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Search Search Close search The 50 Best Hairstyles and Haircuts for Wavy Hair, According to Stylists By Julyne Derrick Julyne Derrick Julyne Derrick is a contributing writer for Byrdie specializing in haircare. She has over a decade's worth of experience as a writer and editor. Byrdie's Editorial Guidelines and Michelle Rostamian Michelle Rostamian Michelle is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in the beauty industry. Her work has appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Zoe Report, W Magazine, Byrdie's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 17, 2025 11:38AM Reviewed by Nigella Miller Reviewed by Nigella Miller Nigella Miller is an NYC-based natural hair and grooming expert with over 13 years of experience. About Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board Hairstylist Close

Finding "the one" when it comes to wavy haircuts can be tricky. Everyone has their own aesthetic preferences, and even if you spot a cut or style you adore on someone else, it might not translate the same way on you. The reason is that differences in anatomy, like face shape and hair type, especially curl pattern, significantly affect how a cut or style appears and meets your expectations.

Whether your waves are loose, beachy, tight, or defined, the right haircut or hairstyle can make all the difference—from enhancing your wave pattern to speeding up your styling routine. So, to help you discover your next haircut, we outlined 50 of our favorite wavy looks, as seen on some of our favorite celebrities with short, medium, and long hair. Plus, expert hairstylists share their wavy haircare advice with tips on how to recreate some of these looks.

Keep scrolling for wavy haircuts and hairstyles that range from high glam to effortless.

Meet the Experts

• Kourtney Scott is a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago specializing in precision cutting and styling.
• Anastasia Stylianou is known for her work as a world-renowned hairstylist specializing in fashion, celebrity, and curly hair.

01 of 50

Air-Dried With Texture

Hailey Bieber's loose, air-dried waves look all-natural and couldn't be easier to replicate. To start, let hair air dry, then spritz texture spray throughout the ends before scrunching with fingers.

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Wavy Hair with Curtain Bangs

Halle Berry's curtain bangs paired with a half up-half down style give her loose waves an unexpected and glamorous shape.

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Wet Hair Waves

Give your entire look a bit of edge by giving your waves the wet look. To recreate, apply a mixture of hair gel and cream to damp hair and use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute. Finish by sectioning hair off and using a diffuser to slowly dry the hair in place.

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Voluminous Wavy Lob

For those blessed with thick and voluminous hair, letting waves run loose can look incredibly sexy and chic at the same time. We love how Ciara styled her lob, with her waves doing their thing and a center part.

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Lived-In Waves

Here, Constance Wu shows us how to rock undone hair with an effortless vibe, giving her loose waves and lob an almost Serena van der Woodsen-like appeal thanks to her flyaways and glam makeup.

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Half-Up, Half-Down With Loose Waves

This half-up, half-down style helps show off Quinta Brunson's glam accessories. Talk about a fantastic day-to-night look.

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Air-Dried Waves with Bangs

Curly bangs are all the rage, and for good reason. We love the uniform look of all-over waves à la Sandra Oh. It feels laid-back and effortlessly chic.

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Feathered Beach Waves

We love Nicole Richie's beach waves, which can be replicated with a medium-barrelled curling iron and some sea salt spray. Once the hair is curled, be sure to run your fingers or comb through it to get that post-beach day look.

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Blown-Out Waves

While some waves are looser or more textured, the model Martha Hunt's are nearly straight, with just a slight bend throughout.

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Center-Parted Waves

We can't get enough of Lizzo's center part and tighter waves. If you want a more natural-looking middle part, consider veering ever-so-slightly to the right or left (about half an inch).

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Textured Beach Waves

Blake Lively's long tresses ooze beach vibes. The slight bend, damp ends, and unstructured part complement the long length perfectly.

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Long Bob

Laverne Cox's long bob is in good company with long layers and soft curls. Chicago-based hairstylist, Kourtney Scott, says this is a great universal cut for both fine and thick hair, low-maintenance and youthful.

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Ultra-Long Half-Up, Half-Down With Volume

Highlights, a pouf, and ultra-long locks? Count us in for this fun, flirty 'do. If you're starting with sopping wet hair, use a diffuser for frizz-free drying. Then, follow up with a protective leave-in conditioner to keep flyaways at bay while shielding hair from heat damage.

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Shoulder-Length With Waves

We're all about one-length cut that hits just above the shoulders. Coupled with fringe and unstructured bends, Kerry Washington's look is fresh yet sophisticated.

