Face Form Finder
Hairstyle Chart
Use a haircut name as the beginning of a salon brief, not the whole brief. These are common industry and consumer names, not official standards; the same name can mean a different shape to different people.
| Hairstyle name | What it looks like | Usual length band | What to say to a stylist | Related site page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixie cut | A close, short cut with visible shape around the crown and sides. | Cropped short. | “I want a pixie with a clear short outline; show me where the longest top section will sit before cutting.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Bixie | A short cut that sits between a pixie and a bob, with more visible length than a close crop. | Short to around the jaw area. | “I want a bixie: shorter than a bob but with enough length to read as a soft shape, not a close crop.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Bob | A compact outline with the ends cut to form one clear perimeter. | Usually around the jaw area. | “I want a bob whose visible ends meet my own jaw area; confirm the endpoint dry before removing length.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Lob | A longer bob with a compact outline that extends below the jaw. | Usually around the collarbone band. | “I want a lob, with the visible ends landing around my own collarbone rather than a generic length.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Blunt cut | The ends are kept at one strong, even-looking perimeter rather than visibly stepped layers. | Can be short, medium, or long. | “Keep one clean blunt perimeter at the length we confirm, without visible stepped layers through the ends.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Layered cut | Different sections finish at different visible levels, creating a less uniform outline. | Often medium to long, but the name does not set the length by itself. | “I want visible layers, but first confirm the longest endpoint and show me where the shorter sections will begin.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| Shag | A layered cut with a deliberately broken-up outline and visible movement through several sections. | Can run from short to long. | “I want a shag with an intentionally broken-up layered outline; show me the front, side, and back shape before cutting.” | Different face shapes index |
| Wolf cut | A more contrast-heavy layered silhouette, with shorter upper sections and a longer visible back. | Usually medium to long. | “I want a wolf-cut silhouette with connected upper and lower sections; confirm how long the back will remain.” | Different face shapes index |
| Butterfly cut | A long layered cut with shorter face-adjacent sections separated from a longer overall outline. | Usually long. | “I want a butterfly cut with a long base length; point out the shorter front sections before you start.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
| U-cut or V-cut | A long perimeter that curves gently into a U or comes to a more visible centre point in a V. | Usually long. | “Keep my longest base length and cut the back perimeter into a U shape or a V point; show the outline from behind first.” | Hair length chart for your own body landmark |
How to use this chart with a reference photo
- First name the overall silhouette: pixie, bob, blunt cut, layered cut, shag, wolf cut, butterfly cut, or U/V cut.
- Then add the length band you want, using your own body landmark from the hair length chart with personal measurement conversion.
- Point to the visible perimeter, the longest section, and any shorter sections in the photo. Those details make the name specific enough to discuss.
- Ask the stylist to repeat back the name, the endpoint, and the planned outline before hair is removed.
Where haircut names stop being precise
There is no authority-issued definition that makes one salon’s bob, wolf cut, or butterfly cut identical to another’s. A label is useful shorthand, not a guarantee of an exact finished cut.
A reference photo can also show styling, lighting, and a head of hair different from yours. Use the photo to identify the name, length band, and visible outline you want; then confirm those three details in person instead of relying on the name alone.
Use the separate pages for separate questions
This page names silhouettes and helps turn a reference into a salon brief. For natural hair pattern, use the dedicated classification page; for face-shape questions, use the site hub and linked guides.
Hair types chart for natural pattern · Hair texture chart for strand thickness and density · Different face shapes index · Face shape chart for four measurements · Bangs for a round face · Best haircuts for women with a square face