Meet the “Wolf Cut,” the Viral TikTok Haircut That Gen Z Can’t Get Enough Of

Every generation has a hairstyle that seems to take hold. Gen X had their mullets, Millennials had their lobs and Gen Z has the wolf cut, which, come to think of it, is sort of a mashup of the other two styles.

For those of you who are wondering what a wolf cut is, it’s essentially a shag haircut that’s filled with wispy layers and volume and is currently taking TikTok by storm.

As of writing, the #wolfcut hashtag yields over 300 million views with many of the videos showing triumphant users making the chop themselves by tying their hair into a high ponytail (or two) and cutting straight across the ends of the pony(s) to create uneven layers.

Part of what makes the wolf cut appealing is that the choppy layers are easy to create at home, since they’re intentionally uneven, as well as the versatility of the style given that you can wear it short or long and across different textures. It’s also favored for being a gender-neutral style, which is perhaps apropos for the times.

Though the haircut has gained global popularity in 2021 thanks to TikTok, it actually has storied (ahem) roots in South Korea, where K-Pop singers like Leeteuk from Super Junior and Taemin from SHINee (both second-generation idols that predate BTS) famously sported the look throughout the mid-2000’s. Recently, the wolf cut has had somewhat of a resurgence among current K-Pop singers and has also been seen on a handful of stateside celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Billy Eilish.

Whether you decide to wear the wolf cut short and edgy or want to go soft and shaggy, there’s a wolf cut for everyone, as evidenced below.

Many K-Pop stans consider Beomgyu of TXT’s wolf cut to be one of the best thanks to the blend of long, tapered layers that seem to hug each and every curve of his sculpted face. (We’re also envious of his 3-D shine.)

Billie Eilish rocks her cut with a set of face-framing curtain bangs and choppy layers that give the whole look a feathered effect.

Whereas Debby Ryan wears her wolf cut with full-fringe, balayage highlights and a head full of beachy waves.

As BTS fans, we may be a bit biased here, but we’re especially enamored by this cropped and tousled cut on BTS’s Jin, which resembles a perfectly grown-in pixie. The wavy texture on top and pops of lighter brown highlights throughout are *chef’s kiss*

Miley Cyrus has been wearing some version of this shaggy cut since 2019 and we can see why: the soft, graduated layers and voluminous crown suit her well.

It’s not surprising that the choppy wolf cut pairs well with a collarbone skimming lob. (Tip: Add a generous misting of dry shampoo to bring out even more definition and volume.)

Here’s an example of a wolf cut on long hair; the effect is very subtle but adds a lot of texture and movement to otherwise single-length strands. (Purple streaks are optional, though highly encouraged.)