Want a pixie cut but I think I’d hate it...

[Pinecone90]

Tell me honestly -

I’ve been dithering over getting short hair for at least 20 years. I have very fine hair and I’d really like to stop worrying about ratty ends! And I always admire women with sharp cuts. But... I’m tall (5’9), my hair has a tendency to either pouf or fall really flat and I dress fairly androgynously. I’m 37. Honestly... I’m going to look like my dad circa 1992, aren’t I?

Like you I toyed with the idea for ages but I ended up starting to grow it out within 6 months of having it done.

Pros -

• Cool in summer

• Looking back at photos now it did suit me and look nice even though I hated it.

Cons -

• I found mine more high maintenance then long hair, it needed washing, blowdrying and styling every morning and the front would still look a mess by the evening. No slinging it up into a ponytail or messy bun for convenience.

• It started to look a mess well before my 6 weekly hairdresser appointment.

• I have quite fast growing hair but it still took an absolute age to grow out and looked crap in the process.

• I felt much older with shorter hair. I never felt as good in dress and heels for a special occasion as I did with longer hair styled differently to normal. It was just the same as my every day hair.

@Pinecone90 could I be your crazy aunt? 

I have no idea what my colours are but just hope the colours I dye my hair look ok!

It's been short for 5 years now and actually a few months after that initial cut I lost it entirely due to chemo, then when it grew back I had it bleached and dyed.

No cut or colour ever look the same but this is kind of my 'look' now - apart of course during lockdown where it's all gone to pot a bit!

A few people confirming my fears there. That’s exactly what I’m worried about... and having to always have everything else on point. Even now I’m thinking I’d have to lose a little weight first... so I’d have to keep that up. Oh and not get pregnant

Should clarify: a lot of people look incredible with short hair while preggo! I just don’t think I’d be one of them.

kuuskajaskari short hair looks so good on you, especially the pink!

I imagine it's loads easier to experiment with colour on a pixie cut.

kuu the pixie really highlights how lovely your eye colour/shape is. My fav is the platinum blonde.

Re upkeep- the shorter the easier it is. Mine take 2 mins to dry and 10 seconds to bung a bit of wax in. No hassle.

I do wear make-up everyday - but then always have. However that only takes me a couple of mins too.

Currently growing in my natural colour which is pure white at the sides and very salt and pepper on the top.

My current style crush is Sue Pryke

She looks awesome...

Fgs. I opened this thread to say that pixie cuts didn't work for me, but the thread is making me want one again! Mostly your fault, @kuuskajaskari

Still - at least I can't make any rash decisions while hairdressers are shut!

A few people confirming my fears there. That’s exactly what I’m worried about... and having to always have everything else on point.

Weekends and casual days were a problem for exactly this reason. With longer hair, I could be very casual with minimal make-up and jewellery and still look/feel feminine. With a pixie, I looked invisible/pointless/older when casual - not good for me.

I’ve had pixie cuts for most of my adult life. I love them. I’ve now got a Bob and while I’m enjoying having some hair I’d give it a year before I lop it all off again.

I think the key to a good short haircut is find a hairdresser you REALLY trust and also err on the side of someone who’s very cool and completely understands you don’t want to look like your dad circa 1985.

I've had a pixie on and off since I was 18, and I'm now 64. But I agree that a gifted hairdresser with a great eye for faces is essential. And I have always been slightly OCD about precise cuts.

@Coffeepot72 “invisible/pointless/older” I can hear Caitlin Moran asking ‘are the men worrying about this?’

Maybe the answer is the flamingo pink - not invisible then!

Invisible? That grates on me as a concept tbh...by that I mean the concept and not the poster obviously.

I felt much more visible with my pixie cut tbh. But I really hate the idea of dressing for men, which I think is where the "all women must have long, blonde, swishy hair to count" concept comes from. Again, not blaming the pp, but the concept here! Men and some women get quite angry when women cut their hair short. They aren't obeying the unwritten rules of laydeehood!

Yes, quite. I felt much more invisible with generic long hair, than with the various versions of pixies I've had. Super short clippered sides always attracted comments!

I've got very fine, very thin mousy hair which I can't grow and I've had a pixie for ever, even as a child.

I matured in the 90s when short hair was all the rage and I still look back on those days with nostalgia.

I really dislike the trend for generic long hair. Many people dusapesr behind it. I don't think you have to be stunningvto pull off a pixie but you do need to be fairky stylish otherwise IMHO.

@absolutetelynotfabulous - can I ask what kind of pixie you have and how you style it? Your hair type sounds exactly like mine!

Watching with interest! I have extremely fine hair, grown it in a Bob but it is just so 'Meh' and is flat... Made worse by no hairdresser appointment!

I loved my very short pixie and have always been a size 16 / 18. My hairdresser 'gets' short hair... He just charges a fortune so its the commitment to regular expensive appointments too.

Plus a friend shared a photo from 20 years ago with my pixie cut then and I am now truly mourning my youth!

Really appreciate posters sharing pics as seeing "real" pixie cuts not Pinterest pics is very helpful!

@Pinecone90

Omg *@kuuskajaskari* I need to know everything as I swear we must have shared ancestry. That’s my hair, my eyes and my skin you have there Have you ever had your colours done...? What are we?? Hair looks great btw and short and pink is very tempting!

A good hairdresser and sometimes it is good to go to someone new for a fresh look That haircut looks so good and makes her eyes pop in a pixie cut Thin hair can be helped by using a volume shampoo and products a oil spray? something light. Pixie cuts look good on anyone if it is cut to suit your face and cut well Luckily hair regrows and most women over 40 do look fresher and nicer with shorter hair I think

This thread is tempting me again. kuu you look brilliant.
My problem is I have thick and quite curly hair. I’d have to cut it really short to make sure it didn’t curl up too much.

I agree with pp, I get much more attention with short hair, not that I'm looking for any.
I've stopped dyeing so have grey hair now, I did grow it over last lockdown but I find it annoying, it's an inbetween length now but I think Im going to go short again. I cut my own hair so don't have to wait for the hairdressers to open

It didn't work for me, I grew it back and have long hair again now that I bung into a ponytail or bun. I am a bit overweight with nondescript coloured fine hair and it either looked flat or greasy with too much product. It was a lot of work and it is easier this way!

Various versions of mine here, can't find any pics of the properly clippered one 🤔

I'm 5'8" and between a 16 and an 18 at the moment.

And right now, super grown out lockdown hair 😂