The butterfly haircut layers shorter face-framing pieces into longer lengths, creating built-in volume that moves with you. Right now, the trend is shifting toward softer, lived-in layers and curtain bangs that work with natural texture rather than against it.
This collection of 23 takes on the Simple Butterfly Hair covers collarbone cuts to mid-back lengths, with and without bangs, on straight and wavy textures. Whether your hair is fine and needs a lift or thick and needs weight removed, there is a version here that solves the problem of flat roots or a fringe that refuses to sit right.
Collarbone Layers With Soft Curtain Bangs
What makes a collarbone butterfly cut work is the balance between volume and precision. The layers here are cut to fan outward from a middle parting, with the shortest pieces at the cheekbone and the longest grazing the collarbone. This specific distribution suits thick, wavy textures that can hold the shape without product help; the air pocket between layers keeps the silhouette from falling flat. Round and heart-shaped faces benefit most from the soft curtain bangs, which widen at the jaw rather than narrowing it. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly with curtain bangs and bouncy layers. A trim every six to eight weeks preserves the curtain shape, especially if the bangs start brushing your nose between cuts.
Blonde Collarbone Butterfly With Bouncy Blowout
The butterfly cut relies on a specific layering map: a short internal layer at the crown, a longer one at the perimeter, and the shortest pieces at the face. On this collarbone blonde version, the shortest layer hits the cheekbone and the longest lands at the collarbone, creating the signature V-shape at the back that lifts the silhouette. The curtain bangs are cut to blend into the face-framing pieces rather than sitting as a separate panel. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly with curtain bangs and crown layers. This construction works best on hair that already carries a wave; straight textures will need a round brush to activate the bend at the ends.
Ash Blonde Collarbone Butterfly With Waves
An ash blonde butterfly cut is not the same as a shag, though they share layers. The difference is in the shortest layer: the butterfly keeps it at the cheekbone, while a shag takes it higher to the ear. Fine, wavy textures can wear the butterfly shape, but the bouncy blowout shown here requires a texturizing spray at the roots to prevent the waves from dropping. The curtain bangs are cut long enough to tuck behind the ear on a humid day. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly with ash blonde and long curtain bangs. A trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the shape from growing into a triangle.
Dark Brown Collarbone Butterfly With Side Part
Can you get a butterfly cut with a side part? Yes, but the layers need to be adjusted. On this dark brown collarbone version, the stylist shifted the shortest face-framing pieces to the heavier side of the part and kept the opposite side longer, so the cut still fans outward evenly. The side part adds volume at the crown, which is useful for fine, straight textures that lack natural lift. The face-framing layers here are cut to graze the jaw on the shorter side and the collarbone on the longer side. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly with side part and face-framing layers. A volumizing mousse at the roots before blow-drying gives the lift the cut needs.
Dark Brown Collarbone Butterfly With Side Part, Close-Up Take
A side-parted butterfly cut reads differently on thick hair than on fine hair. With thick, straight textures, the layers stack more visibly, creating a heavier curtain effect at the face. The curtain bangs on this dark brown version are cut to start at the brow bone and blend into the longer face-framing pieces, which keeps the side part from creating a gap at the hairline. The difference from a center-parted butterfly is the weight distribution: the side part concentrates volume on one side, so the shorter layers need to be slightly longer on the heavy side to avoid a stair-step look. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly with side part and curtain bangs.
A round brush blow-dry is the fastest way to set the bend; a trim every six weeks keeps the bangs from overtaking the cheekbone layer.
Ash Blonde Collarbone Butterfly With Wispy Bangs
The butterfly cut here lands at collarbone length with soft, voluminous layers and wispy curtain bangs in ash blonde with subtle highlights. It suits fine, wavy hair that already hits the collarbone; the wispy bangs add softness without overwhelming the face. Ask your stylist for a collarbone butterfly cut with wispy curtain bangs in ash blonde. On damp hair, a texturizing spray before a blowout enhances the wispy texture, and a trim every 8 to 10 weeks keeps the layers from growing heavy.
Medium Brown Collarbone Butterfly With Side-Swept Bangs
The face-framing layers here are prominent, with side-swept bangs and a side parting on collarbone-length hair in medium brown with balayage highlights. This cut works best for medium-density, wavy hair that starts at the collarbone; the side-swept bangs are a reliable choice for softening a square jaw. Ask your stylist for a collarbone butterfly cut with face-framing layers and side-swept bangs. The balayage adds dimension without demanding root touch-ups every month, and the side parting creates natural volume at the crown.
