Getting layers is a great way to spruce up any hairstyle without sacrificing length. Your best bet is to get them done at a salon and not at home because of the rather complicated cutting process. Also, with layers it is important to remember to get them trimmed often in order for your hair to retain its shape.
1. Ombre Natural Blonde Highlights
This look is a classic that always ends up looking great on people who are natural blondes or brunettes. First, dye your roots brown and get gradual blonde highlights. Ask your stylist for subtle layers, and play up the highlights with curly texture from a curling iron.
2. Face Framing Bangs and Subtle Layers
The doll-like bangs pictured here are a perfect for someone seeking a more polished look. These bangs need to be trimmed frequently to keep them in shape, so keep that in mind when considering this style. The bottom half of this look is messy and textured, a great way to balance out the style.
3. Past the Shoulder Layers with Short Bangs.
Layers pair perfectly with bangs when the length of your style is short. Short hair is great with layers because all of the individual layers can be seen along the length of the hairstyle. Also, the cute short bangs look perfect with the stucco layering.
4. Center Part Layered Bangs
The center part gives this style a symmetical feel that looks great for any occasion and can be dressed up or down.
5. Half Twist Back
To get this look, twist back half of your hair and pin it back with a bobby pin or clip. Note that it looks best with curled hair. This style can also add the illusion of thicker and more voluminous hair.
6. Pin Drop Straight Hair with Straight Cut Bangs
While this hairstyle is not layered in the body of the hair. The lightly layered bangs add some personality to this simple style. Also, the woman in this picture looks a lot like Phoebe from Friends!
7. Lightly Layered Waves
What is lovely about this style is how the layered level and bangs are curled slightly away form the face to give a blown out and effortlessly French look.
8. Front Facing Layers
These layers start near your chin and continue down the front of your hair. From personal experience, I can tell you that this type of layers always looks best with straight hair, so either commit to your straightener or have naturally straight hair.
9. Zig Zag Part
A Zig Zag part is a perfect way to offset any type of layers. To get the look, use your fingers or a rat tail comb to part your hair unevenly in a woven pattern. Bonus Tip: This part is a great way to camouflage overgrown roots when you are behind on a dye job.
10. Beyonce Large Barrled Layered Curls
Beyonce’s signature curls are iconic, beautiful, and easy to style. Simply blow out your hair to get maximum volume, and curl sections with a large barreled curling iron in a haphazard, messy way. The different layers add personality to the curls and make them stand out more.
11. Simple Collarbone Length Straight Layers
This style has your hair layered both in the front and the back. It is great for someone who plans on wearing their hair down most of the time, and wants a simple, no nonsense, ready to go style. Just run a comb through your hair to work out the snarls and head out the door with a perfectly polished style with a messy bohemian feel.
12. Layered Crew Cut
While the from of this style is fairly simple and classic with eyebrow length straight cut bangs, the back is what stand to really set it apart. The basic ‘boy cut’ is made more playful and messy with the tendrils that are kept long at the nape of the neck and near the ears. While you can request your hair cut this way, also consider simply allowing a normal crew cut style to grow out a bit.
13. Two Step Layers
This look gets its unique feel from the two sets of parallel layers. Since the first layer is set high above the second, it is easily distinguishable, especially when the hair is blown out straight. Also, you can see in the mirror how this model opted for deeply parted side bangs that blend easily into the first layer.
14. Raggedy Layered Bob
This style is the ultimate showcase of the effect layers can have on naturally thin and short hair. Get a dreamy, vintage, Raggedy Ann type look in this style by combining simple slightly U-cut bangs with three layer bangs that reach just to the nape of the neck, or top of the shoulders. Also, a bonus with this look is that it is fast drying, and low maintenance- just remember to get those bangs trimmed regularly.
15. A-Line Raggedy Bob
While any A-line cut is always touted for being polished and modern, try to ‘dress it down’ a bit by adding piecy layers. The voluminous layers shown in this picture easily balance out the modern silhouette by adding a cute boho twist- great for people who have naturally thick hair.
16. Heavily Layered Four Step Bob
If you count carefully, you can see that in this short silky bob you have four layers that set each other off perfectly in the front as they frame your face and give off an easy vibe. Choose this style if you would like an quick no fuss hairstyle that looks polished every morning. Also, keep in mind that this style works best if you have naturally silky and straight hair.
17. Jennifer Aniston Straight Front Layers
Jennifer Aniston wows us once again with her signature laid back cool girl chic hair. The pin drop straight nature of this cut requires some regular straightening, but is totally worth it in the way it sets off the front layers. But, don’t forget to unplug your straightener when you’re done with it, or you will start a fire like Rachael did to her apartment in Friends!
18. Frizzy Curly Layers
Do you have naturally curly hair that you want to show off? Do you want to have dramatic layers but keep your length? Look no further than this alternative bohemian vibe cut!
19. Teased Layers for Thin Hair
To flesh out thin hair get layers that go all the way from the crown of your head to the ends of your hair. Tease the roots to get a pumped up look.
