Tired of your hair looking flat, heavy, or dull? Layers could be the answer. Unlike blunt cuts, layers give your hair shape, movement, and dimension while framing your face and flattering your features. They are suitable for all hair types and can also bring out the best in your color. Keep reading to find the perfect long layered hairstyle for your next hair transformation.
RELATED: 20 Gorgeous Layered Hairstyles & Haircuts
1. Straight Long Layered Hair
Layers are a great way to give shape, dimension, and movement to long straight hair. The layers create structure, ensuring your long locks flatter your face shape and don’t ‘drag’ it down. Simultaneously, they can make your straight hair look thicker and healthier without taking away its naturally sleek appearance.
2. Wavy Long Layered Hair
Layers are a great option for those with wavy locks. That is because they emphasize this hair type’s natural movement and bounce. Cutting layers also allows your stylist to create a more structured and flattering look, as the waves frame and balance your face shape. Wavy long layered hair is a great option if you want to soften a strong jawline or make your face look more proportionate.
3. Curly Long Layered Hair
While layers are most visible on straight and wavy hair, they are also a great option for ladies with naturally curly hair. The key benefit is the structure layers add. Rather than a heavy mass of curls, vertically-cut layers help to ‘shape’ your hair so that it doesn’t look ‘bottom heavy’ or boxy. Stylists will usually cut the shorter layers around your face and angle down to stop your hair from appearing bulky.
4. Layered Long Afro Haircut
Afro-textured hair is well-suited to layers, which help create structure and shape – particularly if your natural kinks and coils tend to be on the denser side. However, instead of layering toward the bottom of the hair, stylists will usually place layers toward the head’s crown. Doing so helps build on the natural volume of Afro-textured hair and gives it an overall ‘lift,’ preventing it from looking ‘weighed down’ or heavy.
5. Layered Cut for Thin Fine Hair
For fine-haired ladies, layered haircuts and styles are often considered essential. On thin hair, layers create the illusion of volume and thickness. They also stop the hair from falling flat and limp, giving it more structure and texture. If you have fine, thin hair, try a mid-length cut with long layers that start just below your chin.
6. Layered Hairstyle for Long Thick Hair
Layers are versatile; on thin, fine hair, they create the illusion of more fullness, while on thick hair, they help shape the hair and remove its dense, weighty look. A layered hairstyle combined with side bangs, soft waves, and highlights is a great choice for those with naturally thick locks. The overall effect is more balanced, soft, and flattering and will stop your hair from looking boxy.
7. Face Framing Layers
Face-framing layers look similar to long side bangs or curtain bangs. No matter your face shape or hair type, face-framing layers can work wonders by balancing your features and drawing attention to your eyes and lips. As a rule, oval face shapes should opt for longer face-framing layers, while heart-shaped faces should choose mid-length layers that fall away from the face rather than curving inwards.
8. Long Layered Hair with Bangs
Long layered hair with bangs is the ultimate flattering haircut, as all the elements work together to create a beautiful frame for your face. While fringes pair well with all kinds of long hair, on-trend curtain bangs seamlessly blend into a layered cut – especially if you add soft, feathery ends. It’s a great way to add length and structure to a round face or add a softer look to a square face.
9. Long Layered Hair with Side Bangs
Pretty and bohemian, long layered hair with side bangs is a gorgeous look that flatters many face shapes, including round, square, and oval. It’s also a fantastic option if your hair is naturally very thick. A low-maintenance hairstyle, long layered hair with side bangs is perfect for those who don’t want to spend hours styling their locks and love a textured, beachy vibe with a subtle retro feel.
10. Long Layered Hair for Ladies Over 50
While it’s common to see women over 50 with shorter haircuts, a long layered style can look great in this age group. The layers can be cut and styled to gently frame the face and soften any harsh angles or lines. Simultaneously, a long-layered cut creates a carefree, stylish, and feminine look – qualities that don’t diminish with age. For best results, pair your long-layered hair with subtle highlights and lowlights, particularly if your hair is gray.
