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Layered Haircuts: A Guide to the Best Options

 

• Layered haircuts work on all hair types.
• Popular long layered haircuts include the "butterfly" cut and face-framing bangs.
• Short layered haircuts can include bobs and even the mullet.

Picking a haircut can give you major decision fatigue. From the classics to the trendiest new haircuts of 2023, there are so many options to choose from. If you're currently scratching your head trying to decide what your next look will be, sometimes it's easier to first narrow down some key characteristics you want — like layers — and go from there.

Layered haircuts come in all shapes and sizes, making them a great option for pretty much, well, everyone. From layered bob haircuts to layered haircuts with bangs, the limit to their variations does not exist. That means with a little research, you can find the most flattering hairstyle for you. All hair types can benefit from adding layers to their look, including those with really thick hair (since they can help remove some of the weight and heaviness at your ends) and really thin hair (they can add movement and body, making it look fuller).

Even if you're not ready to do anything drastic like a big chop (à la Hailey Bieber) or add some type of bangs to your style, mixing in some layers all over to your original cut is a nice alternative. From bobs to lobs, the viral "octopus" haircut, and the up-and-coming "cub cut," you can't go wrong with these options.

Keep reading to browse the best layered haircuts for every hair length and style preference.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Octopus" Haircut

The octopus haircut is "less sea creature and more stylish shag," as Darren Bain, lead stylist at Taylor Taylor London, previously told POPSUGAR. It features short, chin-length layers while keeping the rest of the hair long. It's a great layered haircut for thin hair.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Wolf Cut" Haircut

On the hunt for a layered shoulder-length haircut? We have just the thing: the wolf-cut haircut. Celebrity hairstylist Sally Hershberger previously told POPSUGAR, "It's a really cool, lived-in, sexy look that has lots of movement and layers."

Layered Haircuts For Women: Waterfall-Layers Haircut

Waterfall layers create "a cascading waterfall effect," Shannel Jones, Georgia-based hairstylist and waterfall-haircut master, previously told POPSUGAR. "These layers are blended in every direction, allowing hair to be styled in many ways." It's the perfect long layered haircut with bangs.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "C-Shape" Haircut

The C-shape haircut was super popular in the '90s and is making a comeback. The style works on all hair lengths, but we especially like it as a short-medium layered haircut. It adds volume and body to hair thanks to cuts that start at chin length and curve inward.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Jellyfish" Haircut

If you really want to make a statement, go with the jellyfish haircut. "It's essentially a version of a mullet that plays on shapes and contrasting lines," Gregory Patterson, celebrity hairstylist and color and styling expert for Sally Beauty, previously told POPSUGAR. It features one sharp layer right at the chin, creating a stark contrast between the two lengths.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Draped-Layers Haircut

The draped-layers haircut features long, choppy cuts. "The layers are cut around your face at different levels of lengths that accentuate your features to give a pop," Raven Hurtado, hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, previously told POPSUGAR. It's traditionally a long layered haircut but can also be customized into a medium layered haircut with bangs if that's more your style.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Shag Haircut

The shag haircut is quite possibly the most classic layered choppy haircut out there. The great thing about the shag is how versatile it is. You can incorporate more layers, add bangs, make it long, cut it short — there are no limits. It's a great layered haircut for curly hair, too.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Bixie" Haircut

The "bixie" haircut combines a bob and a pixie — it's a smidge longer than a pixie but not quite chin length, as most bobs are. It's a great short-layered haircut.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Butterfly" Haircut

The butterfly haircut is all about layers. Celebrity hairstylist and Biolage ambassador Sunnie Brook previously told POPSUGAR it's "cut in a way that the top layer can be separated from the bottom and easily pinned under to look like a short haircut." It's a great layered haircut for long hair, as the shortest layer falls below your chin.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Mullet Haircut

The mullet haircut has made a strong return. It's a great layered haircut for thick hair, as it helps reduce the heaviness at the end of the hair with choppy, short layers throughout.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Bob Haircut

Layered bob haircuts with bangs are great for adding movement and texture to your look. There are a number of different types of bobs that you can try, so make sure to consult with your hairstylist.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Manta Ray" Layers Haircut

The manta-ray layers haircut is essentially a layered haircut with long bangs. Hairstylist and Goldwell ambassador Jacob Habib Khan previously told POPSUGAR it's "a classic face-framing layer that starts close to the chin. It pushes back slightly deeper into the haircut at the top and then maintains weight through the back, keeping your interior layers long, with shorter layering focused around the face."

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Cub Cut" Haircut

The cub-cut haircut is a shorter version of the wolf. Sunnie Brook, celebrity hairstylist and Biolage global ambassador, previously told POPSUGAR: "Think of it as a bob with seamless layers that give loads of poetic play to the hair. If you want a soft, layered short haircut, this is for you.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Long-Layered Haircut

If you're not quite ready to commit to anything too drastic or different, try a simple long-layered haircut. This style features soft layering around the face to add some subtle variation to the overall look.

Layered Haircuts For Women: "Mixie" Haircut

The mixie haircut is a cross between a mullet and a pixie, which keeps the front of your hair short and the back long. It's a great short layered haircut with bangs.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Lob Haircut

A lob haircut is a long bob that hits either at the shoulders or just below them. As with the classic bob, you can add layers to your lob to shake up your look. Lobs also make great medium layered haircuts with bangs.

Layered Haircuts For Women: Face-Framing Layers Haircut

Face-framing layers act as a spotlight for your face and really help to show off your features. They can be shorter, almost like long bangs, or start at the chin — whatever you'd prefer.