If you’re looking to add something to your hairstyle but don’t want a major cut, layered hair can be a quick, easy change that is chic and trendy. Layers work on all hair types, styles, and lengths, including short, medium and long hair. By cutting layers into your hair, you can add volume, texture, and flow. Furthermore, layered haircuts are also great at face-framing, allowing you to highlight your favorite facial features while minimizing others. To help inspire your next cut and style at the salon, we’ve compiled the best layered hairstyles and haircuts for women to get right now. Whether you have thick, straight, thin, curly or wavy hair, these different types of hair layers will transform your look.
What Is Layered Hair?
Layered hair is a classic style for women who want to enhance volume, maximize styling options, and enjoy some of the best women’s hairstyles. Layers work to incorporate different lengths of hair within a haircut. The top layers are cut shorter than those resting beneath, resulting in a voluminous look that boasts texture and chic style. Layered haircuts are extremely popular because these styles can be flattering on all women, creating the illusion of both length, volume and fullness.
Additionally, layered hairstyles are super easy to style, and require very little effort to dazzle. Sometimes women choose layers to add body to their lifeless, thin hair, other times they are a welcome choice to keep thick tresses under control. Continue reading for a complete list of ways to add layers into your hairstyle to add variety to your go-to look.
Layered Hairstyles and Haircuts
Long Layered Hair
Long layered hair is a beautiful way to make a statement. Gorgeous and sexy, long layers also offers maximum versatility, allowing you to style all the most popular and best women’s hairstyles. To achieve a flawless and soft layered look, opt for your layers beginning only a few inches above the ends. This way, you’re creating subtle movement, rather than choppy or severe angles. The final result is a bit more texture, and a lot more substance.
Medium Length Layered Hair
Medium layered hair refers to the length of the layers, rather than how long your hair is. This type of layering is ideal for women with thick or wavy hair, especially if you want to add volume, movement and flow to your look. Ultimately, medium length layered hairstyles are incredibly versatile, youthful, and feminine. To achieve these mid layers, the first layer should begin around the face, somewhere between the jawline and cheekbone. This is also a perfect hairstyle for anyone who prefers to be lower maintenance; there’s very little styling involved with upkeep.
Shoulder Length Layered Hair
With shoulder-length hair, there are lots of possible styling opportunities, including layers. By throwing in subtle layering, starting at the jawline, you’ll add some dimension, shape, and life into your tresses. They’ll be an upgrade for anyone looking to mix things up.
Short Layered Hair
Don’t worry; short layered hair comes in more forms than just the infamous mullet. For example, short fine layering can be a chic and fashionable option for ladies who want to show off their face. Start at the bangs and work your way down from there, feathering the layers throughout the body of your hair.
Layered Haircut For Thick Hair
One of the benefits of a layered haircut is that it helps keep thick hair from becoming too overwhelming. Ladies with thick hair should consider long layers, which will keep volume where it belongs – in your control.
Long Straight Hair with Layers
If you have long, straight hair, you might find yourself struggling to leave your hair down, because it ends up falling into your face. One way to fix this is by adding layers – starting face-level at the jaw-line, which will open up your face rather than hiding behind your hair. Plus, this style looks fabulous on healthy and flowing tresses.
Long Layers in Medium Hair
Medium hair is the perfect length to play around with shaping styles, such as long layers. By layering your hair around the shoulders, you’re able to add texture and a beachy tousled look with wavy movement.
Layered Hair with Side Bangs
For a bohemian and chic style, consider adding some side bangs into your layered haircut. Rather than the old side-sitting chunk of hair of the past, cut your bangs with soft layers around your face. This will have more of a subtle tapering effect, rather than a severe bang.
Layered Curly Hair
One of the best ways to wear curly hair is with medium-length layers. Not only do the curls bring their own natural bounce and volume, but the cut itself helps to keep them shaped. If you’ve ever suffered from unruly, frizzy curls, a layered cut is a great way to take back some control and maintain a shape. Recommended styling includes the use of both mousse and an anti-frizz tool like a diffuser.
Long Layered Curly Hair
Curly hair with long layers is an eye-catching hairstyle. The key to pulling off this sophisticated style is by cutting the layers only a couple inches at the ends – though subtle, the difference in shape is noticeable. The final result is a hairstyle that lets your curls do the talking, and keeps any natural frizz to a minimum.
Straight Layered Hair
If your hair is naturally straight as a board, a layered haircut is a universally flattering style that adds both depth and movement. Since straight hair can sometimes look thin or flat, subtle medium-length layers work well to combat that effect and incorporate some structure. It’s a simple yet classic style that looks amazing.
Layered Wavy Hair
One of life’s perfect combinations is a layered haircut with wavy hair. This chic and goddess-like look is accomplished with face-framing layers that work their way down the body of your hair. This cut naturally flatters wavy tresses, whether natural or crafted with a curling iron or sea salt spray. Be sure to run your fingers through your hair for the ultimate beachy, bohemian vibes.
Long Hair with Short Layers
By implementing short layers throughout long hair, women are able to have a hairstyle that hits all of the holy grail benchmarks: texture, volume, structure, and dimension. The layers should start around ear-length and slowly make their way down to the ends, creating a waterfall effect. This style works on both thick and thin hair types looking to add some beautiful shape.
Long Layers on Long Hair
Layers don’t have to be short and choppy; they also look amazing on long hair. Long layers are a great way to add some subtle shape to a lengthy head of hair without having to do a major chop. A few thin layers make a big difference to the feel of your hair, while just making a slight structural change.
Long Layered Hair with Bangs
Though layers can look amazing on their own, the addition of bangs can be a serious style refresh. Though you’re incorporating fringe to the front of your tresses, well-done bangs can step up your hair game in a big way. Pair them with long layers, which will be a stunning contrast in length. You’ll impress with your new structurally enticing hairstyle.
Layered Haircut For Thin Hair
One way to add some extra volume and flair to thin hair is with a flattering layered hairstyle. It can be truly transformative to add fine layers throughout your hair, adding plumpness to a flat canvas. Styling your tresses into waves is a simple way to add even more life into your hair, which will look amazing transposed through your volumizing layers.
Short Layered Haircut For Fine Hair
Ladies with fine hair can also find lots to love with a short, layered haircut. This style does a few things: first, the layers replicate the bounce and volume that thinner hair can lack. Second, it also adds a modern edginess – short, feathery layers are like structured, intentional flyaways. You’ll look cool and like a rock star with minimal effort.
Layered Bob Haircut
Though a bob is a popular go-to for women of all ages, you can add some personalization and variety by adding layers. To up the ante a little, add long layers throughout, which will in turn create more volume and dimension. One way to style is by blow drying your hair upside down, starting at the roots, and sweeping your locks into a deep side part.
Short Choppy Layered Hair
Short choppy layered hair is incredibly popular and trendy right now. One way to embrace this hairstyle combo is to go for a short blunt cut, chopping the ends to a length between the ears and just below the chin. Add feather cut layers into the style to soften the severity of the crop, while also ensuring texture and volume throughout. For daily wear, be sure to use volumizing spray and mousse to add a chic element of mess and to emphasize the choppiness.
V Cut Hair with Layers
Perfect for ladies with long locks, V-cut hair with layers is a beautiful way to add length and movement to your cute hairstyle. As the name suggests, the layers are cut in a way where the ends taper down to a point, creating a v-like shape. The layers should be finely cut, and styling should enhance the hairstyle. Straightening or adding soft curls with a flat iron will elongate your tresses to create a flattering cascade of hair. To soften your layered style, you can always transition to a U-cut hairstyle and change things up.
