September 21st, 2010
Chop Story
As soon as I hit high school, I cut my hair. It was too thick and too long, and I wanted something cool and low maintenance. I grew my hair out long (very long) for the wedding so I could have an up-do and then immediately cut it again. The last chop decided it – I’m a short haired girl at heart.
That being said, in the past few years I’ve learned a little more than I would like to about working with my own & about the monthly cuts that come with maintaining it:
1. Never – ever – use the P word around someone with scissors if you don’t want exactly that. P is for Pixie Cut, and if you say that word a well meaning friend of a friend may give you a quarter of a buzz cut before you realize what she’s doing. That is called the Land of No Return. You don’t want to visit, and you certainly don’t want to buy a condo there unless you’re emotionally prepared.
2. It’s all about trust. I have had many, many terrible hair cuts and when you have short hair, there’s no hiding it. I mean, I suppose there are hats but how long can you really wear them without raising suspicion? I wouldn’t recommend going really short until you’ve found a stylist who you really mesh with.
3. Failing trust, it’s all about patience. If my current cut isn’t working my default reaction is “take it shorter!” Not only will that not solve some hair problems, it makes them worse. Waiting it out can be the best thing you can do for yourself, even if its frustrating because another 1/4″ of hair makes my cut do something entirely different!
4. Failing patience, it’s all about colour. My new motto is that when I’m bored with my hair, I will dye it rather than cut it. There’s just less room for heart ache.
My biggest hair frustration is often not having a good idea of what would work best on me. Even with really short hair, there are so many different ways you can go!
Do you let your hair stylist lead, or do you call the shots?
I would love to know what an actual stylist prefers. I tend to bring in pictures of what kind of a look I’m thinking about, and then let them do their thing from there. What do you do?
Even if I haven’t done hair in about three years, I’m still licensed. I used to do hair during school for extra money, and after grad school I quit. I’ve jumped from stylist to stylist for the past couple years. They are all intimidated, and even if I know exactly what I’m doing, it’s hard to trust someone with less experience than me but it’s so hard to find someone.
You have obviously found your stylists. I love your hair, and despite the length of it, you are the face of femininity on the blogesphere.
this post makes me smile. i’m growing my hair out from a pixie cut (an acutal pixie-very very short) and it’s finally below my shoulders! i loved it when it was short but i like the feel of long hair. i am definitely someone that calls the shots when i’m at the stylist. what can i say? i have a control issue especially when it comes to my hair.
I love short hair so much! Seeing these pictures really makes me want to cut my hair off again. Soon… really soon I’ll do it! :)
You’re one of those lucky devils that can carry off long hair or short hair and I think both suit you really well. I think having short hair though gives one a little bit more gumshoo or something. I cut my hair super short, Jean Seberg style, last year and it did not suit me at all…tragic. I’m now trying to grow my hair long enough so that I can do 1940s Gene Tierney style hair…
I was the total opposite. I had short hair my entire childhood and now keep it long intentionally. I think short hair is great though and there are a ton of benefits to it. For the stylist, I usually call the shots but she is vocal about what her thoughts are too
I need to drastically change my hair at least once a year. I’m itching to cut my hair lately, and it’s going to happen! I just need to decide on the short hair thing for next spring, and I’ll be set. And you know me, I’m always in charge. HA!
Okay, first, I had never read your wedding story before and AH! I loved it. You two are so cute together and you looked absolutely GORGEOUS on your wedding day! And you can definitely pull off long hair or short hair and look stunning both ways!
The shortest that I have ever had my hair was probably to my chin. When I was little I always had really longggg hair, and then in high school I went in to get it trimmed one day and just cut it to my chin, ha. And ever since then I grow it long, then I think I’m just getting it trimmed and I’m like “Ah, let’s just cut it all off.” Right now it’s long, and I’m kind of liking it. Well, I don’t like how tangled it gets once I get out of the shower (just started happening in the past few months and it drives me crazy, ha.), but I’m liking the way it looks and I do absolutely nothing to it but wash it. I wish I could pull off short hair. You look SO amazing with short hair, I’m jealous! Haha.
