The undercut bob is a style that started in the ’80s and has recently resurfaced. The haircut style gives you an edgy look that your hair on top can hide. You can do fun designs, angles, and fades with an undercut. Below are some of the best undercut bob ideas and what could work best for your hair type.
What is an Undercut Bob?
An undercut bob is a small section located on the underneath sections of your hair that have been cut very short. This undercut can be anything from a section all the way up to your temples with a small horseshoe section left long on top to a small triangular section on the sides or back. There are a lot of different ways to do an undercut bob haircut, and here are some of the best.
Best Undercut Bobs
Undercut Long Bob
Making the chop to a bob can be quite a commitment for those of you who have long hair. If you aren’t too sure about that commitment, you can start with a long bob with an undercut. This length usually starts at the collar bone and has little to no layering. You can go a bit longer but must keep the layering to a minimum.
No matter where you put your undercut, rather it is on the sides or back, long hair has more movement when worn down. Therefore, too much layering can make your hair look thin with an undercut. The key to having a perfect long bob with an undercut is to keep the ends thick and unlayered as much as possible.
Undercut Medium-Length Bob
An undercut medium-length bob usually starts at the shoulders and can be brought all the way up to below the chin. You can have your undercut on the sides or underneath in the back. This works better for people with average to thin hair. You don’t get as much movement as you do with a long bob and more movement than a short bob.
To get a good undercut medium-length bob, you want the ends to be fairly blunt. If you add too much layering, it may create too much movement, and your hair could split, showing you undercut when you are wearing it down over it. If you want your undercut visible all the time, you may want to add slightly more layering.
Undercut Short Bob
For a more edgy look, an undercut short bob is the way to go. This length of bob can be anywhere from above your shoulders to above your chin. The shorter you go with your bob, the more visible your undercut will become. If you plan to go chin length or shorter and your undercut is in the back, your undercut may be visible all the time.
With a short undercut bob, you want to have at least a little bit of layering. The shorter you go with your hair, the less movement you’ll have in it. Layers will add some movement and shape that you need with a short bob. Undercut short bobs can also be fun because you can put designs in your undercut that you will be able to see the majority of the time.
Undercut A-Lign Bob
An undercut A-lign bob is great for those that want your undercut in the back to be visible all the time but don’t want to fully commit to super short hair. This type of bob is when your hair is shorter in the back and longer in the front. The length shouldn’t be any longer than just above the shoulders in the back and just below the collar bone in the front. You will lose the A-lign shape if it’s any longer.
The nice thing about undercut A-lign bobs is you can do a lot of different things with them. You can have the back super layered and faded into your undercut, almost like a pixie, with the front coming to your chin. You could also have it longer where you can’t tell you to have an undercut unless your hair is worn up. There are so many in-between options with this as well.
Undercut Asymmetrical Bob
Similar to an undercut A-lign bob, an undercut asymmetrical bob is shorter in the back and longer in the front. The difference is one side is shaved up to the part and blended into the back shorter section. This is what makes this bob asymmetrical. One side is much shorter than the other side.
The trick with an undercut asymmetrical bob is making sure your shaved side is blended in nicely with the back. You do this by bringing up the back as short as possible with lots of layers on the shaved side and gradually making it longer until it’s the length you want on the other side. If you don’t want your undercut visible all the time, you can bring your undercut down from your part slightly so that a little bit of hair falls over it.
Nape/Neck Undercut
The nape is the underside of your hair in the back, usually from the top of your ears down. This is the most common placement for an undercut in a bob. It can easily be hidden under your hair, adds shape to the back of your bob, and can be done in many different shapes and sizes.
You can also do a nape undercut if you are trying to take some weight out of your hair. If you have a ton of hair, you can shave a pretty large section in the nape of your hair that most people probably won’t notice unless you wear your hair up. This will make your thick hair much or manageable and easier to style.
Side-Swept Undercut
A side-swept undercut is when the side of your hair just above the ear is shaved. This undercut gives you more of an edgy look. It will most likely be visible all the time, even if you only do a small section with some hair left over it. If you are not shaving your undercut all the way to your part and sweeping it over to the other side, it will still be visible when you tuck your hair behind your ears.
This type of undercut is done mostly with shorter bobs and thinner hair. When shaving one side and sweeping the rest of your hair to the other side, it can look like you have more volume. A deep side part gives you more volume on top, while the hair that usually looks fine and wispy is shaved off.
Triangular Undercut
Rather than shaving your undercut up to a straight line in the hair, you can shave up to a diagonal line creating triangular shapes in the hair. This is a great starter cut for those nervous about trying an undercut. Since it is done at a diagonal, the undercut blends in with the hair more.
A triangular undercut can be done in the nape/neck section of the head by bringing two diagonal lines together at the middle of the head. You can also do a triangular undercut on the sides by taking a diagonal line starting just above the ear and bringing it to the front hairline. This will give you a fun twist on a traditional undercut.
Best Undercut for Your Hair Type
Every undercut bob will not work for every hair type. For instance, you don’t want to add an undercut to a long bob if your hair is thin because it will only make it look thinner. Below are the best undercut bobs for your hair type.
