A chin-length bob is a bob haircut that ends near the chin and mid-neck. Chin-length bobs are also known as a medium bob hairstyle. This bob length works with almost all face shapes, but it flatters narrow faces the most. If you’re looking to widen the appearance of your jawline, this bob cut is ideal for you!
Some people may find this length of bob hard to come up with diverse styling options and get stuck in the trap of “it’s too short, I can’t do anything but just leave it straight.” Not the case! Take a look at these styles for a little inspiration.
Fresh Chin-Length Choppy Bob
Everything in this chin-length choppy bob was cut with a razor.
Use a texturizing spray and volumizing powder for any type of short fun hairstyle. The curtain bangs complement the short style. They don’t have to be cut on everyone. You can opt for other types of bangs.
Effortless Chin-Length Wavy Bob
The best way to describe this look is effortless chic. My favorite thing about it is how striking chin-length blunt bobs look.
For women without a natural wave, it’s easy to throw some curls in and shake the hair out for an easy, messy look. Try R+Co Trophy because it is both a shine and texture spray, almost like a spray wax. Use it to shake the curls up and give the hair some body. It also smells unreal!
The entire look straight is also very doable, and that’s where the striking “chic” look comes in. It’s got a more fashion-forward look to it and, when cut totally even and blunt, is extremely beautiful.
Pink and Red Chin-Length Blunt Bob
Consider a chin-length blunt bob with lots of texture and blunt bangs. Ask your stylist to bleach it out and give it some rose and peach hues to create this pink color. Although this length is very flattering on most, it is still something to keep in mind.
Timeliness, Lived-in Chin Length Bob
This haircut is versatile and timeless. It can be worn sleek and modern like shown above, or tousled and texturized for a more lived-in look.
This style is something that any hair type or personality can enjoy. Whether you want something sassy and fun or polished and professional, this shape is easy to maintain for any lifestyle.
The best tip for anyone considering this shape or who already has it is to have fun with it! Hair is an accessory and should express to the world who you are.
The best way to recreate this style at home would be to start with a pre-dry after applying the product, then using a flat wrap technique (which is moving the hair around the head in both directions) until the hair is about 90% dry. At that point, re-section the hair and style with a flat iron or round brush to create bounce and shine. Otherwise, you can flat wrap the hair until it is completely dry and use your flat iron to create some really fun texture and movement.
Fashion-Forward Chin-Length Bob for Older Women
It’s a very fashion-forward and chic look. I love how sophisticated and classy it looks.
I definitely recommend a smoothing serum or oil (depending on hair type) and an anti-humidity hairspray for finishing.
Any working woman or even a stay-at-home mom can rock this. An oval face shape looks the best with a bob. If you have a cowlick in the front, I do not recommend going for the full fringe!
Punk Chin-Length Bob Haircut
Opt fo a punk-inspired chin-length bob with micro bangs framing the face.
Adorable Chin Length Asymmetrical Bob
This is such a fresh cut. It’s perfect for who have a coloring history. If you’ve done much previous coloring and bleaching, it will be great to get rid of those dry ends! I love the asymmetry of it and I feel that that complements the new color perfectly.
The ideal woman for this cut would have straight or wavy hair. This cut is very versatile and can be worn smooth or with beach waves. If you have wavy hair, you could easily blow dry this using a paddle brush and round brush to get a smoother look. If you like the asymmetry, make sure the stylist has at least 3″ of length difference from the left to the right side. Any less and it just looks like a mistake!
Flawless Chin Length A-Line Bob
Consider a modern, fun bob with an interesting twist.
I definitely love the color most. On highlighted blonde hair, the pink tone adds some personality, but because of the different porosities in her hair, this pink turned out more dimensional than one flat color.
This is low commitment color, so once this temporary tone fades out, you’ll be left with her original rooty blonde highlights.
The pink tone is temporary so be ok with the fade, but the modern, clean A-line bob cut will be the star of the show when the color goes away.
For those with thick hair, I would recommend a small undercut in the back to remove a lot of weight and to get a more uniform a-line. This client has that, you just can’t see it.
For those with less than thick hair, the undercut isn’t as necessary. I love a good strong bob and believe that there’s a shape for almost any face shape and hair type.
Playful Yet Professional Bob
This look encompasses the complexity of all that characterizes a bob. It’s precise yet deconstructed, playful yet professional, and classic yet creative.
On this cut, a line was created just below the jawline. This cut exposes the neck, so if you’re not fond of your neck, you might want to consider a long bob.
Think about where you part your hair. If your part is versatile, consider having your stylist cut your bob down the middle so you can easily wear the bob three different ways (left part, center part, right part). However, if you have worn your hair parted on the same side for the last several years, make sure your stylist cuts your hair using that part. If not, you will always struggle with a piece hanging on the wrong side that’s too long.
Just remember that your bob doesn’t have to be totally even on each side to look amazing! Part your hair differently to play with asymmetry and tuck one side back to play with balance and proportion.