I’ve had so many bad haircut experiences that can mostly be chalked up to the fact that my hairdresser and I didn’t communicate as well as we should have. Sometimes it’s hard to be assertive about what you want, especially when the hairdresser has their own idea about the haircut they think you should have. But at the same time, I would want a hairdresser to tell me if the haircut I wanted wasn’t going to work with the shape of my face, or what have you (because that has happened before too). I chopped my hair really short two years ago (and brought in the same picture of Michelle Williams that’s in this post!) and had a really good experience because it was really like a creative collaboration between me and the hairdresser: I told him what I wanted and what I didn’t want, he asked questions and made suggestions, and we settled on what we thought would work best. So I think it’s important to have a balance of power and authority between you and your hairdresser, to listen to your hairdresser but also to make sure your hairdresser listens to you, in order to have a positive experience and a great cut.
I used to have really short hair and I always felt like it suited me best. Since, I have let it grow super long and now I am so hesitant to cut it any shorter than shoulder length. Trusting a new stylist is too terrifying, haha. Oh how I miss running out of the house with perfect bed head and not having a care int he world about it.
I had a great hair stylist when we lived in DC for the past year. I went back to her twice (which never happened before) but since we moved, I am now on the hunt for someone new and trusting. Right now, however, I am just letting my hair grow for a bit.
I usually bring a photo to my stylist, but she mostly knows what I like now. (She’s been cutting my hair since I was a senior in high school. She’s awesome, AND she only charges $11!) When I was a freshman in high school, I embraced my long, curly hair. (I mean, it was LONG. Right above my waist long.) After breaking up with a boyfriend of two years, I got it cut to my shoulders and started straightening it on occasion. Then, I got it cut to my chin and straightened it every day. Now, I keep it fairly short and straightened. BUT I really miss my waves/curls, so I’m thinking about growing it out again (to maybe my shoulders) and letting my natural curls show. Plus, Husband LOVES when my hair is curly (he has curly hair, too, though he keeps it short most of the time).
You look super cute with short hair; you pull it off very well. I don’t have the face for it (damn double chin), but it’s okay, someone’s gotta keep the long hair companies in business. I definitely wished I could chop it off this summer though.
I ALWAYS bring in an inspiration picture for the stylist to see since sometimes I’m not sure if I’m explaining it correctly for them to understand what I really want. Also I usually ask for their opinion if they agree with what I want. I’m definitely in need for a haircut ASAP! I really want to cut my hair short maybe some day, but not now.
I’ve had short hair for years now… And I wouldn’t have it any other way!
At the moment I’m trying to grow it into an inverted bob, and it’s driving me mental!
I’ve had the same stylist do my hair for 7 years now, and she has free reign over my hair – she knows what works for me and I trust her completely… Actually it’s her that’s insisting on me growing a decent fringe! Last month we made a deal that she wouldn’t cut it no matter how much I beg, but if i’m really really over it by the end of the year, she’ll give me something fresh for 2011.
As for colours… 6 months is my absolute limit before I have to change it. It keeps me sane, freshens things up and keeps people guessing! Last time I went from platinum blonde to one shade off black… And I’m thinking about going red for awhile.
Just so you know, if I do chop off my nearly chin length asymettrical fringe, I’ll be taking your photo with me as a guide, because I absolutely love your cut, and is pretty similar to what I’ve had before!
I LOVE your short hair. It suits you so well. :) I like to let the hair stylist lead (but still with a leash–I once had a guy try to give me blond hair. It was a no-go) otherwise I will walk out with exactly the same hair cut EVERY TIME, if left to my own devices. I don’t know what looks good on me besides what I’ve already had so I believe it’s the stylist’s job to know what would work and what wouldn’t!
The one time a stylist took complete control (as in, he said he had an idea and didn’t tell me the idea before chopping 5 seconds later), he chopped off 9 inches of hair and I nearly had a heart attack. Best haircut of my life but it was looking a little…touch and go for a while. I need a hair cut badly, but first have to find a good stylist!
I have only had my hair cut by a hair stylist a few times. Usually my mom cuts it. And I haven’t had too many different cuts. I usually just get it layered and then let it grow out. I try to get cuts that are low maintenance and don’t need to be trimmed every few weeks. Only once did I tell a hair stylist to just do what he thinks would look best. I was really happy with the hair cut he gave me, though. I went from this cut (sorry for the silly picture, it’s the only one I could find on Flickr without having to search) to this.
