Updated by the AI Hairstyle team
Medium Length Hairstyles
Medium length hairstyles sit between short and long: long enough to tie back or tuck behind the ears, short enough to stay light. Upload a selfie and try a wolf cut, beach waves, curtain bangs, shaggy layers or curtain hair on your own photo before you decide which way to go.
Upload a Photo and Try a StyleWomen's Medium Length Hairstyles
Men's Medium Length Hairstyles
Why Medium Length Hairstyles Are Popular
- Flexible: long enough for a ponytail or half-up style on some days, loose on others.
- Lighter upkeep than long hair: less drying and detangling time.
- More options than short hair: room for layers, waves and curtain fringes.
- A step either way: a good middle stage if you are growing out a short cut or testing shorter hair.
Growing Out Through Medium Length
Most people pass through medium length when growing out a pixie, crop or short back and sides. Layered shapes such as the wolf cut or shaggy layers make that stage look intentional instead of in-between.
Plan trims with your stylist so each stage has a shape: trimming the back while the front catches up is a common approach.
Medium Length Hair for Men
For men, medium length usually means hair that reaches the ears or collar. Curtain hair and shaggy layers are relaxed, textured options; a textured quiff keeps the sides shorter with more length on top.
Medium-length men’s styles need regular shaping at the neck and around the ears, even while the top grows.
The preview redraws the style on your photo; it does not measure your hair. How a cut behaves in real life depends on your own density, texture and growth, so use the preview to judge the shape on your face and your stylist to judge whether your hair can hold it.
Styling Medium Length Hair
Medium length hair is long enough to flip out or curl under at the ends, which changes the look a lot. A flat iron or a round brush can turn the ends in for a polished finish, while texture spray and air-drying give the undone look of the beach waves preset.
Shoulder length hair often flips outward where it touches the shoulders. Cutting it slightly above or below that point, or adding layers, keeps the ends falling more neatly from day to day.
Try These Styles on Your Own Photo
Each generation gives you 2 variations, and new accounts get 1 free generation.
Open the GeneratorMedium Length Hairstyles: FAQs
What counts as medium length hair?
Roughly from below the chin to around the shoulders or collarbone. For men, hair that reaches the ears or collar.
Which medium length hairstyles can I preview?
For women, the wolf cut, beach waves and curtain bangs; for men, shaggy layers, curtain hair and the textured quiff.
Is medium length hair easier to manage than long hair?
Usually, because there is less length to dry and detangle, though layered cuts need regular trims to keep their shape.
Can I see medium length hair if my hair is long now?
Yes. The preview redraws your hair at the style’s length, so you can see the shorter look before cutting.