Tell Me: Should I Get A Pixie Cut?

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Do you admire those with a daring, chic and sassy pixie cut but you’re petrified of taking the pixie plunge yourself?

Maybe it’s because you’re plagued by questions like “What if it doesn’t look cute on me, then what?”

Then there’s how long it would take to recover from a such disastrous hair cut mistake. Just because your hair is ultra-short doesn’t mean it’s going to grow back ultra-fast no matter how badly you want it to.

Basically what you see is what you get for the foreseeable future because even extensions can’t ride to the rescue for quite a while.

Yet many have gone under the scissors and lived to tell of it. Loving every minute of rocking their liberating short strands! Will that be you?

To help you figure it out here’s some commonly asked questions.

Quick Section Navigation

What Is A Pixie Haircut?
What Should I Know Before Getting A Pixie
Styling Tips For Pixie Cuts
How To Cut A Pixie Cut On Yourself Step By Step
What about Pixie Cut Regret?
Ideas for the Best Way to Grow Out A Pixie Cut
Best Products For Pixie Cut

What Is A Pixie Haircut

A pixie cut is an extremely short sometimes edgy, street wise style. Length varies from half an inch to maybe three inches for most and some opt for variety of lengths in one cut. So yeah it can be very short, even undercut on the sides or in the back yet long across the middle of your head leaving you with plenty of bang action.

Whether asymmetrical or not, it’s an uber chic cropped cut that’s perfect for those who want to stylishly stand out from the crowd.

But there’s more to this flirty ultra-feminine style. So it’s good to learn as much as you can about this transformational cut because it’s a decision not easily changed.

Which is to say you should be relatively certain it’s right for you before taking the plunge because there’s no going back once you do.

What Should I Know Before Getting A Pixie Cut

If you’ve been pondering “Should I get a pixie cut?” maybe that’s the wrong question.

Maybe you should be asking about what you should know before getting one. Otherwise you could find yourself desperately seeking help for getting through the stages of growing out a pixie gracefully.

Let’s see if we can’t prepare you some at least.

Now the first time you see yourself can be shocking. So give yourself time to adjust to the new funky you looking back at you in the mirror.

Yet somewhat strangely some report feeling surprisingly feminine.

For sure your best facial features will take center stage. Just realize you’ll be facing the world each day without hair to hide behind. An inch or two or three of hair doesn’t provide much cover and can leave some feeling vulnerable.

To keep such cuts looking polished and sophisticated rather than bordering on chaos frequent trims, as in every four or five weeks frequent, are non-negotiable. Going to the salon that often can seem like you’re getting a haircut all the time if you’re used to longer hair. But cuts like this lose their perfect salon shape fairly quickly.

On the other hand you’ll definitely save on shampoo and conditioner!

Now if your hair is damaged beyond repair it’s your chance for a do over of sorts.

It’s also a surefire way to get out of that ponytail everyday styling rut!

It can also help to get the opinion of the person who cuts your hair beforehand. This one can’t stressed too much either.

So rip out a picture you’ve seen of a model with a cut you think is what you want and ask them if they think it suits you. Have them explain why or why not. This tip can go a long way to helping you avoid extreme shock and disappointment with any life changing cut.

Pixie length hair means your styling tools will often need to tend toward Lilliputian too. So a mini flat iron, small Velcro rollers, stuff like that.

Time to embrace coconut oil or argan oil to help revitalize the hair you have left – if that’s needed.

Hair gel may become your new BFF on days you want to rock something punkish. Otherwise mousse or pomade can work wonders.

Sea salt spray can texturize even the shortest fine thin strands in the most adorable way. Scrunch in to dampish strands and prepare to be amazed.

If you wake up with hair all over the place it will take time to get things back under control.

It matters a lot who cuts it. Like we already pointed out having inspiration photos torn out of magazines or from Pinterest of the look you’re going for matters too. (Preferably with a face shape similar to yours?) As does explaining what you like and dislike about them.

But more importantly you need to work with someone who has cut more than a few pixie heads.

SPOILER ALERT: Since fewer request this cut finding someone with experience may mean it will cost you more.

Hopefully this helps anyone wondering “Can I pull off a pixie cut?” or at least begins to.

Styling Tips For Pixie Cuts

Very short hair is not always as easy to work with as you might think.

You can’t understand what kind of time suck it is until you hit the snooze button once too often and see someone resembling Einstein on a bad day looking back at you in the mirror.

Yeah, this style’s default morning setting often tends towards disheveled weirdness.

To resolve that with something suitable to be seen in public with requires products, know-how and effort. Plus a serious commitment to a happening hairstyle that for some is admittedly far from being low maintenance.

Okay but enough with the Debbie Downer side of things. Let’s roll out the styling tips.

Products

There’s all manner of products that can be used when styling your pixie.

Volume is usually handled by root lifting mousse like products or dry shampoo.

And no worries. Without the jettisoned length weighing your hair down amping up the volume is easy.

Va-Va-Voom!

You’ll often get a volume boost even if you just washed your now meager mane.

Even better this trick for high end volume hair works especially well if you have stick straight strands that are a bit on the shall we say dirty side?

One more hack? To combat grease apply your dry shampoo then do a slightly different part than you had the day before. This will bring out volume you didn’t know existed.