I always take the lead… I’ve had too many horror cuts to completely trust the person holding the scissors. I always thoroughly explain what I want, and usually bring pictures. haha
You can totally pull off the short look – so lucky you!
I think I’ve just been traumatized as a child by extremely short hair cuts that I refuse to cut my hair short. Right now I’m trying to grow it out. I took the plunge and did the whole Victoria Beckham angled short bob a while back and liked it though.
I usually have more concerns with getting the colour right. I have complete faith in my stylist and have never had a bad cut, but it’s the colour I’m picky about. I loooooooove short hair, had it all through high school. Now that my hair is so long I’m too scared to cut it again.
You know it’s funny – I have long hair yet hate having to deal with it and style it. But I cut my hair short a few years ago and all I wanted to do was grow it long again! Then I see people like you who have these adorable short hair cuts and it makes me want to try again. Just don’t think I can pull it off!!
i pretty much get the same short cut every time i go to the hair stylist, there really isn’t a whole lot i want to do with my hair but keep it short i’m pretty boring that way, haha.
Oh goodness, this post definitely touches home – I’m working up the nerve to get, yes, a pixie cut. I’ve been collecting dozens of photos to take with me but I don’t really HAVE a relationship with a stylist – I hardly ever get my hair cut! I’m currently rocking super long, like almost mermaid length hair. I’ll cut it all off before I leave this hemisphere, but still. I’m nervous.
I do an inspiring post about updos, braids and long hair, and you do one on short hair! No wonder I am tempting you for extensions. :)
I have medium length hair. I normally keep it shorter, to my shoulders. I only want long hair so I can do some massive messy braids. :)
I always bring a photo to my hair stylist. Even though she’s awesome, it’s just so much easier to see what I want then try to explain it to her.
i tooooooootally lead! i bring in pics from various angles and make sure she knows EXACTLY what i want. i’m definitely not shy about speaking up! having said that i love my stylist and once i know we’re on the same page i trust HER to execute MY vision. seems to work cause i always get what i want & we’re both happy.
Well I for one think you can pull off any length of hair – whether long, in the middle, or short. I think you look awesome w/ short hair!
It took me a long time to find a person I trusted in Minneapolis… For the first couple of years, I would still drive to Moorhead, MN to see my hair guy. It wasn’t a huge inconvenience as I would plan these haircuts around trips home to see my family. But it did get tiresome to try to get there when he was open, etc. But I finally found a hair person a year ago that I absolutely adore. I usually go in w/ an idea of what I want to do, but I ask for their honest opninion as I know they have a better idea of what will work well w/ my face shape/hair texture…
I am trying to decide what to do w/ my hair. It’s getting really long and you shoudl see how long it is now that I am straightening it (cooler temps = condo is no longer a hot box = Lisa actually blow dries & straighters her hair every day). I think i need a hair lesson w/ my bestie though as I am really not doing much with it right now… My best friend is so so so good at hair, so I am hoping she can show me the way… and if I figure it out, I might keep growing it and do lock for love again… we’ll see!
Wow. Soooo many grammar errors in my comment. My bad!
I recently chopped my hair just shy of gamin short in the last month. But I’ve had a wide range of short to long hair for the last 10 years. I haven’t always taken pictures in, but I have noticed that it’s easier on the stylist and myself if I do. There’s less touching up after the blow dry and it’s much more simple to have a photo reference to discuss the cut. I think it does help to let the stylist know that you don’t expect to look like the person in the person exactly, that’s just the overall style you’re wanting to achieve. I once had a girl that was worried because my hair wasn’t the exact same texture as the photo, because she’s had clients that expect miracles. I think it’s important for a person to know their hair on their own and for their to be communication and problem solving between the stylist and the client, so that the hair cut is a joint experience.
I saw this adorable engagement shoot the other day and thought of you. :)
http://theneotraditionalist.com/2010/09/14/our-engagement-shoot-part-2/
Hair is just so tricky, and I almost always feel defeated after getting a cut, but then I give myself a week and LOVE it. I go a very long time between cuts, but I’ve been itching for a new one. They say not to do it while you’re pregnant, that you’ll regret it, but I don’t know…
I have very thin, baby fine hair so I’ve always kept it short. I’ve had the super short pixie cuts and sometimes I’ll grow it into a longer bob, but I always keep it chin length or shorter.
