I'm going to cut it!

[Michiru]

Well this has been a stressful year and I've decided I'm going to cut my hair. I'm been a member for this site since 2004 and and haven't had a big cut since 6th grade (I'm 35 now) but I'm feel it's time. I'm now going to cut to my chin. I'm not as cautious as I use be. I know it hair and it will grow back if I don't like it. I've already cut 7 inches off a few days ago. I'm going for the kaia gerber bob. This probably isn't the place to ask but at what length do people start using conditioner? I'm realizing the stuff I'm going to have to change after my cut (having to put something on to hold my hair back while washing my face) and I'm realizing that I might not need all my conditioner. Anyone else went from long to short and how did you caring needs change. And yeah, I know, this isn't really the place to ask but I thought what the heck.

[Tinyponies]

Welcome back to the boards. I wish you all the best with your big cut and hope that you find ways to deal with the stress you’ve been feeling.

You sound quite certain that this is what you want to do, but at the same time I think it’s appropriate to nudge you to check in with yourself and make sure that it’s not a cut to alleviate the stress (spoiler: it won’t. You’ll still be you but with a bob).

Is that a recent photo on your profile? Your hair is really pretty. It looks quite fine with a slight wave so I suppose researching how to take care of a bob with those hair characteristics might be a place to start.

Best wishes to you!

[SleepyTangles]

Hello Michiru! A change after so many years always sounds fun :D

I don't do well with bobs: my hair is super fluffy. But I like them on other people.
I personally used a light conditioner every now and then even when I had a pixie, to tame the fluff. In order not leave residues on my scalp I often followed with a cold water or ACV rinse.

[Bat]

I'm just past chin and I used shampoo and conditioner even when I had it buzzed in 2018 if you plan on growing it again is suggest shoulder or cbl so you aren't dealing with the awkward stage.
In saying that it's your choice and good luck! I hope it turns out how you expect

[Michiru]

I had to actually check which pic I had. I think that's from 10 years ago. My henna has all grown out since then. lol

[Dragon]

Even when my hair is above shoulders, I’d still use conditioner. My scalp produce almost no sebum so I need the moisture.

[Lady Stardust]

Your hair is very pretty!

I still used conditioner when I had a bob. Thinking about it, I used conditioner when I had a pixie too!

My hair is a similar texture to yours. Mine has really flippy ends at bob length and not in a “cute” way, more in a “oh-crikey-didn’t-she-have-time-to-fix-her-hair” sort of way. I find it the most high maintenance length for that reason. That might be down to the particular texture of my hair, the waves are underneath so when it’s short it just looks like very badly behaved straight hair.

I’ve just looked up Kaia Gerber though and she manages flippy ends in a cute way so if you have a wavy canopy at bob length then you’ll probably have an easier time of it :)

[Hexana]

If you really thought it through and you really need this change, I say go for it! I went from (for me) long hair (a bit longer than APL) to a bob, then to a pixie, and then from blonde hair to fire red (henna) within half a year. And I really needed it. It just felt like a weight fell off me and I could be anything I wanted to from then on. Even now sometimes I think about how long my hair would be now if I didn't cut it, but I remind myself that cutting it was a great experience and that it helped me move on from a weird time in my life.

I suggest using conditioner as well but in really small amounts (and maybe something that isn't to heavy, so it doesn't clog the pores on your scalp).

Good luck to you! and do post a before and after :D I love seeing drastic changes :)

[lapushka]

Welcome back. I started using conditioner shoulder/APL, about that length, but a chin length bob? If that gets on the short hairs way down, you are gonna be an oil slick in a couple days. No. I didn't use conditioner at all for hair that short.

What prompted this, though? :flower:

[Michiru]

What prompted this, though? :flower:

It's been a stressful year and I feel something needs to change. In an ideal world I'd get a good job but those are few and far between. So I'm kind of restless and wanting something different.

[lapushka]

It's been a stressful year and I feel something needs to change. In an ideal world I'd get a good job but those are few and far between. So I'm kind of restless and wanting something different.

Oooooh gosh, what can I say? Never act this out on your hair, because the regrets... I'm telling you now. It's hard to get that across, I know, and you feel now you need to do *something*. Wish I could deter you though. Maybe it's a good time to try and go for layering? Give it a try, see if you like it. Don't go too short though, just warning you already.

