Awkward phases

[Tangles]

I've identified three awkward phases that occur when growing hair out:

between chin and shoulders-- never experienced this one, thank God :)

from about three to five inches past the shoulders--this is the phase i can never get past because my hair has no shape at this length and i get all these split ends.

BSL--hits the boobs and hair goes kinda outward (I'm busty, so it is annoying lol)

Do you girls agree that these are awful, awful experiences? How do you get through them? I hate wearing my hair up all the time, but I also try to avoid using curling irons and such for obvious reasons.

[kwaniesiam]

If you like the look of your hair curled when down but don't want to damage it with heat, you could look into rag curls. There used to be instructions on the site, maybe check the archives? Also try half-ups if you don't like your hair up most of the time. The awkward phases are really annoying, but just remind yourself that if you cut you'll only have to go through them again! HTH and welcome to LHC :flowers:

[DecafJane]

between chin and shoulders-- never experienced this one, thank God :)

Okay, now I'm jealous!!!!

I get through all of these phases through the liberal application of updos and braids! My hair is so thick and curly/wavy that it isn't worth wearing down until at least APL anyway because that is when the ringlets and curls kick in. My length shots in my album look pretty settled, but if I left it alone for five minutes it would turn into one big horrid bush. :(

So yes, these lengths are all awful stages. Long live the updo! :cheese:

[rubyredslippers]

BSL is not a stage I mind . . . but then I have a little layering so it's not so much like there's a pyramid on my head.

Half-ups help a whole lot, too, through awkward stages. Helps to conceal the bulk a bit, while showing off the length. The result is definitely worth a little awkwardness.

[Xanthippe]

BSL--hits the boobs and hair goes kinda outward (I'm busty, so it is annoying lol)

I did not have this specific problem since I would usually wear my hair up or down my back. But I did have a similar awkward stage a bit below BSL to waist where the natural curve in my back would make it stick out a bit. Finally around waist it became long enough that the ends starting pointing downward.

[savi]

Chin to shoulder phase *shudder* was awful. I couldn't control any of the wave. It had it's own mind.

[flapjack]

I have not experienced any of these awkward stages. But I have experienced the horror that is growing out bangs several times. Why I would cut them back again I WILL NEVER KNOW. AHHHH. Right now they are finally to my shoulders and I told my friend if I start talking about cutting them... she needs to steal every pair of scissors from my house.

[Miss Murphy]

Chin to shoulders was definitely the worst. I felt it was all shapeless, and just hung there completely limp.

As soon as I could, I started wearing my hair up all the time, so I never experienced the spliss part of shoulder length.

But I find that every stage is akward - until I have mastered it :) And once I did that, of course it grows to the next stage ;)

[Katze]

chin to shoulders was the very worst for me. The length is super unflattering, and my waves just did that "flip" at the ends making me feel like I had "First lady hair". Yuk.

Shoulder length wasn't a problem this time around, though it has taken me a long time to get thicker because of layers. When I was going to salons, using heat, and bleaching my hair, I could never get much longer than shoulder, but the salons would also hack "those old ends" off every time I went to them.

BSL is where I am at now and I LOVE how my waves fall onto my boobs. I'm not un-busty - 38D now, sadly - but I feel like my hair helps disguise/decorate them and makes me feel more sexy and less like a milch cow.

I can imagine that as my hair starts falling into my food or the sink more, that that could be awkward too!

[aney]

I am a bit past shoulders now... and it's really akward ... I can't do anything with it and since it's layerd all updos look messy! So I mostly wear a ponytail and hope it grows out quickly!

[Niphredil]

My hair has quite a lot of volume and if it is all one length it tends to take the 'dreaded pyramid shape' which I absolutely hate.
My only solution has been (and still is) to create layers to reduce the volume.
For me, the perfect lengths are either just at shoulder, layered (suits my face best) or tailbone (suits my bodyshape best).
Currently I'm between APL and BSL and it is still layered.

If you experience more split ends, maybe you should try to wear it up more often so you can grow past this annoying length without having to cut it off this time around!

Good luck!

