7 Long Haircut Ideas that Will not Diminish Size, Per Stylists

I’ve tried several haircuts through the years, from chin-grazing blunt bobs to medium-length, wispy layers and lengthy, back-skimming size with piecey fringe. While I like altering up my hair, I’ve just lately determined to maintain my strands comparatively lengthy because of the styling versatility it presents. It’s simple, nonetheless, for lengthy hair to fall flat because of the quantity of weight pooling on the ends—making it laborious to realize bouncy motion and physique on the crown, particularly when you’ve got superb hair. I like a superb texturizing spray and volumizing products as a lot as the subsequent individual, however particular formulation can solely get you up to now. It may sound counterintuitive to get a haircut to realize your best-looking size, however it’s the expert-backed secret behind bouncy mermaid hair.
“Long hair ought to nonetheless have tons of motion and physique,” says superstar hairstylist Clayton Hawkins. “Longer, softer layers are at all times an awesome choice as a result of they offer the hair form with out sacrificing size. I’m additionally an enormous fan of face-framing layers and curtain bangs,” he provides. “Just watch out about over-layering, particularly when you’ve got finer hair.” Keep scrolling for haircut concepts that maintain your size trying lengthy and livelier than ever.
7 Save-Worthy Haircut Ideas for Long Hair
The Butterfly
For form and quantity with out dropping your size, do this ultra-layered look. The butterfly reduce is characterised by cascading layers which might be shortest by the face—usually on the ears or jaw, like Sabrina Carpenter‘s—and flutter down in a delicate, nearly undetectable descent of wispy layers. “The face-framing layers give the phantasm of shorter hair across the face and peak on the crown whereas preserving the size all through the again,” says skilled hairstylist Gina Rivera. “Tell your stylist you wish to maintain your size, sustaining the fullness on the ends,” she provides. “Ask for face-framing layers that hit on the cheekbone or beneath, and peak within the crown.” To fashion them at residence, Rivera suggests incorporating a root carry spray or mousse into your routine—and remember to blow-dry the crown the wrong way up for additional quantity.
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Long Layers
One of stylists’ prime suggestions for lengthy haircuts is prolonged layers—and many them. “The key’s preserving the layers delicate and seamless so the hair nonetheless appears full and wholesome,” says skilled hairstylist Chad Cook. Take Ciara’s cascading reduce, for instance, which incorporates delicate layers at longer lengths for physique and motion. Expert hairstylist Michelle Scrivener advises you to ask your hairdresser for layers that fall simply “just a few inches above the size” so as to add touchable dimension, although your texture ought to be thought of earlier than selecting a selected look. “I prefer to customise my layers based mostly on the shopper’s hair texture, density, and the way their hair naturally falls,” says Cook. Long layers work with nearly each hair kind, however this reduce just isn’t a one-size-fits-all and ought to be tailor-made to your distinctive mixture.
Bangs, Baby
Haircuts do not at all times imply that it’s a must to take up the size. In truth, one of many chicest methods to play with lengthy haircuts proper now’s so as to add a smattering of fringe as a substitute. “If you wish to attempt one thing new with out altering the size, I like to recommend taking part in with completely different lengths of bangs and face frames,” says superstar hairstylist Jackie Seabrooke. Hawkins calls out bangs—particularly the kinds he has crafted on his superstar clientele recently—as an particularly well timed option to clean up lengthy hair. “These curtain bangs and lengthy layers I styled for Maisie Williams and Sadie Soverall are excellent examples of size with out sacrificing motion,” he explains.
Seabrooke invitations you to experiment with romantically draped bangs as a substitute of one thing too blunt to emphasise size. “Ask for a small V-section to be reduce from forehead to forehead, [but] don’t reduce into the temple areas,” she advises. Instead, she suggests having them sheared into face-framing layers for additional size. “This retains them from trying too thick and chunky,” Seabrooke provides.
Face-Framing Fringe
“Sometimes you needn’t change your complete haircut to make a giant distinction,” says Cook. Case in level: timeless face-framing layers, particularly those on Tate McRae. Gaggles of hairstylists advocate for this basic fashion, as it is a small adjustment that makes main visible influence. “It opens all the things up, brings consideration to the face, and provides the hair motion whereas sustaining that lovely size,” he provides. Seabrooke jokes that lengthy hair can develop into one thing that resembles a “blanket” if not layered in sections, and face-framing items are one of many best methods to realize dimension. “It appears wonderful with a glossy blowout or a giant, bouncy roller-set fashion,” she provides. “Ask for customized layers across the face and jaw.”
