I’m obsessed with medium-length haircuts—they give you that fresh, youthful energy without the commitment of going super short. Whether you want soft waves, bold color, or a sleek structured cut, medium lengths flatter every face shape and make styling so much easier after 40.
Here are my favorite medium haircuts that bring instant polish, volume, and that glow-up energy you’re looking for.
#1. Sleek A-Line Bob with Side Swept Bangs
This is the cut I recommend when you want structure with a little softness. The A-line shape frames your face beautifully, and the side-swept bangs add instant polish without feeling too heavy. Ask your stylist for a longer front and graduated back—it’s sophisticated, low-maintenance, and works on all hair types.
#2. Medium Curled-Out Layers
I love the windswept movement you get from curled-out layers—it’s full of life and volume. Use a medium round brush while blow-drying, flipping the ends outward at the very end for that bouncy, retro feel. This works especially well if your hair tends to fall flat, because the layers create natural body and dimension.
#3. Cinnamon Swirl Balayage on Medium Hair
This warm, multidimensional color technique is my go-to for adding richness without harsh lines. The cinnamon tones give your skin a gorgeous glow, especially if you have a warm or neutral undertone. It looks best on straight or wavy hair where you can really see all those beautiful blended layers of color.
#4. Mid-Length Layered Bob with Beach Waves
If you want that “just back from vacation” vibe year-round, this is it. The layers add body and movement, and I style mine with a 1-inch curling iron, leaving the ends loose and tousled. It’s effortless, breezy, and gives you that cool-girl energy without trying too hard.
#5. Dark Chocolate Lob with Subtle Highlights
Rich, mysterious, and so flattering—this deep brunette lob gets a lift from soft highlights that catch the light. I love how the subtle dimension adds depth without looking overly highlighted. Perfect if you want drama with a polished edge.
#6. Shoulder-Length Cut with Soft Curtain Bangs
This is my forever favorite for versatility. The shoulder-length cut is classic and easy to style a dozen different ways, and the curtain bangs frame your face so beautifully. Ask for cheekbone-skimming bangs with soft, tapered ends—they grow out gracefully and need minimal upkeep.
#7. Sunkissed Wavy Mid-Length Hair
Adding sun-kissed highlights to wavy hair is the easiest way to brighten your whole look. The lighter pieces add dimension and movement, making your waves look fuller and more textured. I especially love this on darker bases—it gives that summery radiance all year long.
#8. Two-Tone Balayage with Feathered Layers
This is high-impact color meets texture. The two-tone balayage creates striking contrast, and the feathered layers make everything feel soft and lived-in. I’d go for this if you want a bold change that still feels natural and easy to style.
#9. Tousled Medium-Length Shag Cut
The shag is my favorite edgy cut for adding volume and texture, especially if your hair is on the finer side. The tousled layers give you that rock-and-roll vibe, and it works on literally any hair type or density. Style it messy with a little texture spray and you’re done.
#10. Soft Blonde Waves with Dark Roots
I love this look because it’s low-maintenance and gives you natural-looking volume at the roots. The contrast between the soft blonde and darker base adds instant dimension, and it’s a chic way to let your roots grow out without looking unfinished. Plus, it feels effortlessly cool.
#11. Lavender-Infused Straight Cut
If you want to make a statement, this is it. The sleek, straight cut is polished and simple, but the lavender tone brings all the playful, creative energy. It’s bold, it’s fun, and it definitely turns heads wherever you go.
#12. Vintage-Inspired Feathered Waves
These soft, brushed-out waves remind me of old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist. The feathered layers add natural body and volume, while the waves give you that timeless, elegant movement. I’d style this with a large barrel curling iron and brush it out gently for that vintage finish.
#13. Asymmetrical Cut with Undercut
This is the cut I go for when I want serious edge. The asymmetrical shape creates instant visual interest, and the undercut adds texture and contrast. It’s perfect for finer hair because it removes bulk and gives you that cool, avant-garde vibe.
#14. Warm Chestnut Balayage Lob
The warm chestnut tones in this balayage create the most beautiful multidimensional effect. I love how the rosy, rich hues reflect light and give your skin a natural glow. It’s a universally flattering color that works on all skin tones and looks effortlessly polished.
#15. Mid-Length Wavy Cut with Baby Bangs
Baby bangs add such a playful, retro twist to soft waves. I’d style the waves with a medium barrel curling iron and keep those bangs trimmed every few weeks for the best look. It’s quirky, fun, and gives you instant personality.
#16. Sleek Bob with Razor-Cut Ends
This is minimalist chic at its best. The razor-cut ends give you those sharp, clean lines that look so polished with minimal effort. I’d recommend this for straight hair with medium to fine density—it’s sleek, modern, and super easy to style.