[aisling]

Chin to shoulder, as far as I can remember, was pretty bad. Another bad phase I haven't tried yet but I can imagine it, is between tailbone and classic. On me it's looooong and talk about going outwards :lol:

[*BelievingAgain]

Yes, chin to shoulder is the pits. Thankfully, I've been there more than once, so I am just working on the theory of leaving it be, down and a bit blech-looking, (I just keep telling myself that I know why it's at such a stupid length and that it will be lovely and long before long, so everyone else can just go jump! lololol) until I can properly get most of my hair back into a (tiny) clip...At the moment it's all about keeping it as healthy as possible and pulling back the growing-out fringe with clips.
Eck, that was a jumbly post, sorry!
Jess :flower:

[paper]

I'm where you are now, Tangles. My shortest layers are at my chin and longest at my shoulders. The back still has about an inch of layers left and likes to flip out. The sides are too short to pull back in half up do. I agree this is a horrible stage. I just keep taking progress pic every month. That helps me see the difference, I might not feel. Sorry, I can't be much help. Wanted you to know your not alone. :) Good luck!

[PhillyGirl1978@]

I agree. Between neck and shoulder it really is just too short to do anything with but leave down. I'm at between "below the shoulders - BSL " length right now. I just want to get to BSL. I've started feeling it more against my back, not sure if I am just having less shrinkage in my curls because f some updo's I've been putting in it while damp, or if I am just noticing my hair grow. I guess I'll know next time I measure. I have been to BSL before and it was the stage that caused me to cut. It's not that I minded it it was just my ends felt really dry which I mistook for damage also it seemed too take forever to grow passed that stage. It was also before I stared considering updos so I was falling in my face, my food, getting caught under my purse, in trees, the car door....you name it. This time when I reach that length and it gets annoying I will just put it up.

[florenonite]

APL was always the stage where I caved and cut for the past... six? seven? years, because I couldn't seem to do anything with it. It's thick, so it was always in a ponytail, and I figured I just had too much hair for it to ever be long. Now that I know more updos, APL and my long-APL/short-BSL is much more satisfactory.

[n3m3sis42]

I've identified three awkward phases that occur when growing hair out:

between chin and shoulders-- never experienced this one, thank God :)

from about three to five inches past the shoulders--this is the phase i can never get past because my hair has no shape at this length and i get all these split ends.

BSL--hits the boobs and hair goes kinda outward (I'm busty, so it is annoying lol)

I'm busty, but BSL didn't really bother me... although since my torso is long, it's bothering me that I am seemingly NEVER going to get to waist (sooooo close).

Really, the only one that REALLY bothered me was the first one you mentioned. I was growing out bangs at the time as well, and my hair was this horrible (unintentional) mullet that I couldn't even get into a freaking ponytail. I actually cried about it a couple of times, I was so frustrated.

[lora410]

Anything shorter then shoulder on me was a very awkward stage esp with my darn waves. Right now Depending on what bra I wear on a good day I am BSl and it just hits the crest of my bosom line in the front..LMAO..I wear it up most of the time though at least until waist length :lol:

[birthmarkie]

My most recent awkward phase has been my shortest layers hovering around SL and my longer layers being well past SL. Thankfully, I am starting to grow past it and style my hair in ways that don't make it look like I have two-length hair, but layered hair or just hair-is-up hair.

My awkward phase before that was longest layers just past shoulder and shorter layers just past chin. It wasn't so much awkward as it made my feel like my hair was shorter than it was.

ETA: ditto on what PhillyGirl said.
ETA: I never found the stages to be all that terrible, though, mostly it was just one or two days out of those couple of months that I thought "can't wait to grow past this stage!"

[cutastrophe]

I've identified three awkward phases that occur when growing hair out:

between chin and shoulders-- never experienced this one, thank God :)

from about three to five inches past the shoulders--this is the phase i can never get past because my hair has no shape at this length and i get all these split ends.

BSL--hits the boobs and hair goes kinda outward (I'm busty, so it is annoying lol)

Do you girls agree that these are awful, awful experiences? How do you get through them? I hate wearing my hair up all the time, but I also try to avoid using curling irons and such for obvious reasons.

you forgot the absolute worst- between eyebrow/ear length and chin.

[tiny_teesha]

rubyredslippers- and here i am loveing the pyramid head look- too bad most people hate it!!!!

It has been a long time until i had shorter then sholder length hair (over a decade)- but i fine thin ends are awkward....and also when the hair sits on your bottom (when it reaches that long) as it acts all funny....and probably acentuates something it shouldn't by resting on it, perhaps makeing it look bigger, but i've got a few years until i hit that "milestone" lol

[Cichelle]

My worst phase was what I call the triangle phase. My hair formed the shape of a triangle on my head and looked absolutely ridiculous. I'm trying to think of exactly what length that was...but it seemed to last forever, and then one day it was gone. No more triangle. I guess it had to be around shoulder length.

