Making the Big Cut; Going for that Pixie

"You are so brave!" was a comment that I received a lot, right after chopping all of my hair off, back in May. I don't know if it was brave or not, but I was definitely nervous about it. As someone who recently had hair down to my waist, I had never had hair much shorter than

shoulder length before, and really wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off.

I asked the stylist as I went in, "Do you think it will look okay with my face?" and I wanted to start with a longer style, in case I hated it. She assured me, however, that it would look great, and that I would probably love it and end up wanting to go even shorter, but she made sure that I was truly willing to make such a big change. I like to do things that scare me a little, so I told her to go for it.

She was absolutely right. I totally fell in love with my pixie cut, immediately, and lo and behold, I am now

experimenting with shorter styles. I would totally recommend going for a short style if you want one. There are, however, definitely some good things to know before going into it.

Get a Good Hair Stylist

This seems pretty obvious, but it is seriously important. I would not recommend going to a large place like Supercuts if you are getting a pixie cut for the first time. Little Mom and Pop shops are almost always more reliable, as the stylists there rely on returning clientele for their paychecks, therefore are going to provide the best service possible. You want someone who you can feel comfortable and confident with.

My stylist in Colorado Springs was awesome. She always had good input for what she thought would be best, with my head shape and hair type, and she ALWAYS asked very specifically what is was that I wanted. Good communication is key. If you see them about to do something that you don't like, speak up, because excessive politeness is not worth ugly hair, and a good stylist should know that.

Check Out Different Styles

Pixie cuts come in many different forms and all look very different and unique. You want to make sure that you're going for a style that you feel will look good for your face and give you the look you're going for, and if that means scrolling through Pinterest for hours, that's totally fine. Bring at least one picture of the style you want to your hair appointment.

My hair grows extremely fast, but this is especially important if yours does not.

You Will Have to Wash Your Hair Every Morning

Kiss night showers goodbye, because those are not happening anymore. If you think your bedhead is bad now, wait until you wake up looking like a great horned owl. Depending on the style you have, washing and styling it may need to be an every morning routine, especially if you put any sort of product in it. That does not "stay good" through multiple days. In this regard, short hair is higher maintenance than long hair is, but then it is completely out of your way for the rest of the day.

You Want a Good Styling Cream

You will want something to either keep your hair in line or to give it a little volume; either way, a styling cream is important. You want something that will hold without being too crunchy. A personal favorite of mine is Mr. Dandy's Hair Candy by Lush. It does the job really well, is all natural, and has a great, fresh smell.

You Will Receive a LOT of Comments

I am still amazed by how many random people will stop me just to tell me that they love my hair. With the long hair, I would get the occasional "Your hair is so pretty!" but after cutting it, I got more than twice as many compliments; "Wow! I adore your hair!" "You are really rocking that look!" or "That haircut is so cute!"

There are, of course, a couple of people who know you and will say things like, "Wow...you cut your hair REALLY short!" which isn't necessarily a negative comment at all, just one that can be kind of difficult to respond to. Eventually I just started replying with "Yep!" and then usually they will ask why, and I don't have a particularly impressive answer for that either.

Your Face Will Be On Display

Confidence is important, as you will no longer have any hair to hide behind, so be aware of that. It will also show off your neck and your jawline, which is awesome, as long as you remember to have decent posture.

In the end, a pixie cut can be cute, elegant, sexy, or all of those things at once, and it encourages you to go bold with your personal style! It

was a bit scary for me at first, but it was a great decision and I definitely wouldn't take it back.

#hair #beauty #style