Medium length hairstyles are incredibly versatile and flattering for many women.
The right shoulder-length cut can enhance your facial features, create shape and volume, and allow you to style your hair in myriad ways.
One of the best techniques for adding movement and dimension to medium length locks is layers.
The right layered haircut can inject texture, body, and flow into medium length styles.
If you’re looking to update your mid-length look, layers are a must! Here are 13 fabulous medium length layered haircut ideas to give you and your stylist inspiration.
Long Layers
Long layers that start midway down the head and continue to the ends are a gorgeous way to add movement and body without sacrificing your length.
Ask your stylist for long layers that begin framing the face around eye level and chin length. The layers should then graduate longer through the sides, back, and down to the ends.
Having lots of sliced, feathered layers from mid-shaft through the ends will remove bulk and create shape.
The layered ends will have beautiful, wispy texture. Long layers work well on medium length hair that is straight, wavy, or curly. Part your new layered locks in the middle to showcase the framing layers or sweep them to one side. You’ll have healthy, flowing, voluminous medium length locks that feel lighter and bouncier thanks to the long layers.
Face-Framing Layers
Shoulder-length hair often lacks movement around the face. Get beautiful face-framing layers cut starting at chin length and working down to collarbone level.
Face-framing layers should angle down longer as they go back on the head. Ask for some subtle, shorter layers through the top and crown to create lift up top as well.
The result will be medium length hair that has gorgeous shape thanks to the angled face-framing layers. These layers also showcase your features and beautifully accentuate the cheekbones.
Part them in the middle or swept to the side and enjoy how the chin and eye-level layers enhance your facial structure. You’ll have medium length dimension and volume right where you want it!
Short Choppy Layers
Already have naturally thick medium length hair with a lot of density?
Short, choppy layers are the way to go! Ask your hairstylist for stacked layers cut high up the head and nape of the neck.
Layers that start shorter at the ends than layers higher on the head are called stacked layers.
Having layers begin between your chin and jawline will effectively reduce bulk and thin out your thick hair. The numerous short layers remove weight, making your medium length hair lighter and easier to manage. Short stacked layers also create excellent volume, lift, and movement.
Finish the cut with textured, razored ends for piecey texture. Show off your sassy stacked layers with a deep side part.
Wispy Crown Layers
Crown layers are a great way to inject volume and body into medium length hair. Ask for fine, wispy layers to be sliced throughout the top and crown portions down to about eye level.
Layers in this area will add lift to the roots and create shape on medium length hair that can often fall flat at the top. Styling crown layers with volume at the roots delivers beautiful body and movement through the mid lengths and ends.
Crown layers look amazing with a voluminous crown and body waved into the lengths and ends. Part down the middle to get height and volume evenly distributed.
Shoulder Length Layers
An easy way to add dimension and movement to medium length hair is with shoulder length layers. Ask your stylist to cut layers that intentionally fall above, below, and at shoulder level.
The layers will frame the face while thinning out the ends and removing bulk from medium length hair. Shoulder skimming layers also encourage bend, wave, and body in the lengths.
Part your new shoulder length layers in the middle to emphasize the subtly stacked look or sweep them to one side for pretty shaping. This is one of the simplest layered looks that works equally well on straight, wavy, or curly hair.
Shag Layers
Channel your inner rockstar with a medium length shag layered haircut! This look features short, heavily layered chops throughout the top and sides to create tons of volume and texture.
Tell your stylist you want the crown and sides layered up to remove as much bulk as possible.
Then have longer layers cut to graze the collarbone and frame the face. Blend into short, stacked layers at the nape. Finish with a blunt fringe to balance the short layers up top.
The result is fabulous medium length dimension perfect for enhancing natural waves or rocking carefree straight locks. Ruffle and tousle the layers for maximum texture and movement.
Blended Layers
If you prefer a more seamless layered look, ask your stylist for blended layers.
These layers are cut to softly melt together from midshaft down to the ends.
Rather than a choppy, disconnected layered look, blended layers create subtle volume and movement.
Shoulder length hair looks fuller and has beautiful flow when subtle blended layers are cut throughout the lengths and ends.
The layers should start longer around the collarbone and graduationally angle shorter towards the bottom. The result is polished yet voluminous medium length locks.
A-Line Layers
A graduated A-Line bob with stacked layers is a chic, modern take on medium length hair.
Have your stylist cut longer layers starting around the jawline that angle down shorter as they near the back. This A-shape flatters by elongating the neck and face.
The layers also remove bulk and styling forward encourages beautiful movement, texture, and body at the ends. Add some soft face framing layers as well for maximum volume and shaping.
Parted deeply to the side, this angular layered shape is seriously on trend and super flattering.
Wavy Layers
Show off your natural waves and texture with shoulder length layers meant to enhance your gorgeous medium length locks. Ask your stylist to point cut vertically into the ends to keep your hair thick and full at the bottom while removing excess bulk.
Point cutting creates soft layers that move beautifully and show off waves, bends, and curls. Part your hair in the middle and style with sea salt spray for polished yet tousled waves.
You can also sweep your wavy layers to one side. Let your natural texture shine through with this easy layered cut.
Swoopy Layers
Bring on the body and bounce with swoopy layers perfect for medium length hair! The longest layers should fall past your collarbone, framing the face elegantly.
Then have your stylist layer the rest of your locks to curve under and create serious volume. Rounded, swoopy layers work with the natural shape of the head to create volume and lift at the crown. Ask for feathered ends as well to get soft, touchable texture that moves gorgeously.
Part your swoopy layers deeply to the side and scrunch with mousse for amplified body and bounce.
This is a lively layered look that brings your medium length strands to life!
Mid-Length Razored Layers
One of the best finishes for medium length layered hair is to have all the ends razored.
Point cutting with the tips of scissors or slicing with a razor creates soft, wispy ends that encourage bend and movement.
Have your stylist work from mid-shaft down, removing bulk and thinning each layer towards the bottom with razor-cut ends.
This technique works to remove excess weight while keeping your hair full and thick towards the roots. Razored layers move beautifully, enhancing natural waves and texture.
Run your fingers through the feathered ends for gorgeous separation and flow.
Inverted Layers
Inverted layers put the longest layers at the top and crown and the shortest layers at the bottom. This graduated bob shape creates serious volume and lift at the roots.
Have your stylist cut longer, stacked layers starting above the ear and angling down shorter to the ends. The layers at the nape should be shortest to show off the inverted shape.
Volume at the top with shorter layers at the ends gives beautiful balance to medium length hair. Boost the body even more by backcombing the crown slightly before styling.
Curtain Bang Layers
Curtain bangs seem made for medium length layered hair.
Have your stylist cut long side-swept bangs that blend seamlessly into the face framing shoulder length layers.
Curtain bangs will soften your features while breaking up any unwanted bulk in the front.
Ask for the bangs to angle slightly longer on the heavier side of your part. Tousle your new curly or wavy layered locks forward along with the curtain bang for gorgeous texture and flow.
You’ll have romantic movement and shape in a hairstyle that is effortlessly on trend.
Consult with an experienced stylist and use these gorgeous ideas to craft a dimensional medium length cut that flatters your facial features and enhances your hair’s natural texture.
You’re sure to find the perfect layers to bring out the best in your medium length locks!