[squiggyflop]

when i was growing out my hair the only awkward phase that bothered me was when my hair looked like i had a mullet as i was growing out a short cut.. i didnt cut it though i just dealt with it.. none of the phases you mentioned bothered me... infact the best short haircut i ever had was between chin and shoulder..

[Druid of Alba]

I would have to say no. I think that the most annoying stage, for me, is growing out a short haircut (like I am doing right now), because my hair is always sticking in my eyes, nose and ears, and whenever I try to push it back, it all falls back again!!! Once it is past the chin, I can just tie it all.

[amaiaisabella]

I'm going through my most awkward phase now :( I'm right past my shoulders, but not long enough for APL. So while it FEELS long (because it hasn't been past my shoulders for over 5 years) it really isn't, and that makes me sad. I can't do much with it, so it just hangs down or I put it in a boring ponytail.

Also, people keep saying my hair is soooo short, when it really isn't, people! Boo on them :(

[prosperina]

I'm sure someone already said this, but the absolute worse is ear/cheek to shoulders. From chin to shoulders wasn't a problem from me since the hair started to behave a bit more, but above chin shudder: I will never do that again.

Also, growing out layers that were designed for a shorter cut; your longest bits are long, but the shorter parts make everything look short!

[nienna42]

Oh, yes, between chin and shoulders was horrible. I actually intentionally got my hair cut to that length the one time I had my hair short. :doh: I still can't believe the hairdresser let me do that, considering my wavy, frizzy hair--talk about triangle head. As soon as I could get my hair in a ponytail, I wore it that way until I hit about APL.

I also found BSL awkward, but not because I'm busty. (Haha. I nearly threw a party when I made it to a B-cup around high school graduation.) For about an inch before and an inch after BSL, my hair was just horribly, horribly tangly. I would get rats nests with my hair in a braid!

[lady_hero]

My hair is between APL and BSL. I'm finding it rather awkward to do much of anything with it except french braids and cinny-buns. Oh well...

[Village Mama]

I really didn't like the stage from about one inch to about three inches... it stuck out straight thick and tall in every direction like a big ball... funny and annoying until it would finally lay straight.

[Ohio Sky]

I did not have this specific problem since I would usually wear my hair up or down my back. But I did have a similar awkward stage a bit below BSL to waist where the natural curve in my back would make it stick out a bit. Finally around waist it became long enough that the ends starting pointing downward.

Im at the just past BSL phase and Im not really sure why its akward, I just know that it is. I dont have a problem with my hair sticking out, but for some reason it just doesnt look good down, and I have trouble doing updos because of the layers.

The worst though was after I shaved my head in high school. I started working at a restaraunt right after, and when my hair started to get a few inches long it was like it was too long to leave down for work but not long enough to pull back.

[savi]

Im at the just past BSL phase and Im not really sure why its akward, I just know that it is. I dont have a problem with my hair sticking out, but for some reason it just doesnt look good down, and I have trouble doing updos because of the layers.
I'm at BSL or maybe slightly below too. It's not bad though IMO or nearly as awful as chin-shoulder phase. It does stick out, updos cause trouble, but well.. Not so bad or maybe I'm just not noticing something. :suspect:

[Tangles]

Heh, I'm loving these responses. Yeah, my hair is at shoulder right now, or rather more like collar bone length. I like that it feels lightweight and manageable, but I do NOT like the "first lady flip", so I have to blowdry the ends for a few seconds (with cool heat, don't worry) to get them to stay straight. I cannot wait for APL.

I'm enjoying my hair being all-one-length for the first time in a while. I'm thinking that when it gets to BSL I may have to cut some long layers again to avoid pyramid effects. We'll see what happens; my hair is pretty unpredictable from day to day and year to year. I'm happy that many of you can at least commiserate with me :D

[FB]

I am at BSL right now and I am trying patiently to wait for it to go past and fall over my cha cha's ( and they are not ery big). PRAYING FOR PATIENCE!!!!