If you like I can link the layering thread (on how to).

[Aunt Rapunzel]

Well this has been a stressful year and I've decided I'm going to cut my hair. I'm been a member for this site since 2004 and and haven't had a big cut since 6th grade (I'm 35 now) but I'm feel it's time. I'm now going to cut to my chin. I'm not as cautious as I use be. I know it hair and it will grow back if I don't like it. I've already cut 7 inches off a few days ago. I'm going for the kaia gerber bob. This probably isn't the place to ask but at what length do people start using conditioner? I'm realizing the stuff I'm going to have to change after my cut (having to put something on to hold my hair back while washing my face) and I'm realizing that I might not need all my conditioner. Anyone else went from long to short and how did you caring needs change. And yeah, I know, this isn't really the place to ask but I thought what the heck.

It really depends on your hair. My hair needs conditioner even when it's short. I had an accidental chin-length bob about 5 years ago, and I still used conditioner. It was a must. I don't want to discourage you from cutting to a bob if that's what you want, but I will tell you that it's a huge shock to go from long hair to a bob. And for me it was stressful for a while - but I didn't *want* the bob. The stylist accidentally cut it too short. Either way, it does grow back! If you find that you love it, that's great! And if you find that you don't. . .well, it'll grow! ;-) Best wishes to you! And I hope that life's stresses calm down for you soon.

[DropStitches]

My hair is just past chin. I use a tiny amount of conditioner on my ends: I got the Garnier Hair Food Banana on the recommendation of someone on here, and I more or less coat three fingertips in it, distribute that over my ends, and leave it on while I go about my other shower business, then rinse it off. I use body oil on my, well, body after the shower, and I use the residue (as in, there's barely any oil left on my palms at all) on my damp hair. I probably *could* get away with not doing all this, and just using shampoo, but I'm trying to grow my hair, so I want to start taking good care of my ends while they're still young!

I also agree with what Lady Stardust said above, that a bob is quite high maintenance for us wavies: mine only starts to wave below the ears, so at the moment, the bottom two inches appear to be growing out at a ninety degree angle from the rest of it. Some days, I wake up with one side of my hair curling up towards the ceiling, and the other side curling down in the opposite direction. Henna has smoothed it and straightened it somewhat, but there is still nowhere to hide with a bob - before your hair is long enough to tie it back, it's just out there, flicking in all sorts of unpredictable directions for all the world to see! Thinking about it, I've gone from APL-ish to a short bob several times, usually because I'm seduced by the image of a glamorous 1920s flapper, or Audrey Tautou in Amelie - and I forget that my hair doesn't do that without a lot of heat and styling. So then quite often the next step has been, 'Well, I'm already pretty short - I might as well get a pixie cut! That'll be easier to maintain!' - and in some ways it is, but only if you're disciplined about going to the hairdresser regularly, which I am not... I digress!

I'm really sorry to hear of the stressful year you've been having, and I totally empathise with channelling restless energy into hair - I have very much done that! I'm not going to tell you not to cut it, but I will echo others encouraging you to take time to think about it. And while you're thinking about your hair, are there any other little life steps you can take to help you feel less stressed and stuck? For mental health stuff, maybe it's something like downloading a meditation app, or making sure you find time for a walk, or to chat to a friend. If you're unhappy at work, are there any online courses you could take that might help you transition to a different field, or get a better job in your current field (this is on my mind at the moment, because I have been trying to teach myself to code in the hope of getting a job in tech)?

I hope I don't sound patronising - the point I'm trying to make is that quite often I have said to myself something along the lines of, 'I'm really unhappy in this relationship/work is very stressful and poorly paid/[fill in the blank other bad life thing]... something's got to change.... time for a radical haircut!' - and while I don't regret the haircuts per se (though growing out from anything shorter than a bob is awful), they didn't address the real problem. Maybe that comes from feeling that 'the real problem' is too scary and overwhelming to tackle, but often, breaking it down into teeny tiny little steps can help me feel less powerless.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope that things start feeling less stressful - for you and for all of us - soon!

[ReadingRenee]

Your hair is very pretty!

