Shag Haircut | Style Guide & 30 Trending Examples

See 30 examples of the versatile, edgy shag haircut in our visual guide. From short to long, with bangs and without, and featuring every hair texture under the sun, we’ve got some cute shaggy looks to show you!

What Is the Shag Haircut All About?

The shag haircut has been around for a while, but it’s making a recent comeback with a new, modern flair. We’re seeing tons of new trendy, hip versions of the shag popping up on the heads of celebrities, influencers, and regular ol’ folk like you and me. 

If you’re in love with the shaggy look, you’re probably thinking about getting this heavily layered haircut soon. Before you book your appointment, you need to check out some of these gorgeous examples in our guide!

We’ll also share some tips and things to think about long and hard before you commit to this haircut. First, let’s take a look at the different ways women are wearing the shag haircut trend today. You’re going to love these looks! 

30 Gorgeous Shag Haircut Examples

Get ready to flex your screenshot muscle, ladies. We found 30 examples of the shag haircut that will make you want to run to your stylist ASAP. Somebody better call Scooby Doo, because things are about to get shaggy!

1. Blonde Rocker Shag

Full fringe, choppy layers, and mussed-up texture give this haircut strong rocker vibes that scream edgy! The long layers give even pin-straight hair some fun texture. 

2. Golden Brunette Chin-Length Shag

Touches of gold in this light brown color catch the light where the layers separate, adding depth and dimension to this haircut. Full bangs frame the face and the chin length is flattering for oval, square, and heart faces. 

3. Medium Shag With Long Curtain Bangs

Curtain bangs with the slightest bend at the ends anchor this shaggy cut with lots of choppy layers. Waves with a curling iron or wand add texture to the ends and show off the jagged layers.

Read Next: Curtain Bang Style Guide

4. Pixie Shag

Bring all the best elements from the shag cut into the short length of a pixie for a truly unique and flattering look! Sliced layers make the cut piece-y rather than heavy and homogenous. 

5. Polished Wavy Shag

Not a fan of the undone, too-tousled look? Opt for a more polished, precise version of the shag with longer layers that begin around the ear level and bangs parted off to the side. 

6. Long Blonde Shag With Curtain Bangs

Long curtain bangs that bend outward at the cheekbones will visually slim a round or square face. Long layers cut deep into the cut to give her long hair some fun shape. 

7. Medium-Long Smooth Auburn Shag

Auburn brightens and emphasizes any haircut, but we really love it with a good shag! Smoothed-out texture keeps this a little more clean cut than jagged. 

8. MySpace Shag

Remember the MySpace days and the choppy, layered haircuts featuring bold bangs and thinned-out ends? The look is back and a little more mainstream with sliced layers that create a more modern shape. 

9. Curly Shag With Feathered Bangs

Feathered bangs are coming back full-force and we love how they contrast with the soft, layered curls in this long shag cut!

Read Next: Feathered Hair

10. Brunette Wavy Shag With Piece-y Bangs

Dimensional brunette color is shown off with irregular waves that play up the shag cut’s jagged texture. Soft, side-swept bangs are perfectly shaped with a little texturizing wax on the tips. 

11. Long Shag With Side Bangs

Swooping side bangs with plenty of length give you that wing effect on the side. It helps blend and transition the bangs into the heavily-layered cut. 

12. Medium Shag With Side-Swept Bangs

Balance your heavily layered cut with side-swept bangs that lay across the forehead. Longer pieces around the face transition the bangs into the shag cut nicely. 

13. 80s Shag

Here’s a throwback shag look that reminds us of the 80s. Short face-framing layers around the front keep the face open and focus the attention on the choppy bangs and shape of the cut. 

14. Long Shag With Split Bangs

Curtain bangs bend in a way that partially covers the sides of the face like curtains do a window, but split bangs won’t get in your way as much. We love how the short layers give this long cut a nice shape! 

15. Collarbone-Grazing Shag With Sliced Layers

The layers create texture and add dimension to the brunette color of this shag cut. With medium-long collarbone-grazing length, it’s a flattering cut for women with oval, round, or square faces.

16. Emo Shag With Long Side Bangs

This look will have you screaming like a 00s emo band because it’s that good. The choppy texture of the layers makes the hair lightweight and easy to fluff up with volume for a messy-on-purpose emo look.

Read Next: Emo Hair

17. Long Feathered Copper Shag

A copper shag is a proper shag, and paired with feathered-back bangs that keep the face open, this is such a flattering look! 

18. Coily Shag-Fro With Split Bangs

If your texture is more coily than curly, you know it has a mind of its own and needs an expert cut to maintain a specific shape. Shag cuts are great for coily hair and we love the super-voluminous look! 