11. Shaggy Layers with Long Hair
The shag haircut is back and better than ever. However, if you’re not quite ready to go all the way with this rocker look, add an element of its cool attitude with shaggy layers. These layers have the same choppy, textured feel as a shag haircut but require less commitment. You also won’t need to sacrifice any length and can retain your beautiful long locks. It’s the best of both worlds.
12. Feathered Layers with Long Hair
Ideal for fine, thin hair types, feathered layers create a gorgeously soft and full effect. They gained popularity in the 1970s and were made famous by actress Farrah Fawcett; feathered layers are deliberately light and wispy, seamlessly blending into each other to form a pretty frame for the face. While those who love a retro look can still wear this style, the modern take on feathered layers is more subtle and delicate.
13. Textured Choppy Layers with Long Hair
Like the shag haircut, textured choppy layers on long hair is a style that has attitude. While wispy or feathered layers tend to have a soft, subtle, and feminine look, choppy layers are the opposite. Bold, statement-making, and cool, choppy layers stand out from the crowd and have a more masculine, rock’n’roll vibe. Pair your textured choppy layers cut with equally bold make-up, such as an editorial eye look.
14. Long V-Cut Layers
The v-cut, as the name suggests, involves sharply layering hair at the back so that it falls in a V shape. Ideal for those with very thick hair, the V-cut allows you to maintain longer locks without feeling weighed down. It also works with different hair types, adding movement and texture to sleek, smooth locks while providing structure to naturally wavy tresses.
15. Golden Blonde Long Layered Hair
As a multi-tonal color, golden blonde is the perfect match for long layered hair. The layers’ soft shapes and movement allow you to show off all the different dimensions in your color. For the perfect finish, ask your colorist to place buttery highlights around the face-framing layers for a sun-kissed finish. This will draw attention to and flatter your face.
16. Platinum Blonde Long Layered Hair
For those who don’t mind being the center of attention, platinum blonde long layered hair should definitely be considered. The icy shade is on-trend and always stands out from the crowd. However, to adapt the color to suit a layered haircut, it’s best to include some lowlights rather than opting for an all-over platinum hue. Ask your colorist to blend through some ashy pieces to create more dimension. Lowlights can also help make platinum blonde more flattering for your skin tone.
17. Brown Long Layered Hair
Long layered hair looks just as good on brunettes as it does blondes. Brown hair with highlights is the best option for those wanting to try out the look. From a chocolate or chestnut base shade, have your colorist add honey and caramel balayage highlights for a seamless and natural finish. These lighter pieces will create more movement in your haircut, emphasizing the layers and ensuring your hair doesn’t look like a dark, solid mass.
18. Light Brown Layered Hair
Light brown hair – the mid-point between brown and blonde, encompassing everything from ash brown to bronde – looks great with a layered haircut. Because the color is already light, it’s not necessary to go too heavy on the highlights. Instead, the layers do the work for you, adding movement and structure to your look.
19. Black Long Layered Hair
Black hair is a standout look that always draws attention. However, for those who prefer a softer, more bohemian take on the color – rather than a bold and graphic or Gothic vibe – a long layered cut is an ideal choice. The long layers break up the heaviness of black hair and frame the face rather than overshadow it.
20. Red Long Layered Hair
Like black, an all-over red shade on long hair can appear heavy and dense. Layers are the answer! The shorter pieces help to add movement to the hair without sacrificing any length. Whether your hair is fine or thick, your stylist can create a layered style that will flatter your face shape and bring out the best in your color.
21. Long Layered Ombre Hair
Ombré has been one of the most popular hair trends for years, and there is a good reason for that. It provides a beautifully natural, sun-kissed look, with subtle yet super-flattering highlights. At the same time, you get the best of both worlds with both light and dark shades in your hair – and it’s a perfect match for long layers. Ideal for natural brunettes who want to try out blonde hair without the damage or commitment of an all-over bleach, long layered ombré hair is a gorgeous look with a fresh, summery vibe.
