the pixie cut series, part 3: growing it out

This is the final installment of The Pixie Cut Series. For anyone out there who could care less about short, cute haircuts... tune back in later :) It's a crazy photo-heavy post, because I crazy Googled pictures of growing-out-pixie-cuts to assure myself that was possible. 

If your biggest fear about chopping your hair off is, "What will happen when I want to grow it out?"... just stop. Live in the moment! Seize the day! The answer to your question is, "It will grow out!" Your hair will grow back. You will get through any awkward stages with grace and spunk. You will experiment with different styles. You will contemplate wearing a turban to work. All of these are good things! So, my promise to you is that Yes! Your pixie cut will grow out, if you so desire. Here are my tips for growing it out with dignity.

Part 3: Growing it out

Be patient. Obviously. My last maintenance pixie cut was sometime in late November. My hair grows really fast, but it's still a pretty short hairdo right now. I'm not aiming to grow it much longer than a cute bob, so I'm just a month or so away from that goal. For what it's worth I estimate the transition from pixie cut to chin-length layered bob will take about 6-7 months.

You must get regular trims! Prevent the mullet at all costs. That back part by the nape of your neck grows super quickly. Enlist your regular hairdresser, SuperCuts or a friend to administer regular mullet chops once a month. Cut that tail off and let the rest of your hair catch up a bit. At some point, you'll also want to trim the other layers to prevent squirellyness, but if you can, wait a few months for the top parts to grow out.

It's your call on the bangs. I kept mine trimmed because I thought I looked less haggard and more put together, but you could also decide to grow those out at the same time. Whatevs.

Let the sides grow. Those parts around your ear will grow out and will prevent a mullet. They'll also give the illusion of longer hair since they frame your face. Leave 'em be for at least a few months and you'll feel a lot better on your path to longer locks.

Don't be afraid to try other styles on your way out. It's a good time to experiment with other short 'dos and, unless you are in a rush, there's no harm in delaying your grow out period. Once your hair has evened up a bit, maybe a 3-4 months into the process, get your layers trimmed up and start experimenting. Poof it up. If it's long enough, get a curling iron up in there and create a little texture. Wear it pushed over all on one side. I'm practicing an asymmetrical look so I can work up the courage to get something crazy done soon :)

When all else fails, wear a hat. Or a scarf. Sometimes your hair will just look a bit squirelly. It happens. I went through most of the awkward growing out phases during winter, so I often just threw on a slouchy knit hat and was on my way. A wide scarf can also do the trick because it hides some of the back mullet-y parts and breaks up any grown-out layers so that you look chic rather than sloppy. Style your hair the way you would normally wear it, and then gently wrap your scarf around your head so it still covers your ears a bit. Pulling my bangs back underneath the scarf always looked too severe and athletic for my taste.

That concludes The Pixie Cut series! As a sidenote, about 90% of the times I tried to type out "pixie cut", I actually wrote "pixie CUTE". Which is fitting, because short hair is so freaking cute. I hope this has helped any of you who are on the fence to take the plunge, or maybe it reaffirmed that you are most comfortable as a long-haired vixen. Either way, let's continue to wildly collect photos of Michelle Williams and other cute, confident, pretty ladies who are proving to the world that short hair is feminine and fierce. Leave your tips for growing out a pixie cut in the comments. Although, I  should be honest that this blog series is making me want to go super short again!


The Pixie Cut Series
Part 1: Chopping it all off
Part 2: Rocking the pixie
Part 3: Growing it out
An Update- 8 Months Later