51 long hairstyles and haircuts to make the most of beautiful length
As far as long hairstyles go, 2023 has its options open. We've already seen XXL waist-skimming strands bring the drama, long swooshy curtain fringes to make us swoon, lived-in ponytails to keep things laidback and tumbling curls for delicious texture. Retro hair is back: '70s layers, shags and wolf cuts all call for little extra length, and accessories are about to be sprinkled everywhere with the preppy-girl hair trend reminding us that a hair bow is an adorable addition and glitz slides can look phwoar.
The bonus of haircuts for long hair? The styling options are endless. You can wear them pulled into a ponytail, bundled into buns, braided, twisted or left loose. Whether you're busy and want it all off your face or have a little extra time to experiment, long hair gives you the versatility to play with styles in a way that short hair simply doesn't.
That's not to say we don't think lobs, bobs, and pixie crops are banging – we love shoulder skimming strands – but the fact remains that long hair takes years and years to grow, so any decision to lop it off needs to be carefully made. (Though, there's always hair extensions for instant extra length).
As for making the most out of your long haircut, your first port of call is layers. But not all layers are made equal and different techniques can be used to create the shape that works best for you.
Long hairstyles for thin hair, can take a little extra planning. While it may be tempting to chop it back to create fuller-looking hair, over-layering can lead to wispiness, so it's a good idea to keep the ends blunt. “Using blunt techniques when choosing which chop suits you will keep thin hair feeling fuller,” explains Ricky Walters, Owner & Creative Director of Salon 64. If you do want to work in some layers, keep it soft. "Avoid any heavy layering as that can make hair appear thinner at the ends," says Lee Stafford, who seconds asking for blunt ends. We'd suggest ghost layers, which give movement and fullness.
“A soft, seamless blend.”
As for styling, top hair stylists like Justine Marjan and Sarah Angius have been dropping tutorials on Instagram and TikTok. The jist? Have a stack of accessories to amp up a basic ponytail, or clip hair away from your face. And have a go at different braids and buns. Often, they're easier to do than you'd think.
And, if you want to keep your hair in good nick in between, it's worth taking a look at our round-up of the best split end serums to heat protection sprays and deep conditioning hair masks.
Here are the prettiest long hairstyles and haircuts...
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These XXL braids are pretty, practical and striking.
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These cascading layers create pretty movement in hair, especially when combined with highlights or balayage.
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Create volume around the face, then softly scatter layers throughout the rest of your hair.
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We love the preppy girl addition of an oversized bow on glossy long hair.
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Long plaits are easy to do, don't require much styling and look relaxed and pulled-together at the same time.
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Farrah Fawcett layers, elongated and made modern. We love the loose grown-out curtain fringe and versatile layers, cut short enough to add volume but long enough to tie back.
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This involves “shortening the layers towards the front of the haircut resulting in a ‘horesehoe shape’ through the length. Depending on how long your hair is, this can be anything from a bit of face framing to collarbone-length sections and opens up the very important front area (face, neck, chest etc) beautifully," says Nicholas Hardwick, Principal Stylist at Josh Wood Colour.
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This choppy cut creates lots of volume and oomph at the crown, with a nod to the mullet and the shag.
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Combining XXL strands with plenty of shaggy layers for mussy texture.
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This nods to the wolf cut, but with longer layers through the length that make it a lot more wearable.
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Two-tone hair is taking off on TikTok and the extra length you have, the more drama you have to play with.
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Shorter chin-length layers add extra volume around the face and shoulders while XXL curls add dreamy length.
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We love this twisted chignon for a quick on-the-go hairstyle.
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This pretty mix of midi and maxi layers creates beautiful movement and shape as well as some framing around the face.
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All the layers create a gentle C-shape that helps cup and frame the face for extra structure.
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Layers are used to feather the hair into a point.
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This sleek, straight look appears all one-length when straightened together, but invisible layers around the face help to add structure.
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Thoughtful colour placement, like this beautiful candlelit balayage can help create extra dimension if you want to go easy on the layers.
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A simple wrist-flick with your straighteners add the end of your ponytail can help add interest and give this retro '60s reference a modern update.
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This intricate twisted pony looks way more complicated to create than it is, a simple flip or tuck, secured with a second hairband does all the hard work for you.
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A statement fringe can add texture and drama to one-length or softly layered hair.
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The shaggy fringe and shorter layers add pretty volume.
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These softly curved layers add dimension.
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Spotlight pretty layers by highlighting them, like these ring-light layers.
Curly layers
Taking some of the weight off of curls can help enhance their texture even further.
Extended layers
Kim's waist-length milky blonde stands look extra relaxed with long, extended layers.
Curtain layers
We love full, drapey curtain bangs, curtain layers just takes the same approach and applied it to chunkier, full-looking layers throughout the rest of the hair.
Getty ImagesRetro layers
Maggie Q's retro '70s fringe and shaggy-sleek layers feel worn and wearable, while still looking shiny and glam.
Imperceptible layers
The face framing layers melt imperceptibly into the rest of the hair for a modern looking take on Cher hair.
Mermaid layers
These pretty, wispy, staggered layers work beautifully with mermaid waves.
Soft A-line layers
The slight graduation in layers creates a striking but soft A-line shape.
Blended layers
Margot's layers look blended with her hair rather than anything too choppy, but they create a little extra movement.
Botticelli waves
Botticelli waves are a breakout trend and the longer your hair, the more room you have to showcase the pretty texture.
Light layers
The long length, light layers. and wispy ends feel really soft and wearable.
Voluminous ponytail
Long hair works well with ponytails and this voluminous version feels like a modern take on '60s hair.
@freshlengths / InstagramBraided bun
Intricate braiding and a wrap around chignon is the perfect, elegant summer hair style.
Rope pigtails
The rope braid remixed into sky-high pigtails is a very cute and fun way to show off XXL hair.
@leletny / InstagramMessy top knot
Amp up a cute ballerina bun with accessories. And to keep it from looking too prim, go messy.
@justinemarjan / InstagramBubble bunches
Experiment with plaits by twisting hair round or back over itself and securing with a hair tie to create a bubble effect.
@justinemarjan / InstagramHalf up, half-down
Make a half-up, half-down style more intricate by incorporating multiple braids.
@leletny / InstagramEmbellished ponytail
Switch up you usual ponytail by incorporating a tuck at the end and layering on some embellished hair bands.
@domseeley / InstagramSenegalese rope braids
These Senegalese rope braids look incredible with long hair and can be adapted in many ways to suit everyone. For a super feminine finish, style baby hairs into soft curls.
@luxyhair / InstagramFull-body ponytail
Add body to a ponytail with some gentle teasing and wrap a strand of hair round your hair tie to make it look more polished.
@laurenconrad / InstagramFlower accessories
Lauren Conrad scattered delicate flowers throughout her lengths in a lovely nod to the summer months.
@sincerelyjules / InstagramBeach waves
These soft waves from blogger Sincerely Jules are the ultimate in beach babe hair.
Getty ImagesFishtail braid
The best thing about having long hair is being able to experiment with pretty and creative styles. We adore this part plait, part down 'do.
Getty ImagesRope ponytail
Want to do something a little different with your long plait? How about a chic, twisted, rope pony tail, like this one? Scruff it up to make it look super beachy.
@kimkardashian / InstagramXXL lengths
What makes long hair even better? More length. Kim Kardashian is flaunting her super long hair on social media lately. Want to get the look? Buy some clip-in extensions and go heavy on the texture spray.