[brok3nwings]

Yesterday i toutched my hair and felt great! I mean...really the way i like to feel hair...perfect. Then i looked at the mirror and i saw a lot of hairs "crazy" as if i had a really bad cut...well i just stared at the ends to see if those were split ends, but no! Its because my hair is growing and it is wavy so...really wierd! The layers do this to my hair and i hate it, but i know if i put my hair into one size only it would be really short and with too bad to my face shape. Has anyone experienced this? It looks like split ends because they stay "out" from the mane hair volume but actually it isnt breakage it is only a stupid hair shape! I know that in the past i would cut it and i would thing it was the best thing to do...but i also think that i have to past this (we always do) so i will hang in here. What do you think?

[Alaskanheart]

I am a bit past shoulders now... and it's really akward ... I can't do anything with it and since it's layerd all updos look messy! So I mostly wear a ponytail and hope it grows out quickly!

Im almost at APL but not quite and it seems to be the most awkward stage Ive been through so far.I blame the damn bably done layers... I still have fantasies about finding that hardresser and cutting "layers" into her hair.Of course I have no idea how to cut layers, but neither does she.:steam

[dorothea-brooke]

Erk. I know I posted a "Hair Pride" link yesterday in which I bragged about how nice my hair is lately, but I have to admit that it's only nice in 2 ways: 1.) up; or 2.) just combed -- and I mean just. My hair is juuuuust short of BSL, and it seems like if I wear it down for even 5 minutes, it becomes a tangly mess, and weirdly separates into strands. (Maybe that's because I only wash once a week, though -- and it is Friday. :eek:) So I'd have to say BSL is awkward for me, even though I like the way my hair looks -- just not how it behaves.

Here's waiting for waist! :p

dorothea

[Masara]

The worst stage for me has always been ears to shoulders. I wanted to regrow my very short hair for quite a few years before I took the plunge because I just couldn't face the idea of going through that stage again.

I generally wear my hair up anyway, so once it's got to my shoulders it's just a case of learning and adapting updos. But on me, ear-shoulder is shapeless, my hair isn't long enough to have waves, but it won't fall straight either, the ends stick out in every direction......

[curlylocks85]

From chin to shoulder was awkward for me. I have never had hair shorter than chin so I cannot comment on that. My hair was at mid-back in '08 and I do not remember it being awkward, although then I was flat ironing it, now when I reach mid-back it will be curly so I will have to grow and see.

[Ally<3]

I'm just past shoulder and it is awkward. I hate the shape! Anyway...

[MandyBeth]

Any stage I'm currently in? Right now ears to shoulders - just because it takes so long and it does about nothing, so the temptation to cut it off adds up.

[-simply Venus-]

Not as awkward as going from pixie to bob. D; That was horrible, luckily I'm past that now! :cheese:

But yeah, I can see how those stages would be awkward. Updo's would be your friend, or having your hair behind your shoulders, or just having awkward hair and rocking it! Lol.

[MandyBeth]

Going from nothing to pixie is kind of annoying also - because your hair just sticks up in a puff ball then.

Pixie to bob. Not actually the worst hair on me, just takes a long time to grow out because I have to keep retrimming to get a shape other than shaggy mullet back. But it takes twice as long to get anywhere because it's one trim after another to keep it looking nice.

Bob to shoulders is just where I'm into now I think - maybe one more trim to even out the back again. So therefore, the most annoying because I'm here with nothing much, my hair doesn't agree with anything I want to do, and it's such a long process plus I've never gotten past shoulder before, so the big part of what to do with my hair THEN is coming in.

[janiejones]

For me, shoulders to waist is the absolute worst! For some reason I'm very uncomfortable with my hair in this stage. I never really, truly like how it looks, simply because I don't think the length is very flattering and because it is my least favorite length of hair in general. I like chin-length hair much more than that awkward creeping-below-my shoulders length!

[Quixii]

I was too young when I was at those stages to remember them at all or to find them awkward. (I don't really see how BSL is awful, though...?)

Another king of awkward one is between tailbone and classic. It likes to creep down the "vertical smile" and tickle you uncomfortable and get stuck in your pants and leave loose hairs in your underwear... Luckily I'm used to it. :p

[rhondalicious]

Pixie to bob actually grew out gracefully, but now I'm between chin and shoulders, and everyone tells me it LOOKS cute, but I certainly can't control it!!

[Vino.Vino]

The worst for me when I'm growing out my bangs. I had bangs forever when I was little so it took me only until 1.5 years ago to get bangs again. I have straight, black hair (Asian), not too fine but my hair doesn't have much volume. And it grows fast and my bangs get in my eyes, so I tried to snip them myself instead of going back to my hairdresser again so soon. Oh gosh, bad idea! :( They're too long wear down over my forehead and length is too weird to side sweep or pin up.