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Ultra-Long and Soft

The beauty of these soft waves is that they work on most hair textures—it's all about finding the right styling products to help manage the length. If your hair is looking a bit dull and weighed down, work in a shine-enhancing serum.

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Tousled Ends

The queen of layered haircuts gives hers a little lived-in feel with tousled ends and beachy waves. To prep the hair, detangle, add shine, and run a leave-in conditioner through damp strands before styling.

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Retro Long Pixie

Make like Viola Davis and give your cropped cut a retro feel with these glamorous waves.

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Layered Bob

We can't get enough of layered bobs, and neither can Drew Barrymore. Scott touts this style as being great for medium to thick hair types. To ensure your layers are well-blended with the rest of your mane, add a slight curl to the top sections.

19 of 50

Choppy and Textured Bob

Thanks to Rachel McAdams, we're ready to chop our hair into a classic A-line bob. "This is a great style for medium to fine hair with straight or light texture," notes Scott.

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One-Length Bob With Baby Bangs

You'd think Zendaya's one-length bob and baby fringe would come across as timid, but paired with her auburn color and bold brows, it's anything but.

21 of 50

Full-Length Lob With Tousled Waves

Looking to own that model off-duty cut? Take a cue from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who styles her full-length lob with tousled waves and a messy tuck behind the ear.

22 of 50

Barely-There Wave

If you're all about the length, take a page out of Queen Bey's book and give it some personality with a barely-there wave. Long layers and highlights will create added movement and dimension. It's effortless and easy to achieve.

23 of 50

Deep Side-Parted Wavy Bob

Jada Pinkett Smith is giving off retro vibes with this deep side-parted wavy bob. We love how it perfectly frames her face and allows her to show off her undulating texture. To give your curls structure and bounce, ask your stylist to incorporate strategic layers into your cut.

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Sultry Side Part

Leave it to J.Lo to make glamorous waves look attainable. And her side part looks amazing on her diamond-shaped face.

25 of 50

Angled Bob

When Mila Kunis debuted her chic, angled bob, we instantly became the heart-eyed emoji. Bobs are versatile and easy to style (and maintain), and the cut blends well with hair that has natural movement. "This hairstyle is so flattering, especially if you have a square jawline that you want to soften," adds celebrity hairstylist Anastasia Stylianou.

26 of 50

Asymmetric Bob

Give your lob an unexpected twist with a slightly asymmetrical cut. Paired with tousled strands and a bold brow, the look is all-around statement-making.

27 of 50

Root-to-Tip Waves and A-Line Bob

Jennifer Lawrence's blonde lob with root-to-tip waves and feathered layers is serving up some serious hairspiration.

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Accessorized Crimped Bob

Amp up your A-line bob with a bedazzled hair slide and crimped waves. They add volume and texture to fine tresses.

29 of 50

Voluminous Short Bob

Let your hair do all the talking with this short 'do that doesn't skimp on volume. Ask your stylist for a cropped cut with longer pieces at the front. And don't forget the volumizing mousse.

30 of 50

Long and Layered With Body

Long, thick hair weighing down your look? Opt for long, layered cuts over blunt ones.

31 of 50

Long Shiny Layers

We're all about hairstyles that suit all hair types, and Iman's long-layered soft curl look fits the bill. Scott says to use a thermal protectant whenever applying heat to protect your color (and your tresses).

32 of 50

Shoulder-Length With Curtain Bangs

Alexa Chung styles her famed curtain bangs with undone, messy waves and a cropped shoulder-length cut. "Two things stand out with this hairstyle: texture and attention to detail," notes Stylianou. Simply put, it just works. "Ask your hairstylist for some subtle freehand layers and bring the layers to life at the end with a dry texture spray," she adds.

33 of 50

Wet-Look Curly Lob

Look closely, and you'll see that RiRi's slight lift at the roots adds height to her lob and middle-parted fringe. Plus, her wet-looking curls are so red carpet.

34 of 50

Shoulder-Length Ombré

Jessica Alba's shoulder-length cut won't weigh down finer hair textures, and the mid-shaft waves will fake volume in all the right places. "This hairstyle is great for diamond or oval face shapes," says Stylianou.

Byrdie Tip

Twist the hair once in a barrel, wrap it loosely around the tongs, and leave it for a few seconds. Then, pull out at the end as it cools down. You're not curling the hair—you are creating bends and movement. 

