Growing out an a-line bob... HELP!

[princesssaffron]

....................

[spidermom]

I'd trim a little bit at a time on a regular basis, maybe 1/2 inch now, from the longest segments.

[princesssaffron]

I'd trim a little bit at a time on a regular basis, maybe 1/2 inch now, from the longest segments.

thanks for your advice! :) i think thats a great idea, except i have yet to meet a hairdresser who is willing do only do small trims ... :/ i would try cutting it myself but i think it is too short!

[spidermom]

Well then let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!

[Robi-Bird]

When I started growing out my inverted bob, I trimmed when I got to the awkward mullet stage and then trimmed again when I had this section that was around four inches longer than the rest. Since I didn't have a goal length or any real plans for my hair, I wasn't too worried about scissor happy stylists.

My advice is not to sweat it. If there's some unevenness you don't love, just twist your hair up and put it out of your mind. And like Spidermom said, let it grow.

[LongCurlyTress]

In 6 more months, which goes faaast! it should be 3 inches longer...since hair grows a half inch a month, on average.... that is when I would even it off, matching the front sections to the back for an even hemline. Best of luck! :o :magic:

[khryz]

I'd grow it out, and do micro-trims along the way to make myself feel better. The weather here in Singapore is hot and humid, so I'd keep the length to be able to tie my hair up. Try to hold out for another couple of months, then even out the hemline... My hair style looks like yours.

[princesssaffron]

I'd grow it out, and do micro-trims along the way to make myself feel better. The weather here in Singapore is hot and humid, so I'd keep the length to be able to tie my hair up. Try to hold out for another couple of months, then even out the hemline... My hair style looks like yours.

do you go to the hairdresser for micro trims? YES!! before i made my account i used to read your posts because our style looks similar haha :) let us both grow!!!

[princesssaffron]

In 6 more months, which goes faaast! it should be 3 inches longer...since hair grows a half inch a month, on average.... that is when I would even it off, matching the front sections to the back for an even hemline. Best of luck! :o :magic:

thankyou for your advice! when you put it like that, it sounds a lot better!! i think that might be a good plan :)

[khryz]

do you go to the hairdresser for micro trims? YES!! before i made my account i used to read your posts because our style looks similar haha :) let us both grow!!!

Wow I'm flattered! I went to the hairdresser 6 weeks after my big chop. I told him to trim off 0.5cm, and up to 1cm if it's necessary to cut off the damage. It was the damaged ends that troubled me. Without them, I'd probably go longer, because a micro trim doesn't make much difference for me at this length to make me happy :p

[lapushka]

I would wait until the back parts hit the shoulder. Then you can have it trimmed with clear directions to say, I want it to still hit my shoulder. They will then probably cut the most off of the front bits.

Honestly, though. I would just let it grow, if I were you. This isn't as awkward as growing out a pixie cut is, and it shouldn't feel that awkward to just let it do its thing. I'd put it in half-ups for the time being if the front bits really annoy you.

[Saproxylic]

I' m growing out from a similar cut, and so far I have just let mine grow, as my goal was to be able to get it wearable up as fast as possible. I'm considering a trim pretty soon though, as it's long enough that trimming the offending bits would not set me back on wearing it up anymore. I would really just let it grow, the longer it gets, the less noticeable the irregular hemline is!

[MeganJoan]

Are you able to get the back up into a pony or bun at the moment?

Personally, I think it's best to cut length before you get past shoulder length. I always find that once it's longer than SL it really feels like loosing more length. Above the shoulders it doesn't feel at all long yet, so it's easier to part with. That's just my own emotional state about it though. My advice is really based in anything other than my personal feelings about loosing length.

[Nique1202]

It also depends on what you mean by a blunt hemline at APL. Right now the front looks longer than the back, but once the front will stay behind your shoulders it will probably be very close to looking like a blunt hemline, because hair at your front hairline has further to go than hair at your crown in order to reach the same spot on your back. An easy way to test this right now is to put all your hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck, and see if the longest pieces are all pretty much the same length coming out of the ponytail. (I know this because I used to give myself a-line bobs by tying a ponytail at the nape of my neck and having my mom cut that, and they'd grow out looking like straight-across blunt hairlines at the back.)

If you want to trim out the layers then go for it, but if you're looking for your hair to look one length from the back then you're already pretty much there and it will look less strange as it gets longer so I wouldn't mess with the length itself right now if I were doing what you are. :blossom:

[princesssaffron]

I would wait until the back parts hit the shoulder. Then you can have it trimmed with clear directions to say, I want it to still hit my shoulder. They will then probably cut the most off of the front bits.

Honestly, though. I would just let it grow, if I were you. This isn't as awkward as growing out a pixie cut is, and it shouldn't feel that awkward to just let it do its thing. I'd put it in half-ups for the time being if the front bits really annoy you.

yes i think thats what i will do :) its not too noticeable at the moment but i am a very fussy person and will focus on something until it is fixed! but i will grow it out another few inches i think before considering trimming!