19. Smoothed-Out Blonde Shag

Not a fan of choppy, messy texture typically seen in shags, but like the layers and bangs? Here’s your happy medium! 

20. Brunette Shag With Full Blunt Bangs

A full fringe across the forehead is a no-no for round or square faces, but it’s perfect for ovals and hearts! Keep things lightweight on the side with tons of layers that begin around the ears. 

21. Ultra-Long Shag With Messy Texture

If you’re a big fan of haircuts that you can wash and go with, this needs to be on your list. Long, side-swept bangs are the only part you might need to style daily. Otherwise, rely on your hair’s natural texture!

Read Next: Easy Everyday Hairstyle

22. Vibrant Pink Jagged Shag

If the show-stopping color wasn’t enough, the lively layers in this haircut should do the trick! Ultra-short shaggy layers begin around the temples to create flipped-out texture all the way down. 

23. Curly Helmet Shag

Full, thick hair is essential for a haircut with this kind of coverage and density! If your curls could use a little shape, the layering in this cut could be the perfect solution. Cut the bangs to eyebrow-grazing length if you have an oval or heart face shape. 

24. Shoulder-Length Shag With Split Bangs

Split, piece-y bangs are the piece de resistance for many shag cuts, and this is no exception. The shoulder length makes this cut more versatile for styling in different ways.  

25. Sloped Bangs With Textured Ends

Looking for a truly unique twist on the shag? Try slanted bangs that gradually get longer across your forehead and curls in opposite directions for mismatched texture. 

26. Hot Pink Waves With Curtain Bangs

A middle part, long curtain bangs, and intense texturing with long layers make this longer version of the shag cut unforgettable. But you’ll really steal the spotlight with this hot pink fluorescent color! 

27. Mistress of the Dark Shag

Remember Elvira, Mistress of the Dark? Rock her shag but update it with this long cut featuring tons of jagged layers. You’ll bring long hair back to life with lots of movement with this cut. 

28. Cropped Shaggy Bob

A cross between a chin-length bob and a true shag haircut, this mashup is a winner. Razoring is a quick way to add choppy texture to strands like you see here.

Read Next: Choppy Long Bob

29. Frosty Pink Shag With Shadow Root

Fun colors are lower-maintenance when you leave the roots dark. This edgy cut features side-swept bangs that blend into the sliced layers throughout the rest of the chin-length cut. 

30. Sharon’s Signature Shag

Sharon Osbourne rocked it, and if spiky, edgy, vibrant looks are your jam, so can you! Ultra-short layers begin high up to give this cut jagged edges and lots of texture. 

Things to Consider

You should always do some research and give yourself time to think about it when you’re considering a new haircut. But the shag haircut requires even more consideration because it’s a truly unique cut. Here’s what you need to think about while you’re deciding on your next haircut. 

• Shags look best with bangs. If you have a love-hate (okay, hate-hate) relationship with bangs, the shag haircut may not be the best choice for you. These choppy, jagged haircuts look more balanced when they’re paired with a good bang. You don’t have to opt for full, blunt bangs (especially if you have a round or square face), so you do have options here. Split bangs, curtain bangs, side-swept bangs, and long bangs you can push back with the rest of your hair are all cute possibilities! 
• Help your stylist help you. If you walk into your salon and ask for a shag haircut, you may be disappointed with what you get. The thing is, everyone has a different idea of what a shag haircut “should” look like. So bring lots of screenshots and be prepared to show and tell your stylist exactly what you’re looking for if you decide this is the cut for you. 
• Trends come and go. Right now, shags are out in full effect and everyone’s obsessed with this haircut. But don’t forget that trends come and go like seasons and you may not want this intense haircut forever. Which brings us to our next point…
• The shag’s layers are a pain to grow out. If you decide you don’t want to keep the shaggy look, you’re going to quickly discover that the heavy layering that makes the style is going to be absolute hell to grow out. Some sections grow faster than others and as the layers grow longer, they won’t have the same movement and light weight. Shags aren’t cuts you can really just grow out – you’ll need to let the layers grow a bit and possibly cut the longer, thinner pieces at the ends off completely.
• Thick, dense hair is best for a shag. Thin or fine hair can definitely be cut into a shaggy shape with layers, but shag layers need to be cut in deep and that works best when you have a thick, full head of hair. Thin hair with tons of layers can look scraggly and unhealthy. 

These are the basic things you should consider before getting a shag haircut, but the most important thing to keep in mind is your own happiness. Do you absolutely love the shag cut but have thin, fine hair? Get it anyway. Hate bangs but want the layers? Go for it. 

Don’t be afraid to make this trendy, iconic haircut your own. If you wear it with confidence, you’re going to love how the shag cut makes you look and feel. It just might become your new signature look! 

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