Short Black Hair Styles

Short black hair styles are perfect for African-American men and women who want to control their hair with an easy, manageable style without resorting to harsh chemical straighteners or continual conditioning. Black hair styles were once fairly limited, but today there are a wide variety of fun short styles to choose from.

Benefits of Short Styles

The biggest benefit of a short style for black men and women is that it eliminates much of the characteristic frizz and kink of their natural hair texture. This makes the hair much easier to manage, saving both time and money by eliminating the need for frequent, intensive treatments to straighten or otherwise control hair. Keeping hair short also minimizes hair damage and the risk of hair loss by reducing the need for strenuous treatments.

Short Black Hair Styles for Women

Men are accustomed to short styles, but women often crave more personalization and individuality than they initially think they can achieve with short locks. There are dozens of variations of elegant short black hair styles for women, however, including:

• Deliberately "messy" updos
• Graduated layers with longer layers on top for a sleek, smooth style
• Textured bobs with flipped out ends
• Mini cornrows or short micro braids
• Close crops with slightly longer hair at the crown to show off the hair's natural curls
• Shaved and sculpted styles with longer top layers
• Sculpted curls and elaborate ringlets framing the face
• Bangs flipped across the forehead or face
• Elaborate braids coiled into a bun, updo, or just arranged around the head

In addition to stylish dos, many black women opt for fun colored tips or streaks, even using blonde or red highlights to add flair and personalization to their style.

Short Black Hair Styles for Men

African-American men also have many options for attractive short styles, including:

Uniform buzz cut.

• Uniform crops or buzz cuts
• Buzz cuts of varying lengths on different parts of the head
• Flat top styles with shaved sides and distinctively longer crowns
• Sculpted shaved styles with stripes, patterns, or even words designed into the hair
• Spikes or heavily slicked styles
• Cornrows or short dreadlocks

One of the most popular styles with black men is to eliminate hair altogether: a shaved head can be stylish and attractive without as much fuss as finding a suitable style.

Getting a Short Style

While it may seem that short hair styles are simple to cut, it is best for black men and women to find a salon experienced with the special needs of ethnic hair. Even a simple style may need extra care, conditioning, and specialized cutting techniques to make it look stylish and effortless without damaging the hair.
Communities with large African-American populations are frequently home to highly experienced ethnic salons, but if a specialized salon is not available, interested clients can inquire at their favorite salon about individual stylists who are capable of crafting attractive short black hair styles. An experienced stylist is also necessary to help patrons choose a style that suits their face shape and facial features; short styles, in particular, highlight the face, and effective styling is necessary for an attractive result.

Caring for a Short Style

Even a short style needs appropriate care to keep it looking its best.

• Short styles need more frequent cuts and trims to keep them neat and to avoid excessive frizz as the hair grows.
• Hair should be conditioned regularly to protect its moisture and health, particularly if it is colored or straightened.
• Styles that require gel, pomade, or hair waxes to maintain their shape should be carefully and thoroughly washed; these heavy chemicals can clog hair follicles an inhibit growth as well as cause listless, dull strands.