53 Best Medium-Length Hairstyles for Thick Hair to Feel Lighter

#1: Fluffy Shag with Thick Bangs

Try a fluffy shag with thick bangs at your next hair appointment. Embracing your natural texture is a great way to enhance your look. Fluffy hairstyles are not always people’s first choice but can be a fun way to stand out. Use a smoothing lotion to keep the frizz down but still have volume.

#2: Mid-Length Cut for Women Over 50 with Thick Hair

This is a great mid-length layered cut for women over 50 with medium-thick hair. It has tons of movement in the interior while maintaining a stronger shape on the bottom. This style is perfect for a woman who is growing out a stacked bob or women who would like to add some life and fun to their shoulder-length hair. This cut works for all hair types but really shines on medium to coarse hair.

Styling this haircut for thick hair can be done with a round brush, large barrel curling iron, or flat iron. My products of choice for this look are mousse for volume, blow-dry cream with a light hold on the midshaft to ends for the body, and a paste or pomade to piece out the layers after heat styling. You can finish with a light-hold hairspray if desired.

#3: Warm Mushroom Blonde Side-Parted Thick Hairstyle

If you’re looking to add dimension to your thick hair, try a cool mushroom blonde balayage. The contrast between dark and light will give depth and shape to a flat color. The depth in the ash will give a cooler tone, making your blonde more subtle. If you can, avoid blue or purple shampooing in between appointments. They can dull or make your ash tone look muddy.

#4: Layered Thick Blonde Hair with No Bangs

If you don’t want to cut your blunt, thick hair but want to add definition, I suggest trying a balayage ombré. The color pattern is great for giving the illusion of depth and shape to your hair. You’ll want to get a trim every 6-8 weeks to keep your ends full and healthy. Ask your stylist about haircare products. They will recommend them for your hair type.

#5: The Fullest Thick Curls

To manage thick curls, it’s important to see a stylist who knows curly hair. Rounded layers can help add volume while allowing your natural curl pattern to be its best. Curls are often dehydrated. You can give your curls extra love by using a hair mask once a week. If your hair expands or becomes poofy, adding a curl gel to your routine is important!

#6: Stunning Above-the-Shoulder Black Lob

I empathize if you want to keep your hair after growing it out. But don’t be afraid to go for a stunning above-the-shoulder black lob. Especially if your ends are straight, breaking off, or uneven. A curly cut is a bespoke method of cutting hair to build shape while retaining length.

#7: Jet Black Medium Cut with a Bright Money Piece

If you’re looking for a bold, contrasting color, try a medium to dark brown/black with a bright money piece. Keep your money piece blonde or try a fun color! If you decide to go darker, you’ll need to keep in mind that the color may bleed onto your money piece. You’ll need to take extra care when shampooing. Your best bet will be to section the back from the front and wash each part separately with cold water.

#8: Textured Medium Shag Hairstyle for Thick Hair

Try this medium-length shag haircut if you have wavy hair, so the layers really compliment you when you wear it naturally. The number one thing for shoulder-length hairstyles for thick hair is that they will absolutely need product.

One of my ‘go-to’s is a leave-in conditioner. Consider Bumble and Bumbles invisible oil primer, as it’s awesome and great for maintaining moisture. Followed by a foam wrap lotion, it’s for women who have texture in their hair. Of course, there are different holds, Kera Care, Mazani, & Shea Moisture are all brands that carry this.

#9: Side-Parted Mid-Length Thick Curls

Having side-parted curls can be hard to manage without the proper styling products. So, get dry haircuts and visit a professional who specializes in curly hair. Be aware of salons that don’t have curly hair specialists. This is going to be important in the overall shape of your haircut. You might consider trying specialized curly hair lines such as Mizani Texture Line. This line has gels, creams, and treatments for all curly hair types.

#10: Thick Shaggy Cut with Caramel Brown Tones

You’ll want to try a thick shaggy cut with caramel brown tones. My favorite style to recommend in the salon is a shaggy lob. The medium-length and soft layers compliment most face shapes and hair textures. I like to use a 3/4-inch curling iron to create the messy waves. Add warmth to your color with caramel highlights and your hair will sizzle.

#11: Jet Black Thick Shag

You will love rocking a new look with a jet black thick shag. A shag is one of the easiest haircuts to manage and is super flattering. A modern shag has lots of soft layers that move. In my professional opinion, a tousled shag is great for medium to thick hair and can be customized to your specific texture.

