30 Short Black Hairstyles and Haircuts for Natural Hair

Cop some cute cropped styles to try this season.

There’s something undeniably chic and bold about short haircuts and styles in general, and something beautiful about cropped hairstyles for Black women in particular. Short Black hair is bold, beautiful, and elegant in a way that not all hairstyles are. Whether you choose a side-swept pixie cut or a short style with an undercut, there are many black womens short haircuts to choose from. Keep scrolling to get inspiration and see some of our favorite looks.

Few looks fall into all of these categories at once and that’s what makes this look so unique. Read on for some standouts on the black womens short haircuts:

1. Wispy Pixie

cropped hairstyles for black women wispy pixie
Work with your thin and wispy texture.

Make your thin and wispy hair texture work for you and cut your hair into a wispy pixie. This cut shines on relaxed hair, so it’s perfect if you’ve been looking for a serious chop while exploring black womens short haircuts options.

2. Curly Undercut

undercut curls on top
Pair your undercut with a head of curls.

This contrasting look gives you the best of both long hair and shaved sides. Let your curls run wild up on top and shave the sides of your style for the ultimate contrast. This is an absolute fave when it comes to black womens short haircuts.

3. Ultra Short

short black hair shaved
Go for the major shave, you won’t regret it! Photo credit: Kim Carpenter

Wear your curls cropped short for an ultra-chic look. This shaved look is bold and a must-try for anyone who has wanted to try an ultra short cut. This is also the most perfect way to give your curls a fresh start.

4. Tousled Curls

cropped hairstyles for black women tousled curls
Wear your curls messy.

Soften your style by wearing your curls tousled and messy. Achieve this style my by giving your curls the moisture they crave. We love Suave Luscious Curls Curl Defining Cream for adding bounce and definition to curls. Plus, its light hold makes it great for achieving tousled curls.

 

5. Swooped Pixie

swooped pixie
Play with texture and length.

Give your pixie some edge and definition by styling the ends with Dove Amplified Textures Define N’ Moisture Styling Gel. A little bit of this product goes a long way and just a touch with defining the ends of your hair without weighing them down.

6. Blonde Pixie

short hairstyles for black women straight blonde pixie
Go light and bright.

Brighten up your relaxed hair by dyeing it a bright shade of bleached blonde. While bleached hair can be a big haircare responsibility, the color is definitely worth it. You can even bleach your hair at home if you’re up to the task.

7. Red Twists Short Haircut

cropped hairstyles for black women
Make a statement with color and texture.

Twist your hair out and transition into that red hair life by dyeing just the ends of your twists red. Red and warm tones, in general, are a trend this year, so this style would definitely one to try yourself.

8. Add a Headband to Your Short Haircut

short hairstyles for black women red tones natural texture
Who says you can’t wear a headband with short hair?

Wrap a bandana around your short haircut to add some extra visual interest to your classic style. This accessory is perfect for black womens short haircuts, it adds a pop of color and style that is bound to brighten your day.

9. Gelled Curls

short hairstyles for black women red curls gelled
Style your curls with the right hair product and bring them to their full potential.

Run TRESemmé Flawless Curls Defining Cream through your hair when it’s still damp from your shower for perfectly gelled and defined curls. This cream hydrates curls while fighting frizz, to give that soft and smooth finish you deserve. No crunchy texture, ever.

10. Mini Afro Short Haircut

cropped hairstyles for black women mini afro
Celebrate your curls.

Show off your curls by wearing them in an all-natural mini afro. Afros of all shapes and sizes are en vogue and going nowhere anytime soon. We love the flirty and playful shorter afro length, and it’s great for gals who can’t commit as much time to care for a longer length.

11. The Hard Part Short Haircut

short hairstyles for black women hard part curls
Borrow a styling trick from the guys.

Take a leaf out of the guys’ hairstyling book and ask your stylist for a hard part. This is one of the chicest black womens short haircuts, it’s clean and fierce.This style is also perfect for everyday wear.

12. Grown Out Pixie

short black hair growing out pixie
Make your style work as you grow it out.

Don’t worry about the awkwardness that sometimes comes with growing shorter hair out. Make your look intentional with this grown-out pixie. For an extra added effect, slick down the grown out pixie for a sleek vintage, look.

13. Falling Curls

short hairstyles for black women falling red curls
Consider this sexy style.

Let your curls fall down onto your forehead for an easy, sexy look. Curly bangs are trending this season and this is a great style to give them a try. We love how the fringe emphasizes the natural texture of your hair.

14. Curly Bob

short hairstyles for black women curly bob
Wear your curls in a cute bob.

