What bobs tend to work best for curly hair?

Pashcan’el Mitchell, who’s an afro and textured hair specialist at Blue Tit, tells Stylist: “Currently, popular curly/coily bob styles include the curly bob with bangs, the tapered curly bob and the asymmetrical curly bob. These styles offer versatility and can be customised to suit individual preferences. And I love them all as they provide so much texture, style and versatility depending on your curls and face shape.”

Salon owner Andrea Dorata is a guest artist for the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris ID Artist programme and teaches a commercial bobs cutting course.

He says that when it comes to snipping curly hair, he prefers a point-cutting technique, which is when the hairdresser holds the scissors diagonally and cuts into the hair ends.

He explains: “When it comes to curly bobs, generally one length doesn’t work very well as it becomes really triangular and builds a lot of weight around the face or around the neck. So usually, when doing a curly bob, layering comes into play a lot more. The way the hair is layered depends very much on the preferred shape and the texture of the actual curl that we’re working with. I find point cutting creates lots of different lengths near the ends, which create a much softer finish and allow the curls to be more defined.

“Graduated bobs can work nicely on curly hair or a rounded, layered bob. But we’ve got to be careful to make it look like a bob rather than a curly mullet or a curly shag.”

What bob styles work best for different curl patterns and face shapes?

Mitchell says: “For tighter curl patterns like 4C, a tapered bob or layered bob works well to add dimension and volume. For looser curl patterns like 3A or 3B, a classic curly bob with layers can enhance the natural texture. As for face shapes, those with round faces may benefit from longer bobs to elongate the face, while square faces can be complemented by softer, layered bobs to soften angular features.”

What to ask your stylist for

Dorata says: “Ask them straight off what experience they have cutting curly hair. You need someone who understands curl patterns and the difference between cutting a bob on straight hair and a bob on curly hair. This is so important – curly hair is so different, especially when you’re cutting it shorter. You need to be aware of how much your curls might bounce up and the shape they’ll create when the weight comes off the ends. Reference images are also really key here. Show your stylist what your dream result is so that you can check you’re both on the same page in terms of shape and overall volume.”

Curly bob inspiraition

Our ultimate guide to curly bobs – from styles that work best to inspo pics to take to your stylist