22. Long Layered Asian Hairstyle
Asian hair is the thickest and strongest hair type and is predominantly very straight, which means layers are a great way to create a softer look or add more structure and movement. The layers’ exact position will depend on your face shape, but long, face-framing pieces with a center parting are an on-trend option that looks great when paired with a ’90s-style layered cut.
23. Blowout with Long Layered Hair
For the ultimate bombshell look, treat your long layered hair to a blowout. The blowout technique uses a round brush and hairdryer to create super sleek and shiny locks with plenty of bounce and volume. When paired with long layered hair, a blowout emphasizes the cut’s movement and dimension, resulting in a stunning feminine finish that’s perfect for a romantic date night or formal event.
24. Extra Long Layered Cut
With the mermaid hair trend rising to popularity, extra long hair has been having a moment. Waist-length locks make a statement and have a glamorous and feminine appeal. However, extra long hair can be hard to maintain if your hair is very thick. Adding layers helps to stop hair from looking limp and heavy while at the same time thinning it out, so it’s easier to manage.
25. U-Shape Long Layered Cut
Like the V-cut, the U-shape cut is a layering technique that focuses on the hair’s ends. It helps to thin out very thick hair without sacrificing too much length and works on both straight and wavy types. However, it is less angular than a V-cut, creating a subtler and softer final result. Bouncy and beautiful, the U-shape long layered cut looks especially good on brown hair with highlights.
Long Layered Hairstyles FAQs
What are the different types of layered haircuts?
The main types of layered haircuts are long, mid-length, and short layers. The V-cut and U-shape are other types of layered haircuts, referring to the shape of the hair when viewed from behind. Perhaps the most famous layered haircut is the shag, which involves cutting choppy layers into the hair to create a deliberately messy, unstructured look.
Should long hair be layered?
Layers can be a great choice for long hair because they can create volume and body as well as structure. Long hair can often appear flat, so adding layers creates more movement and dimension in the cut.
How do you fix long layered hair?
If you are unhappy with your long layered hair, the solution is similar to any bad haircut – waiting for your hair to grow out and having it re-cut. In the meantime, use hair extensions to disguise too-short layers, and avoid styling your hair straight as this will make any unblended layers very obvious. Headbands and pretty hair clips can also be a good way to hide badly-cut layers.
What do I tell my hairdresser for layers?
The best way to ask for layers is to say you want a cut with movement and texture. If your hair is fine, tell them you want to create volume in your hair; if your hair is thick, ask for them to 'take out some of the weight' or 'thin out' the bulk in your hair. However, the best option is to bring in a photo of the look you're trying to achieve.
What is the difference between long layers and short layers?
Long layers have the greatest difference between the shortest and longest sections – there is a 'long distance' between them. Long layers are a great way to create movement in your hair. Short layers are the opposite of long layers – there is only a one or two-inch difference between the longest and shortest sections of hair. Short layers are generally considered best for adding volume to the hair.
Are layers good for thin hair?
While layers are considered a great way to make your hair appear fuller and thicker. However, they can sometimes make thin hair look even thinner. This is usually the result of 'over-layering' when the stylist cuts too many layers into the hair. For those who have very fine and thin hair, 'ghost layers' could be the ideal solution. The technique involves hiding gently-layered hair below an almost-untouched top section, blending the ends to create a very subtle yet voluminous look.
Do layers add volume?
Layers can create the appearance of more volume in your hair, particularly if you opt for a short-layered cut.
Arabella Roden is a skilled writer and sub-editor with over ten years of experience across print, digital, and B2B. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and specializes in beauty, hairstyles, fashion, tattoos, and lifestyle topics. Arabella is currently the Chief Sub Editor at Mecca Brands and has been writing for The Trend Spotter since 2019.
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