The front pieces are the part of a cut you restyle most, often with a round brush in the five minutes before work, and they’re the first to fall flat by afternoon. In long layers with face framing, where those pieces start (cheekbone, chin, or collarbone) depends on your face shape and texture.
1. Long Layers, Cheekbone Face-Framing Pieces
Oval, round and square faces with medium to thick hair get the most from long layers with cheekbone face framing. The front pieces begin at the cheekbone and descend in half-inch steps to the collarbone, and the back holds long layers. Nothing reads blunt because I point cut every section. Round-brush the blow-dry with the front pulled forward. This is the most requested of all the long layered haircuts with face framing I do. Trim every 8 weeks.
2. Long Layers, Chin-Length Face-Framing Pieces
Square, round and heart faces with medium to thick hair suit long layers with chin-length face framing. The front pieces hold at the chin, which softens a square jaw, and the rest of the layers stay long from the collarbone down. Point cutting shapes the front and slide cutting shapes the layers behind. Style by blow-drying the front pieces away from the face. Trim every 8 weeks.
3. Long Layers, Collarbone Face-Framing Pieces
Fine to medium hair on oval or long faces suits long layers with collarbone face framing, the softest of the three starting points. The front pieces begin at the collarbone, leaving the face open, and the layers continue from there to the ends. Point cutting shapes the layers and the perimeter stays full. Style with a round brush and bend the front pieces back. Trim every 10 weeks.
4. Curtain-Bang Face-Framing Layers
Oval, round and square faces with medium to thick hair suit face-framing layers with curtain bangs. The bangs part at the center and sweep out to the cheekbones, the front pieces step down to the collarbone, and the layers behind stay long. The bangs are razored and the layers point cut. Style the bangs over a round brush. Trim the bangs every 5 weeks.
5. Face-Framed Butterfly Cut
Thick hair on oval or long faces suits a butterfly cut with face framing. Short layers run from the chin to the shoulder over long layers beneath, and the front pieces are taken to the cheekbone. The hair is lifted straight up and point cut. Style with a large round brush blowout and 10 minutes in Velcro rollers. Trim every 8 weeks.
6. Long Layers With Face Framing on Fine Hair
Fine hair on oval, round or heart faces suits long layers with face framing for fine hair. Two long layers and face-framing pieces that begin at the chin are all it takes, so the ends stay full. Scissors and point cutting only, never a razor. Style with a volumizing mousse and a round brush, lifting at the roots. Trim every 8 weeks or the ends start to look thin.
7. Long Layers With Face Framing on Thick Hair
Thick, coarse hair on oval, round or square faces suits long layers with face framing for thick hair. Internal layers pull bulk from the inside while the outer layers stay long and the front pieces step from the cheekbone. The interior is razored and the outside point cut. Style with a round brush and a smoothing cream. Trim every 8 weeks and have the inside thinned each time.
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8. Face-Framing Layers for Straight Hair
Straight hair of medium density on oval, heart or long faces suits face-framing layers on straight hair, where the lines have to be clean. The front pieces are scissor cut so the steps show, beginning at the cheekbone and dropping to the collarbone, with long layers behind. Style the front with a round brush and run a flat iron through the length. Trim every 8 weeks.
9. Face-Framing Layers for Wavy Hair
Hair from 2A to 2C of medium density on oval, heart or square faces suits face-framing layers on wavy hair. The cut happens damp with point cutting, so the front pieces fall in soft waves from the cheekbone to the collarbone and the layers behind stay long. Style by air-drying with a light mousse and twisting the front pieces away from the face. Trim every 8 weeks.
10. Face-Framing Layers for Curly Hair
Curls from 3A to 3C of medium density on oval or long faces suit face-framing layers on curly hair. The cut happens dry, curl by curl, with the front pieces taken to the chin so they sit at the cheekbone once they spring up, and the layers behind rounded. Style by diffusing with a curl cream and clipping the front curls forward. Trim every 10 weeks.
11. Round-Face Framing Layers
Medium to thick hair on a round face suits face-framing layers for round faces, where the front pieces begin at the chin or lower and never at the cheekbone, so nothing adds width at the widest part of the face. The layers behind begin at the collarbone and all of it is point cut. Style the front pieces away from the face and keep the crown lifted. Trim every 8 weeks.
12. Square-Face Framing Layers
Medium to thick hair of any texture on a square face suits face-framing layers for square faces. The shortest piece lands on the corner of the jaw to cover the angle, then steps down to the collarbone, with the layers behind beginning at the collarbone. The front is point cut. Style the front pieces toward the face with a round brush. Trim every 8 weeks.
