30 Best Ways to Get a Wolf Cut for Short Hair

Cindy Marcus
Cindy Marcus Hairstylist, Editor-in-Chief

Wolf cuts for short hair are packed with shaggy layers to create a textured, effortless style. These usually feature a framing fringe, which adds softness around the face. The celebrities who wore this include iconic Miley Cyrus and Billy Eilish.

This super trendy style is inspired by the retro look that gained popularity in the ’70s to early ’80s. Stylist Emily Hamilton of San Antonio, TX shares a little knowledge about this hair idea.

“It’s a shag and mullet combo. The cut is gender-neutral and originated from South Korea,” says Hamilton.

One of the best aspects of a wolf cut is easy styling. It also works way better with the hair’s natural texture.

According to Hamilton, this chop suits most face shapes, except a rounded one. “It will most likely make a round face look fuller because of its length, the heavy fringe, and lots of layers,” she adds.

Understand that having bangs is a commitment. These will require regular trims to keep them on point.

During the consultation with a pro, bring photos of the style you’re considering.

“A short wolf cut has so many different variations. You need to be more specific with “your” personal goals for your look. Find a stylist who’s willing to tailor your haircut,” Hamilton suggests.

If you like the idea of bangs, volume, and tons of layers, you must consider this chop. Here are the photos of the hottest and trendiest wolf cuts for short hair that you need to try!

Photos
Extra Short Brunette Wolf Cut
Instagram @yp_hair

#1: Extra Short Brunette Wolf

Look on trend with a brunette wolf cut this is extra short. The cut has soft and edgy layers that frame your face and bring movement into your hair. The short length will make your ends look neat and will be easy to maintain. Styling is a breeze using a blow dryer and a round brush.

Short Wolf Cut with French Bangs
Instagram @hirohair

#2: Short Wolf Cut with French Bangs

Ask about a short wolf-inspired haircut with a French fringe. If you have thick hair and want more texture and movement, avoid a blunt cut. This haircut blends the flamboyant wolf and the shaggy pixie mullet. The style gives a distinctly feminine and retro look.

Elegant woman with a short textured wolf cut in silver-gray

#3 Silver Chic Textured Wolf Cut

This silver chic wolf cut is perfect for those in their 30s seeking an edge. The short choppy layers pair wonderfully with a heart-shaped face, bringing focus to the eyes, while textured bangs soften the forehead line. The fine hair gets a volume boost from the layering, and the natural wave adds an effortless feel. For maintenance, a purple shampoo will keep the silver tones vibrant and avoid brassiness. While it’s high on style, be prepared for more frequent salon visits to keep the color fresh and the layers crisp. To style, work with a texturizing paste – it gives that ‘lived-in’ look without much fuss.

Chic woman with a short wolf cut and long fringe

#4 Sleek Oval-Framing Short Wolf

This sleek short wolf, styled with a wispy fringe, frames an oval face to perfection for the modern woman in her late 20s. Dense hair benefits from the removal of bulk through texturizing, making this a light and breezy option. The soft wave adds a lived-in feel that’s effortlessly chic. While styling is a breeze with a dab of volumizing mousse, keep in mind that the cut’s complexity requires a skilled stylist’s hand for upkeep. Perfect for those with little time for styling but no compromise on style. Protect these dark tresses with a heat protectant spray when using tools to maintain its sheen.

Tousled medium-short wolf cut with dimensional color on a young woman

#5 Tousled Elegance in a Medium-Short Wolf

This medium-short wolf cut exudes a casual elegance perfect for the gal on the go. Its choppy, unstructured layers are artfully tousled, complimenting an oval face by softening angles while adding volume. The style achieves an effortless, just-rolled-out-of-bed look that maintains chicness without hours of styling.

Heart-shaped face with sun-kissed wavy wolf cut hairstyle

#6 Sun-Kissed Waves on a Heart-Shaped Wolf

This wolf cut, perfect for the heart-shaped visage, falls just right, flirting with the collarbone. In your early 20s and looking for a fresh, spirited look? This is it. The haircut sports graduated layers that cascade gracefully, and feathering around the face emphasizes cheekbones. The wavy texture is a dream, easy to fluff up or tame down with a dab of mousse. The highlights? They work like a charm to showcase your wave’s peaks and valleys—pure sun-kissed glory. While stunning, this style may need regular highlight touch-ups to maintain its dimensional look. And for the waves, a diffuser attachment is your best bet to keep that bounce in check.

#7: Wispy Bangs on a Brunette Wolf Cut

Consider wispy bangs on a brunette wolf cut. It’s a trendy, playful style combining shaggy layering with a blunt length. Adding some layers is a great way to add movement and character if you have short and straight hair. To frame your face, wispy bangs can be a flattering touch. This style works great for brunettes, giving you a natural but stylish appearance.

#8: Layered Wolf for Thin Hair

The short layered wolf for thin hair is a versatile hairstyle. It adds volume and dimension to thin hair. With its layering and textured finish, this cut gives the appearance of fuller locks. But it still maintains a flattering length. The haircut offers a modern and youthful look, ideal for ladies with thin hair seeking to add body and movement. Before leaving the chair, ask about products you can use at home to help with volume!

#9: Mini Wolf Cut with Wispy Layers

If you are tired of being overpowered by your hair, try a mini-wolf cut with wispy layers. The short layers and face-framing pieces are a perfect way to emphasize your best features. Plus, it will also soften your face shape. The wispy layers help to create a soft blend in the hair to transition from short to long. Ask your stylist for lots of texture in the hair to provide lots of movement within the hair. It will help to create a less weighed-down look. A dry texture spray is perfect for adding texture to your cut because it doesn’t weigh down hair or make it sticky.

#10: Edgy Short Wolf with Curtain Bangs

If you want a modern edgy cut then ask for a wolf cut with lots of layers around the top of the head. Layers give texture and volume. Pair this with curtain bangs to keep the shape feeling full of movement and versatile. If you can, a warm peachy hue gives a real urban feel. Remember to always use color-safe shampoos to prolong the depth of your color.

Choppy Wolf Cut with a Straight Fringe
Instagram @kawaicat_white

#11: Choppy Wolf Cut with a Straight Fringe

Inspired by Joan Jett, a choppy wolf cut features a super sharp, straight fringe and the ultimate rock n’ roll edge! Women looking for a unique take on a shorter shag crop should try this style. To recreate those perfectly piece-y, choppy layers, try using a spray wax like Paul Mitchell’s Flexible Style Spray Wax Mist using your hands and fingers then pull through your ends. Part, pull, and define sections of your length until the desired look is achieved.

#12: Charming Shaggy Wolf Cut

If you have an edgy sense of style or are looking to spice up your look, I highly recommend the shaggy wolf. Wolf hairstyles are between a shag and a mullet. Make sure to ask your stylist for lots of texture and wispy ends. That way this cut creates an edgy vibe.

Edgy Pixie Wolf Cut
Instagram @badgirltaytay_

#13: Edgy Pixie Wolf Cut

Try an edgy pixie wolf cut if you are wanting to add some flair to your style. This style is great if you like to wear your hair short but still like to style it. When asking for this look, I recommend you ask for a soft cut around the hairline. Also, ask for a short texture on the crown of your head. A pixie cut is perfect for any aged woman in any field of work.

Dimensional and Textured Wolf Hairstyle
Instagram @cat.cutshair

#14: Dimensional and Textured Hairstyle

This is a great way to showcase texture and dimension. If your hue holds many different tones, consider asking for a wolf cut. Bonus points if you have shorter, wavy hair, as this cut will make these features stand out even more.

#15: Wolf Pixie Cut

Have you ever heard of the wolf pixie? If you opt for this crop, be sure to keep a defining paste or wax in your product arsenal- try ECRU New York’s medium hold Defining Paste.

Related: Pixie mullet short hairstyles.

Center-Parted Wolf Cut with Shaggy Layers
Instagram @meeraroses

#16: Center-Parted Wolf with Shaggy Layers

Women with thick, yet smooth and wavy hair should try a cut with shaggy layers. These cuts are great for shorter, thick hair as they help to remove bulk and create bounce while also adding much-needed body and texture to super-soft strands. What about waves? Wolf cuts also transform wavy hair causing individual curves and bends to stand out. Throw a center part in the mix and you have the perfect wolf cut for wavy hair.

#17: Wolf with Eyebrow-Length Bangs

Women who rock a wolf cut and eyebrow-length bangs know that round brushes (and flat irons) are this crop’s best friend. When styling, flipping the hair around the face will draw attention to the eyes, as well as create movement within the layers. Smoothing your bangs with a blow dryer before forming your ends will further flatter your facial features, and make styling easier. Take a look are more short-length hair with fringe.