#17. Textured Layers with Honey Highlights
Honey highlights are my favorite for brightening your whole face while adding warmth. The textured layers create movement and volume, and the honey tones bring that sun-kissed glow. It’s the perfect combo of texture and color.
#18. Medium-Length Curls with a Deep Side Part
If you have natural curls, this cut lets them shine with maximum volume and body. The medium length enhances your curl pattern, and the deep side part adds drama and asymmetry. I love how it gives you instant volume and makes your curls look so full and bouncy.
#19. Chic Blunt Cut with Platinum Highlights
This super-sleek blunt cut gets a major upgrade with cool platinum highlights. The highlights add dimension to fine, straight hair, and the clean lines frame your face beautifully. It’s bold, bright, and effortlessly chic.
#20. Rose Gold Waves with Shadow Roots
Rose gold is one of my favorite trend colors—it’s vibrant and youthful without being too over-the-top. The shadow roots add depth and make the color feel more dimensional. This cut takes years off your face and highlights all your best features.
#21. Espresso Coils on a Shoulder-Length Cut
This rich espresso brown shade looks so luxurious on natural coils. The shoulder-length cut intensifies your curl bounce and gives you maximum shape and fullness. It’s confident, classy, and shows off your texture beautifully.
#22. Angled Bob with Auburn Highlights
The angled bob is already iconic, but adding auburn highlights takes it to a whole new level. The warm tones bring so much life and dimension, and they can even warm up cooler skin tones. It’s flashy in the best way.
#23. Mid-Length Cut with a Waterfall Braid
A waterfall braid adds instant texture and movement to straight or wavy hair. I love this as a special-occasion style—it’s romantic, intricate, and makes your mid-length cut look so much more interesting. Save this one for when you want to dress up your everyday hair.
#24. Choppy Layers with Silver Streaks
Choppy layers give you that effortless, lived-in vibe, and the silver streaks add sophistication and glamour. I love how this look embraces gray in such a bold, stylish way. It’s edgy, dignified, and totally modern.
#25. Classic French Bob with a Fringe
The French bob is striking, youthful, and so flattering on fine to medium straight hair. Adding a fringe takes it up a notch—it’s chic, it’s Parisian, and it frames your face perfectly. Style with a round brush and blow dryer to keep those ends shaped just right.
#26. Medium-Length Loose Waves with Lavender Tips
I love the creativity of this color combo—silver roots transitioning into lavender tips. It’s playful, stylish, and a gorgeous way to dress up graying roots. The waves add movement and make the color shift even more beautiful.
#27. Soft Feathered Bob with Ash Blonde Tones
This feathered bob is all about volume and texture with a refined, sophisticated finish. The ash blonde tones are cool and elegant, and the feathered layers frame your face so softly. It’s polished without feeling too structured.
#28. Mid-Length Cut with Choppy Baby Bangs
Choppy baby bangs give your simple mid-length cut instant character and personality. This retro-inspired style is perfect for medium to thick hair, and it’s so easy to style every day. It’s chic, edgy, and effortlessly cool.
#29. Straight Lob with Icy Blue Highlights
The lob is my go-to for balancing casual and glamorous, and the icy blue highlights add a fun, playful twist. It’s a cheeky way to experiment with color while keeping the cut classic and versatile. Perfect if you want something a little different.
#30. Flowy Beach Waves with Sun-Kissed Highlights
This is hot-girl-summer energy all year round. The flowy, full-bodied waves are enhanced by sun-kissed highlights that add glow and dimension. Just make sure to pick a tone that complements your base color for the most natural, radiant look.
#31. Reverse Ombre with Loose Curls
Reverse ombre starts lighter at the roots and transitions to darker ends—it’s a cool twist on the traditional ombre. I love how the loose curls enhance the color transition and make it look so dimensional and unique. It’s unexpected and totally eye-catching.
#32. Half-Up Top Knot with Textured Ends
The half-up top knot is such a cute, easy style for medium-length hair. Adding textured ends gives it more flair and keeps it from looking too polished or perfect. This works on all hair types, from thick curls to fine straight strands.
#33. Layered Cut with Chocolate Lowlights
Chocolate lowlights add depth and dimension to a simple layered cut. I love how the earthy tones give you more volume and radiance without being too bold. It’s subtle, beautiful, and adds that extra something to your everyday style.
#34. Shaggy Lob with Platinum Blonde Front Pieces
This is the best of both worlds—edgy shag layers with bombshell blonde front pieces. The shag gives you texture and movement, while the platinum pieces frame your face and catch the light. It’s bold, it’s cool, and it’s totally Instagram-worthy.
#35. Razor-Cut Medium Hair with Mahogany Streaks
The razor-cut ends add sharpness and edge, while the mahogany streaks bring vibrant, eye-catching color. This is a high-impact look that combines structure with boldness. It’s stylish, modern, and makes a serious statement.