Blunt Chin-Length Bob
A blunt, chin-length bob is great for oval, heart or inverted triangle face shapes. It broadens the jawline and chin for those face shapes with a slighter chin. This cut might not work if you have extremely thick and/or curly hair.
Women with wavy hair should not be afraid of this cut! The versatility of going from straight to wavy is so fun.
Blunt Cut Bob with Straight Bangs
Q&A with style creator, Nikita Dutson
Creative Stylist @ Lunatic Fringe Salon in St George, UT
How would you describe this look?
I would describe this style as a blunt cut bob with blunt bangs. My favorite thing about this cut is how it presents the person wearing it classy and edgy with a little sass. It will always stand out in a room.
Any advice for someone considering it?
The chin-length bob is great for showing off a strong jawline and cheekbones. It’s good to determine your face shape when considering a bob. For round or square face shapes, you want your bob to be no shorter than mid-neck to draw attention away from the jaw or cheeks.
If you have curly hair and don’t like to wear it curly, there will be a lot of work involved in styling this cut. Any bob can be worn with curly hair textures and look fierce. Clients with straight hair can have this cut and it is very low maintenance.
When deciding if you want bangs, keep in mind the upkeep of cutting them often and styling them daily. I love styling this cut with a thermal protectant cream, a lightweight oil for shine, and a moisture mousse for a touchable style.
Sci-Fi Bob
A sci-fi bob is a blunt, slightly angled razored bob with internal layering to reduce bulk. The hair on top should be long enough to accentuate the blunt ends and style easily.
Using a razor gives your stylist the ability to sculpt and shape the cut to each person’s bone structure and hair texture. It’s a wash and wear, low-maintenance styling dream. However, to maintain the exact look, shape-up appointments are required more often.
Use IGK’s Car Service to protect and give control during the blow-dry. When the hair is almost dry, use a paddle brush and dryer to wrap the hair to one side, then to the other. This will ensure the hair lays with your head shape. Use a 1-inch curling iron to curl just the top half of your hair to maintain the length of the hair. When curling, leave out the last one inch of hair to blend with the bottom layer.
Set the style with IGK’s Intern Hairspray for a touchable hold, and work in a drop of Expensive to break up the curls and add a piecey shine.
Sophisticated Yet Sexy
This is a chin-length bob with a slight angle. It’s sophisticated yet sexy.
Use Oribe products to achieve this look. After blow-drying the hair out completely smooth and straight, use a flat iron to give a slight bend, focusing on the pieces framing the face. Then use Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray all over for volume and texture.
This is a great look for someone with thin/fine hair because it gives the appearance of fullness.
Texturized Blunt Bob
This haircut is classy, but still low-maintenance. Since there is a lot of texture but not a ton of layering, it doesn’t require a lot of styling. This look is perfect for any client with wavy or curly hair that wants to embrace their textured hair.
To replicate this style at home, start with a few sprays of Unite’s 7 Seconds leave-in conditioning spray. It helps re-moisturize the hair since most curly textures lack moisture.
This style would work best on someone with naturally curly or wavy hair that likes to air dry or diffuse their hair.
The Beach Girl Bob
This beach girl bob style has movement but is still very casual. It can be done in minutes and will show off your color nicely.
I like L’oreal Professional Infinium 3 Hairspray for a working spray. I also finish off all of my curl clients with this for a gentle hold.
If you have fine, straight to wavy hair, this style is perfect for you. You will find it easy and quick to create loose beach waves. This style is great for all face shapes because the waves soften your jawlines and flatter any face!
With this style, the messier, the better! No need to worry too much about each curl/wave being perfect.
The Straight-Sassy Girl Bob
The red color of this hairstyle is complemented perfectly with this straightened-out look. It can be great for any occasion, fancy or casual. It is simple to create and works with EVERY hair type!
I think the key to this style is creating smoothness, but not flat, limp-looking hair. It’s always great to use a thickening spray when the hair is wet, such as Thickening Spray by Bumble and Bumble. For a finishing product, I love Moroccan Oil.
Round face shapes will look great with this sleek style. Naturally straight hair will create more ease when creating this style, but thick hair can certainly work for this style as well. It will just take a little more work!
Be sure your flat iron isn’t too hot. Never use a temperature over 450 degrees, and if your hair is fine, it should be much lower, somewhere around 250 degrees.
The Funky-Fun Girl Bob
This style looks great on hair that has some fun, face-framing highlights, or all one color. It can give a lot of pizzazz to an ordinary bob!
How-to Steps:
1. Start with clean, dry hair that has been prepped with mouse or root boosting spray. Part it to the side, or down the middle, whichever you prefer.
2. Secure your hair up, leaving out a section to begin straightening.
3. Straighten each section using a flat iron.
The key to this style is volume! I love Unite Expanda Dust. Sprinkle a tiny bit on your roots, rub your fingers on your scalp, and ta-da! Plenty of volume in seconds! I also would finish with a strong hold hairspray such as Moroccan Oil Heavy Hairspray.
