Q: I am 55-year-old woman who wants to know how to "soften" the look of a bob haircut. Very severe haircuts make us look much
older. Can you layer and bob to help it be softer? Thanks!
A: You are correct in that very severe haircuts can make one look older. As we age, a softened look is called for and you can make a
bob cut softer in a number of ways.
How you soften the look is determined by the needs of your specific hair type and circumstance. Is
the problem just a matter of hard edges and lines in overall flat hair? Then, maybe you can add some box layers where the hair on
the surface is layered but the hairline of the overall look is kept solid. This would allow you to create some wave and add volume as
needed to the hair to soften the look.
If the problem isn’t “flat” hair, then maybe you should bevel the cut line of the hair by taking
thin slices of the hair and cutting the ends of the hair at an angle to reduce the bulk at the ends of the hair. This creates layers
along the lower portions of the hair. If that fails to provide the right amount of softness, you can texture the ends of the hair
using a point-cutting technique or with a razor tool.
This can create a contouring along the ends of the hair that softens hard edges and gives a
pleasing finish to the overall style.
