Why is the internet talking about the ‘butterfly haircut’?
Image via @matildadjerf/instagram
Words by Seraphina Nicholls
No butterflies were harmed in the making of this haircut.
Some trends should remain on the internet – I think we’ve already put ‘that girl’ in her corner – but others are even better when explored in the outside world. The butterfly haircut is one of those trends.
Popularised by Swedish influencer and entrepreneur Matilda Djerf, the haircut references the ultra-feminine styles of the ’90s seen on the likes of Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford. It involves lustrous, long layering and bouncy volume which give the haircut a Hollywood superstar feel.
For more hair talk, head to our Beauty section.
As with other animal-associated hair trends on TikTok, the name comes from the way the layers cascade outwards like a butterfly’s wings. Hot, sexy and Scandi, this haircut is here to stay. I spoke with hairdresser Nina Lee of Sydney salon Extra Silky to unpack the allure of the butterfly cut.
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What is a butterfly cut?
Despite the name, no butterflies are hurt in the making of this haircut. Instead, hair stylists use face framing and long layers that flick out at the sides to make the hair resemble a butterfly’s wings.
“It’s a beautiful take on long layers. Basically think ’90s, bouncy blow-dries. Victoria’s Secret models. I’ve always called it sexy layers before [the] butterfly cut because it’s such a pretty and beautiful way to wear your hair,” Nina tells me.
How do you cut a butterfly cut?
Nina says that, “you would come to the salon and [we would] give you a beautiful shampoo and hair massage. Practically, in [terms of] cutting, we would give you some long layers depending on the face shape and hair texture.”
For thicker hair, your hairdresser may play around with texture, volume and weight to get the haircut’s signature bounce.
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“What I find as well is there is a lot of weight removal taken from the hair, so that the layers sit kind of flicky and loose. A lot of the photos you see are very light. It’s not heavy hair so we do take a lot of internal weight out if you have medium to thick hair but probably not very fine hair,” she explains.
So if you’re like me and are scared to say goodbye to a thick head of hair, just remember it’s all part of the process.
Is there a hair type this haircut works best on?
The butterfly cut’s ’90s aesthetic means it’s a style of its time. It works best on long, straight or wavy hair but a good hairstylist should be able to accommodate the style to work for curlier hair or curly adjacent hair types.
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If the butterfly cut is something you’re interested in, discuss it with your stylist beforehand and find a version of the style that works best with your hair type.
Hair thickness, though, doesn’t seem to be a problem. “Finer hair can definitely pull it off without the texturising and then medium to thick hair just needs a bit of weight removal and soft layering to make it sit nicely with the blow dry,” Nina says.
Colour further amplifies the haircut’s dynamic layering. Nina tells me that, “if you have a colour that adds texture or is a little bolder, like pink, it would show off the different layers”. In fact, grown-out roots, balayage and differentiating hair colours are your friends. Creating depth and the feeling of weight, the tonalities work together to accentuate the butterfly effect.
Nina reminds me that “people’s massive love for curtain bangs works really well with this cut”, something which Matilda Djerf supporters and ’70s sympathisers will be in agreeance with.
Does the haircut require styling?
For Nina, this haircut sits within the low to medium range of hair maintenance – depending on your hair type and what you’re used to, of course.
“I would say to get that beautiful fresh, bouncy look, you would need to blow dry it. You would typically do that straight after your wash when your hair is really wet… that should last you until your next wash.” Playing around with hair tools like hot rollers or a blow dry brush can also allow you to experiment with the haircut’s intensity.
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Nina mentions that a good beginner’s hack to styling the cut is to “blowdry your hair without any effort and put velcro rollers in straight away while it’s still warm”. Leave them in overnight, let the flick set in place, wake up and butterfly-fly away into your day.
Is there anything important I should know before my appointment?
As Nina puts it, “No. Just rock up”. Don’t overthink it but, “be open to taking the recommendation of your stylist such as a product to take home”. Nina says it’s important to add this to your budget because the look requires a little more styling in the morning.
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“I would suggest a mousse or a texturising spray or a blow dry spray. It will help to hold and support the style,” she says. These products make the style more approachable and give it the extra kick it deserves.
For more information about Nina’s hair practice and philosophy, head here.
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