The butterfly haircut is the most searched-for hair trend of 2023

If you haven't already come across TikTok's current fave hair squeeze, the Butterfly haircut, you're most definitely about to.

Mussy, choppy layers have been trending for the past few seasons (see: shag haircuts and the wolf cut) but lately, layers are getting a glow-up and teaming up with ‘90s bombshell volume to create a gorgeous hair baby that’s exactly as pretty as it sounds.

If you're thinking it's a recipe for a smash-hit cut, you'd be right. The team at beauty platform, Cosmetify have been crunching numbers to predict the hottest hair trends for summer 2023 and right up on top with the most monthly searches, is the butterfly haircut. The chop, which has seen a 90233% increase in interest over the past year currently racks up 6,600 hits each month, so obviously, people want to know more about the cult cut.

So what exactly is a butterfly haircut? The idea is that the chop blends a shorter haircut up top, with cropped, voluminous fluttery layers and swishy chin-length face-framing pieces…all with the benefit of pretty mermaid lengths. Basically, the finished look should give you some oomf and shape through the crown, combined with tumbling lengths through the ends. Kind of like the top and bottom wings of a butterfly.

“It's an updated take on the classic 'Rachel' style from Friends and the classic '90s layering look that we all love again,” explains celebrity hairdresser Jay Birmingham. The style features a grown-out curtain fringe (so bonus points if you're already rocking one of those), with some slightly disconnected collarbone or jaw-length layers, but keeps all of your length in tact.

The style works across straight and curly hair, giving extra structure thanks to the dual length. For curly hair, cut with a curl by curl approach to create the perfect shorter shape at the top, before tapering down to longer curls.

The bonus is that it offers dreamy versatility for those of us thinking about chopping our hair shorter, but without actually having to commit. “It's also perfect for anyone who wants their hair to appear thicker and fuller without losing any length from their hair,” say Jay. You can incorporate shoulder-cropped layers that add breeziness and can create the illusion of midi, lob or bob cuts at the front when the rest of your hair is thrown back behind your shoulders. But you can pull your hair forwards and benefit from XXL waist-length strands if you want something a little more whimsical.

“To style this cut, you will want a high quality texturising spray or volumising product,” says Jay. “I love the ColorWOW Raise the Root volumiser and the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day dry shampoo to give texture and definition,” he adds. And when you tie your hair up, you can pull the shorter sections out for some full, fringy, boho texture to frame your features.

It's a best of both situation that gives shape, length, oomph and attitude, all wrapped up in a pretty butterfly bow, which is why it makes sense that some of our favourite influencers and celebs, like Matilda Djerf and Hailee Steinfeld are bona fide stans. And, with the search term #butterflycut continuing to build on TikTok, expect to see it even more often as the style goes stratospheric.

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk