What is the Jellyfish Haircut? A Guide to This Japanese-Inspired Style

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Plus, how to get a jellyfish cut that flatters your face

Co-authored by Danielle Chiz and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: January 8, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is a jellyfish haircut?

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How to Get the Cut

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Jellyfish Styles

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Maintaining the Look

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Similar Haircuts

A jellyfish cut is a multi-layered hairstyle with a short, rounded top and longer bottom layers that resemble a jellyfish. It’s a popular K-Pop style that is making rounds on social media, so if it’s relatively new to you, you're in the right place. In this article, we go over everything you need to know about the jellyfish cut, including how to get the look and different ways to style it.

What is the jellyfish cut?

A jellyfish cut is a hairstyle with two distinct sections—on top is a round bob, while the hair underneath is long and textured to mimic the tentacles of a jellyfish.

Section 1 of 5:

What is a jellyfish haircut?

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A jellyfish cut is a hairstyle with a bob on top and long layers underneath. The bob is round and distinct, while the bottom is long, often with curled ends. The bob is unblended and the long bottom is disconnected, creating a look that’s similar to a jellyfish. The jellyfish cut draws inspiration from the Japanese hime or princess cut, of the Heian era.^{[1]
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- The jellyfish cut has been worn by popular anime characters like Hinata Hyuga from Naruto and Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen.
- While a jellyfish cut usually sports curled ends, a hime cut is usually worn straight. The hime cut also sports dramatic layers in the front while the jellyfish cut sports them all around.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Ask For a Jellyfish Haircut

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Ask your stylist to cut a short, round bob while leaving long hair underneath. Bring a few photos of the jellyfish haircut so they know exactly what you’re looking for. Once you show them the photos, let them know that you want your hair cut into two distinct sections. On top, ask for a short, round bob. For the bottom, ask them to keep your hair long.
- The round bob on top will add movement, making the legs of your jellyfish cut more flexible.
- If you want layers in your hair, ask that your stylist does a layered or feathered cut. Both cuts spread out the volume, with the layered cut helping refine your face shape and the feathered cut accentuating your jawline and cheekbones.^{[3]
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- For more definition, ask your stylist to use a texturizer.

Section 3 of 5:

Ways to Style a Jellyfish Haircut

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Add volume for a classic look. Apply volumizing mousse. On the top layers, hair stylist Danielle Chiz suggests using a blowout brush, which can dry and smooth your hair at the same time.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Danielle Chiz
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview} Curl the ends of the bottom layers for a classic jellyfish style.
- A voluminous jellyfish haircut is great for oval faces. The high volume makes for a big look that compliments the rounded pointedness of an oval face. It’s great if you want to even out your face and sport an edgy cut.
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Straighten your hair for an edgier look. Apply a heat protectant, then straighten the bob and ends of your hair using a straightener.
- This look elongates round and diamond-shaped faces. It provides a curtain for the edges of your face and has a lot of top volume, which draws the eyes up and creates the illusion of length. Straightening your hair also adds length near the bottom, making the face appear longer.^{[5]
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Consider coloring the top and bottom sections in different colors for a bold look. For more versatility, dye different strands with different colors. Mix black and red for an edgy look or add blue streaks for a more subdued, ocean-inspired style.
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Put your hair into a ponytail. To get your hair off your face and neck, simply put it up in a ponytail. Go for a high ponytail for a sportier look or a low ponytail for a more subdued style.
- Be careful with tight ponytails, as frequently wearing them can damage your hair follicles and lead to hair loss.^{[6]
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Wear pigtails for a cute, playful style. Simply split your hair into two sections (one on either side of your head) and use a hair tie to secure each side. Go for low ponytails for a cute look or high space buns if you want to include the hair that's in the bob on top.
- If you have a rounder face and want to wear pigtails while still keeping it covered, the jellyfish haircut is a good style for you.
- Hide the pigtails behind the edges of the bob for a sneakingly striking look.

Section 4 of 5:

Maintaining a Jellyfish Haircut

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Get regular trims to maintain the shape. When you visit the salon, let your stylist know that you want to keep the length but tighten the bob. Maintenance is fairly simple, as the top will need to be cut more frequently to maintain the shape, while the bottom can be trimmed anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on how fast your hair grows.^{[7]
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- To keep the cut’s shape, roughly blow dry while brushing with a cylinder hairbrush, making sure to flip the ends to maintain the shape of the top section. Then, apply a texturizing spray so the layers are able to pop.

Section 5 of 5:

Similar Haircuts

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If you’re looking for something more blended, consider the octopus cut. It has more volume at the top of the head with long, shaggy layers towards the bottom. The top-heavy volume makes it a great choice for those with round faces.^{[8]
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A wolf cut takes the layers and length of a shag and combines it with the bangs of a mullet to create a look that is textured and full of volume. Whereas a jellyfish cut has long, slim pieces on the bottom, a wolf cut is thick and choppy. It is a great alternative if you want a cut with more natural volume.^{[9]
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A butterfly cut has short layers on the outside and long layers on the inside. The short layers sit around the chin, while the long layers stretch down to the shoulders, creating a look that’s reminiscent of butterfly wings. For a look that’s more casual than the jellyfish cut, go with the butterfly cut.^{[10]
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Wear a mullet for a look that’s just as edgy. The mullet still provides you with the length of a jellyfish cut, but the sides are cut while the back is long, creating a dynamic look that is instantly recognizable.^{[11]
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A bob is a short, neck-length haircut. It provides the same clean-cut look as the head of the jellyfish cut but trades in the length. It is a good option if you are looking for something more classy and low maintenance.^{[12]
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