Recently, beauty fans have been hollering the phrase “U-shaped haircut” all over social media, and they swear it makes your strands look instantly fuller. Fact or fiction? Below, we tapped top stylists on the buzzy, bouncy style. While adding layers can help create that fluffy bounce, you don’t have to necessarily shear off any inches: “It can also be one length while the perimeter or ‘outline’ of the haircut resembles a U,” notes celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook. Your front and side pieces do need to be shorter to achieve a U-shape, but you don’t have to opt for a full head of layers if you’d rather not compromise length. You see, dead, brittle hair appears thinner, and most people tend to have damaged ends around the front and sides of their mane where the strands are more fragile. On the other hand, hair tends to be much stronger and denser in the back, adds Rubenstein. “If you cut all this hair in the front into intentional layers, it makes hair look thicker, healthier, and fuller,” she explains. Not to mention, face-framing layers naturally create more movement, which helps you nail that bouncy blowout look (if that’s what you’re going for). However, if you’d like to mirror the U-shaped cuts you see taking over social media, feel free to bring photos! “It’s a great way to make sure you and your stylist are on the same page,” says Rubenstein. Still, your personal hair texture will determine how layered you’ll want to go: “If you have fine hair, you may want to take the length up for this shape,” says Brook. “If you have thick, coarse hair, you may want to add layers in the interior to remove weight and bulkiness, creating more movement in the lengths of the curve.” The bottom line? Chat with your stylist. They’ll be able to tweak the shape to achieve maximum volume from your locks. If you do choose to blow-dry, a heat protectant is nonnegotiable. Find our favorite picks here, or feel free to snag FEKKAI’s Root Lift, which provides protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and contains a triple-boost technology to volumize and restore broken keratin bonds, so you can add instant lift and prevent those fragile strands from becoming brittle (thus appearing thinner) over time. Then to add a coat of shine—fullness and shine are quite the power couple, no?—apply a finishing cream over the ends to keep your cut looking and feeling silky. Just make sure you use a lightweight product that won’t weigh down the strands and sacrifice their bounce, like the Smooth Ends from Mela & Kera; the brand even describes it as “lip gloss for hair” since it adds instant radiance, and you can easily toss it into your bag for on-the-go touch-ups.
