The Truth About The Trendy Butterfly Haircut

Year after year, even the best hair trends come and go. If you scan popular television shows over the years, right away you'll be able to spot out which hair fit in which era. Think about Farrah Fawcett's feathered look and page boy of the '70s, not to mention the mullets (which unfortunately came back into style), hi-top fades, and the big hair of the '80s.

One haircut that best illustrates the power of trendy hair is how popular Jennifer Aniston's "The Rachel" haircut became after she wore this look on "Friends." One of the funnier aspects of "The Rachel's" popularity is that, although fans adored it and rushed out to get it in droves, Aniston said that it was the "ugliest haircut" she ever had seen (via Allure).

In the vein of the wise motto "everything old is new again," one of the most trendy haircuts at the moment is the butterfly haircut. If you don't quite know what it looks like, rest assured: You've likely seen it before.

The butterfly haircut can best be described by mixing two looks together at the same time. The style requires long hair that is cut into shorter layers on the side so that it basically looks like the short side layers are melding into the longer layers in perfect sync.

The look works best on hair that is bouncy and thick, though curly and wavy hair is ideal. It's perfect for anyone who likes the bob look but doesn't want to chop all their hair off — and wants to retain long locks yet give a bit of an illusion of short hair (via Hair.com).

"A bit of a wave makes it look much nicer and you can actually see where the layering sits," hairstylist Kostas Flouris told Refinery 29. Cutting short side layers helps frame the face and create a softer look. "It's mostly about the weight that needs to be taken out in order to create the softer look around the top," he added.

You can also put the long back layer up in a ponytail and let the short side layers fall where they may. With the lightweight bounce that was so common in the '70s, the butterfly haircut creates a nostalgic, carefree look.