If you have thick hair, this is the style for you. Also, the more layers, the better. An added bonus is having shorter layered tresses through the back, which can sometimes be called “stacked” layers, or graduated layers. A round face would be complemented by this style.
The Round-Brushed Bob
This style can be worn by all women. It is especially complemented by a deep part and swoopy bangs.
How-to Steps:
1. After shampooing, towel dry your hair. Ideally, you should allow your hair to dry naturally until it is about 50-75% dry.
2. Secure hair up, leaving out a one-inch section to start round brushing.
3. Using a round brush 2 inches in diameter, smooth out each section by holding a blow dryer approximately 1 inch from the section. Use a boar bristle for smoothing out thick, coarse hair, or a metal round brush to create body in fine hair.
4. Finish with a smoothing serum.
Recommended Products:
I like Unite Boosta Spray for body at the roots. Enjoy Hair and Skin Treatment Oil is also great to put in before and after the blowout to smooth hair.
Best Face Shapes and Hair Types:
People with fine, straight hair will certainly find it easier to round brush hair. Kinky, curly, frizzy hair poses more of a challenge. This hairstyle will soften round face shapes.
Tips:
You will have a much easier time round brushing if you start when your hair is a little bit dry. I recommend letting hair air dry before starting. Be sure to over-direct hair when round brushing.
The Full-Fringe Bob
With this style, the focus is all on the front! Even if you don’t have specific bangs already cut, you can still make this style work, because with a chin-length bob your hair is already fairly short.
This style is great if you have fine hair because the focus is all on the bangs! This style also shows off color very well. It can slim down longer face shapes as well as hide foreheads.
The Big Sexy Curled Bob
This style can transform an everyday bob into something fancy shmancy in no time!
How-to Steps:
1. Start with dry hair. Be sure to leave out your bangs to copy the style shown above.
2. Secure hair up, leaving out a one-inch section to start curling. A 1″ curling iron is perfect for this hairstyle.
3. Spray each section with a light hairspray prior to curling.
4. Finish with a strong hold hairspray.
Recommended Products:
Bumble and Bumble Does It All Hairspray is great for spraying on hair before you curl.
Best Face Shapes and Hair Types:
This style will work well for everyone, as the curls will soften any face shape.
Tips:
Be sure to avoid damaging your hair by keeping the curling iron on a lower heat. Typically, the middle heat setting on curling irons works well for most hair types. If your hair is coarser, you may need to turn the heat up just a bit.
The Chin-Length French Bob
This simple to create style is perfect for everyday wear, and will give your chin-length hair some instant sass! If your hair has some layers, this French bob style will become an instant favorite.
For styling, try Moroccan Oil Strong Hairspray for a polished final look!
While this hairstyle will work on any face shape, it will be hard to create if your hair is all one length. Layers will give you more to work with for this specific style.
Having short hair is no excuse for monotony. Hopefully, you can now see that a chin-length bob can be one of the most versatile styles out there!
Chin-Length Bob with Curtain Bangs
A chin-length bob with curtain bangs is ideal for a woman that does not want to spend a ton of time on her hair. The fringe is flirty and adds movement, making fine to medium hair a breeze to style.
Ultra Sleek Chin-Length Bob Cut
For the reserved modern woman, an ultra-sleek bob cut at chin-length is super sophisticated. The precision itself captures the design and requires a strong eye for detail in your stylist. A flatiron and Skinny Serum by Paul Mitchell puts the perfect finishing touches on this cut.
New Wave Chin Length Bob with Bangs
This cut is a new wave approach to a blunt cut 60s bob.
I like that the look is somewhat classic, but throws in a modern touch with the bob undercut shaved all the way around. This also takes a lot of weight out of my model’s very thick and heavy hair.
The thicker the hair, the better. A lot of your thickness can be taken out if you have it shaved underneath. If you have thinner hair, it’s going to completely take away from the bluntness we achieved with the rest of her cut.
Women with straighter hair would do better with this haircut. It’s much easier to give straight hair texture than it is to smooth out curlier hair to show the blunt bob line at the chin. Because my model has the straight hair, it’s very easy for her to manage this style on her own.
Textured Inverted Chin Length Bob
Stylist Lilly Gervasi created an amazing wavy inverted bob haircut on short hair for this new bride.
Alternative Bob
Go for an alternative to the classic bob. By cutting the bob chin-length and graduating the nape, gives it a chic and trendy air. My favorite thing about this look is the deep side part with a heavy fringe which gives drama to the cut.
As for products, use a light serum to give the hair sheen so the hair will have movement without being weighed down. To recreate this look, the hair should be shampooed, conditioned and wrapped with a styling foam. The client should then be placed under dryer before dry combing the hair down and flat ironing.
Chin-Length Bob with Side-Swept Bangs for Women Over 50
You’ll want to try a chin-length bob with side-swept bangs if you’re a woman over 50. A medium-length cut modernizes your shape and can make you appear younger. Go for a side-swept bang for a dramatic effect and softening facial features. This shape is low-maintenance with a quick blow dry with a round brush, and a trim up about every 5-6 weeks.
