Growing out a pixie...without descending into frumpsville

[ChopOrNot]

Back in February I chopped off my "warm brown" dyed curly bob in order to grow out the dye and let the grey/white in.

I am really happy with the colour - not as dramatically grey/white as I had hoped but thank god I am not on the fucking dye-treadmill anymore.

But now thinking of growing out the pixie. But, with grey and not-quite long enough curls my terror of looking like an old granny (no offence to grannies) is high.

If I just leave my hair to dry naturally it is a bouffant helmet of frizz. It is no longer short enough for the "close to head funky crop" - even with product (which de-frizzes and adds texture) Not enough length for elfin like curls. Enough length for curled over ends which look like a bad perm. Fringe not long enough to wear forward (looks like a bad-builders hairstyle) but getting too long and curling over if I try to faux-hawk it. Arghhhhhh!

I do not want to spend the next month or so waiting for length looking like a cross between an old lady and a chap.

I am thinking hair accessories may be the way through this? Add some femininity? Break up the bouffant? Make me look less old (am 43 btw). But also do not want to look like I am trying to look 16 years old.

So opinions please? Do the attached looks work? With bow on the hair band? Without? Hairclips holding back the too-long-but-too-short front?

And any suggestions please, please, please... - my experience thus far with hair accessories is...um...a tiara on my wedding day. Clueless is the word. And I am now so paranoid I cannot see myself - if that makes sense. If I try something I just see the faults.

Bugger. Forgot photos...

Firstly, you are gorgeous and your skin is amazing!

I have always found the key to growing out really short cuts is to keep getting it cut! You could pull the fringe forwards and get the back cut quite short, which will give the illusion of a longer front. Try that floppy teen boy kind of style...

It'll take a bit longer to grow out, but will avoid that inbetween stage.

I like it in your first pic, but it looks nice in the others too.

Have you tried a side parting to change the look of it?

You look lovely and no way 43 !! The colour at the front looks fab and you suit the hair off your face showing off your bone structure .. The hair band looks quite funky but I would lose the bow :)

Why do you want to grow it though? I'd get it cut and keep it short as it really suits you

Thank you. Skin is purely genes and a total hatred of sunbathing. Not even got any fancy-smanczy foundation stuff on - just as it comes (thanks Mum).

So, bow not great. Think I knew that - a bit 1950s housewife meets barn dance.

Am going to grow it just because I am interested in seeing what happens . Having had the drastic chop I am now less scared of changing it iyswim - but I would love to know if my ringlets of pre-dyed hair come back. Ever since I started dyeing my hair the curl relaxed a lot - would like to see what au natural looks like. But yes, if I don't like it I am certainly not adverse to the pixie again.

Think you are right about getting it cut - think maybe a short back and sides may be in order to bring some more length to the top without the sideways pouffyness. Am I too old for an undercut pixie - or should I steer clear?

Try googling pics of short curly hairstyles and celebrities with this kind of hair e.g Audrey Tatou for ideas.

I would use hair clips while growing out your fringe - kirby grips can be a godsend.

I think you look great too and that short hair really suits you.

I may be biased as your hair and face shape look quite similar to mine

To answer your question, I like the hair band but not so sure about the bow.

Quite by chance I got an undercut pixie yesterday (though I didn't know what it was called) and I'm 58. Basically a short back and sides with poodle curls left on top. It's quite funky, but DH is not sure! The colour is all going to b e cut off in August because of a long break in the tropics, and it will look sh*te after the sun and sea.

You look fab! Love your hair in all 3 photos.

Do they have to be sparkly kirby grips or just regular ones - can i use lots and it still look OK iyswim - the fact you will see them. I bought a couple of sparkly ones and tbh with the curls now coming through 2 just don't cut it - random spiky up ends of curls mean I would need 3 or 4 min to hold fringy bit back (see, told you I was clueless)

I use plain ones that match my hair colour when my side fringe needs controlling - but if you can get away with pretty ones, why not!

(and with kirbys, you can use lots without looking odd)

I think you look great and I would go for headbands in lovely fabrics without the bow. I may be biased though as I'm planning to get a pixie cut to grow out my dye and see what my natural mostly grey hair looks like now. I'm also planning on making some headbands from quilting fabric. I tried to go for a pixie cut a few weeks ago and the hairdresser gave me a collar length bob

I grew my pixie out over the last 12 months. I'd happily share a few photos but I'm not sure they'd help as mine is only wavy so I straighten it quickly and easily each morning

OH, yes please Tis that would be great. Thank you.

Ok I'll try!

This was about eight weeks after I decided to grow it. Prior to this I'd been having it cut every four weeks. I continued with this but only had the back and sides cut every time, the top was done every other cut on average. At this point I was still drying it with my fingers and nothing else.

This was August, so another three months on. I was now getting the sides done less often too and straightening it ever so slightly.

December. More of the same - cut the back in close and take the ends off ever so slightly on the front and sides. At this point I discovered the magic of a barrel brush during blow drying

Finally the front is down to more of a bob length and less of a fringe. Same fascinator as shot one - I like to get my money's worth

Proper bob. Not that you can see much! I still get the back cut in really hard as it grows much faster and thicker than the front. I think I'll keep it like this for a while

Thank you, that is fab. You look amazing. I think I will book the back/sides cut and really start to grow the top.

A pair of foxes, the two of you!

I've grown out pixies more times than I can remember. Yes, keep getting the back and sides shaped to avoid mushroom-itis.

How about clipping the fringe to one side with a kirby? When you have a bit more length you'd look fab with a quiff.

Ooh my hair is like your August photo (but I'm wavy) , been thinking about the next step so last time I had the back/sides cut and the top length thinned.

It's a huge step to get a crop and an even bigger trial to grow it back.
I know the "it's just hair , it grows " philosophy. But you get to the "Rats , just chop it off" stage again.