Pixie Cuts for Little Girls - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Pixie Cuts for Little Girls

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Writing my other thread about shopping with kids reminded me I wanted to ask about this LOL

Em is 6.5yrs old, and has hair almost exactly the same as me - fine, but LOADS of it, and gets quite a wave when longer - hers is even the same colour mine was at her age.

She has had moments where she has wanted it long, but for quite a while now, has kept it bob-length. Because it gets so hot here, I quite like her with shorter hair too because its much cooler for her. And, because she is very small, the amount of hair she has when its longer does overwhelm her small frame.

BUT, now that I have my pixie, she wants one too...

Last time the hairdresser and I talked her into getting a very heavily layered shorter bob (just below her ears), but she's due for her next cut on Wednesday and she is adamant she wants a really short do like me...

Here is a pic of her current do - she was growing the fringe out and in the 5 weeks since her trim it has really grown long. (This was at G's kindy Christmas party!)

So what do you guys think of pixie's on little girls?

My biggest worry is that she is going to look like a boy and hate it... she obviously doesn't yet have the physical body that ensures everyone knows she is female, but she is a very delicate little thing.

I wouldn't be putting any product in it though, so can you even cut a pixie to look reasonably good without product?

We do only have 2 weeks left of school before our 6 week summer break starts, so I'm thinking that if she is going to do it, now might be a good time so it can grow out a little before school starts back if she does really hate it...

I have always let them decide their own hair styles because I figure its a fairly harmless thing that they can control (and they love talking to the hairdresser!) - but for some reason this one is really testing me!

Any suggestions MOST appreciated - both from fellow mothers of daughters, and our resident hair gurus!

(At least I don't have any issues with Miss G - she wants her lovely hair long "like a princess", so keeping it long and straight is easy peasy LOL)

This post has 1 photo. 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.

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from stringy

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

ooops sorry for rambling on - I've just realised how long that got!

AJ

Veteran

Your daughter is such a little cutie pie! That santa on the other hand....

Maybe you could try one of those websites that let's you put the image of her face with different hairstyles. Maybe if she sees that she may look more boyish, she'll change her mind...or not, but at least it won't be a shock.

Ljubica

Here is my two cents, both as a mother and a daughter.
When I was five I got my hair cut short, a pixie cut. I wanted it, because I have always been into a change, even when I was little. But I ended up hating it, especially because everybody was mistaking me for a little boy.
I did the same to my daughter - she looked as a boy, and she hated it.
Your daughter probably wants to please you and to look like you, but I don't think she'll be happy with the do, unless she is a genuine tomboy (which she doesn't seem to be).
She's an adorable little girl and instead of letting her have her own way, bribe her into letting her hair longer by buying her tons of pretty and inexpensive hair accessories.
Then she can wear it in a ponytail when it's very hot.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Last year we visited Monkey Business in Edinburgh, which is a huge indoor play area and the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen was playing with Emmy, she had a jet black pixie cut and wore a yellow dress. If my girls wanted a pixie cut I would not hesitate, do you think she would like sparkly hairbands and slides? Does she dress in a girly manner?

Traci

Veteran

I like the idea of doing a mock up of her with the pixie so she knows what she's really getting into. If she likes the look on herself, I would then go to the next step of really talking to her about how she'll feel if she's mistaken for a boy constantly. Some kids have a thick skin and won't mind, others can't handle it.

I have a friend with a son with beautiful, waist length, golden hair. He's 10 and constantly mistaken for a girl. He understands this is by his own choice and just blows it off.

Then I'd start working on a compromise. How about super short in the back and sides, but not so cropped in the front?

I also agree that her daily style of dress is going to be the biggest issue here. If she wears heavily girly things, it will be clear that she's a girl. I'm talking dresses, sparkly shoes, and bows in the hair, not just pink tshirts and shorts.

I can't wait to hear what you decide!

Anonymous

I have a cousin about the same age as your DD who has the uber-short pixie cut. She LOOKS like a boy, and even informed Grandma that, "everybody thinks I'm a boy."

I'd say it COULD work IF your DD wears alot of dresses and hair do-dads and/or earrings. I would definitely make sure she at least wore a dress out in public so it's CLEAR she's not a boy.

You can also talk her out of it and tell her it's a style for older girls and ladies then help her choose a new style that will suit HER. Start teaching her now that different styles work best on different people : ) Maybe teach her some new ways to style the cut she currently has (which looks adorable on her!), get her some new hair accessories, etc.

Can you pull her hair back and up to kind of show her what she'd look like with it THAT short? And remind her that if she doesn't like it, it will take a long time to grow out. I tend to be more experimental with my hair since I figure it DOES grow back, but something that short will still take a while.

Here's a picture of a little girl with a pixie cut (I just did a quick google image search):

http://www.haircutshairstyles......sgirls.jpg

Louise

Veteran

I'd let here have the pixie, it's her hair and if she hates it it will grow out x

LeahJanes

Yeah, hair grows. Let her cut it. I had short hair a lot as a child - it's only strangers who mistake you for a boy, and they're gone within an instant anyway. If she is bold enough to want a pixie cut I daresay she's not going to worry about it.

