25 Top Layered Hairstyles Ideas for 2024

Whether you want to add texture to your long hair, have fun with some short layers, or are interested in medium length layered haircuts, we’ve done the hard work and found lots of options for you to choose from.

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• What Are Layered Haircuts?
• How To Choose The Best Layered Haircut For You
• How to Look After Layered Hairstyles
• Gorgeous Layered Haircut Ideas
• Recommendations

What Are Layered Haircuts?

Basically, a layered hairstyle involves two or more lengths of hair, with the hair length often being shorter around the face.

This serves a couple of purposes. First of all, layered haircuts often frame the face for a flattering effect, accentuating different facial features and drawing attention. Also, adding layers is a great way to enhance thin hair or even out the weight of very thick hair. No matter what kind of hair texture you have, there’s a layered cut out there for you.

There are different styles and varying lengths of layered hair to choose from, depending on the look that you want.

Some layered hairstyles work well with different hair types- while choppy layers might not be the best choice for fine hair, for example, they’re a great way to manage a thicker hair texture. Likewise, the technique that hairdresser near you uses to add layers to mid length or shoulder length hair will be very different from how they layer very short hairstyles for women.

Let’s look closer at how to choose the best layered hairstyles to suit your hair type and beauty goals.

How To Choose The Best Layered Haircut For You

Maybe you’re considering layered hair, but aren’t sure what style would look best on you. The good thing about layered haircuts is the variety: there’s something for everyone, and layered hair looks great on multiple hair types and lengths.

Let’s start with your hair length. Are you hoping to enhance your medium length hair with face framing layers, or do you want to go from long, wavy hair to short layers, just for fun? Deciding on the length you want will help you choose the right style of layered hair.

It’s important to remember that shoulder length hair needs to be blow dried, unless you want the layers to flip upwards. One of the nice things about layered hair is that it dries faster.

If you have a thick hair type, choppy layers are a great option to reduce weight and frame your face. Anyone with fine hair or thin hair should consider smooth, flowing layers to add texture. These can be styled with a round brush for extra volume, too.

Anyone with very straight hair might want to try subtle layers or curtain bangs, since these will enhance your straight locks without creating a thinning effect. People with naturally wavy hair can choose almost any layered hairstyle.

Finally, if you have naturally curly hair, ask your stylist to add layers to shoulder length or medium layered hairstyles to soften the ends and make the style look less boxy.

How to Look After Layered Hairstyles

Most of the time, a layered haircut is lower maintenance, but it still needs some upkeep to look its best. Here are some things that you can do to maintain your layered hair.

Blow Dry Layered Hair Before Styling It

For extra volume, flip your head upside down while doing this. Blow drying helps to boost the volume of a layered cut and makes it easier to brush and shape the layers so that they all fall in the right direction.

Use Heat-Protectant Styling Products

This is especially important with long and medium-length layered hairstyles, as heat styling (whether with a blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron) can dry out even thick hair and lead to frizzy, split ends.

Use The Right Brush Or Comb

Select a wide-toothed comb for curls, and a round brush to style thin hair or straight hair. You’ll want to be able to shape layered hair and add volume where needed.

Get Regular Trims

You don’t want to let layered hair grow out too much without trimming and re-shaping it. Whether you have dramatic choppy layers or subtle, soft layers, you’ll still need to keep them trimmed and in good shape. This is especially important with medium length layered hair or longer, since long or mid length styles dry out more easily than short hair.

Condition And Moisturize Your Hair

This is a good thing to do, even if you don’t have a layered hairstyle. Using conditioner regularly and applying a moisturizing hair mask at least once a month will help keep your layered cut looking healthy and shiny.

Gorgeous Layered Haircut Ideas

If you’re still not sure what kind of layered haircut you want to try out, then take a look at these options- we’ve done some research and found the trendiest and most flattering layered haircuts for each hair length, texture, and face shape.

Short Layered Haircuts

If you’re looking for a way to accentuate your face, then why not transform your short hair into a layered cut. We see a lot of photos online of long or medium layered cut hair, but we think that short layers deserve some attention, too. Soft layers can be used to add a smooth touch to any pixie cut, and choppy layers are a fun way to make a traditional bob more eye-catching.

Layered Shag Haircut

This layered hairstyle can be worn as short or shoulder-length cut layers. Shaggy layers draw attention to your eyes, and can be worn with or without bangs. This is also a wonderful way to texturize thick hair.

Layered Bob Haircuts

Here’s a shoulder length haircut that has all the beauty of a classic bob, but modernized. It also works well as a shoulder length layered hairstyle, if you want to grow your hair out eventually.

Layered Pixie Cut

Cut layers into your pixie cut for an effortlessly stylish look. This layered cut works well with almost any hair type, since these short layers can be customized to create the right volume and shape.

Blunt Layered Bob

Check out this lob that uses chin length layers to soften the sharp line at the ends slightly. If you want something a bit more dramatic, add in a few choppy layers for extra texture.

Messy Layered Lob

Here’s a layered style that is perfect for medium hair or thick hair. You can wear this as short as your chin, or go for a mid-length hairstyle. It’s up to you.

