The Jellyfish Haircut Trend Is Making Waves on TikTok (2024)

FAQs

Why is the jellyfish haircut a trend? ›

“This look is trending because it's a gender-neutral style and it's very edgy, artistic and creative,” Raven Hurtado, a stylist at Chicago-based Maxine Salon, recently told Glamour. “It's like having short and long hair at the same time.”

So what is a jellyfish haircut? Basically, it's a cut that features two separate sections. The top portion looks like a bowl cut that ends mid-ear: think of the bell of a jellyfish, with locks made to frame the face in front.

"It can also tend to look bulky on both curly and textured hair," adds Joey Figueiredo, a stylist and salon owner in Sola Salons. Long story short, the jellyfish cut works best on medium to thick hair that's naturally straight or has just a little bit of wave to it.

First, part your bowl cut into three sections: left, right, and back. Hold the flat iron horizontally and work with one side at a time. As you slowly glide the tool downwards, rotate your wrist to create a C-shaped curve inspired by the top part of a jellyfish. Repeat until all sections are complete.

This year's haircut trends are becoming more daring by the minute, and the latest look going viral is no exception. It's called the "jellyfish" haircut: a half-short, half-long style that marries the mullet with a bowl cut and is meant to look exactly like — you guessed it — the outline of a jellyfish.

That said, the style isn't actually anything new: It's inspired by the hime (or princess) cut, which originated during Japan's Heian period. Like the newly named jellyfish, the hime is also bilevel, consisting of blunt, bob-length fringe in the front and lengthy tendrils in the back.

According to W magazine, the hime cut can be traced to the Heian Period in Japan, beginning around the ninth century.

A butterfly haircut combines short layers with long layers to give your hair dimension, movement, and body. The short, wispy layers hit around the chin to frame your face, highlight your features, and even contour a round face shape.

For an optimal wave, you'll want to cut your hair down to a fairly short length—around 1 ½ inches. "This will typically require a clipper guard between sizes #1 and #2 or 1/8 and 1/4," says Washington. "Be sure to have hair cut with the grain and not against."

What face shape is a jellyfish haircut? ›

Frequently Asked Questions. Does the jellyfish haircut work on any face shape? “Yes, the jellyfish haircut can work on any face shape, but the best shapes for this cut are round or diamond, as it helps elongate the face,” Korab explains.

What does wavy hair look like? Wavy hair tends to have a very loose, relaxed S-shape wave - depending on your hair's thickness and how you style it, waves can range from barely-noticeable to full-on mermaid beach waves.

Jellyfish Haircuts

Often viewed as Gen Z's answer to the mullet, this weird and wonderful new style is similar to octopus hair, but is slightly more bold and edgy, with a gender-neutral vibe to it.

Before asking for a jellyfish cut at the salon, it's important to give your stylist some context. Hurtado suggests, "For this cut, you'd want to ask that you want to maintain the length but texturized. You'll also want to ask for short rounded layers on top to add lots of movement."

Ask your stylist to thin out the bottom 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) of your hair. Emo styles generally have a lot of volume on top and taper down at the bottom. Ask your stylist to use thinning shears to thin out the bottom few inches of your hair to really emphasize your layers. Return for a trim every 4-6 weeks.

Fashion historian Jessica Glassco*ck dates the recent fashion mullet resurgence (pictured here on characters from new movie "The Iron Claw") back to the early-2000s, sparked possibly by Mark Larsen's tome, "The Mullet: Hairstyle of the Gods." The DIY-renditions necessitated during pandemic lockdown drove another spike, ...

Who should get a butterfly cut? The style is ideal for people wanting to create the illusion of fuller, healthier hair without sacrificing length. Hairstylist Ashley Lynn, in Charlotte, North Carolina notes that the butterfly cut also "creates volume and shape, while removing damage from every level."

“Men's hair has always been so bland and [the mullet] has allowed people to really embrace their individuality. In popular culture, a lot of people are more comfortable in their sexuality and diversifying so much. We're seeing a lot of clients coming in and asking for a cut like Timothée Chalamet's.