How to cut a micro bob by Tom Warr
The micro bob is one of those cuts that demands precision but rewards it generously. Graphic enough to turn heads, wearable enough for the everyday – it sits at the intersection of structure and ease. In this tutorial, Tom Warr breaks the cut down into four core techniques: the line, graduation, layering, and detailing. Master each one and you’ll have the foundations for a cut that works across a wide range of clients.
The key principle running through the whole cut is this: every decision feeds the next. The line guides the graduation. The graduation informs the layering. The layering sets up the detailing. Work through each stage in order and the logic of the cut will become clear.
1. The line technique
What you’re doing:
Starting on the sides, the line is cut with zero tension – the hair is held in place with a comb against the face rather than pulled away from it. This creates a strong, clean initial line. Once that strength is established, the technique shifts: cutting through the fingers with a slight elevation softens the line and introduces a small amount of graduation. At the back, the sides serve as the guide, working around the head before graduating underneath.
Stylist tip: If you’re tempted to apply tension to speed up the line, resist it. Even a small amount of pull will shift where the hair falls naturally. Cut with zero tension, let the comb do the holding, and the line will be cleaner for it.
Why it matters
The line is the visual anchor of the entire cut. On a micro bob, where the hair sits close to the face, a clean and confident line does most of the heavy lifting. Getting it right first also gives you the guide for the graduation – without a solid line, the whole cut loses its reference point.
The choice to cut the line at the back before graduating underneath is deliberate. It produces a stronger, more solid effect at the perimeter and means the graduation is always working in relation to something established, not something approximate.
2. Graduation
What you’re doing:
With the line in as a guide, the graduation technique removes the remaining hair underneath. Tom works at a steep angle throughout, using diagonal sections to access the hair at that angle more comfortably. The fingers are pressed close to the nape to take the graduation as tight as possible in that area.
Stylist tip: Check your angle constantly as you work around the head. The temptation when graduating is to relax the angle as you move – keep it steep and keep your sections consistent.
Why it matters
Graduation is what gives the micro bob its lift and lightness underneath. Without it, weight builds at the perimeter and the cut loses its graphic quality. The steep angle is non-negotiable here: too shallow and you risk cutting into the line you’ve just established. Diagonal sections aren’t just a preference – they make the steeper angle physically accessible in a way that horizontal sections don’t.
Pressing tight to the nape keeps the graduation close at the back, which is where unwanted bulk tends to accumulate and where the cut is most visible from behind.
3. Layering
What you’re doing:
Round layers are worked from the middle of the head outward, following the head shape all the way into the fringe area to connect the cut and remove internal weight. The same guide is then carried across the top to reduce weight there while keeping the surface soft and textured. The work is cross-checked by sectioning in the opposite direction – on the top, checking across and removing any length missed through the back crown area.
Stylist tip: When cross-checking, use the same amount of elevation you used when cutting the layers. Changing your elevation during the check will give you a false read on what needs removing.
Why it matters
Short, well-placed round layers add volume and texture without bulk. They prevent the interior of the cut from sitting flat and heavy, which would kill the attitude of the shape. Following the head shape is what ensures the layers distribute weight evenly rather than creating unwanted ridges or flat spots.
The cross-check is not optional – it is how you find the balance. Working in the opposite direction to your sections reveals anything the eye missed the first time around. On the top and at the back crown, deliberately not following the head shape all the way down is what preserves the weight of the line and keeps the cut reading as a bob rather than something shorter.
3. Detailing
Before starting the detailing, dry the hair smooth and flat using a wrap dry technique. Working on dry hair gives you an accurate picture of where the weight is sitting and where refinement is needed.
What you’re doing:
There are three parts to the detailing. The fringe is taken shorter and lightened using a layered point cutting approach: first a small chipping action on a slight angle to bring up the line, then a deeper vertical point cut to remove weight from within the fringe, then larger angled point cuts to break up the texture for a more open finish. On the sides, vertical point cutting removes weight so the bob line sits flatter. The same technique is used over the ear, with the comb used to elevate slightly to avoid cutting into the line. The final step is scissor over comb at the back to refine the neckline and tighten the finish.
