30 Best Short Layered Haircuts for Thick Hair (Expert-Approved Looks)

Finding the right short layered haircut for thick hair can feel like a challenge—too much bulk and the style becomes heavy, too little structure and it loses shape. As a stylist who works with thick textures often, I’ve seen how the right layering pattern can completely transform both the look and the feel of dense hair. The goal is always the same: remove weight where it isn’t needed, enhance natural movement, and create a flattering shape that fits your face, lifestyle, and styling preferences.

In this guide, I’ve gathered 30 short layered hairstyles specifically curated for thick hair, each chosen for its ability to lighten bulk, boost texture, and offer a polished, low-maintenance finish. Whether you love choppy, airy layers or clean, sculpted shapes, you’ll find a cut that works beautifully with the natural body of thick hair.

The 30 Best Short Layered Styles for Thick Hair

1. Bouncy Curly Bob with Dimensional Highlights

This delightful curly bob uses strategic layering to create a youthful, rounded volume that sits just above the shoulders, eliminating undesirable bulk and heaviness. The layering allows curls to spring up individually.

2. Choppy Brunette Short Cut with Internal Texture

Perfect for women who want to keep their thick hair short and full of movement without the heaviness. This cute chin-length cut features strategic internal layers that reduce bulk and create a gorgeous, tousled texture through the ends.

3. Choppy Copper Layered Cut with Full Piecey Bangs

This edgy, short cut features aggressive layers throughout the crown and sides, expertly crafted to remove bulk and create maximum movement. The full, piecey bangs frame the eyes beautifully and add a cool, carefree vibe.

4. Copper Box Braid Bob for Bold Density

This sharp box braid bob is created by individually braiding the hair, achieving a blunt, chic perimeter that highlights the jawline. The short length keeps the braids light and manageable. This protective style is fantastic for locking in moisture and temporarily switching up natural hair texture.

5. Copper Curly Short Cut for Black Women with Defined Layers

Perfect for women with natural curls and thick hair who want a vibrant, full-bodied look that controls volume. This dazzling short cut relies on strategic layering to shape the density, allowing the curls to stack and form beautiful, defined coils.

6. Curly Brunette Pixie with Textured Layering

This charming pixie uses extensive internal layering to remove the heavy bulk, allowing the curls to form beautiful, soft coils instead of frizz. The texture keeps the shape modern and lively, offering incredible volume control.

7. Dark Textured Shag Bob with Soft Bangs

Those who want to tame their thick hair while embracing a fun, textured style. This eye-catching dark cut features heavy internal layers that instantly lighten the density, allowing for great movement and shape.

8. Deep Side-Part Wavy Bob with Layered Volume

Perfect for women with thick hair who want a glamorous, sculpted short style. This sophisticated wavy bob uses subtle internal layering to remove weight, which encourages the natural wave pattern and creates incredible lift.

9. Dimensional Blonde Textured Pixie with Height

This dimensional blonde pixie features extensive, piecey layers through the crown and back, instantly lifting the hair and creating dynamic movement. The texture is key to removing bulk, giving the style incredible fullness without feeling heavy.

10. Dimensional Feathered Short Cut with Full Layers

This stunning short cut features aggressive, feathered layers stacked throughout the sides and back, creating incredible bounce and shape. The shaping prevents the hair from looking heavy and gives it a gorgeous, polished curve.

11. Dimensional Wavy Bob with Caramel Balayage Highlights

Perfect for women whose thick hair needs definition without sacrificing fullness. This dynamic bob features textured, internal layers that lighten the bulk, encouraging natural waves and bounce.

12. Edgier Dark Layered Cut with Choppy Fringe

This dramatic dark cut uses heavy, internal layers through the crown and sides to slice away density, creating incredible, piecey movement. The choppy fringe frames the eyes and adds a youthful edge to the style.

13. Edgy Platinum Pixie with Maximum Texture

This eye-catching pixie uses intense layering and texturizing to remove density and allow the crown layers to stand up with sharp, playful definition. The short, clean sides and back keep the overall look streamlined and cool.

14. Modern Blonde Bob with Soft Face-Framing Curtain Bangs

This hairstyle is perfefct for those who love the fullness of their hair but need shape and movement. This flattering, shoulder-grazing bob uses strategic layering to take out weight while adding a soft, curved finish.