20. Raggedy Short Bob
Looking for an stellar look that’s is easy to style in the morning? Try this 90s inspired look! Raggedy layers cut all the way down are offset by the long side swept bangs.
21. A-line Textured Tip Highlights
The ombré highlights in this look are offset by the gentle and stepped layers. It looks great on all textures, but especially beautiful on beachy waves. This is also a great look if you are trying to grow out of a hair color.
22. Layered Bangs Bob
The carefully layered bangs add some volume to the top of the ‘do. The easy side swept nature adds a polished vibe to this style. You can add these layered bangs to any length of hair, but they look much more sophisticated on a bob.
23. Layered Side Swept Long Bangs
An easy breezy summery style, this look is at a perfect length for ladies who want to chop off their hair for the summer sun to make it lightweight and easy to care for, but still want to maintain the illusion of length. The side parted bangs are layered in steps that cascade down your shoulders in a rivulet of locks.
24. Barely Layered Hair
The deeply parted bangs on this look blend in with the length of the hair that is lightly layered. This look is great for anyone who would like to have the looks of layers, but wants to retain their natural volume.
25. Barrel Curled A-Line Spiral Curls
While this style is like the earlier one in that it is an ombre blonde in an A-line cut, it gets its unique look from the barrel curled hair that offsets the piecy layers. The romantic feel of this look is perfect for all types of occasions as it can be dressed up or down.
26. Slight Layers on Straight Hair
This look combines slight layers with a longer than shoulder length cut. If you have naturally straight locks, this haircut is the one for you. The bangs are only very slightly layered and are chin length which is a nice gradual transition to the layers at the ends.
27. Voluminous Curled Front Layers
To amp up your style to max sophistication, look no further than this hairdo. To get the look, curl your hair that has been layered in the front with a large barreled curling iron. Consider using a two or three inch, if you only have a smaller barrel, use thicker sections of hair at a time. Make sure you curl your hair away from your face to get the blown out and fearless look, this may be a bit tricky on the left side if you are right handed, and vice versa, so ask the help of a friend to come curl your hair.
28. Side Swept and Stepped Curls
While this look is quite similar to the last one, the difference is that the close layers in the front of the head are curved slightly back to give a more polished look instead of a blown out one. Try using a flat iron for this look.You will be twirling your wrist around while holding the hair with your other hand when making the turn, flick up at the end to get the swept back effect. To secure the style, use hairspray and pomade liberally.
29. Center Parted Layered Bob
The ragged layers in this messy bob are anything but polished, but great for a fun carefree style. The jagged center part is perfect for a more symmetrical and balanced look, and a change from the side part we have been seeing a lot of paired with layers up until now.
30. Wavy Straight Cut Shoulder Length
This style is mostly a blunt cut, although it is a little longer in the back. The bangs are layered a little bit to blend into the overall messy feel of the look. To get the carefree messy waves, braid your hair and sleep on it, then in the morning, mist with hairspray and scrunch.
31. Rounded Bob with Rounded Bangs
The layers in this look are truly dramatic as they continue from the crown of the head to the tips, giving the look a rounded feel as more volume is generated near the middle and tapers off toward the ends. The layered bangs also follow this pattern as they are cut in a “U” shape to blend in with the rest of the layered hair.
32. Fuzzy Layered Bob with Straight Cut Bangs
While logistically this look is similar to the latter, the fundamental difference is due to the texture of the hair. In this style, the texture is much more fine and voluminous, leading to the ‘fuzzy’ ends that poke up. The bangs are also blunt cut, lending the look a dramatic undertone.
33. Symmetrical Straight Front Layers
The gradually layered hair in this style starts off at the chin and goes all the way down the front, great for a person who wants to just experiment with layers for the first time.
34. Wavy Voluminous Front Layers
This naturally thick hair is complemented by the stucco layering that starts at jaw length. To give it such a voluptuous feel, the hair is curled slightly with a large barreled curling iron, or is possibly second day hair after being curled the first day.
35. Slight Frontal Layers
For the girl who wants to experiment with layers this style is great because it can be easily grown out. This look is also a great starter for anyone who has a blunt cut that they would like to spruce up a little. The shoulder length hair is perfect for offsetting the slight layers in the front.
36. Crown Heavy Layers
Wow take a look at this unique style! The layers are all centered around the top of the head, and incorporate the bangs with a deep side part. Not for the faint of heart, this look is great for those looking for a dramatic new ‘do.
37. Beachy Side Part Layered Bangs
Bangs are important, after all, they do frame your face and set up your entire hairstyle. In this look, the deeply parted side bangs are layered and textured, adding an easy and carefree look to any style.
38. Blown Back Shoulder Length Layers
The signature attractive point of this style is the slightly upturned ends of each layer that create a bouncy look. Use a curing iron just at the ends of your hair at each layer to create a similar look. Don’t forget to curl the front of your hair away from your face for a blown out look.
39. Polished Rounded Layers
The orderly layers in the back of this style create a round look that is perfect for a low maintenance professional style.