Wear your curls in a cute bob for a look that’s both chic and sweet. This length has been iconic for a reason, it’s easy to care for and provides so much more volume to your look–what’s not to love?

15. Curly Blonde

short hairstyles for black women
Wear your blonde curls closely cropped.

Wear your curls just long enough to show them off and highlight them even more with a bright shade of blonde hair color. When sporting blonde hair, it’s best to use a purple shampoo to help avoid your color from becoming brassy. We love SheaMoisture Purple Rice Water Strength & Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner.

16. Chic Curls

short hairstyles for black women cropped curls
Ultra short is ultra-chic.

Sometimes the chicest option is to cut your strands ultra short. Barely even their curls give off major high-fashion vibes, it brings all the attention right to your face and can create the illusion of a slimmer, more elongated look.

17. High Contrast

short hairstyles for black women contrast
Create a high contrast look with different textures and lengths.

Create a look that includes lots of contrast by incorporating different textures and lengths. Black womens haircuts don’t mean it all has to be the same length! Have fun with some layers and contrast.

18. Classic Afro

short hairstyles for black women classic afro
Why mess with a classic?

This classic afro shows off your natural curls in a beautiful way. Creating the perfect, big afro only takes 4 easy steps, why not give it a try? We love how this style shows off the natural volume of your strands.

19. Brushed Up

short hairstyles for black women brushed up
Add some height to your hair.

Brush your hair up into a gravity-defying style and hold it in place with a spritz of Dove Style+Care Extra Hold Hairspray. This is a great product for cropped hairstyles for Black women because it has a lot of holds but doesn’t leave your hair crunchy.

20. Big Curls on Top

short black hair big curls
Go for a style that’s very top-heavy with the curls. Photo credit: Caique Silva

We love a curly, top-heavy cut. Focus on the length and volume at the top of your style for a focus on your beautiful curls. Using your length on top will also give you that high fashion curly bangs style that everyone has been wanting to try.

21. Shaved Sides on a Cropped Pixie Cut

girl with pixie cut and shaved sides
Try a pixie cut with shaved side.

To get a look that’s more on the dramatic side and makes a statement, opt for a pixie cut that’s slightly shaved on the sides. Keeping the sides extra short will emphasize your texture on top.

22. Soft Curly Pixie

girl with soft curly pixie cut and glasses
Create a soft look, but letting your curls doing their thing.

Show off your curls with a cropped cut, by letting them do their thing! If you want more definition to your look, use a curl cream like Nexxus Curl Define Leave-In Moisturizer.

23. Accessorize with a Hat

girl with cropped natural hair wearing a red hat
Add a hat!

Don’t feel like styling your hair? Accessorize your look with a hat! This can do wonders for your overall style. Plus, it helps elevate an outfit.

24. Tapered Cropped Cut

girl with tapered pixie haircut
Go for an ultra-short pixie cut.

If you’re wanting a pixie cut, but want to change it up a bit, opt for a tapered style. A tapered pixie cut will gradually get shorter towards the nape of your neck. Plus, it’s very easy to care for!

25. Add Flower Accessories

girl with accessorized afro hair
Add flowers to accessorize your afro.

Whether you choose flowers, hair clips, or pins, adding accessories to your afro can take it to a whole new level.

26. Triangle Haircut

girl with natural hair triangle haircut
Opt for a cropped triangle haircut.

Want a sleek look? Ask your stylist for a triangle haircut that stops at jaw level. This cut is also a perfect option if you’re wanting a distinct, signature hairstyle.

27. Brushed Back Cropped Curls

girl with brushed back cropped natural hair
Brush your hair back and let your face shine.

Brush your curls back for a look that keeps your hair out of your face while showing off your features. A look like this lets your face shine will showing off your curly texture.

28. Light Honey Blonde Hair

girl with light honey blonde pixie cut
Try a new light honey blonde hair color.

Sometimes all you need to do a switch up the color. We love how this light honey blonde color compliments warm, dark skin tones.

29. Perm Rod Curls

perm roller curls on natural hair
Use perm rollers to create a different type of curl on natural hair.

Using a perm rod to create a different type of curl rather than opting for your natural curl is an exciting way to change up your style. For this, you can keep your hair short, but don’t need to worry about any drastic haircut changes.

30. Subtle Finger Waves Short Haircut

girl with blonde finger waves on natural hair
Try subtle finger waves. Photo Credit: @Johnathan Kaufman

Just because you have short hair doesn’t mean you can’t style it. Add in some subtle finger waves for a retro-inspired look.

There are so many cropped hairstyles for Black women to try. These cuts are all about saying ‘bye-bye’ to the long length and embracing your features with a super short cut. We know you’re going to love your cropped cut!

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