growing out short hair

[LawyerGirl]

For those of you that have grown out very short hair...

How long did it take? Would you recommend regular trims (to "shape" into neater looks as it grows out, even though that may take off length) or simply not cutting (with the exception of microtrims to keep hair healthy, I suppose)?

I have read online that the best way to do this would be to transition through different hairstyles... ie. from a pixie, to a chin-length bob, to a shoulder length blunt cut, etc... until it is the desired length. Is that the way to go? Is that what others have done? Does that help get through the awkward, "mullet" look that I seem to be headed to?

Help!

[lora410]

From about 2 inches on me it took 9 months to reach shoulder, 9 more months to reach Apl, and 9 more months to reach bsl. I seem to have the 9months thing going on. So basically 2years from 2 inches to my sig pict. I just trimmed as I felt necessary. There is no right or wrong way to grow.

[LawyerGirl]

Nine months isn't so bad! Thanks for the inspiration, you have beautiful hair! :)

[ssjhotau2]

I'd say style it as it grows out, thats what I'm doing.

When I first joined the site it was the day after I attempted to get layers. I had about 30 inches of hair and the stylist obviously didn't know what to do with it. She started the layers way too high, but knew I wanted the length so I ended up with mullet-like hair. I just chopped it to the shoulders after I saw it.

Since then I've been trying to transition to something that looks like an actual hairstyle. I just got my first cut a week or so ago. I'd prefer to get it to a style I like, and then grow it out rather than grow out a style that looks terrible and risk losing more hair again when I attempt to fix it. But thats my own experience.

[spidermom]

I had trims every 6-8 weeks during my first 5 years of growing out a sort-of pixie. It helped me keep my ends in good condition and maintain some semblance of shape. As a professional person, I would think this would be important for your image.

[Comfrey]

hmmmm. Do you know I would just grin and bear it and buy yourself a nice hair band to keep it tidy when it gets to that difficult length.

I cant remember how long it took me to get it this length I'm afraid because I kept having it cut and restyled :rolleyes:

[DecafJane]

I haven't had a cut in just over 12 months when I had an ultra-short pixie, and my hair is a couple of inches off APL. I have wavy hair and wore it up the whole time (using bobbypins at the start) and so not cutting it at all has actually resulted in something quite similar to the layered cuts that are in right now. :)
It started here: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/2634843861_820f4e7519_s.jpg and is now the length of my avatar image.
For me, not cutting at all has been totally worth it. If you wear it up the whole time, it makes it grow so much faster rather than trimming constantly.
However, if you want to wear it out as it grows and are not so much in a rush, trimming might be worth it for you. I have grown it out both ways before, and found not trimming to be much better for me, as I LOVE speedy growth. :D

[Thrasher07]

My hair took about 1yr - 1yr 1/2 to get to BSL length from around 18 inches. I've been growing around 2 1/2 years now, things seem to have got slower. Also I haven't trimmed for a good year I'd say

[mommy101405]

If you look at my album the pic in California was about 1 year before the second pic with my dd messing with my hair. There were some trims to keep is from getting too much like a mullet.

[fleurdelis]

I don´t do any trims for now...from above shoulders it took me one year to grow to my siggy and 5 more months to reach a bit above BSL.
Happy growing :)

[LawyerGirl]

Ha thanks guys! Looks like what I need is patience above all else!

[lizzyjo]

It took me 4 years to go from 2" to 30" with trims a few times a year. There is an inescapable awkward phase that you will have to push through. I recommend cute hair clips. I'm a student, so no one really cared how my hair looked. I didn't do the transition from one hair style to another, I just let it grow. If you work in a professional setting, however, you may want to study some hair magazines and find an actual style that works.

[SylphideNoir]

I'm currently going through my very first experience with short hair so rather than trying to leave this stage as quickly as possible I'm relishing in it while I can. I'm a long haired person at heart and I know once my hair is long again it will stay there.
I have been trying out new cuts as it grows. When I let it grow for too long without a shaping trim I feel it looks messy all the time and that makes me feel uncomfortable with my appearance. So far I've had fun and tried 5 or 6 different short cuts over the past 12 months.
I'm ready to leave chin-length land and move down so my plan is to grow to shoulder and then trim every few weeks til the hem is blunt and even. After that I can go back to the benign negligence we long-hairs love and let the growing grow.
I get between 9 and 12 inches of growth a year but everyone's body is different so only time will tell how fast the milestones are reached.

[MountainGypsy]

LawyerGirl,

I had long hair for most of life until my mid 20's when I entered my pixie phase. A few times I grew out from pixie to about shoulder length but never any longer. When I finally decided to commit to growing my hair long, I decided the only way for me to make it was no cuts or trims until I reached what I considered to be an overall longish length. That meant the dreaded mullet, crazy layers etc. The good news is that the really bad hair stages never last too long before you get some new length you can work with. It also always looks way worse to you than it does to anyone else. Little clips and barettes are a huge help too.

