- Women's cut
- Long
- Soft
- Clean & classic
Long layers (V or U)
A long, soft and classic women's cut with 14–20 in (35.5–51 cm) on top, finished with a rounded neckline.
Also asked for as: long layered hair, v cut layers, u cut layers, layered hair, long layered haircut
- Top
- 14–20 in (35.5–51 cm)
- Best on
- 2A–3A
- Recut
- 8–12 wks
- Styling
- 5–10 min
Traditionally suggested for
Round and square faces (length), heart-shaped faces.
Stylist convention
Who it fits
Hair comes first: these decide whether the shape can hold.
- Best on 2A–3A hair (wavy and curly).Hair physics
- Possible on 1B with adjustments; your results name the variant.Hair physics
- Medium to high density.Hair physics
- Holds up through a Norwood 1 hairline.Barber consensus
- Holds up through Ludwig stage 2 thinning.Barber consensus
Who should skip it
Any one of these moves it down your list, or off it.
- 1A, 1C, 3B–4C hair (straight, curly and coily): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out.Hair physics
- Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have.Hair physics
- A hairline past Norwood 1: at stage 2 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it.Barber consensus
- Thinning past Ludwig 2: it would draw attention to the part line.Barber consensus
- Scores lower if you have fine hair.Hair physics
- Scores lower if you have a long face.Stylist convention
Barbers also flag: A long face worn flat with a centre part; fine hair (a V-shape thins the perimeter).
What to tell your barber
The catalog spec, in barber terms. Your own card adjusts it: part side from your crown whorl, curl notes for your texture, and a QR code your barber can open.
Read this to your barber
“Below-shoulder length; long layers from the chin down; U- or soft V-shape at the back.”
- Sides
- Long layers from the chin down
- Top
- 14–20 in (35.5–51 cm)
- Neckline
- Rounded
- Technique
- U- or soft V-shape at the back
- Product
- Light leave-in
- Recut
- Every 8–12 weeks
Upkeep and yearly cost
Priced at $30 a cut. Your results use your own local price.
- Trim every
- 8–12 weeks
- Per year
- 4–7 cuts a year, about $120–$210 at $30 a cut
- Daily styling
- 5–10 min a day
- Product
- Light product
- Heat tools
- Not needed
Proportions, by face shape
Where the long layers (v or u) places in our engine’s geometry-only top 10 for a textbook face of each shape: a top-3 pick for round. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; your hair counts for more.
Related cuts
- Butterfly cutLong · 1B–2C
- Long one-lengthLong · 1A–2A
- Lob (long bob)Medium · 1A–3A
- Side-swept fringe with layersMedium · 1A–3A
See the long layers (v or u) on your own face before you sit down.
Free analysis first. Previews only change your hair, and if one doesn’t look like you, the redo is free.
Check it on my face