Short bob haircuts for women over 40 range from ear to chin-length cuts, exposing the neck and shoulder areas. When done right, these bobs basically style themselves!
Connecticut-based hairstylist Megan Williams shares her best tip for ladies wanting bob cuts. “Start with a longer bob and work your way up,” she advises. “This allows you to get used to layering and styling, which can help you determine your preferences. I suggest starting with an angled bob with minimal layering to get used to the cut,” Williams adds.
Creating layers and texture to any cut can make or break the style. Adding a lot of layering forms a stacked look in the back that requires more styling. Minimal layering creates a cuter and messier look, demanding little to no styling.
Meanwhile, lots of texture in the cut helps the fullness of hair to be more manageable. This is ideal for ladies with thicker locks.
Ensure that the bob cut you choose works well with your face shape. “There are variations of short bobs that go with different facial structures and features. A layered or angled cut may look better on some face shapes rather than others,” Williams explains.
Check out these photos of the most flattering and stylish short bob haircuts for women in their 40s!
#1: Shaggy French Bob for Fine Hair
If you have fine hair, try a shaggy French bob to help create volume and enhance—your hair’s natural texture. French bobs fall along the jawline and help to define and enhance your jaw and cheekbones. Try pairing your shaggy bob with textured bangs to create a softer look while also helping to disguise fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and forehead.
Related: Chic volumizing haircuts for women over forty with fine hair.
Related: Best shag hairstyles for women over 40.
#2: Blonde Round Angled Bob
If you want maximum volume in your bob, ask your stylist for a blunt, graduated cut. This haircut creates a gradual, rounded shape around the periphery. It’s an excellent style for medium to fine textures and medium to thick hair density. If the hair is fine, pay extra care to the temple area. This is where you could mistakenly remove too much hair.
#3 Teacup Bob with Dimensional Highlights
Embrace the unique elegance of this inverted teacup bob, a polished choice for the over-40 crowd. The chin-hugging contour paired with strategic highlights creates a sophisticated, multi-dimensional look. Perfect for oval-faced ladies, this cut brings structure to straight, medium-density hair while the highlight and lowlight combination enriches the visual texture. It’s low-maintenance but will require occasional trims to keep the silhouette crisp. Regular use of a smoothing serum and a thermal protection spray is recommended when styling to protect the color and enhance the bob’s sleek lines.
#4: Messy Bob with Short Bangs
If you’re looking for a trendy cut, consider the layered bob. It’s playful and youthful – perfect for women over 40 with fine hair. If you’re all about fun, avoid too polished or rigid styles. Short, textured bangs highlight your face. Meanwhile, messy layers add motion and texture. If you have natural wavy hair, let it air dry. Otherwise, let a curling iron cool, then brush for a relaxed feel. Sea salt sprays add that cool beach vibe.
#5: Wavy Graduated Long Bob
If you’re keen on a bold new look or want to rejuvenate your bob, consider a textured graduated bob. This cut has thin, airy ends that give it a fresh look, and the layered cut adds a bit of volume. This hairstyle suits perfectly if you have naturally wavy hair or can create loose waves with a curling iron.
#6: Silver Bob with Curtain Bangs
A sliver bob is a standout hairstyle. To enhance it, consider adding soft, flattering curtain bangs. Ensure your hair is not cut too short. You should still be able to push your hair softly to the sides. The curtain bangs cover your forehead. This gives a feminine and youthful look to your profile. To maintain the softness, hydration is key. Consider getting a moisturizing home care kit.
#7: Soft Tousled Bob with Textured Ends
If you’re over 40 and looking for a modern bob, this is the one. Ask your hair-cutting specialist for this textured French Bob or a chin-length bob. This cut can be achieved with a razor, texture shears, and super sharp shears that slice out easily. If you don’t want to wrap the last section for straight textured ends on your curls, pull it straight through like you would with a flat iron.
#8: Short Haircut with Bouncy Waves
Ask for a short haircut that features bouncy waves. If your hair is wavy and you want to enhance its bounce, try a short bob. Incorporate some layers around the crown and slight face framing. This style will reduce the hair’s weight and enhance the curls. Black hair in individuals over 40 retains a youthful vibe. Adding some grey can enhance its beauty.
#9: Rooted Blonde Short Hair with Fringe
Ask for a rooted blonde short hairstyle with a fringe. Creating the perfect look for women over 40 can be a simple formula of cut and color. If your natural hair color is light-toned, try an overall full highlighted color with a root smudge. Match this with a French bob cut that ends at the cheek or jawline and a gently curved fringe. Adding layers at the top of this style will give your hair volume without too many layers or uneven length at the sides.
#10: Side-Parted Messy Inverted Bob Haircut
Try a side-parted, messy, inverted bob haircut. Modern women in their 40s or over should embrace their bob’s natural texture. A deep side part suits all face shapes: round, long, square, or oval. Adapt your haircut with a long line around the jaw and through the nape. To achieve the ultimate wash and wear, use New Wash and Hairstory’s balm on any hair texture.
#11: Classic Round Bob with Graduated Layers
To achieve a stunning rounded bob on medium hair textures, request your stylist to give you an ‘under beveled graduated bob.’ This style implies that the hair is slightly shorter at the bottom and gradually turns into a 45-degree rounded angle. The result is a bob that elegantly fits the shape of the neck and lays smoothly.
#12: Deep Side Part Wavy Bob
A deep side part wavy bob suits long and square faces. It creates asymmetry to break up the face’s length. A blunt perimeter on a shorter hairstyle looks elegant with a soft wave. This style is suitable for women over 40 and adds femininity. When styling, add weight to the sides and perimeter, but not above the parietal ridge.
