Pixie cut for curly hair~good idea or bad idea?

[legendya]

I have mostly 3c hair with a few 4a and 3a areas. It's shoulder length now. Has anyone had a curly pixie before? If so, Any pics/descriptions? How would a pixie cut look on my hair? Will it be easier to care for (my hair is super frizzy like a lion)?

[CurlyCap]

Oh! I had a pixie cut and it was adorable. The easiest curly girl routine EVER. When the albums are back up, I'll be sure to post a picture. (I haven't found an online photo host I trust since Imgur started being sketchy.)

The problem you need to be prepared for is that the growing out phase is much longer and more painful for a curly. Between pixie and shoulder, you'll pretty much look ridiculous unless you're willing to get frequent stylings (~3x/year) to keep your hair a pleasant shape while it grows out. So that adds to the growth time. Also,remember that "getting back to shoulder" for you means more like getting back to BSL. It's a loooooong wait.

BUT

BUT

If you really want a pixie and are willing to be patient when it grows back out, I'd say do it! I loved mine and I'm so happy I took a chance and experimented with short curls. I had always been curious and now that curiosity is satisfied. :D

[legendya]

Oh! I had a pixie cut and it was adorable. The easiest curly girl routine EVER. When the albums are back up, I'll be sure to post a picture. (I haven't found an online photo host I trust since Imgur started being sketchy.) The problem you need to be prepared for is that the growing out phase is much longer and more painful for a curly. Between pixie and shoulder, you'll pretty much look ridiculous unless you're willing to get frequent stylings (~3x/year) to keep your hair a pleasant shape while it grows out. So that adds to the growth time. Also,remember that "getting back to shoulder" for you means more like getting back to BSL. It's a loooooong wait. BUT BUT If you really want a pixie and are willing to be patient when it grows back out, I'd say do it! I loved mine and I'm so happy I took a chance and experimented with short curls. I had always been curious and now that curiosity is satisfied. :D Yeah, I'm curious about it...it seems more low maintenance because my hair tangles ALOT and doesn't hold braids/twists too well. How do you maintain/style during the in-between time? Do you use clips/accessories? Was it more simple?

[Lilli]

I'd look for photos of Halle Berry. She almost always has short hair and looks great. I'd imagine you need a good pomade.

[SerinaDaith]

My hair is only 2c/3a so not as curly, pixie looks great but as soon as it get's longer you have to be willing to put bobbypins, hair gunk and about a ton of other things into keeping it tame. I finally have hair I can pull completely into a ponytail and that took three years and some serious chops to avoid looking all mullet like. I finally have hair just past shoulder stretched that looks like it is barely shoulder dry. Before you chop just be aware that the grow back process can be one heck of a long journey. I miss having short wash and go hair but I like how I look with long hair better and now I know anything shorter than shoulder is way too much trouble for me. Live and learn I guess :rolleyes:

[Wahinee]

I have 3A curls so my hair wasn't really even long enough to curl when I had a pixie cut. I enjoyed it when it was short - like 1 inch. But as I grew it out it was pretty awkward. I had a lot of puffiness on top that I had to tame with headbands, which worked ok. Your hair will want to grow up and out rather than down

[QMacrocarpa]

Oy, I had super-short curly hair for a fairly brief period, but not brief enough. The short hair made me look like a boy, and I have dreadful ancient photos showing the growing out process, which looked pretty bad for years (aside from the initial short cut, any trims over the growing-out years were likely by my mother, but it's possible I just didn't have any trims, so salon-trimmed results might be much better). It *was* nice to have my hair dry really fast. That was the one thing I liked. For me super-short hair wasn't worth it.

[dulce]

I had a pixie and had to wash each am[pain in the..] due to sleeping on it,the curls would stand on end when I woke up and I had to wash it each day[am] to settle it down,now it's hip length and the curls have softened due to weight and length of the hair and my hair is SO much easier to deal with now.

[CurlyCap]

Yeah, I'm curious about it...it seems more low maintenance because my hair tangles ALOT and doesn't hold braids/twists too well. How do you maintain/style during the in-between time? Do you use clips/accessories? Was it more simple?

My hair holds braids but not twists. Guh! This is frustrating bc a picture is worth a thousand words.

Basically, while it was a pixe it was wash and go. Yes, it looked best if I co-washed in the am, but I think curly hair almost always does. For me, I co-washed, applied whatever (my hair wasn't picky at that length), and went on with my life. It dried super quickly because it was practically shaved in the back and had maybe 2-3" inches up front which would curl into corkscrews that fell over my forehead.

While growing out, I did two major reshapes and then decides to just tough it out. I have pictures that show that I looked kinda crazy for almost a year....but whatever. Curly hair has a will of it' s own and so I wasn't going to win unless I fussed with it all the time. Again, I have a timeline in the photo albums. Sigh.

