Ask Angie (and others): Short Haircuts

So I've been growing my hair out for a year or so now, and as of today, I can't stand it any more!! It's now below my shoulders with a few layers, and I find myself with a hair tie around my wrist, and resorting to a ponytail during the day. Today, I got out the door, to my car, and had to tie my hair up before I could drive away - it was just annoying me!!

I think that means that it's time for a new cut and style. I've been short before, but I always worry about not looking (and feeling) feminine enough. I think I need to get some serious layering and texture happening, but I also don't want to have to spend too long doing my hair each morning.

My hair is fine, and "mousy" but I really don't want to do colour - I'm yet to find anyone who can add colour without me looking washed out, or my hair going brassy. Being fine, it just goes very, very limp if I "wash and go" without styling it at all.

For those of you with shorter hair (Angie, Rae, Deborah, anyone??), how long do you spend each day? What products do you recommend? Do you have any tips to pass on to my hairdresser to get it "just right"?

I'd love some pros, cons, and encouragement from those of you who have successfully made the transition! TIA

12 years ago

Inge

(website)

Moderator

Moving this from "Help & Support" to the "General" category:-)

DeclawedJaguar

Veteran

I've had a pixie for five years now, and still love it. I have thick, wavy hair that is very frizz-prone. For most of my life I wore it long and it drove me mad. When I finally cut it off, I cannot adequately express how relieving it felt. I spend, without exaggeration, seconds each morning to apply a sculpting product to damp hair, then let it air dry. It is the most fuss-free haircut I've ever had. I would recommend thick paste-like styling products, like wax.

As far as femininity, personally, I haven't felt any less feminine with a short haircut. I usually wear pretty minimal natural-looking makeup and it seems to be enough. But YMMV.

Hope this helps!

sarah

I spend 2 minutes. Literally. My hair is fine, so it takes about a minute to blow it dry. They I "texture" it by rubbing a small dab of American Crew pomade (available at Target) between both palms and scrunching my hair all over.

Hil

I don't have a pixie, but rather a very short, choppy bob. I have tried growing my hair longer but I always go back to something along the lines of this. As for time spent - well I wash daily and it takes me about 5 minutes to blow dry roughly. If I want a more "done" look, I heat up my hot iron while I am drying it, but I don't hot iron it every day, and if I do, then it's just a few bits that I straighten or style. I then muss it up with a styling wax. I would say 5 - 10 minutes max!

rachylou

I'm growing my hair out now, but I had that asymmetrical bob for aeons. I think I spent 3 minutes on it. No product. Just a quick blow dry and brush out for volume and shape.

Suz

I have a pixie. My hair is relatively fine, with coarser bits (the greys) but super, super, super thick. My stylist has to thin it out a lot with every cut.

Wearing it short is by far the easiest for me.

It takes me no time at all to style every day. After I wash I use a light Moroccan oil to tame the greys a bit. Usually I air dry. Sometimes I blow dry, which takes only minutes. If I want a more textured, spiky look I will then use a wax or pomade. But ordinarily, I just apply a light gloss to the dry hair. I don't even brush or comb it. If the weather is humid or I have really weird bed head, I will sometime use a flat iron on my asymmetrical bang to make it sleek. Takes less than a minute.

If your hair is super fine, thicker products may weigh it down and make it feel flat and lifeless. You might have to experiment with the products you try.

As for not looking or feeling feminine - this seems to be quite individual. I've worn short hair for most of my life, and I actually feel more feminine with short hair than with longer hair! I think it shows my bone structure more. And looks more intentional. But this is highly personal.

Aida

I'm assuming your hair is straight based off your description, but if it's curly it likely will take more work to wear it shorter than to wear it longer; if it's long you can usually just wash-and-go, but when short it will usually need extra work to keep shape/texture. Depending on how much curl/texture/volume I need on a given day, I spend between 5-15 minutes on my short, curly angled bob (and another 10 minutes on wash days).

Julie

Reaching back into the photo archive, here. Picture number one is my first short cut, and picture number two is the long hair that proceeded it. These are from 2009. The pixie needed minimal styling time, but a bit of wax would spice it up. I only had it for a week, so I can't offer any more styling advice.

Cheers

Julie

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Missey

I have had short hair/pixie for most of my life. I have stick straight hair. It takes me no time to fix...ask for a razor cut, adds texture. You need a product that adds texture...Living Proof has a good one. Waxes...go easy...no pomades with fine hair. Too heavy!

annaj

Thanks girls - I've booked an appointment for tomorrow. Will probably go an interim cut to start with and go shorter over the next few cuts. I'll take all of your advice with me to discuss with the stylist too! Thank you!

Deborah

Hi Anna, I have only just seen this I actually had a cut and colour today and have gone slightly shorter this time. I have been working towards it slowly for the past few months.

I do wash my hair every day and I would say I spend about 15 - 20 mins on it in the morning. I have very fine hair, but a lot of it. I blow wave my hair each morning and the only product I use is a conditioning spray and sometimes a little spritz of hair spray. For me I think my hair style is part of my "signature" so it's really important to me. My only real tip is communicate clearly with your hairdresser. Show her/him pictures if you can and discuss the cut before the scissors are in action. Make sure you are both on the same page. I am sure I drive my hairdresser nuts sometimes (today I was quizzing her on the toner she was using) but she seems to appreciate that I know what I want.

My concern going shorter like you is that I won't look feminine but I think that worry is really unfounded. One of the things I like about wearing my hair shorter is that I can wear dangly earring that drop just below the line of my hair and I think that is quite a feminine look.

Good luck tomorrow

Thanks again! I should have said previously, that the stylist I really wanted is away for the next few weeks, so I am seeing someone new. I'll take this as an interim step to "see how it goes" before going the whole way. I'm thinking it'll be a short, croppy, choppy bob this time, and perhaps something more towards the pixie end of the scale in 6 weeks time.

I also wash my hair daily, and at the moment, it takes me a good 10 minutes to dry my hair, which for me, is long enough to spend on my hair - hence the ponytail before 9am most days! With shorter hair, the drying time should be cut considerably, leaving me a few minutes for styling (in theory). I'm also going to buy a couple of winter hats so that I can hide bad hair days in a non-ponytail way!

Category