Why it matters
The detailing is where the cut transitions from a well-executed shape into a finished look. Point cutting isn’t just a texture technique – it is a weight management technique. Each pass serves a specific purpose: bringing up the line, removing interior bulk, and opening the surface. Done in sequence, the three-pass approach gives you control that a single technique pass cannot.
Scissor over comb at the back is the final quality check. On a micro bob, the neckline is exposed and always visible – any unevenness here will undermine the precision of everything above it.
Stylist tip: For scissor over comb, keep the bottom blade completely still and move the scissor blades at least double the speed of the comb travelling up the head. Moving too slowly with the scissor will leave steps in the finish.
4. Finishing – product and technique
Tom finished the look with Supreme Matte Paste by Oway for texture and hold, followed by a next day cream to add a lived-in feel and a hint of shine. The application is straightforward: work the product through all of the hair rather than concentrating it in one area.
The micro bob – who it’s for and how to wear it
The micro bob sits higher than a classic bob – typically just below the jaw or at the chin – giving it a sharper, more directional quality. It’s a cut that suits confident wearers, but confident covers a wider range of clients than you might expect. The strong line and reduced weight make it surprisingly easy to style and maintain, which makes it as relevant for a client who wants a sharp, low-effort cut as it does for someone chasing a more editorial look.
Worn smooth and sleek, it reads as polished and precise. Worn with texture and movement – as in this tutorial – it becomes something more relaxed and current. It works particularly well on straight to wavy hair textures, though with the right product and technique it can be adapted for natural wave and curl. For clients who want something graphic but genuinely wearable day to day, the micro bob consistently delivers.
If the length feels like too much of a commitment, there are natural variations worth knowing. A classic bob sits at the jawline with more weight through the perimeter. A French bob takes the fringe fuller and more blunt for a more overtly fashion-led result. A stacked bob adds more graduation through the back for volume at the crown. If you want some inspiration have a look at our bob directory. Each shares the same technical foundations covered in this tutorial – making this an essential cut to have in your armoury whatever direction a client wants to take it.
FAQs
Why do we start with the line technique rather than the graduation?
The line is the guide for everything that follows. Starting with graduation before establishing the line means you have no fixed reference point for the perimeter – and any errors in the graduation will be difficult to correct without compromising the final length. The line sets the foundation. Always build from it.
Why cut with zero tension on the line?
Tension pulls the hair away from where it naturally falls. When you release it, the hair springs back and the line ends up shorter or less clean than it appeared while you were cutting. Zero tension means you are cutting the hair exactly where it will sit when the client leaves the salon.
Why use diagonal sections for the graduation?
The steep angle required for this cut is difficult to access with horizontal sections – the geometry works against you. Diagonal sections open up the angle and let you press closer to the nape, which is where you need the graduation to sit tightest.
How do I know when I’ve taken enough weight out with the layers?
Cross-check as you go rather than waiting until the end. Work in the opposite direction to your sections and look for any visible weight lines or areas where the surface isn’t moving evenly. The goal is texture and lightness at the top while preserving the weight of the line through the lengths. If it still reads as a bob from the outside, the balance is right.
Why must scissor over comb be done on dry hair?
Wet hair stretches. Cutting it wet means you can’t accurately judge where the hair will sit once dry, and the finish will be uneven once the hair is styled. Always dry the hair completely before refining the neckline with scissor over comb.
Can this technique be adapted for clients with natural curl or wave?
Yes, with adjustments. The line technique and graduation principles apply across textures, but the amount of layering and point cutting will need to account for the way curl and wave contract the length. Work on dry or stretched hair to assess true length, and take less off in each pass – you can always go back, but you cannot add length.
At what stage should I involve the client in decisions about fringe length?
Before you begin the detailing. The fringe is the most visible and immediately impactful part of the cut for the client. Show them where you intend to take it and confirm the length in the mirror before you start the point cutting process. Taking it slowly and reassessing as you go is good practice regardless – but a shared starting point means you are both working towards the same result.
If you like this you might like Tom’s tutorial on a shaggy pixie cut. For more cuts and tips like this, subscribe to Blue Tit’s channel for stylist-led content.
Hair Stylist & Director Tom Warr is part of the Creative Team here at Blue Tit London. He heads up our Stylist training Academy. Find him at Blue Tit Forest Hill.
