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.
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.
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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.
While short hair is chic and on-trend, it's also intimidating to snip all your inches off if you're used to having a longer length. If you want to try short hair without committing to a full-on chop, you might want to ask your stylist for a butterfly haircut.
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.
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."
2Why Should You Get A Butterfly Haircut? If your hair type supports this kind of structured, layered hairstyles, you should definitely give it a go. The butterfly haircut works best with thick hair as it will need lots of volume to maintain plump and body in your mane even after such an elaborate layering work.
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.
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.
The butterfly haircut can be particularly flattering for individuals with an oval face shape. The voluminous layers at the sides add width, which can help balance the naturally balanced proportions of an oval face.
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.
The butterfly cut is most wearable on straight hair of medium textures. "Since it's a hairstyle that combines different hair layers, it's an ideal style for shoulder-length hair or longer," said Rawling. Say yes to the cut if: You have straight hair in a medium or longish length.
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.
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.
Because of multiple variances in the layers, a butterfly haircut gives the volume of a short haircut but it doesn't mean you will have to sacrifice your hair length. Instead, the butterfly haircut removes weight and damaged hair ends, leaving your hair voluminous and bouncy that's able to hold its shape.
First, gather your hair into a ponytail or bun. Then, twist your hair into a coil and hold it in place with one hand. With the other hand, open the butterfly hair claw and position it over the twisted hair. Release the claw so that it closes around the hair, securing it in place.
For a very short, military-style haircut, you can go for the buzz cut. While crew cuts are a good choice, buzz cut offers a more polished look. This short haircut is usually buzzed with a clipper, leaving the hair top about an inch long on top.
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.
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