I still used conditioner when I had a bob. Thinking about it, I used conditioner when I had a pixie too!

My hair is a similar texture to yours. Mine has really flippy ends at bob length and not in a “cute” way, more in a “oh-crikey-didn’t-she-have-time-to-fix-her-hair” sort of way. I find it the most high maintenance length for that reason. That might be down to the particular texture of my hair, the waves are underneath so when it’s short it just looks like very badly behaved straight hair.

I’ve just looked up Kaia Gerber though and she manages flippy ends in a cute way so if you have a wavy canopy at bob length then you’ll probably have an easier time of it :)

Same for me as well. The only way to make it look neat or, styled without heat is to do curly girl method and use a lot of gel and that is a 50 50 chance it will end up looking Ok. Now that I have a bob I dearly wish I had more length to put it back in a cute way when my ends won't cooperate.


My hair is just past chin. I use a tiny amount of conditioner on my ends: I got the Garnier Hair Food Banana on the recommendation of someone on here, and I more or less coat three fingertips in it, distribute that over my ends, and leave it on while I go about my other shower business, then rinse it off. I use body oil on my, well, body after the shower, and I use the residue (as in, there's barely any oil left on my palms at all) on my damp hair. I probably *could* get away with not doing all this, and just using shampoo, but I'm trying to grow my hair, so I want to start taking good care of my ends while they're still young!

I also agree with what Lady Stardust said above, that a bob is quite high maintenance for us wavies: mine only starts to wave below the ears, so at the moment, the bottom two inches appear to be growing out at a ninety degree angle from the rest of it. Some days, I wake up with one side of my hair curling up towards the ceiling, and the other side curling down in the opposite direction. Henna has smoothed it and straightened it somewhat, but there is still nowhere to hide with a bob - before your hair is long enough to tie it back, it's just out there, flicking in all sorts of unpredictable directions for all the world to see! Thinking about it, I've gone from APL-ish to a short bob several times, usually because I'm seduced by the image of a glamorous 1920s flapper, or Audrey Tautou in Amelie - and I forget that my hair doesn't do that without a lot of heat and styling. So then quite often the next step has been, 'Well, I'm already pretty short - I might as well get a pixie cut! That'll be easier to maintain!' - and in some ways it is, but only if you're disciplined about going to the hairdresser regularly, which I am not... I digress!

I'm really sorry to hear of the stressful year you've been having, and I totally empathise with channelling restless energy into hair - I have very much done that! I'm not going to tell you not to cut it, but I will echo others encouraging you to take time to think about it. And while you're thinking about your hair, are there any other little life steps you can take to help you feel less stressed and stuck? For mental health stuff, maybe it's something like downloading a meditation app, or making sure you find time for a walk, or to chat to a friend. If you're unhappy at work, are there any online courses you could take that might help you transition to a different field, or get a better job in your current field (this is on my mind at the moment, because I have been trying to teach myself to code in the hope of getting a job in tech)?

I hope I don't sound patronising - the point I'm trying to make is that quite often I have said to myself something along the lines of, 'I'm really unhappy in this relationship/work is very stressful and poorly paid/[fill in the blank other bad life thing]... something's got to change.... time for a radical haircut!' - and while I don't regret the haircuts per se (though growing out from anything shorter than a bob is awful), they didn't address the real problem. Maybe that comes from feeling that 'the real problem' is too scary and overwhelming to tackle, but often, breaking it down into teeny tiny little steps can help me feel less powerless.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope that things start feeling less stressful - for you and for all of us - soon!
The bolded happens to me all the time! I agree with everything DropStitches said as well.

Welcome back! I was lurking here in 2004 but didn't officially join until 2005, so I have been here for quite a while too. I also have a current bob that is a little longer than chin length. I use conditioner on my ends, its a must for me. I only apply it from about the mid ears down. I also can go about 5 days without washing my hair, which is something I never thought I could do with such short hair. My hair is long enough to put back in a tiny pony stub and I am really really glad that it is. I hope that if you do end up cutting your hair that you enjoy it!

[SelenVinland]

I’ve always used conditioner, even when I had a super-short pixie cut. I just used less of it ;) My hair is a little on the dry side though. I suppose your mileage may vary.