40. Romantic Curls on Layers
Never forget the combination of layers and curls. Curls look great on layered hair because each lock is allowed to shine through individually, creating unbeatable volume.
41. Side Layers on Thin Hair
Thin hair is actually a blessing if you have layers because they are so much more easily noticeable. In this look, the layers come at the sides of the style and are very distinct.
42. Curly Ladder Back Layers
WOW is the only word that can be used to describe this style, it is probably my personal favorite on this list. The hair is cut to about 5 layers that are all curled a bit to emphasize them and allow definition.
43. Polished Jawline Layers
The layers in this look start at the jawline an end just at the nape of the neck, allowing for a smooth transition.
44. Full Body Highlighted Layers
These layers are lightly highlighted and curled to emphasize each individual strand and look voluminous.
45. Brassy Reddish Brown Lowlights
This light coloring is perfect for anyone who wants their hair dyed to emphasize their layers but doesn’t want to commit to a color.
46. A-line Curls in a Messy Victorian Bob
The curls in this style are reminiscent of the classic sausage curls of the Victorian age, but are modernized by the silhouette of the layered A-line bob and deep side part. A side part looks especially darling in an A-line bob because of the way one side appears longer than the other.
47. Perfectly Blended Bangs
Whats so special about this style? The way that the bangs meld in seamlessly to the front layers is what!
48. Golden Brown Layered Curls
The emphasis put on the layered ends of the hair by the golden brown highlights create a dramatic and stunning eye popper when curled!
49. Shoulder Length
Have naturally fine or thinning hair? Upgrade with face framing layers and bangs for a fuller look!
50. Bangs Longer than Bob
This short style has a definite modern feel. If you are looking for a dramatic cut that is still short and easy to style, your search is over! Just remembered to get the bangs trimmed often to keep them in shape.
51. Wispy Side Layers
The thin hair in this style is made a thousand times more polished by the easy to grow out side layers.
52. High Rise Layers
Layers that begin high up near the crown of the head are perfect for a person looking for style more off the beaten path. These layers are also great for blending in with dramatic bangs.
53. Ribbon Curled A-line
The bangs in this style are layers and curled, the pretty ribbon curls sit on top of the hairdo in a carefree way.
54. Two Step Layered Bob
This wispy thin hair is given new personality with the distinct second layer.
55. Side Swept Layers
When flatironing your hair, to get this unique look, sweep your wrist to the back of your head before releasing the end of the lock.
56. Faux Bob
This style is rather 70s esque but still a great option if you are looking for something retro. To covert this shoulder length style into a bob, simply tuck the end locks underneath the nape of your beach
57. Diagonal Cut Bangs
The smoothest and chicest way to ensure that your bangs blend in with the rest of your hairdo is have them cut in a diagonal fashion extending out to your ear, this is especially great looking on a deep side part like shown above.
58. V-line Silhouette Layers
A bit more drastic than the commonly used U-cut, this V-shaped cut is great for anyone wanting to try something new with their long layered hair. Don’t forget to get regular trims, for the back to retain its shape.
59. Side Pinned Layers
A great way to show off and emphasize layers is to pin your hair all to one side with the help of a few bobby pins or a decorative clip. This way, all the layers in cascade down your shoulder in a cute waterfall.
60. Rounded Layered Bangs
These rounded bangs are similar to the diagonal cut ones, except they are a bit more retro, and create a relaxed vibe with the way they frame your face.
61. Mixed Texture Layers
These layers are dressed up with all different kinds of textures for a multifaceted look. Notice especially how the bangs are straight in contrast to the curls of the rest of the hair.
62. Carefree Straight Layers
The layers at the ends of the hair in this look are great with emphasizing the highlighted portion.
62. Messy Layers and Bangs
In this look, the contrast between the golden highlights and the brown lowlights are complemented by the messy layering structure and the short, clipped bangs.
63. Wispy Long Back Layers
In this hair texture, the layers are emphasized more because of the fine and thin nature of the strands, which gives the look an organic feel.
64. Doll Teased Bob
To get an even more polished look our of your layers, tease them out at the crown so they stand out. This technique works on all hair lengths, but is definitely perfect on a bob.
65. Ear Length Bob Layers
Layers look great even in this super short length that you will probably find yourself in if you ever decide to grow out a bob.
66. Piecy Layers
The great thing about layers is that they look even better on second or third day hair! The extra oils form ‘clumps’ of hair that add more distinction to different lengths of layers.
67. Messy Highlighted Contrast Bob
The unique highlighting and dye pattern in this hairdo is wonderful for really letting the layers stand out by contrasting the light and the dark parts.
68. Straight Cut Ragged Bangs
To get a messy look with bangs, consider letting them grow out a little, or having them cut in a ragged shape like shown here.
69. What NOT To ‘Do.
In conclusion, here is an example of what NOT to do. The layers in this look are curled too messily to be able to see proper definition, and the highlighting does not blend well.
All in all, just remember to have fun with your look and experiment with different kinds of layers!