10 Trending Haircuts Clients Will Request This Season
We don’t like saying we told you so—ok, fine maybe we do just a little bit!–but our 2023 trend predictions aren’t slowing down this summer season. We will see plenty of requests for layers, fringe and soft texture, but our trend radar is also showing some shorter transformations for the warmer months (aka—a bixie revival!).
Keep reading for the official list of top haircuts trends for late spring and summer 2023. Plus, score expert tips, must-read articles and video courses to cut with confidence!
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1. Midlength Butterfly Cut
2023 is officially the year of the butterfly cut—voluminous, face-framing layers that don’t compromise length. But butterfly layers aren’t only for clients with long, thick hair. You can use the same fundamentals (learn them here!) to achieve a shoulder-length butterfly cut for those clients looking to lose some inches for summer.
Learn how to cut butterfly layers from trend expert Ulta Beauty Design Team Member Justin Toves-Vincilione (@ahappyjustin) on BTC-University—watch now!
Pro Tip: Don’t know how to style butterfly layers? Read the four steps you MUST take, plus get Justin’s advice for teaching clients how to style them at home.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @nanaquality
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @styledxsierra
Photo Credit: Instagram via @matt.swinney
Photo Credit: Instagram via @ahappyjustin
Try Justin’s go-to scissors for cutting layers: ARC™ Scissors Paragon II!
2. The Box Bob
Disclaimer: When your client requests a “box bob,” here’s what they really mean: a soft, blunt bob with a strong perimeter, airy texture and a face-contouring effect. The keys to achieving the coveted Hailey Bieber and Zendaya-inspired contoured bobs of 2023? Removing unwanted weight and even trying shattered lines to break it up.
Don’t know the difference between a texturized and layered bob? Read this guide!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairinel
Photo Credit: Instagram via @lovetaije
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rodrigues_ricardo
Photo Credit: Instagram via @slickback_buttahtoast
Photo Credit: Instagram via @chrisjones_hair
Soft, Blunt Bob Cheat Sheet:
- 5 Tips for Cutting Bobs on Textured Hair
- How To Recreate Hailey Bieber’s Preppy, Contoured Bob
- How To Avoid A Bulky Bob
- 3 Genius Cheats to Make Bobs Appear Fuller
Your biggest short haircut moneymaker: The soft, blunt bob! Learn it NOW from @chrisjones_hair on BTC-U!
Plus, a few more contoured bobs & lobs…
Photo Credit: Instagram via @inspodehair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hairbyreema
Photo Credit: Instagram via @marthastewart48 x @johnbarrettnyc
Photo Credit: Instagram via @kirstyannehair
The tool you need to achieve soft, blunt lines:
“Cutting your line with ARC™ Scissors 10/10 Reversible Texturizer is like sketching with a pencil,” cutting expert @chrisjones_hair explains. “It’s very forgiving, since you can see what you’re cutting as you go and really sculpt the haircut visually.”
Try Chris’ must-have scissor: Click here!
3. Side Bangs
The return of the side-swept fringe settles the Gen Z TikTok debate for good—the side part is here to stay. Remember: While heavy side parts look purposefully even, you must maintain balance. This means using each client’s hair density as a guide to ensure the fringe still looks blended for a cohesive cut they can style with ease.
The 6 types of fringe clients will request this year—read this next!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @gustavomigli
Photo Credit: Instagram via @katyahairstylist
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @styled_by_carolynn
4. Midlength Internal Layers
Let’s talk layering: Traditional layers are external and create a visible shape in a haircut. On the flipside, “invisible”—or internal—layers work from inside the established shape to create air pockets and expand the hair to build volume.
“[The term] invisible layers can be misleading, since they are not fully invisible,” dishes LA-based haircutting expert Sal Salcedo (@salsalhair). “They do, on the other hand, expand the hair from the inside and—if done correctly—can make the hair appear fuller with more movement throughout.”
Photo Credit: Instagram via @brentdanielbasore
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hirohair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @slickback_buttahtoast
Photo Credit: Instagram via @leohairofficial x @julianneparis
Read This Complete Guide to Internal Layers:
- What invisible/internal layers really mean
- Placement roadmap to prevent holes or thinning out the hair
- What areas have the most impact—and areas to avoid.
- Pro tips from @salsalhair, @johnwgeorge, @yukistylist and more!