Best wishes and I hope that if you end up cutting your hair you love the cut you get!

[spidermom]

I get it. Sometimes you just need a change that you will see in the mirror immediately. Enjoy!

As for conditioner, I'd go by how your hair feels and behaves in a bob.

[jojo]

Hi, you gotta do what makes you happy. I buzzed all mine off to go natural 5 years ago last October and I can honestly say I have never regretted it for a minute. My hair is the best its ever been, totally different texture , thickness and quality. In my case I buzzed to start over and I have been rewarded greatly . It grows and its about what make you happy, fits in with your life and personality, go for it if it makes you happy and as fir conditioner I used it on from buzz as I have Co washed most of the past 5 years apart from 6 months when I had a short lived love affair with shampoo bars!

[xanthochromia]

I use conditioner even on oily and straight pixie/bobbed hair. I use about a 1 cm circle of a lightweight formula for oily hair starting about 2-3 inches from the root, but I also shampoo my hair daily. Not using conditioner didn't make it so that I didn't have to wash daily, it just made it so my hair wasn't shiny or soft. Even though my hair is quite straight, I do get funny ends from sleeping sometimes -- my "favorite" is when both ends flip to the right or to the left. I'm all for short hair (been chin-length or shorter for 15 years after a chop from APL to pixie), but this growing-out phase of my life has shown me that there are big advantages to having just enough length to pull back into a ponytail.

[lapushka]

Hi, you gotta do what makes you happy. I buzzed all mine off to go natural 5 years ago last October and I can honestly say I have never regretted it for a minute. My hair is the best its ever been, totally different texture , thickness and quality. In my case I buzzed to start over and I have been rewarded greatly . It grows and its about what make you happy, fits in with your life and personality, go for it if it makes you happy and as fir conditioner I used it on from buzz as I have Co washed most of the past 5 years apart from 6 months when I had a short lived love affair with shampoo bars!

Hey, welcome back! :waving:

If your hair is current in your avatar? Wow! That is beautiful! :)
Anyway just wanted to say that. :)

[jojo]

Hi,
How lovely to see you. Yes I ended up buzzing the lot off in 2015 and did I get a shock its tons curlier these days just edging towards hip again, not that you can see it in my avatar wash day shrinkage lol! But no more dyes for me ever, been there, done that and cut the damage out. Thanks fir the lovely welcome your hair is looking as gorgeous as ever xxx

[lapushka]

Hi,
How lovely to see you. Yes I ended up buzzing the lot off in 2015 and did I get a shock its tons curlier these days just edging towards hip again, not that you can see it in my avatar wash day shrinkage lol! But no more dyes for me ever, been there, done that and cut the damage out. Thanks fir the lovely welcome your hair is looking as gorgeous as ever xxx

Thank you so much. I love your curls! And the more shrinkage the better, it means it's nice & healthy and doing what it's supposed to. :flower:

[ReadingRenee]

Jojo! Hi! Welcome back! Your hair is beautiful! I had no idea that your hair was curly, it looks amazing! It's great to "see" you again.

[Michiru]

Thanks everyone! And thanks for the support! I feel kind of bad for not changing that avatar pic since my hair looks so different now. It's really not that wavy, I wish it was but sadly not.

[missmelaniem]

I'd try something lighter like No More Tangles or some such spray in conditioner, and just adjust the amount as needed. Kaias bob is cute and easy to grow out when and if the novelty wears off.

[akurah]

I just googled the bob and I may copy you. It's gorgeous, and I've been kinda fed up with my hair anyway getting everywhere, and I've been considering going shorter since my last chop from knee to waist.

Depending on how cooperative your hair is, you may find you need to use more styling products. When I was a teen and I had a bob, I would periodically have to use product to weigh it down a bit more so it didn't go completely FLOOF on me.

[shelomit]

When I had bobbed hair as a young thing, I still had to use conditioner, but didn't do anything to style it. My mother has grown her hair from bob to shoulder and back again my whole life; she doesn't use conditioner, but does use a ton of styling product. I'd imagine that whatever your hair likes now, it will probably like when it's short--just in smaller amounts ; D

[MissMuse]

I use conditioner at every length but I've got really dry thirsty hair. Would totally depend on how your hair behaves. I cut mine a few months ago from below BSL and its now between chin and shoulder. No regrets here it's so much easier to deal with.