[akilina]

I hate all between shoulders to bsl. I'm not even at bsl yet and i havent had bsl before accept for when i was maybe 5. It's an awkward length and doesnt show significant length. I usually just wear my hair down though and pull most of it forward. I like wearing braids too.

[RocketDog]

for me, the awkward phases have been from pixie to 'bob' length (so chin-ish) and from collarbone to past APL.The super-short lengths were fun, but once I started growing out from a regular old pixie cut my curl pattern makes everything go nuts. I absolutely LOVE the way my hair behaves when it's between my chin and my shoulders, since my hair is short enough for the waves and curls to really POOF out and I get killer volume. Once my hair hits collarbone it starts going flat on top, but stalls out on my shoulders and goes out instead of down. No fun at all!

[FlyBabyTina]

RocketDog, your hair sounds just like mine! Right now the back of my hair is just below chin length and my bangs almost reach behind my ears and the waves give it a life of its own!

[Monsterkitti]

Chin to shoulder for me was awful closely followed by shoulder to APL. I have pretty uncontrolable hair so anything shorter than APL I get fuzzy pyramid hair :)

Never tried shorter than chin but imagine those would also be challenging.

[Nera]

My hair is now midback and what i find annoying is that when i'm in the shower, it's like my hair doesn't know weather to fall behind or in front of my shoulders! Especially because my hair tangles a lot. Of course this is will not go away as it get's longer, so its not really a stage.

[free_hug]

Chin to shoulders.

Pixie to bob seemed to go okay, maybe because i read so much about the related problems and i was sort of prepared (thank you, LHC and LHCers:)

But right now... it does just hang there limp a lot, it's mostly un-updoable, shapeless, and awful in general. Yeah, normally i'd run off to a salon and get a cool short cut. But since i'm on this forum, i actually believe that it might get better, and not worse, as it grows out :) So i try to get by with whatever it takes to shape it in a publically acceptable way (except for any form of heat styling though), and i will have to see for myself if hitting the shoulders really makes it better.

Chin to shoulders outgrowers, i feel your pain!

[AlleyKitten]

Growing out bangs is the pits. They don't get long enough to tuck behind your ears until they've spent *months* completely in your eyes driving you batty! I wore a lot of hairclips at that stage, and it was super dorky.

I also find that anytime I outgrow a style is awkward. Like when I had to start using a second hairtie to keep my hair up in a bun in the shower, when even that became impossible, and now, when my stand-by bee-end bun is giving up the ghost. Right now I don't have any updos that use only elastics, and I sure wish I did. Thankfully I grow into styles about as often as I grow out of them!

[silentwanderer]

I think I'm in one right now. My hair is between chin and shoulders curly and I really don't like it this short/long on me. It will take a while but it'll get longer. But I think most people don't like this length on themselves.
xox

[elina333]

I've been growing my hair out for some years now but after rounds of bleaching and abusing it, its taking some time... :( Anyways, now Im like an inch above my bra strap and it never seems to get any longer! Although every time it does I have to cut it due to split ends... :( I really hope that it'll get passed that strap SOON! I feel like Im in no-mans-land :) HELP! :D

[Nae]

My hair is between ear and shoulder, I have an un-godly amount of layers, the longest almost brushing my shoulder line and the shortest (old bangs) at mid ear. It is driving me crazy if I think about it too long. I am just, like in the past week, able to pony most of it, as long as it is at at certian place in the back of my head. If I move it up, it falls out, if I move it down, it falls out. :rolleyes: And either way the bang layers still aren't going in at all.

It is a bit obnoxious but frankly I just don't care. I have other things to worry about besides my wonky hair length. No one seems to care at my job if my hair curls in weird directions and my dh loves me anyway. I am not cutting it at all except S&Ds for another year, which will put me at 18 months with no trims, hopefully getting me outta this goofy looking stage. Then I will try and slowly trim out the layers, which I hate with a passion. Wish me luck.

[CrisDee]

I don't think I'll consider any length to be "awkward" once I get it to chin length! Here's awkward!

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n417/CrisDee1958/Hair/Short%20and%20growing%20out/DSC00086a.jpg http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n417/CrisDee1958/Hair/Short%20and%20growing%20out/DSC00088a.jpg

Bat wings? Check.
Razor cut sprouts? Check.
A billion layers? Check.
Mullet of Doom? Check.