Dark Brown Collarbone Shag With Curtain Bangs
The shag influence in this butterfly cut is not subtle: dark brown, collarbone length, prominent face-framing layers and curtain bangs parted in the middle, styled in a voluminous blowout. This is a salon job, not a kitchen-scissors situation, because the shag layers need precision to avoid looking like a 1970s style. Thick, wavy hair starting at collarbone length handles the texture best; fine hair risks looking stringy. Ask your stylist for a collarbone shag with face-framing layers and curtain bangs. The middle parting is required here for the shape to read correctly.
Shoulder Length Butterfly With Feathered Layers
Start with damp hair, apply a heat protectant, then blow-dry with a round brush, turning the brush outward at the ends. The dark blonde base with subtle highlights gives the layers depth without looking stripey. Ask your stylist for a shoulder-length butterfly cut with feathered layers and curtain bangs. This cut rewards a little styling effort; air-drying tends to flatten the feathered effect into something closer to a basic shoulder-length layer.
Long Layered Dark Brown With Curtain Bangs
The design here is a long, layered cut at mid-back length with face-framing pieces, curtain bangs, and a middle parting in dark brown with subtle highlights, styled into voluminous waves. The multiple layers prevent long hair from hanging like a curtain, instead creating shape and movement. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length benefits most from this structure. Ask your stylist for a long layered cut with face-framing layers and curtain bangs. Upkeep is straightforward: a volumizing spray at the roots before blow-drying keeps the shape, and a trim every 8 to 10 weeks stops the layers from disappearing into a blunt hemline.
Mid-Back Layers With Face-Framing and Bangs
This cut relies on precision: the long layers are cut to stack gradually, so the face-framing sections fall just below the chin while the back stays full at mid-back. The curtain bangs are cut to blend into those front pieces, which means no blunt line where the fringe ends. It works best on thick, wavy hair that can hold the shape without collapsing. Ask your stylist for: mid-back length layers, face-framing, curtain bangs. A smoothing serum applied to damp hair controls the frizz that wavy textures can throw up, and a trim every eight to ten weeks keeps the layers from turning into one shapeless mass.
Long Dark Brown Butterfly With Face-Framing
Who should book this? Anyone with thick, wavy hair who wants movement without losing length. The prominent face-framing layers cut into the front half of the head, so the weight stays at the back while the sides get lift. Curtain bangs soften the transition. Ask your stylist for: long butterfly cut, prominent layers, face-framing pieces. A heat protectant spray before blow-drying keeps the ends from drying out, and a trim every eight to ten weeks preserves the shape. If your hair is fine or straight, the layers may lie flat instead of fanning out.
Mid-Back Butterfly With Voluminous Layers
The voluminous layers are cut to lift and fan out around the shoulders, but on thick, wavy hair, that shape needs a blow-dryer and a round brush to actually appear. Left to air-dry, the layers can clump together and read as one heavy block. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, voluminous layers, curtain bangs. Dry texturizing spray helps separate the waves and adds hold. This is a salon-only cut; the internal layering is too precise to replicate at home.
Long Dark Brown Butterfly With Face-Framing Layers, Mid-Back
What sets this apart from a standard long layer cut is where the face-framing starts. Here, the shortest pieces begin at chin level, so the hair around the jaw gets lift while the rest drops straight to mid-back. On a shorter cut, those same pieces would hit higher and create more volume at the cheekbones. This version is gentler. Ask your stylist for: long butterfly cut, face-framing layers, curtain bangs. The subtle highlights in the dark brown base add dimension without a full color commitment. Gentle waves styled with a large-barrel iron keep the look soft and sharp.
Mid-Back Butterfly With Blonde Highlights
The butterfly cut here is paired with blonde highlights woven through the mid-back length, so the layers create dimension against the brown base. The curtain bangs frame the face without covering it. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, curtain bangs, voluminous curls. Styling takes a blow-dryer and a round brush to build the lift at the roots, then a medium-barrel iron to shape the curls. A texturizing spray adds grip and separation. Trim every eight to ten weeks; the highlights need a toning appointment every six to eight weeks to stay cool.