Best Undercuts for Curly Hair
Curly hair is one of the best hair types to do an undercut bob on. Bobs are really hard to achieve on curly hair because they can come out looking too round and poofy. Adding an undercut to a bob haircut on curly hair can take out some of that unwanted roundness.
The best undercut bob for curly hair is an A-lign undercut bob. When you do a normal bob on curly hair, the front usually shrinks up shorter than the back. The A-lign counteracts this and makes sure you don’t lose too much length. The undercut should be placed in the nape area to create that bob shape in the back without the poofiness.
Best Undercuts for Wavy Hair
Wavy hair is one of the easiest hair types because you can do almost anything with it, and it will look good. The only bob that may not be ideal for wavy hair is a short bob. However, if you add an undercut to it, you may be able to pull off a short bob as well.
The best undercut bob for wavy hair is either an undercut long bob or an undercut medium-length bob. Going much shorter than this can make your hair look a little bit too round. The undercut can be placed on the side, in the back, or both. Wavy hair will hide your undercut better than other hair types, so the choice is really up to you.
Best Undercuts for Straight Hair
With straight hair, doing an undercut on too long of hair can make it look thinner and stringy. Straight hair usually doesn’t have a lot of volume to it and separates fairly easily. Therefore doing an undercut on too long of hair can take away more volume and create too much movement that will make your undercut visible all the time.
The best undercut bob for short hair is a short undercut bob. You should also do your undercut in triangular sections. Straight lines in straight hair can make it look too harsh. Even if you are doing a side-swept undercut, it is best to start your undercut at your part and shave a diagonal line to the top of your ear. This will make your undercut blend and flow better with the rest of your cut.
Best Undercuts for Thick Hair
Thick hair is the reason that undercuts were invented. People with thick hair don’t want to spend all that extra time styling it so taking out a chunk of it can save you a lot of time in the morning. Most people won’t even notice you have an undercut unless it is on the side or you wear your hair up.
The best undercut bob for thick hair is a long to medium-length bob with a nape undercut. Going too short with your bob can make thick hair look too blunt, even with an undercut. You can also do a side-swept undercut, but it’s still best to add a little bit of undercut to the nape as well. This will keep your bob from looking too round and blunt.
Best Undercuts for Thin Hair
You should not do an undercut in the nape area of your hair if it is thin unless you are going extremely short with your bob to where it shows the undercut. A nape undercut will only make your bob look thinner. You should also not make your bob too long with an undercut.
The best undercut bob for thin hair is a side-swept undercut short bob. The short your hair is, the more volume it will have due to it not having much weight on the ends. Doing your undercut on the side and sweeping your hair to the other side will also create volume on top of your head.
What to Ask For in the Salon
An undercut bob can be a tricky haircut to achieve. If done incorrectly, you could very easily end up with a hole cut into your bob. Make sure you find a stylist who has experience with undercut bobs and your hair type.
Before going into the salon, make sure you save a few photos of what you do and do not like. This will give your stylist a good idea of what you are going for. From there, your stylist can go over what will work for your hair and give you alternatives for anything that may not work.
You should also show your stylist how short you want your hair by gesturing on your own body. Use your collar bone, shoulders, and chin for reference. Along with this, make sure your stylist knows how large you want your undercut to be and what shape. Inches are the best measurement to tell your stylist for the size of the undercut.
Products to Use
Getting a good haircut does not mean that you’ll automatically have great hair. You need to style it and use good styling products to make it look exactly like you are wanting. Below are a few good styling products to use for an undercut bob.
- Redken Rewind 06 Styling Paste to keep down flyaways in undercut
- TIGI Bed Head Straighten Out to straighten curly hair
- Moroccanoil Root Boost for thin and straight hair
- got2b Beach Trippin’ Texturizing Spray for wavy hair
- Marc Anthony Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Curl Defining Cream for curly hair
FAQ’s
Answer: Undercuts need to be cut every 4-6 weeks. The average person’s hair grows about half an inch every month. Therefore, you must cut it once a month to keep the shaved style that you desire in an undercut. If you are simply doing an undercut to take out bulky hair, you can go longer since your undercut will not show as much as undercuts done for style do.
Answer: It can be very hard to grow out an undercut. As mentioned above, the average person’s hair grows half an inch every month. Therefore, it will take 6 months to a year for your undercut to catch up with the length of the rest of your hair. You can shorten this time by cutting the rest of your hair to a chin-length bob or shorter.
Answer: Undercuts can add the appearance of volume even though you are taking out hair. The only way for an undercut to add volume is to do a side undercut. When the remainder of your hair is parted to the opposite side of the undercut, this will create volume at the roots giving you the appearance of having more hair.
Answer: An undercut can make your hair look thinner. When done on the back, bottom portion of your hair, it will look like you have less hair. For people with a lot of hair, this is desirable to achieve certain looks. For people with thinner hair, refrain from doing an undercut in this section of hair.
Answer: You can do an undercut on the sides, back, or both sections of the hair. Depending on where you place your undercut and how much hair you cut will give you very different styles. For instance, placing an undercut at the nape of your hair can create a sleek, straight bob.
Conclusion
Choosing the right undercut bob is ultimately up to you. Doing these fun haircuts is a way to express yourself. Go all out and do a fun design in your undercut or keep it minimalistic and sleek. Either way, an undercut will give you an edge that everyone is sure to notice.
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