Short hair is having a moment, and our social feeds are flooded with bobs, lobs, and various cuts above the shoulder. Equally trendy is the butterfly cut, a voluminous, layered approach to shaping (typically medium-length or long) strands. So, it only makes sense that people would eventually seek ways to achieve the butterfly cut on shorter hair.
We tapped celebrity hairstylists Alex Brown and Sarah Potempa to give us the scoop on all things butterfly haircuts for short hair, including how to achieve and style the look. Read on for everything you need to know.
Meet the Expert
Alex Brown is a celebrity hairstylist and owner of SPACE by Alex Brown, a private hair studio in Chicago.
Sarah Potempa is a celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of The Beachwaver Co.
"Butterfly cuts are all the rage right now on TikTok, and for good reason," says Brown."This chic style gives the hair a lot of volume at the roots and movement throughout, which makes it really easy to style and maintain." Though the butterfly trend gained traction on longer haircuts, it's starting to transition to shorter styles. "[It's] versatile and adaptable for almost all hair types and lengths," says Potempa, due to the cut's weightlessness, volume, and movement—traits many of us desire, regardless of hair length.
We all know a change of season can be a fun opportunity to switch things up, haircuts included. "With fall right around the corner, a lot of are women cutting off their long, dry summer locks and rocking something short and chic to compliment chunky knits and turtlenecks," Brown points out."The butterfly cut on shorter hair is super effortless and a perfect way to transition those longer butterfly cuts into the fall months."
How to Achieve a Butterfly Cut on Short Hair
While the key to achieving a butterfly haircut on any length is usually lots of face-framing layers, the secret with shorter lengths is thinned-out ends: You want to keep things light and feathery. Thinning the ends of the layers to help remove weight creates that butterfly effect on shorter strands, explains Potempa. "Too many layers on short hair can create the look of thin hair where we want the hair to look full and voluminous," she tells us. "Taking weight off your [layered ends] will help lift the hair to create fullness."
"To do this cut yourself at home, the ponytail method is a great option," Potempa says. "It allows for clean, easy sectioning that can be easily replicated if you decide to go back in for a more drastic cut."
What You'll Need:
A comb
Two elastics
Sharp hair-cutting shears
Potempa's Step-by-Step Guide:
Beginning with wet hair, create a line with the comb across the top of the head just behind the ears. This will give you a front and back section.
Using the comb to keep the hair smooth, bring the front section to the center of the forehead and secure it with a hair tie. Make sure this ponytail is tight, to begin with—you don't want to tug at the hair and risk creating unevenness.
Use the comb again to smooth the back section up into a high ponytail close to the line created for sectioning.
Holding the front ponytail tight, cut a few inches off. Make sure you are using the natural direction of the ponytail as a guide. The over direction of the hair will help create layering while maintaining more length than you might think.
After taking a few inches off the front section, slightly over-direct the back ponytail forward and cut the same amount of hair.
For shorter hair, since the same layering techniques we see done on long hair may end up looking more chunky and less light and blended, I recommend going back through the hair with thinning shears and, about two inches from the ends, thinning the layers out to help achieve the butterfly cut effect.
Byrdie Tip
Don't lift the hair in your ponytail up or to either side. That will create chunky or uneven layering.
How to Style a Butterfly Cut on Short Hair
To style a butterfly cut on short hair, the goal is to get that desired airiness to start at the mouth and thin out at the ends, creating a tapered look. "This tapering gives that wing-like effect when blow-dried away from the face," says Brown, who recommends a round brush or hot brush similar to the Dyson Airwrap ($600).
Apply a volumizing spray or mousse to the roots of damp hair.
Rough dry 50 percent of the moisture out of the hair upside down to lift the roots off the scalp.
Use a blow dryer and round brush or blowout brush attachment (like theBeachwaver Blow Brush, $189)to create big, bouncy, blowout waves directed off the scalp and away from the face.
Finish with a texturizing spray throughout for volume and hold.
