Should You Get a Pixie Cut? Thoughts and Advice

Hello!

Approximately T minus 70 days until I leave for Abu Dhabi!

Before cutting my hair, I spent a lot of time consulting the internet to ensure that a pixie cut was what I wanted, and along the way I learned some useful information. This post will address some of the things I considered, pros and cons, and some strange things I have encountered while having short hair.

*Disclaimer: The following tips are based on my personal experiences and may not apply to all people*

A Brief Reminder

It's important to remember that hair is ultimately a superficial thing. That pile of dead keratin on your head can be long or short, thick or thin, curly or straight, dark or light, or anywhere in between. What's most important is that you use your life to influence the world, express yourself, and feel comfortable with who you are.

That being said, even though hair grows back and is, at least in my mind, fairly inconsequential, cutting several inches from your hair can be a big decision.

Here are some things to think about before getting a pixie cut:

1. Personality- pixie cuts are rather distinctive, so it's good to at least be comfortable with the way your face looks, since you can't really hide behind your hair.
2. Styling options- Are you someone who loves to do elaborate braids, make cute messy buns, or experiment with fancy updos? I am not one of those people, but if you are, you may miss having long hair.
3. Lifestyle- Pixie cuts take less time to style, but shaping the hair into place is more of a requirement. You can't really just run a brush through it and run out the door as easily as you can with long hair, but fixing it is quick and easy. Some people also like to spend more time on makeup with their shorter hair, because the haircut puts more emphasis on the face.
4. Hair texture- Most types of hair can work with a pixie cut, but it's important to find reference photos of cuts with a hair thickness and curl type similar to your own.
5. Type of pixie cut- There are actually a LOT of different kinds of "pixie cuts" ranging from long and layered to short and cropped. There are undercut pixies, like Miley Cyrus' infamous cut with buzzed sides and a long top, and there are more classic/vintage pixies, like that of Audrey Hepburn or Twiggy.

10 strange things about having short hair:

1. The feeling of wind on the back of your neck.
2. The feeling of hot water on the back of your neck in the shower.
3. The feeling when you go to flip your hair or run your hands through it in the shower and there's nothing there.
4. The feeling of hair touching your forehead- I have not had bangs since I was six years old, and the feeling of having something constantly touching my forehead is really strange to me.
5. Being able to "mess up" your hair by running your hand through it. Short hair doesn't really settle back into place the way that long hair does.
6. The feeling of looking at your reflection or your shadow and thinking "whoa, that's me." This happens whenever my appearance changes; it always takes me a few days to adjust.
7. The way that some clothes look entirely different with your short hair vs. long hair. Lower necklines, v-necks, and collared shirts tend to look good with my short hair, while higher crew neck shirts do not look as good on me now.
8. When exercising, more sweat tends to drip on your forehead and into your ears (which is extremely annoying when wearing headphones). There is just less hair there to soak up sweat.
9. Walking into a room with people who have never seen your hair short and waiting for their reaction.
10. The way your head actually physically feels lighter without all that extra hair attached.

Pros and Cons of a Pixie Cut

Pros:
1. Feel empowered: Facing your fears, changing your appearance, watching others' reactions... all of these things contribute to a feeling of empowerment and confidence which is enormously beneficial.
2. Save time: Short hair dries faster and styles more quickly, which saves a lot of time since there is less of it.
3. Possibly save money: This depends on whether the amount you save on shampoo and conditioner outweighs the amount you spend on styling products, hair accessories, and more frequent haircuts.
4. That really satisfying feeling of running your hand through the front or your hair or feeling the softness at the back of your neck.
5. Look stylish: Because the haircut is sort of a "style" in an of itself, it makes outfits look more fashionable and individualistic. Scarves, earrings, and hats all become that much more noticeable.
6. Less prone to damage: Long hair becomes easily dry and damaged from dye, chlorine, heat styling, etc. A pixie cut is a great way to start fresh from hair that is over-dyed or full of split ends.
7. Does not get caught on/in things: Long hair tends to get in the way. When wearing a backpack, it would always get caught underneath. It would get easily tangled and occasionally snag on things. Short hair does not have this problem.
8. Look more mature: I think short hair tends to make people look older or more mature, in general. Obviously this depends on the person, their actual age, and the type of haircut.
9. Express yourself: Having a bolder haircut makes me feel more comfortable wearing whatever I want, because if my hair is more distinctive, I may as well wear distinctive clothing, too.
10. Be like Emma Watson. Because one should always strive to be like Emma Watson.

Cons:
1. Bedhead: This was not as bad as I thought it would be, but I have relatively easy-to-manage hair. I just have to smooth a few unruly hairs back into place each morning.
2. Getting more frequent haircuts: You will now need to trim your hair more often.
3. Looking less feminine: For some, this is not a con at all. I think the androgynous style is kind of cool for those who like to dress that way. Fashion and gender-specific clothing are mostly societal constructs anyway. I feel very feminine with short hair, and I haven't been mistaken for a male at all, but if you're going for a feminine look, a shapeless t-shirt or flannel button-down might need to be accented with jewelry or a headband.
4. Attention: I generally dislike too much attention, and so even though I love this haircut, the change leaves me feeling a little bit conspicuous.
5. Negative reactions? I haven't really gotten these yet (except from my teenage brother) but there are those in the world who genuinely do not understand short hair on girls and genuinely dislike it. Others don't dislike it but refuse to understand why you would cut your hair and make comments like "I would never do that!" To each their own.