[florenonite]

Hi, you gotta do what makes you happy. I buzzed all mine off to go natural 5 years ago last October and I can honestly say I have never regretted it for a minute. My hair is the best its ever been, totally different texture , thickness and quality. In my case I buzzed to start over and I have been rewarded greatly . It grows and its about what make you happy, fits in with your life and personality, go for it if it makes you happy and as fir conditioner I used it on from buzz as I have Co washed most of the past 5 years apart from 6 months when I had a short lived love affair with shampoo bars!

Wow, yeah, where did those curls come from? They're gorgeous :thud: Good to see you!

Michiru I agree with the others who have said a bob on slightly wavy hair can be awkward, so you might need to blow dry/straighten it or use more styling products than you're used to. When I had a bob my ends did this weird flippy thing where they both went in the same direction, so on the left it curled under and on the right it curled out. If you're looking for a low-maintenance change a bob might not be it, but on the flip side if you're looking forward to learning to style a bob as a welcome low-stakes distraction then I think that's a fantastic idea.

[Lainey]

I use conditioner at every length but I've got really dry thirsty hair. Would totally depend on how your hair behaves. I cut mine a few months ago from below BSL and its now between chin and shoulder. No regrets here it's so much easier to deal with.

Hi MissMuse, is this length known as a ‘lob’? I think it’s a really versatile, pretty, length.

[lapushka]

I just googled the bob and I may copy you. It's gorgeous, and I've been kinda fed up with my hair anyway getting everywhere, and I've been considering going shorter since my last chop from knee to waist.

Depending on how cooperative your hair is, you may find you need to use more styling products. When I was a teen and I had a bob, I would periodically have to use product to weigh it down a bit more so it didn't go completely FLOOF on me.

Bobs can be pretty. If I want my natural texture though, I would have to say: nope. :lol: ;) That would be triangle head all over again for me.

Decided yet? OP and akurah?

[MissMuse]

Hi MissMuse, is this length known as a ‘lob’? I think it’s a really versatile, pretty, length.
Yep I think its called a lob :) it's still long enough to tie back for exercise and also keep down if I want, and the amount of shampoo I save is amazing haha

[0xalis]

I love me a bob!!!! Oh this is so exciting :D Bobs are great for a big chop, so much easier to grow out again than a pixie, and they're so darn stylish!!! Seriously a favourite short length for me.

I use conditioner even when I have a buzz cut that's grown out to like an inch, which is also when I start to use shampoo again.
When I buzz I do no guard though, so for the first month or two I don't use any products at all unless my scalp requests it.

Take it from someone who is just now entering the lob stage, bob length is definitely a length to use conditioner on!
You may find you prefer a different conditioner though, to get your hair the way you want it. Maybe you'll want more volume, or less, so just listen to your hair and experiment!

ETA: Googled the lass you mentioned, the one that you want to base your bob after, and wow! I feel so stylish now!! That's the exact cut I got back in July when getting rid of my layers :p

[baanoo]

When I had bobbed hair as a young thing, I still had to use conditioner, but didn't do anything to style it. My mother has grown her hair from bob to shoulder and back again my whole life; she doesn't use conditioner, but does use a ton of styling product. I'd imagine that whatever your hair likes now, it will probably like when it's short--just in smaller amounts ; D

Do we have the same mother?? ;)

[morrigan*]

I cut it to long bob after having a pause from the boards, i was lucky to find a stylist that took into account that my hair was quiet wavy. I had a lovely cut and easy to take care of. My ends would curl, it get dry much faster, i could also dry it with a round brush and hair dryer.
Well i felt so much better about it because my hair was damaged and it was such a relieve to have healthy hair that was easy to care for. I still used conditioner then, just nothing heavy. And sometimes a leave in cream for curls. I also got a hot air round brush and with that it was really easy to style hair almost like in saloon.
Right now i'm growing out my hair again and it's around apl, but main difference from last time is that is not damaged and that's make it a lot easier to take care of it.

[hannabiss]

I've shaved to the scalp twice in my life. I dont start conditioner until almost APL.