What you could do (and I did) is get it cut short (but not pixied) at first. Maybe a cut almost bob that sits above the shoulders. Then if you like it, go full pixie. I found that when I cut it the first time, I actually wanted it shorted to achieve a full pixie even though I knew it would take longer to grow out all the layers.

Good luck!

[JaneinMarch]

Yes, I have a curly pixie right now in fact and the re-grow isn't that bad. If you like a fro, rock it. Don't worry so much about taming it. Naturalking215 on youtube
has interviews with women who have short fros/pixies. Maybe check that out.

Here is a link to my fotki with pics of various short lengths of my hair: http://public.fotki.com/jane-in-march/2011/
I guess my hair is 3c/4a.

[legendya]

So basically, the growing out period is awkward and a pain... Yeah that's what I was worried about. I don't really want to keep cutting it for it to look ok.

[legendya]

Yes, I have a curly pixie right now in fact and the re-grow isn't that bad. If you like a fro, rock it. Don't worry so much about taming it. Naturalking215 on youtube has interviews with women who have short fros/pixies. Maybe check that out. Here is a link to my fotki with pics of various short lengths of my hair: http://public.fotki.com/jane-in-march/2011/ I guess my hair is 3c/4a. I saw your pics and your hair looks great...it kinda makes me want to cut it. It says that you use pine tar soap to wash your hair. Does it work welll?

[legendya]

My hair holds braids but not twists. Guh! This is frustrating bc a picture is worth a thousand words. Basically, while it was a pixe it was wash and go. Yes, it looked best if I co-washed in the am, but I think curly hair almost always does. For me, I co-washed, applied whatever (my hair wasn't picky at that length), and went on with my life. It dried super quickly because it was practically shaved in the back and had maybe 2-3" inches up front which would curl into corkscrews that fell over my forehead. While growing out, I did two major reshapes and then decides to just tough it out. I have pictures that show that I looked kinda crazy for almost a year....but whatever. Curly hair has a will of it' s own and so I wasn't going to win unless I fussed with it all the time. Again, I have a timeline in the photo albums. Sigh. What you could do (and I did) is get it cut short (but not pixied) at first. Maybe a cut almost bob that sits above the shoulders. Then if you like it, go full pixie. I found that when I cut it the first time, I actually wanted it shorted to achieve a full pixie even though I knew it would take longer to grow out all the layers. Good luck! I think I will try cutting it to a short bob first like you said. I really just want to remove my fried and split ends. Thanks for the great advice, CurlyCap! :)

[JaneinMarch]

I saw your pics and your hair looks great...it kinda makes me want to cut it. It says that you use pine tar soap to wash your hair. Does it work welll?

Thank you! Yes the pine tar soap works well, but I make sure I put on some coconut oil before washing. My hair will usually come out quite fluffy.

[woolyleprechaun]

Im pretty curly and I had a pixie once....never again! I didn't look all delicate, gamine and elfin like I hoped. I looked like my nan on a bad day. My haphazzard curls formed strange shapes, making styling a nightmare. The thickness and waviness of it just made it boufy and hideously 80's without seriously aggressive styling. Every head of hair is different though! :)

[legendya]

Thank you! Yes the pine tar soap works well, but I make sure I put on some coconut oil before washing. My hair will usually come out quite fluffy. How do you use it? Do you melt the bar in water or lather it in your hand?

[legendya]

Im pretty curly and I had a pixie once....never again! I didn't look all delicate, gamine and elfin like I hoped. I looked like my nan on a bad day. My haphazzard curls formed strange shapes, making styling a nightmare. The thickness and waviness of it just made it boufy and hideously 80's without seriously aggressive styling. Every head of hair is different though! :) I thought it would be light n fluffy and cute, but it seems like alot of people had it otherwise...

[JaneinMarch]

How do you use it? Do you melt the bar in water or lather it in your hand?

I lather it in my hand and rub it on. I never thought about an exact amount before, like you can measure a dime sized amount with liquid shampoo.
As long as I only soap up once, though, I haven't had any issues.

[spidermom]

My hair was absolutely horrendous to grow out from pixie. It just got bigger and BIGger and BIGGER. Mine wasn't curly, though, just VERY poufy.

[JaneinMarch]

What's wrong with big or poofy hair? Why does the grow out period have to be painful? Why does the hair need pomade to tame it?
I can understand wanting your hair to "behave," but does no one in this thread embrace their hair's tendency to stand up and out?

[browneyedsusan]

I loved mine so much that I wore it for many years--see siggy. My hair is straight though, so you're looking at a different grow-out than I'm experiencing, and it is not for the wimpy. I've had a few months of pinning up the front to disguise the mullet, and my mother, who hadn't seen me in 6 months, told me I needed a haircut. :)