It took me two years to go from a really, really short pixie to APL (the longest layers). This August when the longest layers of hair reached about 3" inches below BSL I had my first real trim (besides doing some s&d on splits myself). I went to a salon and had the layers evened out. I had about 5 inches cut from the longest layer and everything was pretty much even at just longer than APL. Now 3 months later I am *almost* back to the top of BSL. I plan to not trim again until I am at least half way between BSL & waist, and then just a tiny amount to keep the ends neat. My siggie picture is old, that was from March and you can see the big difference in layers. One of these days I'll get motivated and take a new pic!

[curls2grow]

It took me about 2 years to get from short (2-3" length) to below shoulder, primarily because my curls shrink up the length and I was going for regular trims along the way (every 7-8 weeks, because I am obsessive about my ends).

[teacher_mom2]

I'm in the same boat. I fried my hair with bleach and cut it off short. To get rid of all the damaged hair, I cut it all off this August. I am dreading that mullet phase. Also, I have curly hair which means in about 6 months, I will have to endure the dreaded "triangle head". If I can just make myself get past THAT stage, I will have it made. problem is, I never make it past that stage. I always forget how much i hate my short hair.

I bought a really cute headband today to help control my crazy hair. It's growing out and sticking up everywhere. No chi or curling iron is coming NEAR my hair, though. I will just have to endure craziness.

Good luck! Maybe in two years, we can both show off long, gorgeous hair!

Susan

[RocketDog]

I grew from a buzz cut to collarbone length in two years, but I did LOTS of cutting and trimming to even things up into wearable styles along the way. I wore it in a pixie/shag for a good 9 months, then a bob until the top layers hit chin-length (about 6 more months) and then I had the bob layered out a little to make growing it out less awkward (since my hair is so curly in the underlayers).

It might have taken longer than just dealing with the growout, but it worked for me since I was working at a newspaper for the majority of that time, and needed to look 'presentable'

[curls2grow]

Also, I have curly hair which means in about 6 months, I will have to endure the dreaded "triangle head". If I can just make myself get past THAT stage, I will have it made. problem is, I never make it past that stage.
I went to Claire's and bought many plastic headbands in either dark brown or black to match/blend with my hair. I spent so much time there trying them on because if I got any "head squeeze" from them I knew I would never wear them. The headbands got me through triangle head, they were comfortable, and my hair actually looked decent when I wore them.

[Robbi Dehlinger]

I went from short to 3 inches past shoulder in about 1.25 years, just hang in there and see what works for you:)

[Siava]

It has taken almost 3 years to go from less than 1" to APL. During the first two years I did a lot of maintenance trims because I didn't want a mullet. Headbands and plastic clips were my best friends.

I hope you enjoy the growing out stages. Some of them are super cute. :)

[thankyousir74]

Ha thanks guys! Looks like what I need is patience above all else!

That's the truth, I started at shorter than a pixie and I'm just past shoulder length now (a year and couple months later). But I remember when I had my hair barely at my eyes and I would look at people with chin length hair and I'd be like "MAN I wish I hair that long right now!".

But yes, patience, and what makes the journey funner is just treating your hair nicely, pampering it with all these awesome recipes always makes me feel better :)

[suicides_eve]

i went from pixie in august 2007 to nearly apl in about a year(when starighten). i did small trims to even things out as used thinning shear to get a punky/jagged look.
i am hoping to be officaly apl by december or january.

hang in there the first 6 months or so was the hardest after that it went by quick

[bte]

A lot depends on variable factors. From your user name, I would guess that you need to maintain a "professional" look, so being "untidy" for a few months might not be an option.

The more trims you make, the longer it will take to get through the dreaded "awkward stage", so the fewer you do, the better. There are lots of ways of getting through that stage - some have even resorted to wearing a wig with their real hair growing underneath it - so good luck, and good growing.

[jojo]

I started with a multi layered pixie in 2005 and did not trim until September 2007, when it was an inch or 2 past my shoulders. Now I do a micro trim every couple of months and I am now roughly 24/25" which is just touching BSL. I am going through a stall at the moment but I am hoping to reach a full BSL by Christmas.

So all in all it will have took me 3 years, I want to grow to classic if I can, which for me is probably another 3/4 years for me.

[Nic's]

I agree with what you say. I can't stand the mullet look. I'm in the growing out phase and just keep trimming the back. I recon after a year there will be decent growth.

[hmmm]

I wanted to know this too... but it looks like I've grown hair easier than some people have, and others have grown hair faster than me.

I was still at a longish pixie stage in August, and I'm now definitely past pixie, it looks quite bob-like now, except for the long layer in the back. I'd show you pictures... but I don't have any good ones.