Dark Brown Mid-Back Butterfly With Heavy Layers
Can a mid-back butterfly cut with heavy layers work if you skip the bangs? Yes, but the trick is in the weight distribution. The cut lands at mid-back length with a dark brown base, and the significant layers are cut into thick, wavy texture to create volume rather than remove it. A middle parting keeps the face-framing pieces symmetrical. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, heavy layers, no bangs. This shape genuinely flatters thick hair that tends to triangle out at the bottom; the heavy layers carve out shape without sacrificing density. If your hair is fine or medium density, the same layers can thin the ends faster than you want.
Mid-Back Dark Brown Butterfly No Bangs
It looks almost identical to the previous section at first glance, but this version leans harder on the heavy layers as the standout feature. The mid-back butterfly cut with no bangs relies entirely on the internal layering for its shape. Dark brown, thick, wavy hair gets a middle parting and soft curls, and the layers are cut deep enough to create that signature winged silhouette. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, heavy layers, no bangs. Heavy layers in a mid-back cut can make the ends feel thinner over time. A trim every eight weeks is not optional here, it is structural.
Mid-Back Butterfly With Side Parting
The side parting changes the butterfly cut more than you would expect. Instead of symmetrical face-framing layers, the longer side gets more weight and the shorter side gets more lift. This mid-back length cut has prominent layers throughout thick, dark brown hair, and the face-framing pieces are cut to blend into the shape. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, prominent layers, side parting. The asymmetry softens a square jawline and keeps the volume from sitting too evenly.
Mid-Back Dark Brown With Blonde Balayage
A dark brown base with a blonde balayage adds dimension that the cut alone cannot deliver. This mid-back length haircut uses prominent layers and soft curtain bangs to frame the face, while the balayage lightens the ends. A smooth blowout with gentle waves shows off the contrast. Ask your colorist for: mid-back layered cut, blonde balayage, curtain bangs. The balayage grows out softly, so you can stretch toning appointments to about ten weeks. Use a color-safe shampoo to keep the blonde from warming up too fast.
Dark Red Mid-Back Butterfly With Loose Waves
Dark red with lighter red highlights lands this butterfly cut firmly in autumn and winter territory. The mid-back length layers and prominent curtain bangs are cut into thick, wavy hair, and the loose waves give the color room to catch the light. The middle parting keeps the face-framing pieces balanced. Ask your colorist for: mid-back butterfly cut, curtain bangs, dark red color. The vibrancy works for holiday events and everyday wear, though a color-depositing conditioner every few washes helps the red hold its tone between salon visits.
Collarbone Dark Brown Butterfly No Bangs
Wondering if a collarbone butterfly cut works without bangs? This version relies on multiple face-framing layers around the jaw and a side part to create movement, so fine, wavy hair gets noticeable volume without the weight. Ask your stylist for: collarbone butterfly cut, layers, no bangs. The air-dried finish keeps it low-effort, though the shape needs a trim every six to eight weeks to hold its bounce.
Short Black Butterfly With Side-Swept Bangs
This ear-length black butterfly cut is not a grow-out-friendly experiment. The stacked layers flip outward for a deliberate shape, and the side-swept bangs soften the line, but those layers require a salon visit every four to six weeks to avoid looking shaggy. Ask your stylist for: short butterfly cut, stacked layers, side-swept bangs. Straight, thick hair holds the flipped texture best, but the trade-off is the upkeep schedule.
Dark Brown Mid-Back Butterfly With Voluminous Waves
The design here stacks prominent layers from collarbone down, so thick, wavy hair can actually look fuller instead of just heavier. To recreate the soft, voluminous waves at home, apply a volumizing mousse to damp hair, then use a diffuser on medium heat, lifting sections at the root. Ask your stylist for: mid-back butterfly cut, voluminous waves, dark brown. The curtain bangs frame the face without demanding a daily round brush.
Final Thoughts
For fine hair, ask for layers that start higher around the ears to create the illusion of volume without losing length. For thick hair, longer, softer layers prevent bulk while keeping the shape. The right butterfly cut works with your texture, not against it.
- Schedule trims every 8-10 weeks to maintain the shape and layer definition.
- Use a volumizing mousse or spray at the roots when blow-drying for added lift.
- Protect hair from heat with a spray before using styling tools.
- Consider a color-depositing conditioner every 4-6 weeks to refresh highlights or tone.
Find the butterfly cut that best suits your hair type and lifestyle.