#12: Sassy Dark Brown Thick Hair

If you have thick hair, try a sassy dark brown color. When it comes to in-salon maintenance, dark brown hair is the simplest color to achieve. If you can, ask for a dark brown close to your natural hair color for a more graceful grow-out period.

#13: Full Blonde Thick Hair

Rock full blonde thick hair and look on-trend. Tons of shaggy layers will give your hair lots of movement and texture. If you wear your hair with lots of volume at the top, take some weight out at your crown to get extra lift. Remember to use a smoothing serum before blow drying and a salt spray to finish.

#14: Cool and Textured Thick Hair

If you have a ton of hair consider this cool and textured hairdo for thick hair. Light layering with texturizing helps minimize the triangle and bulky look on the ends. Pair with cool-toned brown hair color for even more WOW factor. After curling your hair with a big barrel iron, pull sections downward to pull out some of the curls for more of a wavy look.

#15: Trendy Layered Thick Shag

A shag cut will really show off your beautiful tresses. By adding texture and layers, it will really lighten up your thick hair.

#16: Thick Bronde Shag Cut

A bronde shag can really be helpful for women with medium to thick hair. The layers in a shag can help remove a lot of weight, which will assist you with your styling time. The shaggy layers can also help you achieve more body and height when styling.

#17: Voluminous Thick Hair with Feathered Ends

Voluminous thick hair with feathered ends defies gravity for a 90s vibe. It offers volume that is touchable and soft. 90s hair has defiantly made a comeback so take out those big rollers to set your hair to get massive volume and body.

#18: Lived-In Soft Waves with a Middle Part

If you have medium to thick hair, try lived-in waves with a middle part. Release dead weight to make your hair look healthy and to help your natural waves pop. Thinning out thick hair maybe be necessary at a medium length for it to sit down instead of flipping out, which makes styling easier. Use a curling iron to get a soft wave for that lived-in look.

#19: Wispy Medium-Length Thick Hair

If you’re wanting beach vibes in your hairstyle, opt for wispier hair. This textured cut is perfect for women with thick hair wanting to remove heaviness and bulk.

#20: Voluminous Thick Shag Haircut with Bangs

Try a thick shag haircut with bangs for a lightweight, voluminous, and low-maintenance style. Mid-length thick locks have a tendency to weigh down your hair. By adding shaggy layers, they lift your hair and start to take on its own texture. These make your hair lighter and your bangs softer. The extra bonus is that it shouldn’t need too much styling as the overall style should be a little disheveled and undone.

#21: Wavy Shoulder-Length Lob with Balayage Highlights

Ask for a wavy shoulder-length lob if you want to make your heavy locks feel lighter. The best thing is it’s also super flattering on most face shapes. Shoulder-length thick hair can be made into a layered hairstyle or be kept one-length, depending on the movement you want or how sleek you like to wear it. Opting for a little texture can add lift to your hair, which may be used to feeling weighed down. Balayage highlights also won’t hurt the finish of this medium bob.

#22: Classic Medium Cut with Textured Layers

A medium cut with textured layers is a wonderful style to keep your hair healthy. Medium layered haircuts remove split ends with your 6-8 week cuts. The textured layers are point cut and are very soft and sexy. A balayage would complement this cut tremendously.

#23: Medium A-Line Lob for Coarse Hair

A medium A-line lob for coarse hair is usually adopted by women with thin hair, but in large quantities, it gives a heavier finish to the ends.

#24: Collarbone-Grazing Lob with Layered Front

Consider a collarbone-grazing lob with a layered front for your new style. The soft angle around the face gives this cut its beauty. Keep in mind, if you don’t have any waves in your hair you will have to use a curling iron to achieve it. If you do have a wave, blow-drying your medium-length thick hair with a metal barrel round brush should give you some bounce.

#25: Fabulous Medium Dark Brown Lob

A medium dark brown lob is a fabulous choice if you just need a change from long, lifeless hair. A blunt cut with very minimal layering grows out easily and gives you a super chic look. Any age group can pull off such beautiful shoulder-length haircuts for thick hair.

#26: Mid-Length Swoopy Face-Framing Layers

Mid-length swoopy face-framing layers and a middle part is trending now. To style this cut, a round brush and curling iron should be used to softly move your hair away from your face. Maintenance is easy because the longer bangs will not grow out fast.