This stage can't pass quickly enough!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!! :justy:

[Beets]

I didn't experience any of the lengths listed in the OP as awkward; when my hair's shorter, the waves really come out, and I like that a lot, even if I am somewhat wedded to the "windswept" or "bedhead" look! But my TERRIBLE stage is between two inches and eight inches, I guess pixie to bob? (Wish I would have been on LHC then for those suggestions!) I looked terrible. The best I could do was pin the front to the side and put on my favorite lipstick!

[truwave]

I'm feeling you ChrisDee, going from buzz cut to chin length was an afro/mullet nightmare! I really didn't mind chin to shoulder, but now I am just past shoulder and its a bad length again.

Your hair looks pretty though, I know it takes a lot of maintenance .

[Long_hair_guy]

The worst stage for me was from the eyes to chin.

I had hair in my eyes and in my mouth (hair doesn't really taste of anything). Really awkward

[ohiofritty]

My hair is just past my chin right now and I'm absolutely hating it. It doesn't help that the cuts* I got were awful also. 'I want it straight across' is difficult, who knew! It doesn't quite all fit in a pony tail and I'm fairly bad at half-up do's. Okay I'm fairly bad at any do.

I can also agree with BSL...only because that is where I usually got super frustrated with my hair in the past and got it chopped. Not because of any boob-interaction though! It would just start getting all split ended and I never felt like I was getting it clean. Now that I'm here hopefully all that will change.


*I had to go to the same place three times because it was blatently different lengths, aaarghh


and random smiley!: :puppykisses:

[jaine]

The most awkward phase I've been in so far was just past shoulders with a chunky layered shag that I cut by myself.

I felt like it was "dragging down my face" when the shortest canopy layers got to nose/mouth length instead of eye length - I would always cut it back to shoulder to "lift" it again and make it draw attention to my eyes and make it more flattering. I spent 2 years trying to grow it past shoulder length ... finally got bored and went super-short instead so here I am. :)

I think I'll have more luck this time because I have a stylist to help me out instead of cutting my own hair ... if I run into shape issues again she has quite a few more tricks up her sleeve than I did!

[tiggens]

The awkward phase I'm in now between chin and shoulder is just small (tiny, itty bitty) potatoes compared to every horrible hideous mess contained within growing from 1/8th inch of hair to chin length.

[Dreams_in_Pink]

ahhh, i've just gotten over that shoulder-chin awkward phase! My hair was so bad i had to use some kind of extensions to feel confident about my looks.

[littlemoon]

The most awkward phase I've been in so far was just past shoulders with a chunky layered shag that I cut by myself.

I think I'll have more luck this time because I have a stylist to help me out instead of cutting my own hair ... if I run into shape issues again she has quite a few more tricks up her sleeve than I did!

if I didn't know any better id think you were talking about me!
I hate this stage! I'm about 3 to 4 inches past shoulder in the back, so when all my hair is behind my shoulders and I look in the mirror to the side my hair looks like its getting some length! then when I look at it from the front with it in front of my shoulders and it might as well be shoulder length.

my buns are messy no matter what, it will take years for my hair to be even and it is sooo akward!! I'm surprised I haven't given up!

[tralalalara]

I hated my hair the most, when it was just past my shoulder, so it would kind of sit on it and wave oddly. The waves from my temples were really prominent at that length, and the top was really flat so it made me look like Louis (Bradd Pitt with long hair) from the Interview with a Vampire movie.

[janiejones]

I've always thought the most awkward phase for hair is between just below the shoulders and waist. Even when my hair was almost hip-length, I hated getting mother-enforced, mandatory trims that put me anywhere close to above waist length. After I got my hair cut to chin, I still didn't like the idea of being in the awkward phase...buuut that's where I am now, right around BSL :(

[LawyerGirl]

Everything between pixie and shoulders is frustrating if you are trying to grow it out!!

[Sammich]

Oh yes... I've been through them all... I don't remember them all but I certainly remember BSL.
I keep getting my hair stuck in my bag strap! Aghhh! I keep getting my head yanked and it's sooo oww... it happened with APL too... (That was worse) andd... I'm sure it'll get better... because BSL seems better than APL's bag strap incidents! :D
Shoulder to bra strap length is soo so frustrating to grow out... it feels like it isn't growing at all.