13. Oval-Face Framing Layers
Any density on an oval face suits face-framing layers for oval faces, because the front pieces can begin anywhere between the cheekbone and the collarbone and the texture decides. Straight hair gets clean steps, wavy hair gets soft point cutting, and the layers behind stay long. Style with a round brush, or air-dry with a mousse and twist the front pieces back. A trim every 8 weeks and a gloss in between.
14. Heart-Face Framing Layers
Fine to medium hair with straight or wavy texture on a heart face suits face-framing layers for heart faces. The front pieces begin at the chin so the width sits low and balances a narrow chin, a soft curtain fringe covers the forehead, and the layers behind begin at the collarbone. Style with a round brush and flip the front pieces out at the chin. Trim every 8 weeks.
15. Long-Face Framing Layers
Medium to thick hair on a long face suits face-framing layers for long faces. The front pieces begin at the cheekbone and a full curtain fringe goes in, so the face reads shorter, while the layers behind begin at the collarbone and are blown out for width. Style with a round brush and a volumizing mousse, bending the front pieces outward. Trim every 8 weeks.
16. Over-40 Long Layers With Face Framing
Fine to medium hair on oval, round or square faces suits long layers with face framing for women over 40. The front pieces hold at the cheekbone, where they lift the face, and the layers behind begin at the collarbone, all point cut for softness. Style with a round brush and a volumizing mousse. A trim every 8 weeks and root coverage every 4 to 5 weeks.
17. Over-50 Long Layers With Face Framing
Medium to thick hair on oval or long faces suits long layers with face framing for women over 50. The length sits just below the shoulder, the front pieces begin at the cheekbone, and only three long layers go in so the ends stay full. All of it is point cut. Style the front with a round brush and air-dry the rest. Every 8 weeks it gets a trim and a gloss.
18. Long Layers With Face Framing in Blonde
Fine to medium hair on oval or heart faces suits blonde long layers with face framing. The color goes on first so I can see where the light pieces fall, then the front pieces step from the cheekbone to the collarbone with long layers behind. Point cutting only, because blonde ends are fragile. Style with a heat protectant in the blow-dry. A trim every 8 weeks and a toner every 6 weeks.
19. Long Layers With Face Framing in Brunette
Medium to thick hair on oval, square or long faces suits brunette long layers with face framing. Dark hair hides soft layering, so the layers stay long and the front pieces take clean steps, with the front beginning at the cheekbone and the layers at the collarbone. Style with a round brush and a shine spray. Trim every 8 weeks.
20. Long Layers With Face Framing in Copper
Fair to medium skin and medium density hair suit copper long layers with face framing. A warm copper sits over front pieces stepped from the cheekbone and long layers behind, and because the color exposes every step, the steps are kept even. Style with a round brush and a shine serum. Trim every 8 weeks. Because copper fades fast, it needs a gloss every 4 weeks and a root touch-up every 5.
21. Face-Framing Layers Plus Money Pieces
Medium to thick hair on most face shapes suits face-framing layers with money pieces, which put one bright piece on each side of the face. The front inch on each side is foiled and toned, then the front pieces are cut from the cheekbone to the collarbone so the color follows the steps. Style the front pieces apart with a round brush. Tone every 6 weeks. Trim every 8 weeks.
22. Face-Framing Layers Plus Balayage
Medium to thick hair on most face shapes suits face-framing layers with balayage. The lightest color is painted on the front pieces and the ends so the steps show, and the cut happens first so the colorist can paint each layer. The front begins at the cheekbone. Style with a round brush. Every 8 weeks it gets a trim and a gloss.
23. Face-Framing Layers Plus Highlights
Medium to thick hair on most face shapes suits face-framing layers with highlights. Hand-painted pieces run through the long layers to show off the cut, with a lighter piece on each side of the face, and the front begins at the cheekbone. Style with a round brush. Trim every 8 weeks. Highlights like these get glossed every 8 weeks and touched up every 4 months.
24. Long Layers, Wispy Face-Framing Pieces
Fine to medium hair on round or square faces suits long layers with wispy face framing, since the wisps add no weight. The front pieces are razored thin from the cheekbone to the collarbone until they almost disappear at the ends, and the layers behind stay long and full. Style the front with a small round brush. Trim every 8 weeks.
25. Long Layers, Heavy Face-Framing Pieces
Thick, straight hair on long or oval faces suits long layers with thick face framing. A deep section on each side, two inches back from the hairline, is cut into heavy front pieces that reach the chin, and the layers behind begin at the collarbone. Style the front pieces forward, then bend them back with a round brush. Trim every 8 weeks.
Closely related: short wavy haircuts and trendy haircuts for long hair.
Long layered haircuts with face framing put the front pieces where you restyle most, usually with a round brush in the five minutes before leaving. FYI, thick straight hair on a long or oval face suits deep face framing on each side. That deep section is what pulls the eye inward.
