Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Talk to me about short hair!

127 replies

BruceLeTerror · 31/01/2025 12:53

I've had shoulder length/long hair for ages for several reasons;
1) I hate going to the hairdressers 😂
2) I'm tall and a tomboy/have dogs/horses, and wear absolutely no make up, always in jeans/wellies and a few times in my younger days when I did have shorter hair (thousands of years ago!) I got mistaken for a man several times (V embarrassing)
3) I'm lazy, long hair = messy bun

However, as alas it comes to us all, age is catching up, hair is thinning and greying... and I'm wondering whether to get it all chopped off? Like Judi Dench short...

Ladies with shorter hair, how often do you have to go to the hairdressers for a trim? Any styles to avoid - and what is nice and easy to maintain?

Any thoughts appreciated :)

Thanking you 🙏

OP posts:
Bbq1 · 31/01/2025 15:02

RedLightsStopSigns · 31/01/2025 13:56

“most women look better with longer hair than short. Longer hair hides a multitude of sin, looks more feminine and youthful, disguises unattractive ears or neck/shoulder humps.” 🙄

I’ve had very short hair in the past and I didn’t get mistaken for a man, ever. Including when wearing trousers and GASP no makeup. How ludicrous. Loads and loads of women have short hair.

Edited

I've currently got short hair which I'm growing as it's coming back after losing it all due to chemo. I thankfully suit short hair and had it styled short in ny twenties. Never then or now have I ever bern mistaken for a mam! I get compliments about my hair which I really appreciate. I also don't agree that most women look better with longer hair. It can be very aging or wrong for the face shape

Legoownsmylife · 31/01/2025 15:35

I've got a pixie cut and it's cut every 6-7 weeks, I wouldn't dream of growing it out now I love it. I wash it daily, towel and air dry by the time I'm ready for work, put some wax through it and off i go!

BestLeftAnonymous · 31/01/2025 17:48

I keep my hair short and do not think I have ever been mistaken for a fan. I have a body type that is far from boyish even if it might have a few extra pounds.

I need to get my hair cut every 5 weeks or so. If you want it easy, it means short short hair. It is not for everyone, but neither is long hair.

Autumnnow · 31/01/2025 18:59

Lost all my hair with chemo and I'm SO glad it's growing back but I bloody hate short hair. It takes me so much longer to faff about and make it look ok. I go to Tesco and see so many older women with the same horrible short hairstyle and think well we can't all be post chemo! At least with longer hair you can tie it up/back, half up/down etc.

ILY123 · 31/01/2025 19:14

I want to clarify that it's not always because a woman looks manly or has a boyish figure.. men can also have narrow and rounded shoulders, some have wider hips or carry weight in a low testesterone/high estrogen pattern, add on that if he is also short... some people do look androgynous by genes (fat distrubtion body shape) or styling.
So it's sometimes because men are looking more feminine rather than an attack on a woman's femininity.

SleepingisanArt · 31/01/2025 19:28

Mine is like Annie Lennox from the time she had orange hair but mine is not orange! I've had short hair since 1986 when I started paying for my haircuts! (This style was cut by a trainee at the Trevor Sorbet Academy for a nominal sum and I liked it so much I've kept it ever since - lockdown was a nightmare!!) I have never been mistaken for a man and I rarely wear makeup. I have my hair cut every 6 weeks. Some days I dry it naturally after a quick rub with the towel, some days I point the hairdryer at it and some days I go the whole hog with a bit of product! I do have to wash it everyday otherwise I look like one of the Muppets! I love my short hair (almost 58 with a few greys peeking through but they look quite good when my hair is short)!

Castlerigg · 31/01/2025 19:50

Mine is roughly Judy Dench length, I have it cut every five weeks. It just suits me better short.

Every few years I get a notion that I should grow it, or try something different. I then spend the next few months hating my hair and feeling old and frumpy and hideous. Then I chop it off again and instantly feel better. Washing it is so quick, I can use pretty much any styling product, and it lasts ages as I use so little.

I wear make up sometimes, but most days I don't wear any. But I like the fact that I can wear longer earrings and they're actually visible.

TheFlyingHorse · 31/01/2025 20:01

ILY123 · 31/01/2025 13:35

Shorthair can look great but its higher maintenance, more difficult to hide a bad haircut, you will be mistaken for a man..if you can laugh it off great but if you have body dysmorphia or body insecurities then id advise you not. Lastly, most women look better with longer hair than short. Longer hair hides a multitude of sin, looks more feminine and youthful, disguises unattractive ears or neck/shoulder humps.

Bollocks. I've had short hair all my adult life and think a snappy short haircut looks fantastic and it's absolutely not high maintenance. Haircut every 8 weeks and then literally no thought given to it. I've recently grown my very thick hair to shoulder length and I'm already regretting it. It takes ages to dry and is in my face all the time.

No one has ever mistaken me for a man 🙄

JaninaDuszejko · 31/01/2025 20:02

Love my very short hair. I get it cut every 6 weeks but inbetween it's easy, I wash it every day after my morning swim, use no product, air dry it, don't wear makeup or big earrings and have not been mistaken for a boy since I was a child. Long hair drags my face down, I look far younger with it short. I have lots of wavy hair and it's annoying when it's longer.

elastamum · 31/01/2025 20:04

Also have horses and dogs. I have a short blond bob. I can stuff it under a hat when mucking out and wash and dry it in 15 minutes. Have had it for years.

Yogachick · 01/02/2025 12:05

I had a pixie for many many years, I had thick,slightly coarse hair. I am incredibly lazy with my hair & grew it out so I wouldnt have to go to the hairdresser every 5 wks but post menopause my hair is now fine & frizzy/ curly. I can see my scalp through & my face is fatter,otherwise I would go back to my pixie in a heartbeat. I have Judi Dench hair saved,should I manage to lose a chin or 2.
Ive always worked on the basis of try it,it will grow if you hate it.

CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan · 01/02/2025 12:10

Short since my 20s. Mine is very thick and straight and although it needs cutting every 5-6 weeks I don't need to do a thing to it in between. I towel it after a shower and it dries looking perfectly OK.

AuntyFunGal · 01/02/2025 12:19

I’m another with a Pixie/Judy. Cut every 8ish weeks. When it gets a bit long, I just slick behind my ears and ‘quiff’ the top. Takes 2 mins to towel dry & style. & no, I don’t have Cate Blanchette/Tilda Swinton ‘esque cheekbones. I’m round of face & a crop suits me far better than longer hair ever did.

Oh, & I wear dark rimmed ‘mannish’ glasses and trousers, & have never been mistaken for a man.

canyouletthedogoutplease · 01/02/2025 12:53

I reckon if you hate going to the hairdresser's, (you'll be there every 4-5 weeks to keep it reasonably sharp which is necessary to not look like you've just given up) and you find it v embarrassing to be mistaken for a man which happened several times when you last had short hair, maybe short hair not for you? It's certainly not for everyone.

Everyone replying they have a whizzy fab short haircut and have never ever been mistaken for a man, wear red lipstick and big earrings when OP does neither, have completely different bone structure and body type and dress sense, or who wouldn't care of they did, are kind of missing the point.

HouseofHolbein · 01/02/2025 13:06

I have a number 2 all over. Husband clippers it for me when I think it's grown. I occasionally get called mate by people when I'm in the pub but not enough to bother me.

I did it in lockdown and have never had any desire to grow it back. I have very curly frizzy hair which generally looks crap with any length to it.

One plus point is loads of people recognise me because it's a distinctive look I suppose.

Original poster
BruceLeTerror · 04/02/2025 12:38

Thanks everyone! Esp those that read and understood my original post 😉Not everyone that has short hair gets mistaken for a man, I do agree, but I have previously been mistaken (being of no make up and dress casual 😉)

Anyways, am not a wet lettuce, BUT i am fed up with long hair now, so am having a consult with my hairdresser on Friday (I've been going to her for about 70000 years and trust her opinion completely) with a view to a pixie cut 😮 She may well laugh me out of the shop, but I'm undeterred ...

Thank You ladies for all your thoughts and opinions, you have all be amazing and helpful 😗

OP posts:
canyouletthedogoutplease · 04/02/2025 14:13

Jayne Edo does some beautiful short pixie crops if you're looking for inspiration, good luck!

BestIsWest · 04/02/2025 15:01

I have mine quite similar to Jamie Lee Curtis (there’s a picture of her in a white t shirt that comes up if you google her hair). Similar colour too.

It needs cutting every 5-6 weeks but takes about 10 minutes to wash and dry and I never spend more than 5 minutes on it in the morning. I use Bed Head Small talk for blow drying and got2b Styling Powder if I want more texture.

Best thing I ever did.

Yogachick · 04/02/2025 15:02

That’s brilliant @BruceLeTerror please let us know how you get on . And if you pixie and love it even more so x

Original poster
BruceLeTerror · 05/02/2025 09:24

BestIsWest · 04/02/2025 15:01

I have mine quite similar to Jamie Lee Curtis (there’s a picture of her in a white t shirt that comes up if you google her hair). Similar colour too.

It needs cutting every 5-6 weeks but takes about 10 minutes to wash and dry and I never spend more than 5 minutes on it in the morning. I use Bed Head Small talk for blow drying and got2b Styling Powder if I want more texture.

Best thing I ever did.

Thank You for the product recommendations! That would have been my next post!

OP posts:
BambooScaffold · 05/02/2025 12:45

I've grown it slightly longer now but for years I had shaggy short hair more Meg Ryan than Sharon Stone if you google. I found that the absolute easiest - cut slightly longer so you can go longer between cuts, messy so styling is quick and I found it more flattering on a rounder face. It took a couple of minutes to blow dry or just air dry it, either way bit of very soft wax or styling powder and done. Might be worth considering options, so that when you think short remember there are a multitude of options not all of which are pixies.

heartsinvisiblefury · 05/02/2025 22:41

ILY123 · 31/01/2025 13:35

Shorthair can look great but its higher maintenance, more difficult to hide a bad haircut, you will be mistaken for a man..if you can laugh it off great but if you have body dysmorphia or body insecurities then id advise you not. Lastly, most women look better with longer hair than short. Longer hair hides a multitude of sin, looks more feminine and youthful, disguises unattractive ears or neck/shoulder humps.

What a load of garbage

Jillybloop393 · 05/02/2025 22:50

suki1964 · 31/01/2025 13:29

Undercut shaggy pixie and I can get 3 months as I just change how I style it, its cut with a left parting, when its looking too shaggy I just part it to the right :)

Takes 2 mins to dry and a lot of time I don't use a hairdryer - handy during the 5 days we were without power this past week

I like the sound of this - an undercut, shaggy pixie ... what is it, long or short? I'm useless with my hair, like it shoulder length but not 'groomed', would this fit the bill?

HBGKC · 05/02/2025 23:14

If any of you pixie-cut-owners can recommend a good stylist in south-east London, I'm all ears!

suki1964 · 06/02/2025 01:36

Jillybloop393 · 05/02/2025 22:50

I like the sound of this - an undercut, shaggy pixie ... what is it, long or short? I'm useless with my hair, like it shoulder length but not 'groomed', would this fit the bill?

Show quote history

Oh its short

No 4 up the back and sides and the longest top hairs, about the length of my thumb

Cant seem to be able to post links or pictures but google shaggy undercut pixie for the idea and a good hairdresser will adapt for you