So you want to cut your hair short.
It’s the “in” thing these days, that’s for sure – multiple celebrities are trading their extensions for styling wax, beach waves for mohawks. Even if you don’t succumb to the daily Hollywood news barrage (and pat yourself on the back for that!), you would only have to walk down the street to notice the prevalence of the pixie cut.
Oh, and you’ve been thinking about it, twirling the idea around in your head like that piece of hair in your fingers. “Can I pull it off?” you wonder to yourself over sips of coffee. “But what if I hate it?” you wonder some more.
The answer is almost one hundred percent yes… and maybe you will.
About eight months ago now I cut my hair into the aforementioned pixie cut. I had thought about it, twirled my hair around, considered the consequences of it, and then just did it:
to 
Over the past eight months I have had it styled in a few different ways with a few different lengths:
Oh, and I’m cutting it again on Saturday.
Perhaps I am addicted to all forms of the pixie cut but that is truly a harmless vice to have.
If you are considering cutting your hair short, or even simply drastically shorter that normal, I believe there are some things you should know beforehand. Keep in mind I am no hair stylist, just a girl with hair that gets cut once in awhile, but these are stemming from my experiences post-pixie.
1. Get a good hair stylist.
Many of us go to one person to get our hair cut and have even followed them to different salons when they’ve moved. It is a relationship built on time, trust, and understanding. There is comfort in knowing that when you say, “Take off the bare minimum” you won’t walk out of there with a graduated bob. There is also comfort in knowing that when you bring in a picture of Ginnifer Goodwin and say, “This is what I want” your hair stylist will first ask if you’re sure and then snip away happily. You need someone who understands your face shape, your hair texture, any sort of cowlicks or weird spots in your head (especially when it comes to something short since you will have to be able to style over these things), and what you would ultimately be happy with. If you don’t know if you fully trust your stylist, you probably don’t. Ask around and find a new one.
2. Don’t think about men.
I cut my hair and then got a boyfriend. There is no correlation between short hair and your ability to “get a man”. Don’t think about it. Some men prefer long hair but that doesn’t mean they will find you repulsive because you cut your hair. If any man hints at this opinion or makes you feel ugly, stupid, or less attractive because of a choice you made that you quite like, you don’t want to be with him anyway. I will say, without conceit, that when my hair was at its shortest I had more men checking me out in stores and on the street than I had before. It is highly possible some of them were thinking, “She would look so much better with long hair” and I’m okay with that. Or maybe they just thought I looked so bright and refreshed since I was able to sleep an extra half hour due to barely needing to style my hair. But at least I had their attention for those seconds, right? Don’t think about it. You’re gorgeous.
3. Tune out the noise.
Almost in the same vein as number two but you will have to learn to filter out what is true and what is false when it comes to pixie cut opinions. My friend sent me an article last week in which someone called all women who cut their hair short deranged and accused us of having mental problems. Any mental problems I may have existed long before my hair was short, thank you. It also used some sort of analogy with Nazis or Hitler. I have also had people tell me that I took my hotness away when I cut my hair. I also got, “Oh, that’s very Tegan and Sarah of you.” Ha, ha, I get it, cause I’m a lesbian now, right? That’s very original. If you like it and you know you look good, prepare witty comebacks.
4. Find good products.
You will find a combination of styling tools and products that work for you. Since everyone is different as is their hair, what works for one will not work for another. Again, ask your super stylist what they think will work best in your hair. I use a combination of a blowdryer, straightener, and styling wax/pomade. I may skip a step in this regimen but if I skip the wax I will be wearing a hat. Sometimes I also throw in mousse, depending on my mood and what I’m looking to do with it. Having a good idea of how to style your hair or options you have with its styling is a great thing. People like to say that pixies are boring. All I know is that I never could have had my hair curled in a pile on top of my head when it was long and had people tell me it looks great.
5. Do your research.
This is the last and, I think, most crucial part of the whole process: look up what you want. If your hair is already short but you want a change, look for different ways to style it, play with it, or small changes you can make to the cut to freshen it up. If you are looking to go short find a few pictures of someone with a similar face shape whose hair you envy. Bring these with you to the salon. Tell your stylist why, after all your research, you settled on that type of pixie in particular. Know what you want out of the cut and the features of the cut that you most covet. You may not end up with it exactly due to the previous talks of cowlicks and texture, but a good stylist will be able to take a photo you bring and make it your own.
Have you gone pixie short before? Have you stayed because you loved it? Put a hat on because you hated it? Are you mentally deranged?
I’d like to know!
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