I’ve had some bad haircuts, but I don’t really get too concerned with my hair – it is just hair, it’ll grow out. But, I did have a stylist for years who knew EXACTLY how to cut my hair. He cut my mum’s hair, too, which is the same texture as mine. I would go to him and say “I want this” and he knew my hair well enough to say “That will absolutely NOT work, but I can do this instead”. He always listened to me and I trusted him. He cut my hair perfectly every single time. Sadly, he moved away :-( Now I cut my own hair!
i grew up surrounded by amazing lady’s who did hair. then my sister pursued it as her career. for a long time she was the only one i let use scissors on me. but, now that we live further apart i have had to entrust new people.
i agree with other people, always bring pictures! read reviews (hello yelp!) and most importantly, make sure you have someone who has had good education (either school, or other training/apprenticing) because a good stylist will be able to tell you, “oh, this style won’t work for you you have xxx type of hair and this style really calls for xxx type of hair. but i can alter it like xxx”
I’ve been cutting and coloring my own hair since I was a kid getting in trouble for doing it. I even do friends from time to time, but that’s so much pressure! I don’t envy hair stylists! I am also a short-haired person at heart… whose always had lofty ambitions of long hair that have never been achieved… I change my hair a lot, it’s so much fun. One time, though, I found a cut I wanted and didn’t feel confident doing it myself- which is crazy rare for me… so I wandered out to find a salon and went in the first one that I found that was open (it was NYC on Sunday)…. after it was done, and not what I’d asked for, I got the bill… $300!?!?! Yikes. I had to sell my keyboard to pay for it. I’ll never forget that. I’ve been back to doing it myself ever since.
I completely agree on the trust/patience/color succession! I find that I really prefer my hair long but tend to chop it off out of boredom or impatience. Recently, I’ve taken to dying it instead to keep myself from doing something I can’t undo as easily! I finally found a stylist I ADORE a few years ago and he is absolutely my decision-maker. I often go to him with ideas but always say “tell me if this isn’t going to work on me.” He often makes suggestions based on what he knows about me and I always leave loving what he’s done!
Every time I step into a beauty salon my throat closes up and I suddenly use my ability to use words. While I can clearly articulate what I am thinking outside of those hallowed doors that goes out the window the second I sit in the chair and the person asks me what I’m thinking today. Uhhh … urrrr … durrr. I was finally getting to the point of being comfortable with a stylist and I up and moved. Time to start over. Sigh. Pictures. When in doubt, point.
I am really lucky in the fact that my grandma is a retired beautician. That being said, I can pretty much get a cut or color any time I need it. I’m also very lax about my hair, I’ve only had one cut and one color that I absolutely hated and that was when I rebelled and went to a stylist who gave me a “trendy” cut and color. You may remember the skunk. I loved my hair dark and miss it at times, but I’m a blond at heart. :)
Also, I would love to chop my hair off so I wouldn’t have to mess with it, but I don’t think I have the texture for that and I know I’d miss my hair. :)
you look fabulous in short hair! when i moved to sf i wanted something very easy but it ended up being alot more work for me since my hair is wavy…it always looked really funky so have decided that longer hair suits me better but i LOVE short hair and always envious of people look can pull it off!!
xo,
cb
I am a take-charge kind of girl in the hair dresser’s chair. I come prepared with reference pictures, although I’m open to suggestions if I bring in something the stylist doesn’t think will work.
I think people with really long hair have the same problem as those with really short hair. It’s kind of hard to change up your style without drastically cutting it. You can either go with bangs, or just add more layers. So I’m also a huge fan of switching up the color for something new.
I’ve had multiple stylists tell me I am their dream client—because I am that lady who plunks herself down and says, “Have at it. Do what you think would look good, be fun and manageable, and won’t have me spending an hour in front of the mirror attempting a ‘style.'” I’m of the mindset that they’re the ones holding the scissors, not me. Therefore, they’re the experts. I’m paying good money for their knowledge and skill.
