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The Butterfly Cut Is The Only Voluminous Style You Need. Here's How To Make It Work For You

We seriously can't keep up with all the animal-inspired haircuts that are making the rounds these days. From the wolf cut to the octopus cut, the animal kingdom is inspiring plenty of on-trend 'dos. One of the most popular options is the butterfly cut, which has made a graceful landing on the heads of it-girls and, almost certainly, on your TikTok FYP. Besides names picked straight from the zoo, the popular haircuts of the moment have a few more things in common. Today's hair trends are all about volume, loads of layers, and a vintage '90s and early aughts vibe.

Hairstylist, Drea Dettmers, told Allure, "More and more clients are asking for a butterfly haircut, and they're all learning about it on TikTok." According to her, there's one thing, in particular, that makes this cut stand out from the crowd for folks looking to make a change to their look. She says, "Butterfly layers let you change up your hair without a drastic cut." While the shape of the butterfly cut is distinct, it can be done in so many different ways, making it versatile and ready to fit any hair-related need. Whether you're ready to explore what a karmic haircut can do for you, or you're just in the mood for a little change to your look, there's a version of the butterfly haircut that's perfect for you. Now's your time to emerge from your cocoon and go for a little snip-snip. 

The butterfly cut makes a perfect landing

Shags have been all-the-rage lately, which is probably one of the reasons that the butterfly cut has become so popular. The butterfly cut is a bit like a softer, slightly less choppy version of a shag. You may have also heard of the butterfly cut referred to as an octopus cut — yes they're basically the same thing. The octopus cut got its name because the balance of the layers makes something similar to the shape of an octopus. Well, some might say it also looks like a butterfly spreading its wings. The "wings" of the butterfly cut are composed of long layers and short layers that usually land a few inches below the chin. The effect is a combination of all the best parts of longer haircuts — length and volume combined with the face-framing look of a shorter, layered haircut. 

This cut will make your hair look fuller no matter what length you're going for, and it allows you to refresh your hair and clip off dead ends without having to go too drastic if you don't want to. Plus — if you do choose to go long with your butterfly cut, thanks to all the layers and face-framing pieces, it's perfect for messy bun looks for when you don't feel like looking overly put together. A cut that always looks done except when you don't want it to? Dare we say this haircut is perfect?

Embrace your hair's natural texture

This cut is ideal if you have thicker hair that has a natural curl or wave. It may not, however, be ideal if your hair is on the thinner side since the layers will leave the longer parts of your hair looking even less voluminous. For folks with a natural curl or wave pattern, this cut will allow your natural hair texture to shine through, while still giving your hair a bit of built-in shape.

When it comes to styling, stylist at Maxine Salon, Jenna Spino, told The Zoe Report, "To style you can simply air dry and finish with a texture spray, lifting the hair up and spraying to show off the layers." A blow dryer with a round brush and mousse can be key. If you have curly hair, on the other hand, a diffuser is your friend, but this cut will likely allow curly girls to minimize styling. If your hair's on the wavier side, this cut will help you create ultimate beachy waves — no ice-cold saltwater or heavy product needed. 

Try fringe with long side or curtain bangs

You may have noticed that dramatic side bangs are trending again, and if you've been eyeing the face-framing fringe style, the butterfly cut is a perfect look to go along with it. Because of the highly layered nature of the cut and the layers up around the crown of your head, in particular, curtain bangs or side bangs are the perfect companion for the choppy cut. 

You can easily style curtain bangs, no matter the length of your butterfly cut, and they'll always blend in with your shorter layers, regardless. Plus, if you're one of the folks opting for a butterfly cut because it can switch things up a bit while still allowing you to leave some length on your hair, curtain bangs are kind of the bang equivalent of this. In other words, cutting some long curtain bangs can be a great way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of fringe without making too much of a change and having an easy way to grow them out if you discover they're not your thing. We love a cut that lets us try something new without the worry of a potentially bad haircut. Just think of the long butterfly cut with long curtain bangs as the perfect pairing of low risk and high reward. 

Embrace blunt bangs

While there are plenty of folks out there who fear taking the leap into a fringe-centric haircut, others are ready for the bold new look of bangs. Conveniently, there's really no bang style that doesn't look chic and on-trend when paired with the butterfly haircut. We can't get enough of the breezy allure of wispy bangs lately, and whether you love the lighter look, or you're more a fan of a blunt fringe, the butterfly cut is a match made in haircut heaven with bangs of all shapes and sizes. 

Blunt or wispy bangs that taper a bit into your shortest layers will give you the choppy, volume-centric cut of your dreams while leaving your face perfectly framed, which provides you with a built-in contour. You can also opt for micro-bangs if you're looking to give your style a bit of vintage flair and want to give your cut some extra edginess. There's really no wrong way to add bangs to your butterfly cut; it's all about choosing the version that fits your hair type, face shape, and, of course, style. 

Don't be afraid to go short

It's clear that the butterfly cut is great for those of us who want to leave our locks long, but that's far from the only way to get the look. There are plenty of good reasons to chop off your hair — even if you're emotionally attached. Luckily, this trend cycle has left many of us interested in short hair, but that doesn't mean a boring, uniform bob is your only option.

You can opt for a shoulder-length butterfly cut, which will likely result in a softer transition to the shorter layers, while still giving that illusion of a cut with a variation of lengths. The other pro about a short butterfly cut is that if you do have wavy hair, this will weigh it down less and allow you to embrace your natural wave even more for a perfect, wave-friendly, ready-to-go cut. Pair it with the bangs of your choice or simply face-framing layers, and you've got a cut so full of style and movement that you'll feel just about ready to spread your wings.