You know the hair. Big, bouncy, brushed out layers that flip away from the face and swing every time she turns her head, like she just walked out of a 90s salon.
That’s the butterfly cut. Short layers around the face create the “wings,” and long layers underneath keep all your length. Blown out, it looks like a short shag on top and long hair below, and that mix is where all the volume comes from.
The catch is that most photos show one version on one hair type. If you’ve been saving butterfly haircut long hair ideas, you’ve probably noticed the cut looks completely different on curls, fine hair, or very thick hair. A screenshot alone doesn’t tell your stylist much.
So here are 20 versions, with what to ask for at the salon, how to style each one at home, and honest notes on how much upkeep to expect.
1. Classic Butterfly Cut With a Big 90s Blowout
The classic butterfly gives you the volume of a short layered cut without giving up the length you worked so hard to grow.
Your stylist cuts the top layer around the chin or cheekbones, then adds long layers through the back. Blown out with a large round brush, the short layers lift and flip away from the face.
What makes it look 90s:
- Volume at the roots, not just the ends
- Ends curved under or back, never flat
- A glossy finish from one drop of shine serum
Velcro rollers at the crown while you get dressed help the lift last longer.
2. Soft Butterfly Cut With Longer Wings
Nervous about short layers? A soft butterfly keeps the shortest pieces down near the collarbone.
Soft vs classic butterfly:
- Soft: wings start at the collarbone, easy to tuck, quieter shape
- Classic: wings start near the chin, bigger flip, more styling
You still get movement and that layered swing, just with less going on around your face. It’s a smart first step if you’ve worn one length hair for years and the thought of short pieces makes you nervous.
Love it? Go a little shorter at the next trim.
3. Dramatic Butterfly With Cheekbone Wings
The rule for a dramatic butterfly: the shorter the top layer, the more often you’ll reach for a brush.
Wings cut at the cheekbones create the biggest flip and the clearest two level shape. Blown out, it looks like a full shag sitting on top of long hair.
Air dried, though, those short pieces can stick out in odd directions.
Plan for it: on lazy days, blow dry only the front layers. Once your hands learn it, that takes about five minutes.
4. Butterfly Cut With Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs slide right into the butterfly’s short layers, so the whole front reads as one soft sweep.
Style it in this order:
- Blow dry the bangs first, while damp, rolling them back with a small round brush.
- Dry the short wings back and away from your face.
- Finish the lengths with a large round brush.
- Hit it with a cool shot, then shake out with your fingers.
Ask your stylist to match the bang length to the first layer so there’s no gap between them.
5. Butterfly Cut on Long Curly Hair
Curly girls often hear that a butterfly cut needs a blowout. It doesn’t.
On curls, short layers around the face let them spring up and frame your cheekbones, while longer layers keep the back from puffing into a triangle.
- Have it cut dry, curl by curl
- Keep the shortest layer longer than you would on straight hair, since curls shrink
- Diffuse on low heat, tilting your head to each side
The wings show up as bouncy face framing ringlets instead of a brushed flip.
6. Air Dried Butterfly on Long Wavy Hair
Plenty of women with wavy hair find their butterfly looks better air dried than blown out. The layers give the waves room to form.
The short front layers bend outward on their own, and the longer layers can wave without being dragged flat by their own weight.
- Scrunch a light mousse into damp hair
- Twist the front layers away from your face
- Leave it alone until fully dry
On day two, mist with water and scrunch again. No full wash needed.
One length waves pulled flat at the top by their own weight, with all the bend stuck at the bottom few inches.
Waves start higher, the front layers curve away from your face, and the back moves when you walk.
7. Light Butterfly Layers for Fine Hair
Fine hair can lose its fullness at the ends when a stylist goes heavy on layers.
Ask for a butterfly with fewer, longer layers and a solid perimeter. The face framing wings still lift and frame, but the bottom of your hair stays thick.
- Shortest layer around the chin, not the cheekbones
- Two or three long layers at most
- No thinning shears on the ends
Volumizing mousse at the roots and a blow dry with your head flipped upside down add the lift fine hair struggles to make on its own.
8. Debulked Butterfly for Thick Hair
The mistake with thick hair is cutting butterfly layers without removing weight underneath. The wings end up sitting on top of a heavy block.
Ask your stylist to take bulk out of the interior first, then shape the layers. Your hair moves as one light shape instead of two separate pieces stacked on each other.
Good to know: thick hair holds a blowout well, so the butterfly flip can often last into day two or three.
Book a trim every couple of months, or the bulk slowly creeps back.
9. Butterfly Cut With a V-Shaped Back
Seen from behind, the long layers taper into a soft point in the middle of the back, while the short wings flip out at the front.
The V shape makes very long hair look lighter at the sides and keeps the butterfly from looking boxy at the bottom.
Best on: straight to wavy hair that falls below the shoulder blades.
Ask for a soft V, with the tip slightly rounded off. A sharp point on fine ends can look stringy after a few weeks.
10. Butterfly Cut With Heavy Blunt Ends
Butterfly cuts are usually layered all the way down, but some hair needs a thick, solid hem.
Keeping the last few inches blunt gives you bouncy wings up top and a strong, healthy looking bottom line. It suits anyone whose ends tend to look thin or see-through.