Basically, hang in there, and you'll make it!

[curlywurlygurly]

argh! This is exactly where I am now! I shave my head in June for the world's greatest shave and have been having the worst time staying away from scissor as I hate the mullet and awkward stages. I've decided no more trims until next year sometime, so I've signed up to a "to BSL challenege" on naturallycurly in hope to help keep me motivated. Most the time it doesn't matter as I'm a student so I can get away with crazy hair, but I also have a part time job with a high end international company which requires me to be 'presentable' Next year is my last year at uni so it's kind of like a year long interview for my internship the following year! EEEK! However as my mum and BF always say I'm my worst critic, my hair will look presentable to everyone but me and I always make a fuss. I think I just have to get grit my teeth and bare it and enjoy buy all sorts of nick nacks for my hair :D

[mojavewolf1]

I am trying to grow mine back out! It is now at the length that there is noting I can think to do with it but wear clip on hair extensions..I wear most of the time but sometimes give my hair a break and me...
I love the 18 in clip ons!:cheese:

[HairFaerie]

I started growing out at pixie. It took me 5 months to get to shoulder. I did cut about 1 inch off in between to get rid of the "mullet" look. I also shaped up by cutting a little bit off here and there. I do not want a blunt hemline, so I am not cutting all of the layers off and I am growing out bangs.
It really depends on what your final goal is and what shape you would like your hemline to be when it gets long.
Good luck with whatever method you decide on and happy growing! :)

[jojo]

OK heres my story (in pictures forgot i posted before but hope this helps) I started off with this cut in December 2005 and hated it, too many layers and too short. (I asked my then nearly waist hair to be cut to shoulder duh stupid hairdresser!)
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/joanna_eglin/CIMG0009-2.jpg
I set myself a goal of not cutting until I could fit it all in a pony with no clips, this took me to early 2007 and I found LHC with this hair, which has gone 2 years at this point without a trim, but it looked and felt ok, this is my virgin colour, i now henna! http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/joanna_eglin/Emma144.jpg

I then trimmed or rather dusted when needed. My present length is in my signature, so 61 months growth, though I am on a no trim year to try and get to hip or maybe TB.

Its OK not to trim especially if your still pretty short; your hair ends aren't old. As long as you keep off heat, keep it moisturised and up and out of the way, you will be fine!

Good luck x

[Lianna]

In june 2010 I had ear length, and now I'm just past shoulder with a few layers. I did trim the bottom layer for a while, the layers look on purpose (they kinda are). I would have triangle hair without them!

[jojo]

Yeah I went through the triangle stage, but just clipped it back the best I could, it soon passes!

[rose.grace]

For me, the "growing out gracefully" thing didn't work. First I wanted all the layers cut off. Then I got a tent. Didn't like that so a few months later I got a 1940's "pageboy". Instead of all one length straight around (blunt cut) it's got small layers at the last 3" or so and the sides are shorter and drape toward the back and the back is in a U shape. I thought it would look like the 1940's hair I like so much. I hate it. My dreams and reality rarely mesh. I wanted to "blend" my growing bangs into the rest of it so there wouldn't be that choppy look.

No matter what kind of trim or cut or attempt to have a recognizable, nameable "style" it fails. The ends never look "neat" no matter how much they are trimmed (I have wurly hair). I finally decided with my last attempt (which was in Sept) to forget it and just let it grow.

Every time I get it trimmed, I end up thinking of how long it would be now if I'd just left it alone. I'd be able to put it in a braid or bun. I'm just now to the point where I can put in a ponytail without bobby pins. My last really short cut was in April (2010), so in 10 months it's gone from about pixie length to .. well, my bangs are chin, the sides are resting on my shoulders and the back is about 4" past my shoulders.

The worst thing for me is I can't stand anything on my head, and it hurts to have it up very long but I did find some headbands that don't hurt as much and have used them extensively throughout this time. Of course the company stopped making them. Last month I found some at a grocery store (oh joy!) and bought the last 4 2-packs they had. :D

[RocketDog]

I shaved my head to stubble in '06 and I am now waist length when my hair is straight, although I did not grow 'straight through' and wore my hair in the oh-so-overdone stacked bob for a good two years during that 5 year span. I started growing my hair out 'seriously' in '08 when the hair in front touched my chin and the stuff in back was still above my nape, and it had sustained a lot of damage from bleach/dye/flatironing so it was not in great shape, which led to frequent trims in order to keep it looking semi-decent. By '09 it was long enough to wear in a folded-over ponytail 'bun' and I have been pretty much ignoring it since, apart from trims a few times a year and my monthly henna-fests. I have worn it up every day for well over a year now, and still plan to ignore it (although it is reaching lengths that require me to learn new styles, which means I have to pay attention to it a bit more. Not something I want to do, since paying too much attention to it often leads to unneccessary trimming)