MsMary

Veteran

I'm neither a hair guru nor a mother of a daughter, but I've been a daughter. Does that count? LOL

I am firmly on Team "it's her hair and her decision."

Sally

Veteran

When I was a little girl, I asked for a short cut once (it was not quite as short as a pixie though) and I don't recall being mistaken for a boy. I did wear a lot of dreses though.

Steph

Veteran

I think it's totally fine to let her get a pixie cut and I think that you are right that the timing is good because she will be out of school in a few weeks, so if she hates it she can grow it out. She's so small and her hair is so short that in a few weeks the look will be very different anyway.

I actually wouldn't be too aggressive about bribing or even strongly encouraging her to keep the long hair, unless you are pretty confident she'll be very upset once it's cut. I would worry that it would start to put ideas in her head about what a girl "should" look like, that long hair is necessary to look pretty, etc. I'm always very wary of putting too much emphasis on looks, and particularly on the importance of looking traditionally feminine, when dealing with little girls. I'm sure she'll look cute with a pixie!

mumtojessandluke

I wouldn't be keen to do a pixie cut for a little girl to be honest.... UNLESS they did what I did when I was that age and played hairdressers right before kinder photos :(. Too many questions about her being a boy. I think her hair looks really cool, and quite short already. It does grow back though, and it may be worthwhile just letting her do it. You can always tell pp that she wanted to be just like mummy. It grows back.

wilson

I encourage you to let her do it. It is so empowering for little kids to make decisions about their bodies like that. If she hates it: there is nothing wrong with letting her learn the lesson that she will need to live with the consequences of things she does to herself.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I was forced to have short hair after about the age of 6 through 12 and hated it. The minute I could grow it long, I did. And then some. Waist length in my late 20's. Anyway, the point is that I didn't have a choice and once I did, I went the exact opposite direction. And, yes, there were times when some thought I looked boyish. I personally would err on the side of giving the power of choice to your little one rather than forcing a look on her either way.

ticksgirl

It sounds like you have a multi-step process that you can go through from all the advice you've gotten here: 1) try to find a way to show her a mock-up of what she'd look like, 2) if she still wants it, maybe encourage her to ease into it with a cut similar to her current one, but with super short stacked layers in back (my 3-year-old daughter had a cut like this last year and it looked adorable), then 3) if she still insists, let her do it. I remember wanting my hair super short like all my friends, and looking so terrible with it that way that I have never ever worn my hair short again!

However it ends up, your daughter is incredibly adorable. I think she could pull it off, but like you, I'd worry about how she'll feel about it. Good luck!

taylor

Veteran

She is adorable:)..
.it's hair ...it will grow if she doesn't like it.
It's not like she has hair to her waist and you are insisting she cut it...she has short hair and she wants it shorter right?

Maya

Veteran

I agree completely with Steph. I'm very sensitive to people putting ideas in little girls' (and boys') heads about their respective "roles" and how they are supposed to look and act.

Let her go short. If she hates it, it will grow out very fast, and you can always add a cute headband or barrettes or something.

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Mo you made me realise the PRECISE reason I've been struggling with this!

I too was forced to have a boy-short cut when I was about her age (to thicken the hair up apparently... it didn't work LOL), and I hated every second of it - I used to cry at how it looked, and did get mistaken for a boy a few times. And its taken me 25 yrs to go that short again!!

So, with that insight into why I was struggling, I've decided she can do what she wants with it. She is a very strong and resilient little thing who really doesn't get phased by any form of teasing or being different. She is also very much an individual - it constantly surprises me when she's happy to make her own decisions even if they go against what her little friends are doing. (I think this probably stems from when she had her NGT feeding tube - no other kids at her kindy or even her age in our town, had one, and lots of people stopped and stared and commented on it, but she wasn't bothered one little bit).

Steph & Maya those are the exact reasons I've always let them make their own decisions about hair and clothing (to a degree - sometimes I have to overrule for practical reasons!) - I don't want them ever thinking they can/can't/must/mustn't do something because of their gender, so the less preconceived ideas they get forced upon them the better.

I'll post a pic once its done!!! (Unless she changes her mind... but I can't see it happening... she's as stubborn as her mother!)

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

Good on you. The way I see it is that if you do it now, she will have all summer school holidays to get used to it. If she hates it short, it can start to grow out before school goes back. If she loves it, it will be nice and cool and fresh for summer anyway!

LeahJanes

I am chuffed you've made that call - she sounds like a very strong and clear minded little kid and I am sure she'll really enjoy the short hair

Anonymous

the photo is no longer available. but in common i like pixie cuts on little girls. so i'd let her have it if she wants to. do you send a photo when it's done please?

stringy

Veteran

Looking forward to seeing a pic when it's done! The timing seems right, and in some ways you'll be giving her the opportunity that you didn't get. She has a chance to do what she likes with her appearance, and I think that's very empowering for kids and sets them up with good habits for their teen years when there's so much more pressure. If she doesn't like it, then it's lots of sparkly hair bands and clips until it grows back in a few months time.