The butterfly haircut is one of the biggest hair trends of the past few years, and it’s not hard to see why. A combination of the ’70s shag and the ’90s-era “Rachel” with the added va-va-voom of contemporary bombshell blowouts, it's nearly impossible to find a reason not to like the look. As my Gen Z sister says, it's giving “rom-com hair.”
The chop may have started as a TikTok trend, but it's since surpassed its viral moment, solidifying its status as a beloved and timeless style IRL too. According to consumer-trend data-aggregation platform Spate, web searches for the butterfly cut increased by nearly 1000% in the past year. This stat comes as no surprise: The chop embodies the best of bygone haircut trends in one chic—and easy to maintain—long-hair-friendly style. It’s no wonder the butterfly cut fluttered its way into everyone's hearts so fast, including mine.
Before I get ahead of myself via my hair transformation journey, allow me to illustrate what the hairstyle is. According to Maxine Salon hairstylist Jenna Spino, the butterfly cut is a heavily layered and feathered cut that features shorter layers on top of the head and through the crown as well as curtain bangs. These shorter, face-framing layers slightly resemble butterfly wings, hence the cut's cute name.
“The short layers on top are blended through to longer layers on the bottom, and the shorter layers fall at or below the chin and the top layer falls just past the shoulders,” Spino says. As a result, these layers add tons of texture, movement, and volume to the hair.
That’s also why so many people with long, limp, and shapeless hair—like me—love the look.
“People are coming in with hair that’s grown out and all one length, saying, ‘Oh my God, my hair's so heavy on the bottom. It's so flat on top,” Jordan M., a hairstylist at Suite Caroline Salon, says of an influx of clients, like me, who have started suggesting the look as of late. “What makes it different from other styles is that the layers are all connected, so you get a very layered haircut bringing all the weight back up toward the face, losing those heavy ends.”
Another reason the butterfly haircut is surging in popularity, according to Jordan, is its versatility and how easy it is to style. “People are really styling their hair again,” he says. “During COVID, everyone was in their pajamas, then we all came out and were like, ‘Let’s do our hair.’” And since the cut is so voluminous yet low-maintenance, and works as a short haircut or on medium-length and shoulder-length hair, it's the best of all hair care worlds.
In terms of which hair types could benefit from the cut, it's pretty much all of them: Jordan asserts that clients with curly hair, wavy hair, and straight hair love this style: “It’s a great haircut for the person with really thick hair, but also a good haircut for someone with really fine, thin hair that just wants that movement in volume.”
With my superfine hair, I was in the latter category and was desperately craving movement, volume, and a style that framed—and flattered—my face but could be worn up or down and still be considered “long.” Fortunately, these are all characteristics of a butterfly haircut, and Jordan blessed my crown with wings (well, long layers) of its own.
In the end, we took about three inches off, but as is customary with the butterfly haircut, Jordan removed a lot of weight and added lots of layers. As a result, my hair has never felt lighter or more voluminous, and it's so easy to wash, dry, and style.
It holds up when I style it myself too. In fact, when I texted my sister pictures of my hair after washing it myself (and styling it with the help of a Dyson AirWrap), she responded, “OMG it looks AMAZING. Rom-com hair. Wow.” And she's usually my harshest critic!
I won't bore you with how obsessed I am with my haircut (which is very), but in case you're feeling inspired, here's what to tell your stylist. “Describe it as a butterfly cut, and find pictures of haircuts that you like, ideally on people with hair like you,” says Jordan.
Spino agrees, and suggests deciding exactly where you want the shortest layer to fall on your face—the cheekbone and/or jawline are usually good places to start, which is where mine does—and share this with your stylist ahead of time.
Once you've secured your butterfly cut, styling is a walk—or flutter—in the park, as proved by my ability to do it. What's more, Jordan asserts that the style works just as well air-dried as it does more styled, though it also makes for a particularly impressive ’90s blowout.
“Everyone is using a big round brush to create a 'the Rachel' blowout with them, which is really fun,” Jordan says. To get the look, you can also use a blow-dryer or a blow-dry brush, or opt for a Dyson AirWrap, which is my go-to—just don’t forget heat protectant. Spino also advises lifting the hair up and finishing with texturizing spray, hairspray, and/or volumizing mousse to really show off the layers (I use and swear by Colorproof's Texture Charge Defining Finishing Spray).
Ready to let your hair out of its cocoon to transform into a butterfly? Shop your butterfly-cut styling essentials below and flutter right into your rom-com happily ever after.
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Danielle Sinay is the associate beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @daniellesinay.
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