#13: Bob-Length Pixie Cut with Side-Swept Bangs
Show off your cheekbones and frame your eyes with this bob-length pixie cut with side-swept bangs! This haircut blends elements of a chin-length bob and bangs, bringing in texture for volume and a personalized touch. I suggest using a volume spray at the roots to lift and separate hair strands at the ends. A 6-8week trim is crucial to maintaining the ease and feel of this style on the daily.
#14: Short Deeply Side Parted Bob
If you have fuller, wavy hair, ask for a wispy bob. The thinned ends will remove weight and give a light feathered look. A textured undercut will help your nape area lay close to the neck and not bulge out. If you can, over-direct your part to give an asymmetrical look.
#15: Round Stacked Bob on Thick Hair
The round stacked bob looks beautiful and modern, especially on thick hair. It’s a short style that will turn heads with its voluminous finish.
#16: Tousled Blonde Bob Style
If you want to style your bob but want a more lived-in look, consider not curling the ends of your hair. 1-1/4 size curling barrels are perfect for wave size. Try only curling the midsections of your hair. Leave about 2 inches from the root and 2 inches from your ends. Once you’re done, comb through with your fingers or a wide toothcomb.
#17: Short Layered Bob with Blunt Bangs
A blunt fridge paired with a textured short bob style is a great combination for women in their 40s wanting a change. Various textures and angles will add character to your haircut, making it very creative to style. You will feel unique every time you style this look, as it will have a whole new look whether you decide to wear it straight, waved, or curled.
#18: Side-Swept Short Curly Hair
If you are lucky enough to have naturally curly hair, you should try a side-swept short bob cut. Ask your stylist to cut some shorter pieces in the front that can be swept across the forehead to soften your face shape. If you love this style and have straight hair, a soft perm would be a fantastic change. Short bob hairstyles for women over 40 can be fun and youthful.
#19: Jaw-Length Classy Bob
Don’t hide behind your hair. Show off your beauty with a classy jaw-length bob. Cutting your bob to jaw length will help to give more definition, even on a round face shape. If you want to hide fine lines and wrinkles, add a side-swept bang or full bang that blends into face-framing layers. If you’re a woman over forty, consider trying face-framing highlights to bring brightness and warmth to your face.
#20: Wavy Choppy Bob with Stacked Layers
A choppy bob with stacked layers and waves is a great option for a short cut. Many 40-year-olds want to update their look, and a choppy bob is a great option. The stacked layers create volume right where it’s needed. The choppy layers make it easy to wave to keep a bob over 40 looking trendy.
#21: Ear-Length Pixie Bob with Long Bangs
A unique ear-length pixie bob with a longer fringe is a style you don’t often see. When it comes to short bobs, having a long face structure and sharp jawline is ideal when wanting to go this route. Ask your stylist for a textured razor cut for a less blunt classic bob.
#22: Short Bob with Side Bangs and Subtle Layers
The classic short bob with a swept side bang is the perfect haircut for women with thick, coarse hair. Having the fullness will give you the perfect roundness needed for this style to stack nicely with subtle layering to add movement. Finishing with a simple blowout is all this beautiful bob will need to get you many compliments.
#23: Micro Bob with Bangs and Wispy Layers
The micro bob with bangs and wispy layers is the perfect haircut for women over 40. This layered bob is also a great option for finer hair because it helps it appear thicker.
#24: Face-Framing Short Bob
If you want a cut to highlight your jawline and soften your face shape, try a short face-framing bob haircut. Cutting the length to chin level will help create a nice jawline, even for women with an undefined jawline. Adding side bangs or face-framing layers will help soften your face shape while also helping disguise fine lines and wrinkles. If you have finer hair, opt for a more blunt cut rather than a layered one because it will look fuller.
#25: Graduated Bob with Short Layers
Consider a graduated bob with short layers; you won’t be sorry. A bob is a popular hairstyle because of its sharp shape and ease of styling. Ask your stylist to cut the crown layers shorter and leave the front layers longer for the most dramatic cut. Try scrunch-drying the back and blowing around the face with a round brush. A short bob for women over 40 is the perfect cut to change your image and make you feel reborn.
#26: Side Part Curly Bob for Round Faces
Consider a side-parted curly bob, and you’ll feel trendy and cute. A short haircut can modernize your appearance and uplift your self-esteem. Ask your stylist to cut a square-shaped layer that will compliment your curls. Include some shorter pieces around your face to balance round features. You’ll be ready in no time with this easy-care, air-dry style.
#27: Sleek A-Line Bob on Straight Hair
Try an a-line bob if you’re searching for a hairdo that styles itself. An a-line bob haircut has a major built-in shape, perfect for straight hair that is hard to style. Simply wash and wear and look fabulous.
#28: Chin-Length Blunt Bob for Thin Hair
Try a blunt bob if you have thin hair. A bob haircut is perfect for fine and low-density hair types because it creates a strong line of where the hair falls and the illusion of more hair. Blunt edges help to create weight and keep the hair strong and less prone to breakage.
#29: Textured Bob Cut on Wavy Hair
A textured bob cut with loose waves is a great style for ladies over 40. The reason for this is going shorter will bring out the sharpness in your jawline. Bobbed hair is also super simple to style; start with effortless waves and finish with a textured spray to get that undone, sexy style.
#30: Short Inverted Bob Cut
For ladies, an inverted bob is an easy-to-maintain style with many bonuses. Removing length in the nape helps to create volume in the crown. Keeping length around the face keeps it feeling soft and feminine. Ask your stylist to add choppy layers to kick up the volume.
#31: Neck-Length Undercut Bob
A neck-length undercut bob is great for women with thick, dense hair looking to get rid of that extra bulk. It can also be to add an edge to your hairstyle. No matter your reasoning, this bob hairstyle will leave you feeling lighter and edgier when you walk out of the salon.
Related: See more hairstyles for ladies over 40.
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