That said, I’m also a big believer in taking in photos of cuts I like and then talking through the pros and cons of how that cut would look on me. But, really, my philosophy stands that hair is temporary, so whatever cut I get will only be around for six to eight weeks before I’m back in the chair again!
i’ve finally got to a good place with my stylist but it took lots of trial and error but we have a system now – ever 6 weeks color/toner then color/highlight – it works and i’m happy. it’s funny though cause she’s currently on maternity leave and the gal doing my hair for me was commenting on what specific instructions my stylist left for her… hey, if it works, it works.
I love short hair, but I don’t think I can pull it off. My hair is very thick and without a lot of styling every morning I just don’t think it would look that great. It looks adorable on you, though!
I adore my stylist, but he hasn’t been particularly spectacular lately. And I’m afraid to go too short when I’ve gained a significant amount of weight. But a friend of mine has a GREAT pixie cut right now that I absolutely covert, & it takes a lot of effort not to follow her lead. I shaved my head a few years back, & when it grew out, it was HIDEOUS… so I guess I should know better than to go short again!
haha i have been thinking a lot lately about what to do with my hair next. every few months i just want a dramatic change. my friends always tell me to stop messing with my hair but man, it is in my nature to want big change all the time!
I had a few years when my hair was as short as yours. there are surprisingly TONS of different styles you can try with super short hair. i think there is even more you can do with a short cut than a long cut!
right now, my hair is a little below my shoulders, parted on the side, & a reddish brown that is a faded version of the dark brown i dyed it 2 months ago. you can see my light brown roots. and I look a LOT like Tina Fey (from SNL and 30 Rock). I love her, but I’m not ready to look like a 40 year old woman….
last night i stayed up really late making a funny mishmash collage of photos of me with my natural hair color. Right now all I want is for my hair to be about 3 inches longer, parted down the middle, and a shiny honey brown with natural looking blonde highlights. why do I always want dark hair in the summer and summer hair in the winter?
I get serious hair anxiety. It’s ridiculous! Thankfully I found a stylist who GETS long hair. She understand a trim means “take as little off as you possibly can”. She does just enough to keep us both satisfied. She is happy my hair is healthy with no split ends and I’m not crying after she puts down the scissors ;)
I love short hair! I think more people should have short hair. Your cut is adorable. I grow my hair for locks of love and then cut it short and start all over again. I like the process but I know that one day I will just stick with the short. I was just thinking yesterday about how much I want a really short cut. I have a few more months to wait but I’m really looking forward to the new look. My aunt is a hairdresser so I just let her do what she thinks looks best and it’s always fab.
I’ve had my hair SUPER short before {back in my music scene days, ha} and personally I think I look better with longer hair. Luckily for you, you look great either way! I wish I did because a shorter do is so much easier to maintain! Especially when you have such thick Mexi hair like me :)
I always call the shots and I always get sick and tired of my hair no matter what length it is. I think once it grows out long again I’m just going to let the hairdresser have at it!
Funny you write on this today. I am currently searching for shorter styles. My hair is super long. I haven’t cut it in over 2 years (other than a few split it trims). Problem is, I used to work at a hair salon for around 2 years. All of the stylists there are my friends. It’s easy to tell them straight up what I want, but because we are all so close, it’s hard for them to sometimes listen. They think they know what’s best for me. So while it’s a blessing having someone who you can be real with cutting your hair, it’s also a burdon when they feel like they can do what they want. Ya know?
I love your short hair!! I wish I had the strength to chop mine super short.
-Mattie
I think I’m both a short-haired and long-haired girl. I like to wear my hair both ways but think I’m going to stick with the short-hair hairstyle for a while. :)
I’ve been going to my stylist since I was in 10th grade and she always does an AMAZING job on my hair. I always go in with a picture of what I want and she manages to make it look so much better than I expected! I pay a little more to see her, but it’s so worth it.
I’ve experimented with all different hair lengths (never gone quite as short as yours) and am currently a long-hair girl. I’ve been thinking about doing something different but not sure what.
I usually go in with some photos for inspiration but I usually trust that the stylist will know what would look best with my face shape and hair type. I’ve only had one cut I didn’t really like (when it was quite short) but luckily my hair grows fairly quick so in no time it was at a better length.