#27: Mature Layered Lob with Razored Layers

If your looking for a well-blended cut, a layered lob with razored layers would be a good choice. Using a razor to cut the hair softens the ends and makes the layers almost invisible. Medium-thick hair works well for a long bob (lob) cut.

#28: Medium Cut with Bangs for Women Over 40 and Blonde Highlights

Feathered layering can do wonders for haircuts for thick hair, as it balances it out by taking away the bulk. Such a feathered medium haircut looks great on older women, too. So if you’re at an older age, ask your stylist about this cut.

#29: Bright Medium Wavy Hairstyle With Deep Side Part

Medium-length haircuts with a deep side part are great for women with thick hair. Ask for a tapered or textured haircut to remove bulk weight so that your hair looks airy and light. Sometimes layers can make a medium textured haircut look choppy and motionless. Finish with a straight blowout and a deep side part to create effortless volume.

#30: Cute Shoulder-Length Cut for Thick Wavy Hair

A wavy shoulder-length cut for thick hair is the perfect way to go shorter without worrying about too much volume building up. Thicker-haired ladies tend to worry about going shorter. The shorter they go, the more triangular and widening their hair may become. Yet, shoulder-length hairstyles for thick wavy hair can be a great way to keep the weight at bay.

#31: Angled Bob Cut for Medium Thick Hair

Opt for an angled bob cut for medium-thick hair for a super sleek blunt look. The mid-length angled bob keeps all the fullness in the baseline, letting the weight of your hair stay smooth and flat for a sharp appearance. To avoid an unwanted flipped-out style, straighten the ends of your hair.

#32: Textured Shoulder-Length Wavy Layered Haircut

Go shaggy with this heavily layered shoulder-length cut with choppy ends.  Medium wavy hair has lots of movement and the fringe adds to the volume. For ladies with natural curls or waves, keeping the length at or beyond the shoulders will enhance the texture.

#33: Heavy Choppy Layers for Thick Hair

Heavy choppy layers for thick hair allow lots of movement in heavy hair, keeping a softer feel at the ends. Trendy medium-length hair styles for thick hair need layers with balance, so when taking the layers shorter, adding choppiness keeps them textured rather than bulky.

#34: Mid-Length Shaggy Haircut on Curly Brunette Locks

Elevate your brunette hair color with one of these effortless medium curly hairstyles for thick hair. It’s super casual and fun. This medium brown hair on a shoulder-length shaggy cut truly has lots of razored layers going on here!

#35: Messy Asymmetrical Lob on Side-Parted Medium-Length Hair

Wearing your hair side-parted with this messy asymmetrical lob is one of the easiest medium haircuts for thick hair to style! It’s a really smart and edgy look to try if you’re a low-maintenance type of gal. The blonde ombre with dark natural roots, medium-length waves, and choppy angled ends all contribute to how gorgeous this layered lob is!

#36: Long Thick Layers on a Hairstyle for Medium Hair

This medium hairstyle has soft face-framing layers, perfect for straight hair. Simple yet classy. I think curtain bangs/soft face-framing is flattering on all face shapes if customized properly. Medium thick hair with front layers creates a diamond shape, which cuts off bold features and focuses on the eyes and the lips.

#37: Modern Medium-Length Layered Bob

This medium-length layered bob with blonde highlights is one of the best gorgeous medium hairstyles for thick hair. This look does require some styling, so it’s best to use a round brush to blow it out. Then use a flat iron to create loose waves.

#38: Shoulder-Grazing Cut for Thick Beachy Waves

This hair is a shoulder-length blunt cut with internal graduations, and the finishing was done with the Babyliss, creating a beachy and stripped style. This is the perfect look for women looking for low-maintenance shoulder-length tousled hair. This timeless hair matches oval and round faces.

#39: Stunning Thick V-Cut Shape

This is a medium hairstyle with v-cut layers. Extensions were added to this hairstyle to create the V-shaped cut. Adding a few pieces of extensions to create the hair design you desire is a great way to have a new hair look.

#40: Layered U-Cut for Thick-Haired Women

If you have a lot of hair, a layered U-cut for thick-haired women is for you. Long layers remove bulk so you have some swing. The beautiful u-shape gives back some interest to this medium haircut. Plus, when styling, you can still pull it up.

#41: Lived-In Layered Cut for Wavy Mid-Length Hair

A layered cut for mid-length hair works wonders on thicker hair. Medium-thick hair reduces the weight and lifts your tresses up. The layers are able to flow a little lighter and look great a little more textured, too.

