Korea's "Hush Cut" Is The Layered Shag Taking Over This Fall

If you’ve been busy adding curtain bangs and long layered hairstyles to your Pinterest board, then you need to see the hush cut. If it hasn’t already popped up on your FYP — it does have over 72 million views on TikTok, after all — you’ll fall in love the moment you behold its light, lived-in layers.

The hush cut got its start in South Korea, and is now all over social media. It combines medium and long layers throughout the hair with face-framing layers — or even bangs — in the front that taper into the rest of the cut, says Marcus Francis, a celebrity hairstylist and ambassador for hair color and hair care brand Better Natured. There are countless layered looks out there, especially since ’90s-era trends have been making a comeback, but what sets the hush cut apart is how soft it is. According to Bradley Leake, a Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist and ambassador for Hidden Crown Hair, there are no harsh lines with the hush cut — just lots and lots of movement.

“The hush cut is suddenly so popular because it’s a long style that comes from the cut, rather than from styling,” Francis tells Bustle. “A lot of the heaviness is sliced out when layering, so it makes it easier.” It works with medium or long hair, and has lots of natural body, so it’s a nice option for low-maintenance girlies.

Basically, think of the hush cut as the less extreme version of the wolf cut, says Leake. Intrigued? Here’s what to know about the hush cut, as well as how to style it.

How To Ask For A Hush Cut

The goal with the hush cut is to look like you got an amazing short haircut a year ago, and now it’s grown out. To get this look, ask your stylist for a shag with lots of long layers, says Francis.

The weight can be cut out of the layers so that there’s plenty of movement in the back. “The front layers, however short you decide to go, should connect and blend into the rest of the haircut,” he says. A good hush cut will focus on your face shape, Leake adds. The front layers can be shaped to curve around your ears and jawline.

How To Style A Hush Cut

When styling a hush cut at home, Francis recommends running a heat-protecting styling lotion through your damp hair before rough drying with your fingers using a blow dryer or diffuser. The goal is to keep things casual. “If you use a round brush, it could make it feel too done,” he says. “The beauty of this cut is the natural movement in the texture that’s brought out by the layering.”

Once your hair is dry, spritz on a texture spray to play up the bend in your layers and help form loose waves. Francis suggests topping everything off with a dry shampoo on your scalp to add even more lightness to the layers. “If you want the ends to be more piece-y, just sprinkle some dry shampoo on the mid-lengths and ends.” The more you let your hush cut do its thing, the better it’ll look.

Sources:

Bradley Leake, LA-based celebrity hairstylist, ambassador for Hidden Crown Hair

Marcus Francis, a celebrity hairstylist, ambassador for Better Natured