BTW, I think your short hair really suits you!
I love that you can rock out the short hair. Not many women look good with short hair, but it definitely becomes you (and you become it)! I have had a pretty boring hair style for the last few years and I’m itching for a change. I think I’ll wait until I have the baby and then will go for some major change. No matter what, though, my hair style is always a collaboration with my stylist. He’s never afraid to tell me the truth and we always have a good time together.
Kyla – I, too, have discovered that I am a short hair kind of lady. I went pixie this year, the scary word you mentioned, but I felt a little too, well, shorn. I am more of a short bob, old-school Isabella Rosseliini sort of lady. I sometimes look at pictures in which I have long hair and think, “Long hair was nice.” But, I rarely wore it down due to the same reasons you mentioned – it’s thick and heavy and hot. The ponytail was always my best friend. I am almost there from the pixie. Yay for a little growth!
Also, I love Michelle Williams with short hair. I have used her photos as inspiration more than once.
I wish I could pull of a short do like you have, Kyla. But I haven’t had short hair since 6th grade and I don’t think I ever want to go back… I just look (and feel) better with longer hair. My hair is really fine and I don’t get a lot of volume as it is, so a short haircut would just not do it for me.
I do have a pretty good stylist now. I usually just tell her “don’t go to short” and otherwise let her experiment with my hair a little bit. She cut me some side-swept bangs last year and I liked them, but they were too much work to keep up (because my hair is somewhere between straight and wavy and it looked ridiculous if I didn’t flatiron my front part.)
Being black, I’m very particular about who does my hair and how. I’m transitioning my hair to its natural state, so I’ve been going to a natural hair salon for hair braiding. I’ve NEVER let anyone cut my hair…only slight trims. But depending on how the natural thing goes, I may have to cut my hair really short.
I guess we’ll see.
But you pull it off very nicely. :)
I’m currently working up to chopping off my hair again (its chin-ish length now). I’m friends with my stylist, so we’ve been discussing this for months and making sure that we’re on the same page.
I’ve had it short before and loved it, but there’s always a sense that I’ve lost some of my femininity.
I think I’m either a stylist’s favorite customer or worst nightmare because I go in with a mental idea of what I want (sometimes) and other times? I tell them to just play and do whatever they want. I tend to keep it longer as I feel more “me” that way (i have had long hair most of my life) but if/when I go through something dramatic or life changing I tend to change my hair!
I’m always slightly envious of people who can pull off short hair (you included!). I always feel like I look totally silly. If only my hair could look like Meg Ryan’s in You’ve Got Mail or French Kiss. Sigh.
Having lived with a stylist I can say what they really like is when you actually know your hair’s limits & bring in photos for helpful reference. I just know it would be frustrating when a girl would bring in a picture of a cut/style where the type of hair was completely different from her own & expect it too look the same. She also used to say all the time “‘I don’t know’ is not a haircut.”
Personally, I just cut my own hair now. It’s a really simple cut because it’s just long layers & straight bangs. I love my giant hair!
My Mom is my hairstylist, so I just show her a few pictures of what I’m going for and she takes it from there, because she knows my hair/head/face so well she always knows what works best! Plus I personally think she’s mega-talented so I trust her. Sometimes it takes a few tweaks but I always love it in the end :)
I am a relatively recent short hair convert. I’m actually in the process of growing it out again right now (to a chin length bob. I don’t know that I’ll ever go back to the ponytail days!). You are so right about patience being a good solution for haircut dismay. Usually a week is all it takes for my style to change completely.
I have put myself in the hands of a really great stylist for my last two haircuts, and I have been so happy that I trust her completely now. I bring 2-3 pictures and tell her what I like about each one, and she does a fantastic job of making some combo style that works beautifully.
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on changing up hair products in between cuts to accommodate that extra bit of growth. Is this something other people do?
I am super lucky to have a stylist who knows what I like and who I trust to cute my hair. I give her a few specifications (layered, keep the length, something different) and just let her go from there. So far she’s been good to me. That said, I’m a long haired sort of girl and mistakes are easier to fix.
