Layered styles are trending in a big way. Whether soft and bouncy, or edgy and sharp, if your hair is feeling blah, a layered haircut is the best way to add movement, dimension and personality to your look. Depending on your hair type, face shape and style, experts say there’s a few things you’ll need to consider before deciding on the right chop.
Featured Experts
- Kylee Heath is a celebrity hairstylist and V & Co. Beauty brand ambassador
- Raven Hurtado is a stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago
- Wes Sharpton is a Hairstory pro and educator
- Paul Labrecque is the creative director, master stylist and colorist at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa
Face-Framing Layers
What They Are: Face-framing layers are designed to accentuate your facial features, adding softness and balance to your overall look. These layers typically start at different points around the face, depending on the desired effect and face shape.
Expert Tip: Kylee Heath, a celebrity hairstylist and V&Co. Beauty brand ambassador, explains, “You want to consider your hair type/texture and how likely you are to style your hair when creating face-framing layers. They take a little maintenance, but they’re worth it! For a round face, layers that start just below the chin can help elongate the face.”
What to Ask For: Communicate with your stylist about how you typically wear your hair, as this will influence the placement of the layers. Raven Hurtado, a stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, advises to, “think about placement when adding face-framing layers on different face shapes to soften and enhance your features. For example, a round face looks best when layers begin lower than the chin to elongate.”
Curtain Bangs
What They Are: Curtain bangs are a soft, parted fringe that blends seamlessly into face-framing layers, offering a versatile look that can be styled in multiple ways.
Expert Tip: Wes Sharpton, a pro and educator at Hairstory, notes, “Curtain bangs can take your face-framing layers up a notch. They offer a versatile look that can be styled both parted and swept to the side.”
What to Ask For: For a cohesive look, ask your stylist to blend the curtain bangs into your existing layers. Paul Labrecque, creative director at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa, adds, “Heart-shaped faces look great with curtain bangs and layers placed so they’re feathering out away from the center of the face.”
Razored Layers
What They Are: Razored layers are edgy, lived-in layers created using a razor rather than scissors. This technique adds texture and movement, making it a popular choice for straight or wavy hair.
Expert Tip: “Razored layers can add a modern feel to the overall look,” says Sharpton. This technique works well on straight or wavy textures to enhance the natural movement of the hair.
What to Ask For: To get this look, ask your stylist to use a razor for the layers, which will create a softer, more lived-in effect. It’s ideal for those looking to add subtle texture without a drastic change.
Wolf Cuts
What They Are: The wolf cut is a trendy, shag-inspired haircut full of choppy, face-framing layers. It’s a mix between a shag and a mullet, giving a wild, untamed look.
Expert Tip: Labrecque mentions, “Clients are asking for the wolf cut—it’s full of face-framing layers. It’s important to keep your hair’s texture and thickness in mind before going through with this trendy layered style.”
What to Ask For: Discuss with your stylist how much texture you want and where the layers should start. This style works best on medium to thick hair with natural movement, as it requires volume to achieve the desired effect.
Lion Cuts
What They Are: Like the wolf cut, the lion cut is a dramatic, voluminous style characterized by layers that give the hair a wild, mane-like appearance.
Expert Tip: Labrecque also highlights the popularity of the lion cut, noting that it’s “full of face-framing layers,” but warns that it might not be suitable for everyone. “Thin hair doesn’t work great with many layers and if your hair is really thick, it can end up looking like a Q-tip.”
What to Ask For: This style requires careful consideration of hair thickness and texture. For those with thick hair, removing some weight can help prevent the style from becoming too bulky.
Bouncy Blowouts
What They Are: A bouncy blowout is a voluminous, soft style that pairs beautifully with face-framing layers, adding body and movement to the hair.
Expert Tip: Heath loves the trend, stating, “Having face-framing layers paired with a bouncy blowout is one of my favorite looks ever. When you create waves or curls, it is nice having some dimension to the haircut.”
How to Style: To achieve this look, use a round brush while blow-drying to add volume and finish with a texturizing spray. Regular trims will keep the layers fresh and prevent split ends.
Feathered Layers
What They Are: Feathered layers are soft, wispy layers that flow away from the face, creating a light, airy effect. This style is perfect for adding subtle movement without losing length.
Expert Tip: Labrecque recommends this style for those with oval faces: “I suggest feathering layers away from the face for oval shapes. It creates a soft, flowing look that enhances the face’s natural symmetry.”
How to Style: Feathered layers work best with longer hair and can be styled using a round brush to flip the ends outward, enhancing the feathered effect.
Choppy Layers
What They Are: Choppy layers are uneven, texturized layers that add a bold, edgy feel to the haircut. They are often used to create volume and movement, especially in straight hair.
Expert Tip: Heath advises caution with this style, saying, “You may not want super choppy layers if you wear your hair stick straight. It’s important to communicate how you like to wear your hair before getting it cut.”
What to Ask For: If you prefer a tousled, undone look, ask your stylist for choppy layers. Styling with a texturizing spray can help enhance the edgy feel of this cut.
Texturized Layers
What They Are: Texturized layers involve adding subtle or pronounced texture to the hair, creating a more natural, lived-in look. This style works well for adding movement and reducing bulk.
Expert Tip: Hurtado warns against overdoing it: “Another mistake is over-thinning or texturizing. You don’t always have to texturize face-framing layers, especially with fine hair because the ends would feel finer and wispy.”
What to Ask For: Texturizing can be done with scissors or a razor, depending on the desired effect. It’s crucial to find the right balance, especially for fine or thin hair, to avoid making the ends look too sparse.