15. Piecey Platinum Blonde Textured Pixie Shag

This gorgeous pixie shag uses heavy, choppy layers throughout the crown and sides to add incredible texture and movement. The long, sweeping face-framing fringe keeps the look soft and modern. It’s an ideal way to transform thick hair into a voluminous, yet perfectly manageable, statement style.

16. Rich Brunette Wavy Cut with Internal Layering

It is best who love a luxurious, full-bodied look without the heaviness of thick hair. This chic cut utilizes strategic internal layering to create beautiful movement and shape through the ends.

17. Sleek Brunette Stacked Bob for Thick Hair

This stunning stacked bob utilizes deep internal layering and graduation from the nape to the crown, which expertly removes excessive bulk and creates this beautiful, voluminous, rounded shape. The smooth, chin-length front keeps the look sophisticated.

18. Soft Blonde Layered Lob with Voluminous Blowout

This beautiful layered lob features soft, face-framing layers and a rounded shape that removes weight without sacrificing density. The layers create incredible lift and body, giving the style a timeless, elegant bounce.

19. Stacked Voluminous Short Cut for Mature Thick Hair

This classic short cut features expertly stacked layers in the back, which remove bulk while building a beautiful, rounded silhouette. The layers around the crown give incredible lift and soft, touchable movement. This design is highly effective at transforming dense hair into a structured, manageable, and timeless look.

20. Tapered Auburn Curly Pixie for Controlled Volume

This vibrant curly pixie features closely cropped sides that prevent excessive bulk, while the top layers are strategically shaped to enhance curl definition and create balanced volume. The layered top allows thick curls to dry quickly and retain their lively bounce and shape.

21. Textured Platinum Short Cut with Choppy Micro Bangs

Perfect for women who want a chic, lighter look that controls the volume of thick hair. This edgy, jaw-length cut features soft internal layers that remove bulk while creating playful movement and texture through the ends. The piecey micro bangs and longer sideburns give the style a modern, unique frame.

22. Textured Silver Shag with Piecey Crown Layers

Perfect for women who want a vibrant, modern style that embraces natural thickness and gray color. This playful, short cut uses strategically choppy layers through the crown and back to create lift, volume, and movement.

23. Textured Wavy Bob with Caramel Balayage Highlights

This beautiful bob features soft, seamless internal layering that removes bulk, allowing thick hair to sit beautifully without looking heavy or puffy. The textured, choppy ends and soft fringe add movement.

24. Textured Wavy Lob with Dark Roots and Balayage

Best for women who want to embrace their natural texture and lighten up heavy hair. This trendy, collarbone-length lob features internal layering that removes bulk, giving thick strands beautiful definition and movement.

25. Voluminous Brunette Lob with Face-Framing Layers

Perfect for women with high-density hair who want a stylish cut that minimizes weight and maximizes movement. This chic, collarbone-grazing lob features dramatic, heavy layering around the face and through the ends to remove bulk.

26. Voluminous Copper Lob with Soft Invisible Layers

This mid-length lob features expertly placed invisible layers that reduce bulk and create a beautiful, buoyant shape. The smooth face-framing pieces and flipped-out ends add movement and structure without looking heavy.

27. Voluminous Silver Short Cut with Blended Feathered Layers

This gorgeous, shoulder-grazing cut uses strategically placed, feathered layers to remove weight and build incredible, lasting volume and shape. The smooth, curved layers blend seamlessly, preventing the style from looking bulky or heavy.

28. Voluminous Silver Stacked Bob for Thick Hair

This striking stacked bob utilizes strategic graduation and internal layering throughout the back and crown to dramatically reduce density, creating a beautifully voluminous, lifted shape.

29. Voluminous Silver Textured Cut with Short Layers

Perfect for women who want to embrace their natural texture and manage high density hair. This playful, short curly cut uses extensive layering to strategically remove bulk and weight, creating a beautiful, rounded shape.

30. Voluminous Wavy Shag Cut with Face-Framing Layers

Perfect for women with thick hair who want to maximize texture and bounce while minimizing bulk. This chic, collarbone-length cut features heavily layered ends and gorgeous face-framing pieces that enhance the natural wave pattern.