- Layered ends: more movement, lighter swing
- Blunt ends: fuller hem, length looks longer
Before you leave the chair, ask to see the back in a hand mirror. The bottom line should look solid.
| Layered Ends | Blunt Ends |
|---|---|
| Easiest on: thick, heavy hair | Easiest on: fine to medium hair |
| Blowout look: airy and feathered | Blowout look: full and glossy |
| Curls and waves: form easily | Curls and waves: sit lower |
| Ask for: point cut tips | Ask for: last few inches left solid |
11. Butterfly Cut With Face Framing Highlights
Lighter pieces at the front make the butterfly wings easy to see, even in photos and dim restaurant light.
Ask your colorist to brighten the short face framing layers and the underside of the wings. When you flip them back, the bright ends trace the shape of the cut.
- Keep the rest of the color softer for contrast
- Book a gloss between appointments to calm brassiness
Cut first, color second, so your stylist doesn’t trim off the brightest ends a week after you pay for them.
12. Sleek Butterfly With C-Curl Ends
Straight hair can wear the butterfly sleek, with each layer curving inward like the letter C.
At home:
- Blow dry until almost dry.
- Run a flat iron down each layer, turning it under at the end.
- Curl the wings away from your face instead of under.
- Smooth a drop of serum over the top.
The result looks polished and glossy instead of big and bouncy. It’s the version that looks most at home in an office meeting.
13. Butterfly Cut With Side Swept Bangs
On a windy walk, side swept bangs fall back into the butterfly wings on their own, which makes them easy to live with.
The bangs are cut long and angled near the cheekbone, then blend into the first face framing layer. The other side stays slightly shorter for balance.
Part on whichever side your hair falls naturally. Blow the bangs across with a paddle brush, and they’ll usually stay put until evening.
Blow the bangs across while they’re still damp, before they dry in place.
Pin them back with one small clip on lazy days.
Snipping the bangs yourself between trims. Angled bangs are easy to cut too short.
Curling them tightly under, which fights the sideways sweep.
14. Butterfly Blowout With Velcro Rollers
Velcro rollers are the easiest way to fake a salon butterfly blowout at home.
- Rough dry your hair until it’s mostly dry.
- Set the crown and front layers in large rollers, rolling back and away from your face.
- Warm each roller with the dryer, then let them cool while you do your makeup.
- Pull them out and break up the curls with your fingers.
Big rollers give volume. Small ones give tight curl. For the butterfly, always go big.
15. Half-Up Butterfly With the Wings Left Out
Small rule: clip back the long layers, never the wings.
Gather the top section behind your face framing layers and secure it with a claw clip or small elastic. Leave the short wings loose so they frame your face.
It’s a handy second day style, since the lengths can look flat while the front still holds its shape.
Quick tip: run a hot brush through the wings for half a minute before you clip the rest. They’ll look freshly styled.
16. Butterfly Cut in a High Ponytail
A sleek high ponytail with the short butterfly layers falling loose around your face. Sporty and soft at the same time.
The shortest layers usually won’t reach the ponytail anyway, so let them fall free on purpose. Brush the longer layers back, tie tight, and curl the loose pieces away from your face.
Wrap one thin strand around the elastic, and the whole thing looks finished instead of rushed.
17. Butterfly Cut With Flipped-Out Ends
Flipped ends aren’t only a 60s throwback. On a butterfly cut, they look playful and new.
Flip the wings outward with a flat iron instead of curling them under, and keep the longer layers smooth so the flip gets the attention.
- Turn the iron outward at the very end of each pass
- Set with a flexible hairspray, not a stiff one
Straight hair that refuses to hold a curl but takes a bend easily does this best. A few passes and you’re out the door.
18. Stretched Butterfly on Long Coily Hair
Coily hair often gets cut without shrinkage in mind, which leaves layers much shorter than planned once it’s worn natural.
A butterfly on coils works best cut on stretched hair by a stylist trained in textured hair. Silk pressed, the layers flip like the classic look. Worn natural, they turn into a rounded, full shape.
- Use a heat protectant before every press or blowout
- Ask your stylist to show you where each layer lands when natural
Wrap your hair at night with a satin scarf to keep the press smooth longer.
19. A Butterfly Cut That Grows Out Gently
Something many stylists point out: a butterfly cut grows out more gently than a short shag, because the wings just get longer and turn into face framing.
After a few months, the short layers settle near the collarbone. That softer, grown-in shape looks good in its own right.
- Trim only the ends, not the wings, if you’re letting it grow
- Keep blow drying the front pieces back and away
No awkward stage. Just a slow, quiet shift.
Keeping the full butterfly means refreshing the short layers every couple of months. Growing it out means telling your stylist to leave the wings alone and trim only the ends.
20. Butterfly Layers on Waist Length Hair
At golden hour, with a breeze coming through, waist length butterfly hair moves like a curtain.
On very long hair, the wings stay short around the face while long layers drift all the way down. Those layers lighten the weight, so the crown gets more lift than one length hair usually manages.
- Blow out the front, air dry the rest
- Use a big barrel wand for loose bends through the middle
Ask for a light dusting at each trim. Ends this long have been around for years and deserve gentle handling.
Volume That Keeps Your Length
A butterfly cut is one of the easiest ways to get big, 90s style volume without trading in your length. The trick is matching the layers to your hair: longer wings for fine hair, weight removal for thick hair, dry cutting for curls, stretched cutting for coils.
Bring a few photos that show the back as well as the front, and tell your stylist honestly how much time you spend styling. The right butterfly haircut for long hair should look great blown out and still decent on a rushed morning.
Save this list to your hair board so it’s ready for your next salon appointment.