[princesssaffron]

I' m growing out from a similar cut, and so far I have just let mine grow, as my goal was to be able to get it wearable up as fast as possible. I'm considering a trim pretty soon though, as it's long enough that trimming the offending bits would not set me back on wearing it up anymore. I would really just let it grow, the longer it gets, the less noticeable the irregular hemline is!

i know how you feel! i can easily get all my hair up except the short bits at the very back! D: but i suppose it isnt too noticeable and it doesnt bother me tooo much so i might grow until its closer to APL then just even it out :)

[princesssaffron]

Are you able to get the back up into a pony or bun at the moment?

Personally, I think it's best to cut length before you get past shoulder length. I always find that once it's longer than SL it really feels like loosing more length. Above the shoulders it doesn't feel at all long yet, so it's easier to part with. That's just my own emotional state about it though. My advice is really based in anything other than my personal feelings about loosing length.

yes i can fit it all up in most hairstyles except the short bits at the back - i usually just bobby pin those! and they arent really an issue because they are hidden and not too much shorter than the rest so i think they will eventually grow out

i definitely agree with you but for me i finally hit collarbone at the front and my hair is finally starting to feel long again so i think i would rather trim it so that even when its trimmed it will still all be below shoulder, rather than going back up to being all shoulder length! thats just me though :)

[princesssaffron]

It also depends on what you mean by a blunt hemline at APL. Right now the front looks longer than the back, but once the front will stay behind your shoulders it will probably be very close to looking like a blunt hemline, because hair at your front hairline has further to go than hair at your crown in order to reach the same spot on your back. An easy way to test this right now is to put all your hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck, and see if the longest pieces are all pretty much the same length coming out of the ponytail. (I know this because I used to give myself a-line bobs by tying a ponytail at the nape of my neck and having my mom cut that, and they'd grow out looking like straight-across blunt hairlines at the back.)

If you want to trim out the layers then go for it, but if you're looking for your hair to look one length from the back then you're already pretty much there and it will look less strange as it gets longer so I wouldn't mess with the length itself right now if I were doing what you are. :blossom:

I DID THIS TODAY! i looked at my hair when i put it all behind my back and i was thinking .. gee it doesnt look as uneven as i thought it would! when its in a low ponytail its mostly even put there are two long bits which are from the front of my hair - my boss asked me if i cut it myself! :oops:
but i see exactly what you mean, and i think once it gets longer it will more or less even itself out, then once its long enough i will get a trim because i like my ends extra blunt :) my hair is naturally very straight so it is quite noticeable if it isnt straight!

[lapushka]

I DID THIS TODAY! i looked at my hair when i put it all behind my back and i was thinking .. gee it doesnt look as uneven as i thought it would! when its in a low ponytail its mostly even put there are two long bits which are from the front of my hair - my boss asked me if i cut it myself! :oops:
but i see exactly what you mean, and i think once it gets longer it will more or less even itself out, then once its long enough i will get a trim because i like my ends extra blunt :) my hair is naturally very straight so it is quite noticeable if it isnt straight!

If you can get someone to cut it for you, Feye's self-trimming method might work. You simply make a ponytail in the back and even it out. Here's the instructions, read them carefully, though!
http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/

[LongCurlyTress]

thankyou for your advice! when you put it like that, it sounds a lot better!! i think that might be a good plan :)

Always happy to offer my :twocents: :couch:

[LongCurlyTress]

If you can get someone to cut it for you, Feye's self-trimming method might work. You simply make a ponytail in the back and even it out. Here's the instructions, read them carefully, though!
http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/


I second lapushka's suggestion here since hairstylists are notorious for cutting off waaaay too much.... Good idea to try the "even off" trim yourself...;) If you are wearing your hair up... all. the. time. it shouldn't matter if the length is a bit uneven as as you transition out of your A-line bob. In fact, the longer front pieces will keep your ponytail stronger so they can support the shorter back pieces. If I were you, I would just stay in a nape length ponytail or a french peacock twist everyday... so you can forgetabout it and not get frustrated that the hemline is growing uneven. And don't cut it!! Not for a few months at least. ;):p

[Amenahh]

I have just finished with the awkward stage after half a year of growing my A line, layered bob.

What I did was to trim the front and sides myself once the front went past collarbone. It just wasn't looking like a bob anymore, and because of the unevenness, it looked wrong. Trimming 3 cm really helped with getting it more even and with getting rid of some layers (which also made it less flippy).
I could still wear it up, because it was the back that was shorter, and I didn't touch the back.

Now it's past collarbone again. It's still not 100% even, but it's not that bad, and I wear it up a lot anyway.

So that's my experience and my advice.

[Wusel]

I'd leave it like it is. It looks good. Not awkward. I think it looks quite interesting. :)

[Arctic]

You are over the worst stages already :) You will have no problems growing this cut out, I'm sure.

I have also grown out A-line bobs, also during my current grow-out. I self trim, and I evened out the difference between the front and the back little by little with each trim. Then I started to shape my hem into an U-hemline, and just few weeks ago I finally was happy with the transformation from A-line to U-hem.

I wouldn't leave the back sections untouched, I would just snip less from those. This for 2 reasons: you would be continuously trim off the layers and since layers are known to get damaged more easily than blunt hem, you would be preventing any possible damage happening.