Inverted Lob

Lobs look good on both fine hair and thick hair, and this inverted one is perfect for anyone with a heart-shaped or oval face. The subtle layers help it to have a smooth shape.

More information in our post on Stylish Hairstyles for Women Over 60.

Medium Length Layered Haircuts

If you have medium length hair, then getting a layered cut is a great way to add texture and movement. Here are some of our favorite medium layered style choices- most of these work well on both wavy and straight hair, and we’ve included a few for anyone with mid-length hair that’s curls, too.

Medium Layered Haircut With Curtain Bangs

We love this medium layered hairstyle, because it’s so subtle and flattering. Curtain bangs look great with medium length hair, and you can blend them in using a face-framing layered cut.

Medium Length 90’s Layered Haircut

Anyone who was a fan of 90’s television shows will instantly recognize this medium length layered hair style. Jennifer Aniston popularized layered medium haircuts, but they look great on almost anyone. If you have medium hair and are feeling nostalgic, then give it a try.

Mid Length Face Framing Layers

Face framing layers are the perfect way to make mid length hair instantly flattering. This medium layered hair style can be used to either accentuate or soften your features.

Mid Length Hair Cut Into Wispy Layers

Here’s a fun, medium layered haircut that looks light, airy and effortless. Medium length hair doesn’t always require high-maintenance styles to look good. This is one of the best medium layered hairstyles for anyone who wants something beachy and fun.

Shoulder Length Shaggy Layers

Shaggy layers are one of the best medium length layered haircuts if you want to thin out your thick hair a bit. Plus, it adds wonderful texture and movement to mid length hair.

Medium Length Asymmetrical Bob

Instead of adding face framing pieces on one side of your medium hair, try creating some asymmetry with layers that draw attention to your jawline. An asymmetrical bob is among the best medium length hairstyles for anyone with a square face.

Medium Length Butterfly Haircut

Medium layered hair style uses multiple, swoopy layers to frame your face. While most medium length layered cuts work well with bangs, this one pretty much requires them to complete the look.

Mid Length Internal Layers With Curtain Fringe

If you have medium length hair, try combining long layers with shorter ones on the inside to expand the hair’s volume, giving it an airy appearance. Adding curtain bangs to this medium layered haircut to enhance your cheekbones and eyes.

Medium Layered Hair With An Off-Center Part

Medium length layered hair doesn’t need to be parted in the center. If you want to boost the volume in the long layers, use a round brush when blow-drying.

Side-Parted Shoulder Length Layered Hair With Curls

Here’s another side-parted style for mid length hair. Medium layered hair looks great with curly (whether natural or man-made), and the side part will give your waves or curls a playful, vintage touch.

Medium Hair With Feathered Layers

Take a look at this gorgeous medium length layered hair - a hairdresser usually creates this texture in layered haircuts by using a razor to cut each layer into a V-shape. You can wear this style with long or medium hair.

Learn more in our post about Timeless and Trendy Hairstyles for Women Over 50

Long Layered Haircuts

Long hairstyles for women comes with its own unique set of challenges, as anyone with thick hair or fine hair will tell you. One way to manage shoulder length hair or longer is to add some layers. Long layers can flatter all face shapes, making this a versatile option.

Angel Cut With Long Layers

Another classic haircut, an angel cut with layers works best if you have a straight or fine hair type. You can use a curling iron to create a few softly-spiraling ends for a truly angelic look.

Wavy Hair With Soft Layers

If you want to try long or shoulder length layered hair (and choppy layers don’t appeal to you), consider adding some subtle texture with just a few layers that are carefully blended in.

Long, Feathered Layers

Speaking of subtle layers, we love the way that this feathered hairstyle looks. These shoulder length layers look both vintage and modern at the same time.

Layered Haircut With Curtain Bangs

This is one of the top front layered haircuts for long hair. The curtain bangs work well with the face framing pieces that are layered in at the front. It really accentuates your eyes.

Two Layer Cut

This two layer cut uses minimal layers, but ends up looking professional and polished. It’s proof that you don’t need a lot of long layers to make your shoulder length layered hair look sophisticated. In this case, the cut’s simplicity is what makes it so great.

U-Cut With Swoopy Layers

Swoopy layers and long hair are a classic combination. While this cut works well with almost all face shapes, we really recommend it for people with straight hair.

Elegant Short, Medium And Long Layers

If you want to try shoulder length layered hair, then consider getting some soft layers at various lengths through your locks. This combination is wonderful for thin or fine hair, since it creates volume instantly.

Straight Layers With Feathered Ends

Anyone with straight, long hair will love these long layers. The feathered ends make the style look wispy, adding movement and texture.

Do not miss our post on Types Of Hair Extensions And How To Choose One For You?

Recommendations

Whether you want short, medium, long hair, or are just looking for a change to your usual style, there’s a layered cut out there for you.

The best thing about layered haircuts is the variety. You’re not stuck with just one option, and you can even bring multiple photos to your stylist and ask them to create custom layers based on what you’re trying to achieve.

Citations

Hairstyle as an adaptive means of displaying phenotypic quality
https://link.springer.com/article/10.10

A layered wisp model for simulating interactions inside long hair
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-7091-6240-8_13

A thin shell volume for modeling human hair
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/889055/