How to Cut Layers: The Ponytail Method, Face Framing and 14 Results

To cut layers, you lift the hair away from the head and cut it straight. The higher you lift it, the shorter and more visible the layers get. That angle, called elevation, decides the haircut. The scissors just follow it. So the one decision that matters is where the shortest layer lands, and the rule is simple: cut it lower than you think, because layers take months to grow back.

Below: what each lifting angle does, 14 layered results side by side, the method that fits your hair length and texture, the ponytail method step by step, face-framing layers, and the mistakes that cost a grow-out.

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What are layers in a haircut?

Layers are shorter lengths cut inside the overall length, so the hair falls in tiers and moves instead of hanging as one block. The bottom line of the hair, the perimeter, can stay exactly where it is. Layering removes weight from above it.

That is why "how short" is the wrong first question. The right one is "how high do I lift it". Hold a section straight down and cut, and you get one length. Lift the same section up toward the ceiling and cut at the same spot, and the hair near your crown comes out shortest while the ends stay long.

The ponytail tricks you see on video are just ways to hold hair at a high elevation without a second person. Once you know that, they stop being magic and you can predict the result.

Want to see it first? Preview a wolf cut on your own photo.

Which method fits your hair?

Hair length and texture decide which way of cutting layers will work, and whether you should do it yourself at all. Face shape only changes where the front pieces start.

Layer cuts compared: 14 results from one technique

Every look below is layers cut into hair at collarbone length or longer. What changes is where the shortest layer sits and how far the hair is lifted. Use the gallery to name the result you want before you pick up the scissors, because each one points to a different method further down. If you are still choosing the look rather than the technique, browse 14 layered hair styles sorted by the gap between the shortest and longest piece first.

Gallery14 photos · tap to enlarge

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

Would this suit me?

The shape that suits most people is long layers with face-framing pieces starting at the chin. It keeps the length, shows movement, and grows out without an awkward stage.

Cutting layers by hair length and texture

Long hair: the ponytail method

Long hair is the best case for cutting your own layers. You have a foot or more of hair to blend into, so a layer that lands an inch off still disappears. The forehead ponytail, sometimes called the unicorn cut, gives long layers plus face-framing pieces in one snip. The full steps are below. For styling ideas once it is cut, see our long hair guide.

Medium hair: start with the front

At collarbone length the distance between your shortest and longest hair is only a few inches, so every layer shows. Cut the face-framing pieces first and live with them for a week before you touch the crown. If you want a full layered shape at this length, our medium layered haircuts guide shows where each style puts its layers, and layered shoulder length hairstyles covers the shorter end.

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Short hair: let a stylist do it

Short layers are cut in vertical sections with a guide, and you cannot see the back of your own head well enough to match it. A half-inch slip at chin length is a visible step. If you want a short layered look, bring a photo of a layered bob and let someone else hold the comb.

Curly hair: cut it dry

Wet curls stretch, then spring up when they dry, sometimes by several inches. Cut curly hair dry, in its natural shape, one curl at a time. Snip each curl where you want it to sit, a little at a time, and step back from the mirror often. Round layers at roughly 90 degrees keep curls from going into a triangle with all the volume at the bottom.

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Fine and thick hair

Fine hair needs its weight at the ends to look full, so layers there should be long and few. Cut only the last two or three inches and skip the crown. Thick hair is the opposite: layers are what stop it from turning into a heavy block. Our thick hair guide covers which layered cuts take out the most bulk.

Before you cut: tools and wet or dry

Get the tools right first, because bad scissors cause most DIY disasters.

• Hair-cutting shears. Kitchen or craft scissors fold the hair as they cut and leave a blunt, frayed edge. A basic pair of hair shears is cheap and makes point cutting possible.
• A fine-tooth comb and a few clips. You need clean sections and the rest of the hair out of the way.
• Hair elastics. Two, for the ponytail method.
• A hand mirror. To check the back and the sides against the wall mirror.

Wet or dry depends on texture. Cut straight and wavy hair damp, not dripping, for control, then check it again once dry. Cut curly and coily hair dry, always. Whatever your texture, take off half of what you think you want. Hair grows about half an inch a month, so a two-inch mistake costs you roughly four months.

How to cut layers in your own hair with the ponytail method

This is the method most people search for. It works on long straight or wavy hair and needs about 15 minutes.

Put the ponytail at the top of your head, at the crown, instead of the forehead and you get rounder, more even layers all over, which suits thick hair better. Put it low at the nape and you only trim the length into a U shape, with no real layers.

How to cut face-framing layers

Face-framing layers are the safest first cut, because they only touch the front.

1. Part your hair where you wear it. Section a triangle from the part back to just behind each temple and clip the rest away.
2. Comb the triangle forward and down over your nose. Hold it between two fingers at a slant, lower toward the ends.
3. Make the first cut at your chin, at that slant. Cut at the chin even if you want the pieces higher, because they spring up once they fall back to the sides.
4. Point cut the edge, let it fall to each side and check that both sides match.

Want the pieces to start higher, at the cheekbone? That is curtain bang territory: cut those pieces from a smaller triangle at the front of the part and blend them into the layers below.

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Not sure where the front layer should start for your face? Measure it first.

Then read the face shapes guide for what your result means for face-framing pieces.

How to cut layers on someone else

With a second person you can use the method stylists use, which is more precise than a ponytail.

1. Section. Part the hair into a top section running from the front hairline to the crown, two sides and the back.
2. Set a guide. Take a small section at the crown, lift it straight up, and cut it to the length of the shortest layer. Every other section follows this piece.
3. Lift and match. Take vertical slices, lift each one to 90 degrees from the head, and cut to the guide. For long layers that keep the length, pull each slice up to the crown guide instead, so the hair underneath stays long.
4. Cross check. Take horizontal slices, lift them, and look for a step. Trim only the pieces that stick out.

This is also the method behind cuts with heavy crown layers like the shag and the long wolf cut, which are hard to do on your own head.

Mistakes that cost you a grow-out

• Cutting the shortest layer too short. On long hair a layer above the chin turns long layers into a shag. Layers are permanent until they grow out.
• Using kitchen scissors. They chew the ends and leave a frizzy line that splits.
• An off-center ponytail. One side ends up an inch shorter. Check the mirror before every cut.
• Cutting curly hair wet. It springs up shorter and uneven once dry.
• Skipping the point cut. A straight snip leaves a visible shelf where the layers stop.
• Thinning fine hair. Thinning shears and razors take out the bulk that makes thin ends look full.

See where your layers land before you cut

The manual method has one wall you cannot get past: you cannot see the result on your own face before the cut. A mirror shows you the hair you have now. It does not show whether chin-length front pieces open up your face or drag it down, and once they are cut you are four to six months from changing your mind.

That is the gap our try-on fills. Upload a selfie and see long layers, face-framing pieces or curtain bangs on your own photo, then cut, or book, the one you liked. The first look is free and needs no card.

If you take the photo to a stylist instead, say this:

Cutting layers comes down to elevation: lift the hair, cut straight, and the angle does the shaping. For most people the best layered cut is long layers with face-framing pieces starting at the chin, cut with the forehead ponytail on long hair, the twist method on medium hair, dry on curls, and by a stylist on short hair. Take half of what you want, point cut every edge, and check your face before the first snip.