Texture is enhanced most easily with texturizing or salt sprays. These can also add a bit of grit to suggest dirty but sexy strands.

You should also know how to style a pixie cut with wax. Because waxes and pomades are the product of choice for those seeking a more piece-y texture. Plus being super easy to use makes them a great way to add that texture to a pixie cut.

Just remember this rule. With hair wax less is more.

Hold can be had with clays, lightweight waxes even a pomade. Similar products can handle the job of gripping your hair and keeping those short strands where you put them all day. Just practice product restraint as often a little, remember you don’t have a lot of hair, will go a long way with styles like this.

Finally to get a more formal feel to your pixie you can slick it down using a styling product like Bumble and Bumble grooming crème or MoroccanOil molding cream.

Styling Tools Sized Right

Short hair calls for styling tools cut down to size. Which is why a mini straightener with plates sized accordingly can be a life saver.

Being diminutive allows you to get closer to the scalp than you might with a standard issue iron. And with such short strands if you can’t do that, why bother right?

And getting to total cuteness doesn’t have to take forever as this 75 second video shows.

Note the claw clip to keep her longer hair out of the way at first. She used the heat strategically to bend the strands in all directions around the crown. Then she used a wax. But anything promising super strong hold be a pomade, wax, or clay should help generate tousled texture, and piece-y separation. The idea is to get your hair to go in the direction you want it to go.

Thick hair? If you want more curl just work your hair slower through the plates to lock it in a bit more. Then rake your fingers through your mane to break the curls up as little or as much as you wish. .

Or going the other way you can also use a tiny flat iron to remove any hint of wave working with small sections at a time to smooth and straighten.

Have A Change Of Part

This trick alone busts the myth that short hair has to be same ole same ole boring day after day. Just switching where you part your hair can refresh your look making it seem brand new.

You can go with a deep side part, maybe a middle part, then no part for entirely different looks.

Just remember if you don’t keep up with your regular trims it will get increasingly harder to walk out the door with a style that is prime time ready. As no amount of product or styling hacks can make up for a style growing out of control.

In any case following advice like this should easily win you major style points.

Putting It All Together

This video takes you from just out of the shower damp to finished product in 10 minutes. Showing how she blow dries, the flat iron technique she uses plus what products she applies when and why.

For many pixie styling comes down to products. Here’s the list of things she used in the order she used them in – all are Amazon links in case you’re wondering..

Obviously it will take some experimentation on your part to figure out what works with your pixie.

But this video should give you a good starting point for getting super cute hair.

How To Cut A Pixie Cut On Yourself Step By Step?

For those who feel the cost of frequent trims or even the initial cost of getting a pixie are more than you can bear – this video’s for you. The technique used does result in an asymmetrical style but that’s what she was going for.

What about Pixie Cut Regret?

Yes there really is such a thing.

Truth is a pixie doesn’t look great on everyone.

Cray cray pixie bed head happens and for some quite often. Too often?

You will have to learn new ways to style your hair.

Some find styling a pixie to be a huge hassle taking just as long as when their hair was longer.

For sure there’s no throwing it back into a pony and rushing out the door.

Then too sometimes people undergo the chop for all the wrong reasons. Maybe they’re not in a good place in life and feel going super short will help perk things up. Going all in on a super short cut then probably won’t help any more than getting a puppy.

So know why you’re getting a drastic cut.

Finally some just miss longer hair and the styles they can wear with longer strands.

Of course for every person that expresses regrets that is a chorus of those who love love love their pixie cut.

Best Way to Grow Out A Pixie Cut

Sooner or later, as happens with bangs, you’ll find yourself in the throes of a pixie grow out.

Nothing to it. You just stop getting your hair cut cold turkey. Right?

Wrong.

Again like bangs there are phases or stages you’ll go through. (The video below talks about them in depth complete with selfies to show you want to expect.)

Plus you’ve got to hang in there and resist the urge to cut no matter how awful your hair looks.

Basically to get to the end sooner rather than later you’ll also want to hold off doing anything cut-wise until things become so unmanageable and crazy that you just have to do something. You’ll know when since looking like a human Q-tip isn’t especially attractive.

Also you’ll get style points along the way for being creative when it comes to your hair.

Bonus points too for intimate familiarity with headbands.

You may have to make a serious effort to sell your style as a “I woke up this way” look that’s natural and suggests you’re not trying all that hard. That can work.

A common stop for many on the grow out journey is a short bob of some sorts. Just realize you might not get there until the 15 month mark.

The texture of your hair, its thinness or thickness will play a big part in how this all plays out too.

So will products. Don’t they always?

Texturizing spray and salt spray can usually rescue textureless strands to give you something to work with. (We linked to our articles on how to best use each of those texturizing products. So you might want to check both out if some tips might be helpful.)

This video explores the grow out phase is an admittedly long but unvarnished look at what you face.

It makes the point that for many growing out a pixie purely sucks.

For like the first year bad hair days are the rule rather than the exception.

So yeah. The growing out process can be as discouraging as anything and this inspirational video takes you stage by stage all the while encouraging you to hang in there. It’s shows you what to kinda expect based on one girl’s experience.

Tell Me: Should I Get A Pixie Cut?

What Is A Pixie Haircut

What Should I Know Before Getting A Pixie Cut