Romantic Shag
Shag haircuts have at all times been en vogue for the edgier crowd, however kinds like Suki Waterhouse’s have launched a extra romantic look. “Because of the uneven layers, this reduce has a ton of texture and motion,” says Rivera. The stylist factors out that one of these reduce is very nice for somebody who has naturally curly or wavy hair. “Tell your stylist you wish to protect your size, however need a lot of layers all through the crown [that lead] into face-framing items for an easy, undone look,” she provides. To emulate Waterhouse’s iconic look, it’s also possible to ask for curtain bangs and hit the hair with a little bit of texture spray.
V-Cut
One of essentially the most basic haircuts for lengthy hair is the V-cut. Characterized by an outlined V-shape within the again, this fashion alleviates weight whereas including a contact of drama. “The sides are reduce at an angle to the middle, which is the longest level, truly making the hair look longer,” Rivera explains. “Soft layers will be added for extra motion and [to] take away extreme bulk, particularly in case your hair is thick,” she provides. Whether you fashion it straight or curly (I’m particularly in love with these cascading curls on Laura Harrier), this reduce is an prompt showstopper.
Internal Layering
This one’s a little bit extra technical, however it’s nonetheless a reduce to have in your radar for those who’re searching for motion with minimal chops. “This is considered one of my favourite strategies, particularly for purchasers who need motion with out seeing lots of apparent layers,” says Cook. “By eradicating weight from the within of the haircut, you’ll be able to create softness and motion whereas preserving the general form trying full,” he provides. “It’s an awesome choice for somebody who loves their lengthy hair however feels prefer it’s getting heavy or falling flat.”
How to Style Long Haircuts
Protect the Hair
As with any fashion, it is essential to start out with a superb heat protectant. Cook recommends utilizing the Privé Prep and Protect Lightweight Leave-In Conditioner to create the “basis” of your fashion. “The largest factor just isn’t overcomplicating your styling routine,” he explains. “A terrific haircut ought to do lots of the give you the results you want.”
Lift the Roots
One of the most important challenges for lengthy hairstyles is attaining quantity on the roots—which is why stylists overemphasize the significance of specializing in them through the styling course of. “When blow-drying lengthy layers, deal with lifting the hair on the roots and directing the layers away from the face to create that delicate, easy motion,” Cook advises. “I like utilizing a spherical brush to get some carry on the crown and across the face, after which setting these sections in Velcro rollers whereas they cool,” Hawkins provides. “People are likely to spend a lot time curling their ends, however getting quantity on the root is what makes lengthy, layered hair come alive,” he explains.
Add Texture
Long hair usually wants a bit greater than layers to get the motion we crave. Cook recommends utilizing texture spray just like the Privé Finishing Texture Spray for “lived-in motion” and texture that by no means appears overly styled, whereas Seabrooke suggests a styling cream like this drugstore pick from Kristin Ess. “The styling cream will maintain the ends trying polished and easy out frizz and flyaways,” she explains. Scrivener additionally urges you to make use of dry shampoo between wash days for each quantity and oil absorption, and to by no means underestimate the facility of Color Wow’s Style on Steroids Texturizing Spray. “[It] is a blowout in a can,” she states.
Consider Extensions
“TBH, the key to 99% of all my crimson carpet appears is clip-in extensions,” Hawkins admits. “Extensions should not only for size—I at all times add facet items only for that additional face-framing quantity,” he provides. “Lately I’ve been utilizing Donna Bella Hair Clip-Ins as a result of the colours are gorgeous and the hair is the proper density to mix in with most of my purchasers.”
Get Trims
I do know the very last thing you wish to hear whenever you’re rising your hair out is to get common trims. However, this is a crucial a part of wholesome hair upkeep. “Even whenever you’re rising your hair out, common trims assist maintain the ends wholesome and the form of your haircut trying its greatest,” says Cook. “At the tip of the day, lovely lengthy hair is not nearly size—it is about creating the precise form, motion, and steadiness for the person.”
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