Short Wolf Cut with Layers and a Middle Part
Instagram @k.deaux

#18: Short Wolf Cut with Layers and a Middle Part

A short, middle-parted cut with layers is a stunning choice for women with square and heart-shaped faces. While you may think the opposite, a heavily layered style draws the gaze toward the best features of the face, and the middle part creates the perfect curtain for the eyes to peek out of.

Mullet Wolf Cut with Face-Framing Layers
Instagram @reyhairstylist

#19: Mullet Wolf with Face-Framing Layers

A mullet-inspired wolf cut is a low-maintenance option for women who don’t want full-on “mullet hair.” Keeping the face-framing layers long allows for more time between appointments. Utilizing longer, yet choppy layers recreates the wolf cut look, without the shorter bits that need constant touching up.

Related: Shaggy mullet hairstyles.

#20: Short Tousled Wolf Cut with a Fringe

The best recipe for a messy wolf haircut? Shattered fringe and short, tousled texture. This cut showcases how a messy finish, when purposeful, is the perfect compliment for uber-layered styles.

#21: Platinum Razored Wolf with Black Underlights

Rock a razored cut for a more extreme take on the popular crop. Additionally, the platinum tones and expertly placed black underlights truly take the wolf cut to the next level. These cuts lend themselves to fun color patterns, so let your imagination run wild!

Wolf Cut with Textured Bangs for Thin Hair
Instagram @hairbyjoec

#22: Cut with Textured Bangs for Thin Hair

Women with thin hair should try a wolf cut with textured bangs. Working with your natural density is often the best way to flatter fine hair. Keeping layers short and precise creates an illusion of thickness from root to tip.

Layered Wolf Haircut with Side-Swept Bangs
Instagram @glem303

#23: Layered Haircut with Side-Swept Bangs

Most layered cuts feature fringe, but blunt bangs aren’t for everyone. Side-swept bangs are a great alternative that works well with natural texture, as well as blending seamlessly into layers and face-framing.

Neck-Length Wolf Cut with Short Bangs
Instagram @hocc.mo

#24: Neck-Length Wolf Cut with Short Bangs

The neck-length wolf cut is a fan favorite due to its ability to flatter nearly any hair type – short bangs included. Unlike other short wolf cut with bangs hairstyles, this version leaves a little extra length on, which works well with straight, wavy, or curly hair.

#25: Feathered Wolf Cut with Shaggy Bangs

Looking for a wolfy, shaggy hybrid cut? A feathered cut with shaggy bangs is your answer! These hairstyles, like the wolf and the shag, can be easily combined to create the perfect crop to flatter your style. Communicate your expectations with your stylist so that your cut is perfectly tailored to your needs.

Short Voluminous Wolf Haircut
Instagram @beauty_by_amb

#26: Short Voluminous Wolf Haircut

Looking to make a change? Go short with a voluminous haircut! It’s an update on the mullet hairstyle and is super trendy and sure to get you noticed.

Wolf Haircut with Bangs for Straight Hair
Instagram @toshi_hairs

#27: With Bangs for Straight Hair

A wolf haircut can look particularly stunning with pin-straight tresses and full bangs. This smooth take on the popular crop allows the precision layering to truly shine.

Layered Wolf Cut with Highlights
Instagram @ernestomeneses

#28: Layered Wolf Cut with Highlights

Make your cut more unique by highlighting the layers within! The accenting technique makes the texture of a wolf cut more apparent, especially when executed on dark, short, and straight hair.

#29: Short Wavy Wolf with Curtain Bangs

Short and wavy cuts pair perfectly with curtain bangs and bright blondes! When going for this type of cut, don’t be afraid to change up your color. To keep this look happening at home, make friends with an in-shower toning mask and a texture spray like Davines’ Alchemic Silver Conditioner and This is a Dry Texturizer.

Related: Face-framing layered hairstyles with curtain bangs.

Straight Wolf Cut with Wispy Bangs
Instagram @alipee6

#30: Straight Wolf Cut with Wispy Bangs

Smooth, straight hair and wispy bangs give wolf cuts a whole different vibe. The cut is artsy yet refined, and super modern with a 60’s twist. A popular crop that looks great in both smooth and tousled textures. Ask your stylist about a wolf cut for straight hair if you’re interested in changing your hairstyle.