Looking for low-maintenance hair? The Korean ‘hush cut’ might be for you
IMAGE VIA @jennychohair/INSTAGRAM
words by daisy henry
Layer up.
As par for the course, plenty of hair trends have made the rounds in recent months. There’s the pixie, the bixie, the wolf cut, the butterfly cut, the bob, the lob… the list goes on. But through it all, there’s one hairstyle that keeps pulling our attention: the Korean hush cut.
Though it’s been popular in South Korea for some time now, the style was most widely popularised by actress Jung Ho-yeon. Sitting somewhere between a butterfly and wolf cut, the hush cut is a softer style, requiring far less maintenance and far less drastic of a transformation.
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“The hush cut is super adaptable to various face shapes and textures,” explains Lucia Airey, a freelance hairstylist and expert cutter at Melbourne salon Donna Sheridan. If you’re feeling tempted, rest assured there are ways to make it work for you.
What is the ‘hush cut’?
Originally hailing from South Korea, the hush cut is most well known for its soft and feathery face-framing layers, designed to add plenty of volume. It typically features wispy curtain bangs or a casually chopped fringe, rather than anything overly blunt.
“Its popularity has grown due to its versatility and adaptability to various hair lengths and textures,” Lucia explains. Though the idea of layers might be intimidating at first, she assures the hush cut is a relatively low-maintenance style and can be customised to suit different hair textures and face types.
In theory, the layers are cut so they fall naturally and requires minimal styling, unlike the more high-maintenance demands of a butterfly cut, which typically require regular blow-waves or hair rollers. While the wolf cut might be seen as another close variation, the hush cut is less about short, choppy layers and is instead a softer, lived-in style. According to Lucia, it’s best suited to people who want a refresh but not a total transformation.
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What exactly should you ask for if you want a hush haircut?
“If your hairstylist isn’t familiar with this particular cut, I’d start by saying you’re after face-framing layers with a wispy bang,” Lucia instructs. Emphasise that you’re looking for a low-maintenance style and that you want soft layers, rather than anything too jagged or blunt.
And don’t be afraid to bring in as many visual references as you have saved in your Pinterest folder. Though Lucia is quick to add your saved photos should feature hair colour and textures similar to your own.
While the hairstyle is fairly customisable, you won’t be able to recreate the same look on someone with thin, straight hair as you would on someone with naturally thick, coily hair. While we all might want Jung Ho-yeon’s wispy layers, we’ll have to settle for a version of.
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How do you style a hush cut?
Though the layers might take a second to get used to if you’ve never had them before, Lucia is confident that with a few tweaks, it’s easy to get your locks to fall into place. “For a natural, no fuss finish, I’d opt for either a texture spray, sea salt spray or curl cream and allow your hair to air dry,” she says. You can also use a diffuser attachment on your hair dryer to enhance your natural texture if you’re after a lived-in look.
For a more polished finish, Lucia recommends applying a volumising spray or mousse to your hair while wet and blowdrying it with a rounded brush. This will add volume to your roots, she explains.
But it’s also the kind of haircut that allows for plenty of room to mix it up, depending on your mood. You can wear it one way one week, and another way the next. “Have a play with different ways of styling by using a curling wand or tongs to create loose soft waves,” she suggests.
Or, embrace the layers and experiment with updos. The beauty of the haircut is letting it do its thing, so try wearing it in a loose bun or ponytail and leaving out the wispy layers.
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