. For a straightened look, go for a styling oil to protect from heat, lock in moisture, and fend off frizz.
Thick hair bob inspiration:
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
