As the picture shows we all have a fear of the Butchered Layered Cut.
I think we have all known someone with this haircut and we all have a real fear of becoming her!
As a stylist and Salon owner I am ask daily by customers to give them layers. As a stylist I will tell you things to say and not to say to help insure you get a great layered cut.
1. Client/You: I want layers but not to lose ANY length. Sylist: you will for sure be losing some length around our face, which means when you pull your long hair forward in front of your shoulders it WILL look shorter….hence layers. SO; before going ask your self the following questions;
1. How short do I want the bottom length in back to be.
2. Do I want bangs? If so how short? Do I want straight across bangs or a shorter going to long swooping bangs that flows into the side layers?
3. Do I still need for my front edges (think of everything from the front of the ears to the top of your face in the middle of a center part like a frame around your face) to still be able to go into a pony tail? If so you will want layers that start at below your chin in front. Any shorter, they will not go into that pony tail.
4. Do I want layers on top? If so do I want subtle almost hidden layers just to give it body or do I want lots of choppy short layers that are choppy all the way down? Think Joan Jet.
5. YOU: I saw a girl online with big mermaid curls on layered hair and I loved it. Stylist should Question: do you take the time to use a styling wand, curling iron, straightening iron or rollers each day? If you don’t and your hair is bone straight, know that your hair will not look like that unless you do or get a beach wave perm.
6. Are you wanting a carefree easy look or a very styled fixed look? Reason; carefree is cut using a V cut method that leaves the ends more textured and choppy (not like the picture lol) while fixed is more smooth and managed
7. Find pictures of the hairstyles you like. Stylist love for you to show us pictures. This takes a lot of the guess work out of what you are really envisioning. Find different pictures that show different parts of what you like (it can be really hard to find THE haircut). Example: This one has the front layers I love but I hate her bangs. This one is too short but I love her bangs, I love the way the top of her hair is .. etc… A good stylist will be able to put them together and give you a style you love or to tell you that, that want work together but THIS will and then give you explanations and examples.
8. If your stylist does not ask you questions about what your expectations and wishes are with layers and just starts cutting. Guess what’ you will probably hate them because she/he truly has no idea of what your expecting unless she ask or you tell her!
9. If these are your first layers and you are still uncertain, ask her/him to go light on the layers at first and add more if you decide you are loving them. I assure you that your stylist will not mind. If they do mind and act all snotty about it, get up and leave its your hair!
10. Most important of all is to ask your stylist to show you how to fix your new style so you can do it at home Sometimes it helps to tell the person booking your appointment that this will be a new style for you and you might need a little extra time booked for the stylist to show you how to fix it at home. Also tell the stylist this up front (the person who booked it may have scheduled more time but not told them why} Trust me a good stylist would rather know to do that than to make others wait or to send you out with a cut you can’t make look good just because they were not aware of this need.
I hope this helps and layers are great when done correctly! According to Hair Styles Feed, layers are like little arrows around the face and body that point to your best features and also allows more styling options.