#36. Sleek Angled Bob with Cherry Highlights
The angled bob is already a statement cut, and the cherry highlights make it even more fun. The bright bursts of color add personality and visual interest, especially on darker hair. I love how you can tuck one side behind your ear for a sleek, asymmetric look.
#37. Voluminous Mid-Length Cut with Copper Balayage
Copper balayage brings warmth, radiance, and serious fire to a voluminous mid-length cut. The layers give you fullness and body, and the copper tones make everything glow. It’s bold, beautiful, and perfect for anyone who wants to turn up the heat.
#38. Mid-Length Curls with Side-Swept Bangs
This cut lets your natural curls regain their shape and bounce, which is perfect if your hair has been thinning. The side-swept bangs add softness and frame your face beautifully. It’s feminine, voluminous, and so flattering.
#39. Straight Cut with Teal Money Pieces
Teal money pieces are bold, edgy, and totally eye-catching on a sleek straight cut. The straight base keeps things low-key, while the teal highlights showcase your wild side. It’s fun, it’s daring, and it gives flat hair so much personality.
#40. Wavy Bob with Golden Ombré
This wavy bob has a laid-back, sun-kissed vibe with the golden ombré adding warmth and dimension. The soft waves give you that effortless, beachy look, and the ombré keeps it from falling flat when you straighten it. It’s casual, radiant, and so easy to style.
#41. Blunt Cut with Pastel Pink Tips
The blunt cut is dignified and sleek, but the pastel pink tips bring youthful, playful energy. It’s the perfect combo of simple and sassy, and you’ll get so many compliments. It’s bold enough to make a statement but still totally wearable.
#42. Side-Parted Layered Lob with Honey Accents
The side part adds instant volume and sophistication, and the honey accents brighten your face beautifully. The layers create the illusion of fullness on all hair densities, and the honey tones highlight your best features. It’s versatile, polished, and naturally radiant.
#43. Medium-Length Slicked-Back Hair
Slicked-back hair on medium lengths is powerful, polished, and so modern. It’s a bold departure from traditional feminine looks, but it still holds all the elegance you want. I’d style this with a smoothing gel or cream for that sleek, glossy finish.
#44. Wavy Asymmetrical Bob with Silver Highlights
The asymmetrical bob gives you volume, texture, and visual interest, and the silver highlights let you embrace gray in a trendy, chic way. This cut has everything—edge, sophistication, and that cool-girl vibe. It’s one of my favorites for women over 40.
#45. Voluminous Curls with a Middle Part
You can’t go wrong with classic voluminous curls and a middle part. This balanced, timeless style works for any occasion and any hair texture. It’s glamorous, flattering, and effortlessly beautiful every single time.
#46. Feathered Layers with Platinum Money Pieces
Feathered layers give you retro-inspired movement and texture, and the platinum money pieces brighten everything up. It’s easy to style in minutes, and the color makes you feel like a million bucks. It’s polished, fun, and full of personality.
#47. Mid-Length Cut with Deep Side Part and Caramel Streaks
A deep side part brings old-school glamour and natural volume, and the caramel streaks add warmth and dimension. This is such a classic, elegant style that’s perfect for everyday or special occasions. It’s timeless with just the right amount of shine.
#48. Tousled Medium Bob with Seafoam Highlights
This whimsical coastal style takes years off your face. The tousled texture gives you windswept movement, and the seafoam highlights add a playful, beachy vibe. It’s youthful, fun, and perfect for anyone who wants that seaside energy.
#49. Poker Straight Medium Cut with Neon Green Edges
This is bold, statement-making hair at its best. The poker-straight cut is sleek and simple, but the neon green edges are electrifying and totally attention-grabbing. If you want to look years younger and make a serious impact, this is the cut.
#50. Curly Bob with Deep Burgundy Undertones
Deep burgundy undertones look so luxurious on curly bobs. The cut enhances your curl texture and adds volume, while the burgundy gives you richness, depth, and a rosy glow. It’s confident, captivating, and absolutely gorgeous.
#51. Medium-Length Waterfall Waves with Ash Blonde Highlights
These waterfall waves are refined and fabulous—full of body and movement. The ash-blonde highlights add elegance and detail, making every wave stand out. It’s polished, dimensional, and so beautiful for special occasions or everyday glam.
#52. Choppy Lob with Lavender Tint
The choppy layers give you edgy, youthful texture, and the lavender tint brings playful, whimsical energy. This is such a fun, modern take on the lob, and it’s perfect if you want to experiment with color in a trendy way.
#53. Sleek Straight Hair with Royal Blue Money Pieces
Sleek, straight hair is classic and polished, but the royal blue money pieces add serious power and edge. It’s a striking, bold style that’s perfect for anyone who wants a dramatic change. It’s chic, it’s confident, and it definitely rewinds the clock.