- READ THE GUIDE HERE.
5. Subtle, Barely There Bangs
This hair trend is a love letter to all of our clients who opted for curtain fringe last year. Prepare for this transitional cut request: Soft, parted fringe that’s longer in length and blends easily into face-framing layers and has that Jane Birkin *je ne sais quoi*.
For clients opting for a wispy, feathered fringe that skims the brow bone—vertical sectioning will be your best friend, so read this guide to cut with confidence. Brushing up on these cutting skills will create the airy, delicate texture clients want.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @salsalhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @bel_pipsqueekinsaigon
Photo Credit: Instagram via @franckhair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @savannamarieofficial
Curtain Fringe Cheat Sheet:
- How To Cut & Style Long Curtain Bangs
- 5 Tips for Cutting Soft, Natural Fringe
- Tips for Cutting Curtain Bangs on Every Client
6. Contoured Layers
Face-framing layers are a staple request for our clients who want to reshape their hair—without losing too much length. In the consultation, consider what features you want to accentuate for your client. Contour cuts should LIFT, MOVE and ADD LIFE.Other client terms we’re seeing on the internet: Frame cut, step layers, butterfly layers.
Meet The Layering Expert: Rachel Williams (@rachelwstylist) is the #ONESHOT Shag/Mullet 2022 winner, Moroccanoil® Global Ambassador and ARC™ Scissors Artistic Team Member—so, it’s safe to say: Your clients have saved her photos for their next cut.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @rachelwstylist
Get The Look:
- Cut face-framing layers using the face shape and features as your guide
- Start on wet hair for control with Rachel’s go-to ARC™ Scissors Phantom II 6”
- Detail on dry hair using ARC™ Scissors 30/2 Reversible Blender 6”
- Styling Products: Moroccanoil® Hydrating Styling Cream, Volumizing Mist, Dry Texture Spray and Luminous Hairspray Medium
Photo Credit: Instagram via @weezydidit
Photo Credit: Instagram via @somehair_ali
Photo Credit: Instagram via @romeufelipe
Photo Credit: Instagram via @tinalenoblehair
Learn how to cut contour layers with @joeltorresstyle on BTC-U: Watch now!
7. French Bob
The French bob elevates a classic bob into something très chic and super trendy. Known for its chin-or-cheek grazing length, bounce and bevel—every haircutter should keep bob-cutting fundamentals in their arsenal for your next client request.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @wannabe_parisian__
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hirohair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @mariama
Photo Credit: Instagram via @thebangsbabe
French Bob Cheat Sheet:
- Key Terms You MUST Know
The French Bob with @ahappyjustin PREMIERES JUNE 13—click to add to your video playlist on BTC University!
8. The Long, Soft Shag
Retro-inspired, heavily layered shags—think Goldie Hawn, Joan Jett or Brigitte Bardot—have been household names in the salon over the past couple of years. And while we love an ultra-feathered cut with major volume at the crown, this season’s shag is moving into a softer, longer and more grown-out approach and still paired with a heavy, parted fringe.
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hirohair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @theshelbyswain
Photo Credit: Instagram via @bel_pipsqueekinsaigon
Photo Credit: Instagram via @hollygirldoeshair
8. The Bixie Haircut
Did you see the bixie—aka the bob/pixie hybrid—staying high on the request charts on your 2023 bingo card? We did, and here’s why: This soft yet edgy cut takes the ultra-wearable length of a bob and fuses in elements of a pixie for the perfect “in-between” cut. Why we love it: The bixie can be highly personalized when hair density, texture and a client’s lifestyle are taken into consideration. Consultation = KEY.
Our go-to bixie expert is Wella Professionals Ambassador and celebrity stylist Briana Cisneros (@brianacisneros)—watch her crash course here!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @nubiarezo
Photo Credit: Instagram via @brianacisneros
Photo Credit: Instagram via @sainz_vero_
10. The Mixie
Like your cool-girl older sister who has the best playlists and band tees, meet the “Mixie”—the pixie/mullet hybrid makes a statement with shaggy, flippy elements. Key factors to know: Cropped fringe, tapered neckline, short layers and graduation in length.
Read this complete guide to learn how to cut a mixie!
Photo Credit: Instagram via @dario.laporta_hair
Photo Credit: Instagram via @coiffeurstory
Photo Credit: Instagram via @dario.laporta_hair