35 of 50

Graduated Bob

When it comes to effort, we're willing to take the plunge if it means good hair days are in our future. "This graduated bob with soft curls can be worn by anyone with fine to thick hair, but it is definitely higher maintenance," warns Scott.

36 of 50

Old Hollywood Retro Waves

Could Jessica Biel look any more elegant? Her sleek retro waves exude old Hollywood glamour. If you have fine hair, use a thickening spray to fake texture.

37 of 50

Tightly-Coiled Bob

Looking for some short bob inspo? Janet Jackson plays up hers with a warm caramel color. Scott recommends a smoothing blowout cream before styling with a molding paste for hold, definition, and texture.

38 of 50

Cascading Waves

Winnie Harlow works it with her statement-worthy tresses. A chic middle part and long, cascading waves make for the perfect head-turning look. Work a small amount of curl-defining cream throughout hair to define waves and induce shine.

39 of 50

Layers With Loose Curls

We can't tell what's hotter: Sofia Vergara's pink lipstick or swift layered haircut. Her bangs hit right at the chin, making a center-part, side-part, or sleek pull-back all great options.

40 of 50

Flipped-Out Lob

When in doubt, flip it out. A wavy lob like this one on Olivia Culpo works well with blunt ends and a side-swept parting, especially if your hair lacks volume.

41 of 50

Layers and a Side Braid

If ever there was a time to get layer-happy, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has proven it's here and now. Rather than a thick head of hair weighing down her look, the layers help to add balance and structure. Plus, we love that she paired her feathered ends with a simple side braid.

42 of 50

Voluminous Natural Waves

Laura Harrier is giving us major hair envy with her voluminous natural curls. Since curly hair tends to skew dry, Scott recommends adding lots of moisture with a curl-enhancing cream.

43 of 50

Swept-Back Updo

Hats off to Adele for taking our breath away with her voice and her red-carpet beauty looks. Here, she's sporting long layers and a medium-length style with tons of volume that frames her face perfectly.

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Fiery Red A-Line Lob

Taraji P. Henson takes her shoulder-length lob to the next level with this fiery red hue. We're totally digging the straight-back part and perfectly coiled bends throughout.

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Vintage-Style Lob

Vintage waves get a modern makeover with this shoulder-hovering bob. The smaller the curling iron you use, the tighter the curl will be.

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Ear-Grazing Pixie

Growing out your pixie? This ear-grazing crop looks fabulous paired with long bangs and a few passes of a curling wand. Plus, the warm blonde color makes it a show-stopper, no matter the length.

47 of 50

Long, Loose Waves With Shine

Looking to keep your length—and then some? Let Demi Lovato's long, undulating tresses serve as your inspo. Long layers beginning just below the chin help to bring out your natural waves and lend movement.

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Messy Fringe

A messy fringe and layered shoulder-length cut are all you need to look effortlessly cool, like model Freja Beha Erichsen.

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Textured Shoulder-Length Lob

If you have fine to medium hair texture, opt for a versatile blunt shoulder-length lob—it's equal parts fun and fresh yet can be sleek and chic when the time calls for it. Douse hair with a dry texturizing spray for a matte look, like Katy Perry's.

50 of 50

Face-Framing Layers

Fine-haired folks, listen up: If you don't want to go full-throttle with layers, opt for a longer, one-length cut with subtle face-framing pieces. Scott says it keeps the hair looking thick while the shorter pieces around the face give it style.

FAQ

• Should I get layers if I have wavy hair?

  If you have medium to thick hair density, incorporating layers into your wavy 'do can be flattering. Layers can remove some of your hair's weight and further lend movement and dimension to waves. Long layers, face-framing layers, and even heavily layered cuts like shags are all great options.

• How should you style a wavy bob haircut?

  Wavy bob haircuts are incredibly versatile. When deciding how to style yours, make it customizable to you. That means first considering your face shape and what features you want to highlight. This will help determine what hair part you decide to go with. Also, is there a mood or occasion to fit your look? Tousled beach waves will give off a more casual vibe, while chic retro waves are ideal for a night out.

• What is a good low-maintenance haircut for wavy hair?

  Cuts that are mid-length and shorter typically require less styling time for wavy hair. Incorporating long layers will allow you to work with your natural texture while removing bulk and creating shape. And with the right products, wavy haircuts can look great when air-dried. In general, avoid bangs since they will add more time to your hair routine.

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• Haircuts

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