I don't have time now to write about how I trim, but your hair is definitely not too short for self trimming (I have self-trimmed as short as pixie length hair). I have written about "how" in the past, so if you search my old posts you might find the relevant posts. A very short version: I imitate how a hairdresser would do it, I section my hair, etc. It's not difficult but it is a bit time consuming to do it myself. In my experience Feye's does not work on hair this short.

Good luck!

[LongCurlyTress]

Good luck with whatever you decide. :blossom:

[dansyl]

I'm growing out an a line bob too. I'm just letting it grow and keeping it up as much as possible. 😂

[princesssaffron]

I second lapushka's suggestion here since hairstylists are notorious for cutting off waaaay too much.... Good idea to try the "even off" trim yourself...;) If you are wearing your hair up... all. the. time. it shouldn't matter if the length is a bit uneven as as you transition out of your A-line bob. In fact, the longer front pieces will keep your ponytail stronger so they can support the shorter back pieces. If I were you, I would just stay in a nape length ponytail or a french peacock twist everyday... so you can forgetabout it and not get frustrated that the hemline is growing uneven. And don't cut it!! Not for a few months at least. ;):p

thankyou for your advice! this is definitely something to keep in mind! i wont be making a trip to the hairdresser for at least a few more months ( if i even go! ) so self trimming is definitely something i could try!!

it is SO FRUSTRATING how hairdressers cut too much off! i am so scared to go if i do because all i want is to even the hemline NOT an inch trim!!

[princesssaffron]

I have just finished with the awkward stage after half a year of growing my A line, layered bob.

What I did was to trim the front and sides myself once the front went past collarbone. It just wasn't looking like a bob anymore, and because of the unevenness, it looked wrong. Trimming 3 cm really helped with getting it more even and with getting rid of some layers (which also made it less flippy).
I could still wear it up, because it was the back that was shorter, and I didn't touch the back.

Now it's past collarbone again. It's still not 100% even, but it's not that bad, and I wear it up a lot anyway.

So that's my experience and my advice.

im glad to have found someone else who has successfully grown out an a-line cut! :) how did you trim the front yourself? did you use a particular method?

[princesssaffron]

I'd leave it like it is. It looks good. Not awkward. I think it looks quite interesting. :)

haha thankyou!

[princesssaffron]

You are over the worst stages already :) You will have no problems growing this cut out, I'm sure.

I have also grown out A-line bobs, also during my current grow-out. I self trim, and I evened out the difference between the front and the back little by little with each trim. Then I started to shape my hem into an U-hemline, and just few weeks ago I finally was happy with the transformation from A-line to U-hem.

I wouldn't leave the back sections untouched, I would just snip less from those. This for 2 reasons: you would be continuously trim off the layers and since layers are known to get damaged more easily than blunt hem, you would be preventing any possible damage happening.

I don't have time now to write about how I trim, but your hair is definitely not too short for self trimming (I have self-trimmed as short as pixie length hair). I have written about "how" in the past, so if you search my old posts you might find the relevant posts. A very short version: I imitate how a hairdresser would do it, I section my hair, etc. It's not difficult but it is a bit time consuming to do it myself. In my experience Feye's does not work on hair this short.

Good luck!

wow thank you for your advice!! i guess self trimming may be the way to go! i will have a look through your old posts and see if i can find it!

[Horrorpops]

When I was growing out my short hair I basically trimmed when the mullet got too extreme or it started looking too uneven. I think you'll have an advantage with the bob style in that the longer layers are the canopy (vs the underneath for my pixie) so you're going to experience the mullet phenomenon less.

Essentially I erred on the side of trimming more to keep a decent style to the hair (making it bearable to me) rather than not trimming and just letting it do its wild thing. It meant my hair grew slower because of all the trims but I guess it's just personal preference and what you can tolerate :o

[catamonica]

There's a woman online who hasn't cut her hair in over twenty years. Her hair is down to her knees. If you wear it up it will protect it. Just a few days a week. Try Original mane & tail horse shampoo. I couldn't grow my hair for years. It grew fourteen inches to hip. Wearing it up helped it grow to hip. Add two capfuls of olive oil which might have helped growth. I t doesn't work for everyone. But it did for me. And i could feel my hair growing. You can find the shampoo at a wall mart or grocery stores. If you use it let me know if it worked.

[Amenahh]

im glad to have found someone else who has successfully grown out an a-line cut! :) how did you trim the front yourself? did you use a particular method?

No, it was too short, so I just trimmed it by eye haha.

[princesssaffron]

There's a woman online who hasn't cut her hair in over twenty years. Her hair is down to her knees. If you wear it up it will protect it. Just a few days a week. Try Original mane & tail horse shampoo. I couldn't grow my hair for years. It grew fourteen inches to hip. Wearing it up helped it grow to hip. Add two capfuls of olive oil which might have helped growth. I t doesn't work for everyone. But it did for me. And i could feel my hair growing. You can find the shampoo at a wall mart or grocery stores. If you use it let me know if it worked.

thats interesting, when my hair was long i wanted to try this! but you cant buy it in stores in australia and i never got around to ordering it online!