#42: Versatile Chopped Lob Haircut for Thick Hair

This medium-length hair style gives you more movement and texture.  This is one of the best medium-length hairstyles for thick hair for versatility. It’s definitely one of the most popular cuts. There are certain aspects of it that can be customized to be better for thick hair like adding shorter layers, bangs to complement your face shape or more textured ends. The best advice I could give to women is to not wash their hair every day! Dry shampoo is a must! If you haven’t found the one you love yet, ask your stylist for a recommendation suited for your hair type.

#43: Ideal For Thick Curly Hair

This thick curly hair is a medium-length hairstyle for women who have embraced their naturally thick curls and are committed to curly hair. Shape your curls in a way to make them stand out from the crowd and update them with a fashion color to make a bit of pop. It’s low-maintenance and very easy to manage and refresh in the morning before you head out for your day. The dark red tone with copper subtle highlights is a plus, which is suitable for the fall season.

#44: Medium to Long Face-Framing Layers

This medium to long cut is a shaggy layered haircut with a slight A-line perimeter and middle-parted long bangs. This haircut is great for women who don’t want to go to a bob length but can’t handle the super long hairstyles. This works best on women who have a medium to thick density. It can work with a lot of face shapes because the A-line perimeter helps to elongate and the shaggy concave layering can create width and volume.

#45: Rooted Collarbone-Length Inverted Lob

This collarbone-length inverted bob cut with a rooted platinum blonde hue is for women with hair that is thick, curly, or straight. You can do this look shorter, medium, or into an inverted lob, which is a longer bob. It’s extremely trendy and not something that really ever goes out of style.

This collarbone cut for thick hair is great with a mousse (Aphrodite Argan Mousse) and a sticky texturizing paste-like (Apollo spiking paste). Finish it off with a shine spray (Athena shine spray).

#46: Sexy Medium Layers for Thick Hair

Go for medium layers for thick hair if you want to remove weight from the perimeter, and avoid the length looking too triangular. Layering the medium-length hairstyle will help soften the length, adding a soft movement without adding extra width to already full hair.

#47: Stylish Feathered Layers for Thick Hair

Feathered layers for thick hair are a great option that gives you an airy feel that has a weightless flow. This medium hairstyle with layered ends removes heaviness from your hair. The feathered layers are great to keep a light feel to them. Ladies with thick strands sometimes feel that layers can still be a little clunky, so discuss with your stylist about feathering the layers that are most suitable for your texture.

#48: Perfect for Straight Thick Hair

A medium-length is perfect for straight thick hair as it’s the right balance between long hair being dragged down and a short bob becoming too wide. A shoulder-length cut for thick hair can be kept one length. It can also have some invisible layers or texture through the ends to give your hair some swing.

#49: Medium-Length Blunt Bob Cut for Thick Hair

This thick shoulder-length hair has been paired with a dark brown color. The cut is a slightly angled bob with minimal layering. If you have very thick hair, ask your stylist to debulk and remove some weight so that you’re able to better style at home. Please keep in mind, that with this look, you may also have to debulk and take weight out so styling will be manageable. Again, this depends on the thickness of your hair.

#50: Thick Medium Haircut for Round Faces

A great option for a thick medium haircut for round faces is keeping the length below the shoulders and one length to elongate the face. While layered haircuts for thick hair are normally recommended, you can discuss with your stylist about removing weight from your hair without too much layering to maintain its structure.

#51: Soft Thicker Lob Cut

Opt for a thicker lob cut to maintain weight in your bob and embrace your fullness. A medium-length haircut for thick hair doesn’t need to have loads of layers or shaping, just a little softness around the perimeter of the length will balance out any weighty issues.

#52: Blonde Medium Hairstyle for Wavy Thick Hair

This effortless beachy lob hairstyle for thick hair works for mostly fine/medium hair types. If you want an effortless lived-in cut, then medium-length thick hairstyles like this are for you. It’s definitely for the low-maintenance woman who still wants to be on-trend. To style haircuts for thick wavy hair, my favorite dry shampoo to use is R+Co Death Valley dry shampoo.

#53: Undone Mid-Length Shag with Layers

A mid-length shag with layers is the key to perfectly undone hair. A choppy, textured cut makes styling a blast as nothing needs to be uniform – it’s effortless! Curl a piece here, bend a strand there, tease a bit here to get that purposely messy look.