What Is a Bob Haircut? the Ultimate Guide to Styles, Face Shapes, and Salon Prep
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
A successful haircut relies heavily on how natural hair texture reacts once weight is removed. Cutting 8 to 12 inches off wavy or curly hair reduces the downward gravitational pull on each strand. As a result, curl patterns spring upward significantly. A cut that falls neatly at the jawline while wet can shrink above the ears once dry.
For curl patterns ranging from 2C to 4C, precision dry cutting is standard practice. Stylists cut curl by curl in their natural resting state rather than stretching them under wet comb tension. This approach prevents uneven shrink rates across the perimeter.
Coarse and heavy hair demands internal texture work. Rather than leaving a solid block of weight, stylists carve out channels using point cutting or slide cutting. This internal debulking keeps the outside perimeter looking crisp and blunt while preventing the bottom edge from ballooning outward.
Fine, straight hair requires the opposite approach. Adding heavy surface layers to low-density hair strips away body, leaving the ends wispy and transparent. Stylists keep the baseline strictly blunt and use slight under-beveling at the nape so the perimeter remains dense and holds its shape throughout the day.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
