Shoulder-length hair, typically falling between the shoulder and armpit, strikes a sweet spot between manageability and styling versatility. Forget complicated braids, fishtails and 25-step chignons. This length offers ample opportunity to experiment with various looks, whether you're aiming for a casual everyday style or something more polished for a special occasion. If you’re anything like me, chances are you chopped all of your hair off sometime in the past year as the trendy “LOB” (aka Long-Bob) haircut began making waves. Although shoulder length hair can be really great (and super cute!), sometimes the in-between length poses some challenges and can get boring. This article explores a range of easy, breezy, and beautiful hairstyles perfect for medium-length hair, drawing inspiration from hair professionals and current trends.
No matter how you style your hair, some hair products are essential.
Other than wearing your hair completely straight, the most obvious option for styling your shoulder length hair is throwing in some soft, messy waves. This classic look is easy to achieve and adds texture and movement to your hair. Achieve this look by letting your hair air dry, which is an extra plus since you don’t have to put unnecessary heat and also allows some natural body to settle in on it’s own. After your hair is completely dry, use a 1-inch curling iron throughout and finish off with a spray wax to add texture. Soft waves will flatter round and square face shapes and add a very romantic element to any look. You can create waves by using a curling iron or simply by braiding your damp hair overnight. This hair style adds movement and texturing to the hair, allowing it to look full of body and volume.
The great thing about starting off with these soft waves is they really allow you to transition into other great hairstyles, like a half-up braided look or a twisted back look (if braiding isn’t your forte). These styles are effortless and chic, perfect for adding a touch of sophistication to your everyday look. The trick to making both of these styles appear to be professionally done is the strategic placement of your bobby pins. Instead of criss-crossing our bobby pins, which will make them impossible to hide, find little crevices in the braid or twist to slide your pins into without opening the pin. Yes, that’s correct. Don’t open your bobby pins!
Top knots are all the rage this year in the hair world. This tutorial is great for showing you how to still style your hair into a top knot even if you chopped it all off.
Read also: Balayage on Medium Hair
Sleek and chic describe it to a T. With its straight edge and bluntness, it emanates that sharp and clean look perfectly.
Easygoing and relaxed, the Rachel cut has become a major hit in 2025. To tap into the right vibe, style for volume and curl the ends of the layers with a round brush, a straightener, or rollers.
Love love love this funky hairstyle that even girls with short hair can do! The end result looks super complicated but you can actually do this in 15 minutes. Just simple ponytails with pulling the hair through until the end. This look is great because it works with super short hair to medium length hair. Continue to use it all the way through trying to grow it back out again. Try it on a morning running late to work, or a last-minute event.
Lately my go-to hairstyle has been this easy roll and twist updo, and with the soft waves from the first hairstyle it is really an easy 5 minute transition (and is also a great style for day two if you’re like me and don’t wash your hair everyday). Similar to the half-up twisted and braided style, bobby pin placement is really key here for this updo. Just make sure you’re not over doing it with your pins and using too many. Something I began doing is throwing a few extra pins in my purse so I can make adjustments or fix a piece or two throughout the day as needed, instead of piling them all on at once in the morning.
You can’t really tell but this up-do is very sleek in the way it is created. Once the lower half of your hair is complete, continue styling the top with a few curls and some added volume. I love this hairstyle because it looks like a professional took awhile to create it. Then twist and pin to the lower part of the head. While most up-dos concentrate on the lower half of the hair, this style starts at the top and works its way down.
Read also: Inverted Bob Hairstyles
Although this style looks very complicated, it really just starts with a normal messy bun at the nape of the neck. Then, create braids from the side of your face that go back to the bun and pin it around.
This next style may seem a bit more expert-level, but if you are feeling adventurous it is definitely for you! The pretty bun mohawk is perfect for one of those days when you’re feeling like living life on the edge. My favorite part about this style is that from the front you can’t even tell there’s a rad stack of buns in the back. Reminds me of “business in the front, party in the back” except thankfully we are dealing with buns here, and not mullets.
Selecting the right mid-length style can really do wonders in terms of amplifying your assets.
Shanice never really got into head wraps because she thought her hair was way too big to rock them. Use a wrap-up to tuck your long hair up into a short style. Morgan's effortless slay proves that head wraps work for straight strands, too.
Working with your own texture is way easier, and the result is more of a no-fuss style. When heading to your next hairstylist appointment, you have to be real with yourself: are you willing to spend a lot of time on your hair daily or are you looking for something rather low maintenance? Some of the best hairstyles for the effortless look are a long bob and a shag cut - ideal for those who prefer looking all dolled up without a good deal of time invested in hair.
Read also: Find Your Perfect Shoulder Cut
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