I love your short hair! I had short hair once, back when I was 14. I cut off over a foot and a half of hair on a whim and cried for weeks. It was quite traumatic. Since then my hair hasn’t been shorter than my shoulders, I’m just a long hair kind of gal. Currently my hair is venturing into entirely way too long territory so I’m going to my best friend (who is also a stylist) for a cut but I can’t decide what I want — I’m envisioning lots of long layers, maybe some side swoopy bangs (which I also haven’t had since early high school) and a good 4 or 5 inches off the bottom. She knows my hair hang ups and always does something I’m incredibly happy with.
I love your cut – it suits you so well! I went what I call “short-short” (your length) when I was 13 but it wasn’t for me so I grew it back out. Then three years ago I got my hair cut into the inverted bob it’s in now and I haven’t looked back once! I loveee the look because it’s still long enough to suit me and and my face shape, but short enough that it’s incredibly easy to style!
I have a stylist back home in FSJ who is AMAZING and I never have to give her any direction and she does a great job. Recently (on my birthday actually) I went to Chatters as a walk-in client and got a lovely Japanese woman who couldn’t speak English! That was interesting. With a lot of direction from me, she managed to do a pretty good job on my hair, though.
My stylist is my mother (she is actually a hairdresser, I don’t just let her go crazy). This was dangerous as a kid because I would see something I wanted and say ‘Do it!’ without really thinking about it, and so I have had bad perms and layers and different colours and oh my poor mum.
I just recently cut my hair off into a bob, and it needs cutting again as it’s getting long and annoying. I’d forgotten how quickly short hair can grow out of a style. I do usually give my mum a picture, or show her a video so she has some idea. I think she’s had too many years of me freaking out over hair to ever go in blind. :)
Given my curly thick hair, if I went short I’d look like a combination between a poodle and what would happen if someone gave Shirley Temple a buzz cut. Not pretty.
It’s funny–the last cut I had was at an Aveda Salon, and I had a really chill guy with lots of tattoos and piercings do my hair; he was so sweet and perceptive! “Hm—let me guess, you want to keep it long..?” (sigh of relief that he’s not going to try and give me too many layers, which has too often resulted in disaster!) “Yep–I’m a grad student that works in a lab and needs to be able to put my hair up and keep it out of my face.” “All right then, let’s get started and get your hair looking pretty.”
…so unexpected. Most stylists take one look at my hair and start salivating over the thought of layers, shorter hair, doing something different…and this is the first one who saw what I was doing and that it fit me right now…no nonsense. Love.
I have had every cut, colour and style you can possibly think of gone on my hair in the last 15 years or so…including the pixie cut and a perm!
At the moment I am growing out layers and trying to get back to a near natural colour (minus the masses of grey that I have) so my stylist and I discuss every cut before she does anything. We talk about face shape and partings (i have a double cows lick so it makes it harder) and feathering and then i let her get on with it. She’s been cutting and colouring my hair since she was the salon junior at 16 and she’s now 22 and is still brilliant
I ALWAYS bring a photo with me! I’ve had too many bad experiences without one. That way I don’t have to name a cut (like the P word) and take the chance of being misinterpreted.
I used to have very long, thick hair as well. I cut it off after high school, grew it out extremely for my wedding, and chopped it off again. My last cut was a very short, asymmetrical one.. and you are so right about it being all about patience! It looks pretty ridiculous growing out, and I’ve been told I should just pixie it to let it grow. But I feel like I’m already several months ahead of the game with growing out a pixie, so I might as well just wait it out. I’ll have awkward hair for several more months, but hopefully I’ll be able to cut am cute bob and let it grow from there. Hair accessories are currently my best friend :)
Oh I feel your pain! I’ve been trying to grow out just the top of mine so it has a little longer look, and every month I still have to go in because the back & sides of my hair are venturing into mullet territory lol
I’m going to try one more style at this length & if I don’t love it I’m going to go back to a bob too- I wish I could see pictures of your short cut! :)
You can kind of see if in my teeny twitter picture! (http://twitter.com/account/profile_image/kikiloves_). I soon after made the longer side a little less extreme. But yes!! Haha I’ve had to trim the back of my hair several times to avoid the mullet. Do you know what style you’re going to try next?