For added volume around the face, Brown suggests adding a curtain bang starting around the corner of the eye or cheekbone.
If you have a naturally wavy texture, this cut and length can be styled simply by adding the right product—like Potempa's favoriteMe & My Curls Creamy Curl Mousse($25)—and air drying to get movement.
Fall 2023’s Biggest Haircut Trends: The '90s Supermodel Cut, Goddess Braids, and More
While the key to achieving a butterfly haircut on any length is usually lots of face-framing layers, the secret with shorter lengths is thinned-out ends: You want to keep things light and feathery. Thinning the ends of the layers to help remove weight creates that butterfly effect on shorter strands, explains Potempa.
In short, the Butterfly cut for short hair allows you to have a lot of fun with color, which can focus only on the tips or perimeters. My goal was to choose a cut that created movement and fullness and to make her color pop, also bring out the features in her beautiful face!
Many of the butterfly technique videos appear to end successfully, leaving users with the desired result. However, there are a fair share of self-proclaimed failures, which usually say their error was cutting off more hair than they'd planned to.
While the cut can be tailored to any hair type, Brook says it looks best on those with natural texture. “Anyone can try this cut, but it's best for wavy or curly hair,” Brook says.
The style is ideal for people wanting to create the illusion of fuller, healthier hair without sacrificing length. Hairstylist Ashley Lynn, in Charlotte, North Carolina notes that the butterfly cut also "creates volume and shape, while removing damage from every level."
The butterfly haircut typically works best on medium to long hair lengths. Ideally, the hair should be at least shoulder-length or longer to achieve the full effect of the layered and voluminous sides that characterize the style.
The butterfly cut is one of the most popular haircuts of the year for a reason, but it's not as easy to maintain as it looks. If you have thinning hair, make sure to give your strands the support they need to rock this cut. Use volumizing products to boost your locks for more luscious layers.
If your client has thick, wavy hair and wants a style with more lift and shape, then the butterfly cut could be a great option. On the other hand, if your client has fine, straight hair, the added layers may not provide the desired look or the desired outcome.
Will the butterfly haircut suit my face shape? The chances are, yes! This look is so versatile your face shape doesn't matter, whether it's square, heart-shaped, round, oval, diamond, or triangle; your stylists will add slight variations to the butterfly haircut to compliment your face structure.
The beauty of the butterfly haircut is that it's pretty low maintenance. It works with your hair texture to give you that “effortless” look. However, if you do find yourself wanting to style it (because hey, you can NEVER have too much volume) then we recommend using a good hair mousse to add some extra oomph.
It's easy to assume butterfly layers are only suited for straight hair, but with the right styling, it's a cut that can work on any texture of hair. If you have curly hair, a long butterfly haircut is a great way to make your mane more manageable while giving it plenty of shape.
It's gained popularity because it allows clients to grow their shorter strands out into longer layers, while also having the option to tuck parts underneath and wear it “short.” The '90s-inspired look has been compared to the iconic “Rachel” cut from Friends, as well as Pamela Anderson's hair during her Baywatch days.
The "Butterfly" cut can be described as a modern take on the classic shag. The name comes from the layering effect that frames the face effortlessly with an overall seamless blend. The "Wolf" cut, is the perfect mix between a textured shag with the shape of a mullet.
'” 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.
A super short pixie cut is a great cut for someone who doesn't want to style their hair at all. “It offers the perfect, effortless bedhead look and requires no effort to style,” explains Medchill.
Is The Butterfly Haircut Right For You? The butterfly haircut works with all hair types, though natural, curly and wavy textures tend to work best due to the defined, layered nature of the style. However, when it comes to thin hair, you might want to steer away from this cut.
This bouncy, curly hair will give you that boho look you're going for. You'll need roughly six to eight packs of water wave hair to create your locs. If you want locs that are longer than your natural hair, you can also use marley braiding hair to get extra thickness and length before you start the loc process.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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