[chaoticwaves]

My hair is about shoulder length depending on my wurls, and it is very akward now with a ton of shorter layers. I wear it up most of the time and hope that APL with come within the year. Once I get there, I will start the trimming process to remove the layers and grow out virgin hair.

[kristymarie87]

I thought i'd revive this thread...

Im about 1-2 inches past shoulder and another 4-5 until APL! I'm STILL in that awkward phase! How long do you think i have left? I have short layers to my ears :(

[alwayssmiling]

I agree chin to shoulders is pretty bad. I have only just started wearing my hair down. Spent most of the winter in various hats, clips and hairbands.

[FrannyG]

While I've grown out my hair in the past from a pixie cut that was only 2 inches long at its longest point, I can honestly say that I've really never experienced what I consider to be a truly awkward phase. I always seemed to come up with a style to minimize the awkwardness.

Perhaps having 1a hair helps, but even the flip stage at around the shoulder length didn't bother me.

On the other hand, having extremely fine hair can make every length awkward when worn down, as the ends tend to get caught up in the fibres of clothing and rarely lays down smoothly for long.

[luthien_belewen]

I am in the 'chin to APL' purgatory--agh! I've been tempted to cut it back to pixie so many times... It seems to take forever. I'm also growing out bangs, and that's awkward too! When my hair is down, it looks like unkempt little girl hair! So, I've been putting it up a lot now that I can! I clip back bangs with a bobby pin and French twist my hair into a clip or pony tail, and that's about the extent of what I can do!

Anything would be better than this length! Hopefully by the end of the winter I'll be at APL.

[MonikaHa]

Chin to shoulder - I am sooo there! Major triangle head, hair flipping out in all directions, barely in a ponytail, getting in my mouth, but it is definately better than what I started out with.

[TrudieCat]

APL was always the stage where I caved and cut for the past... six? seven? years, because I couldn't seem to do anything with it. It's thick, so it was always in a ponytail, and I figured I just had too much hair for it to ever be long.

This older quote on the thread is true for me, too. I am very glad I found LHC and learned new ways to work with my hair.

For me, every length has been awkward when I've let my hair do it's natural wurly thing. But that's only because I treated it badly and I think it was retaliating. :) I used to get maddening flips, bumps, and frizzy parts that I had no idea what to do with, except flat iron them into submission. Now that my hair is getting longer, my weird flips are turning into full waves and I'm starting to like them.

Chin to shoulder is especially bad - cute little clips were my friends at that stage. I always imagined my weird flips suddenly became messily, bed-headishly cute when contained a little at the front. Also, lace braids along the crown accomplish the same thing.

[heynormy]

SL to APL was the worst for me!! It was so bad that I used a straightener on a regular basis to tame the "beast!" Once I hit APL I could somewhat manage my natural waves, but I still used heat tools. Now I'm at BSL mark and the weight of my hair helps eliminate some of the triangle head I had! I still find BSL slightly awkward because I feel like I might be at this length for awhile..come on waist length!!!!:cheese:

[Tabihito]

SL to APL is a horrible, horrible place. It's not entirely out of your way like shorter hair, it's hard to do much anything with your hair if you're growing out weird layers (and at that length, most people seem to be), and it's tough to combat the inevitable damage because you can't trim your own hair very well at that length. Personally, I'm too cheap to pay someone else to cut a quarter-inch off my hair.

Also, I think ear to chin is more awkward than chin to shoulder, because things just start getting weird there. If your hair is wurly or curly, it's going to start doing its thing and going in all the wrong directions, but it's too long to continue gelling into submission and too short to really even clip back well. Chin to shoulder, at least you've got some half-ups and cute clips to get through the worst of it.

[Kristin]

Chin to shoulder was not pleasant, but shoulder was the worst for me. The ends hit my shoulders and would never lay right as a result. I remember much curling-iron abuse from that time. I also hate pretty much anything from shoulder to BSL because it doesn't feel short or long, just BLAH. So I guess I don't like my hair until it's past BSL!?

[Juneii]

You are right, I had to go through those awkward stages a few times as I grew out my layers - a horrible experience.

[becker]

Chin to shoulder was just fine for me, my stylist did a great job giving me some layers and texture, I actually liked my hair the whole time, still do now that I am at shoulder length.
My most awkward phase has been getting from super short to chin. Can't tell you how many times I wanted to call for an appointment to go short again.

[jane53]

Tailbone length is awkward for me. My ends are still in good shape, but it just doesn't swing like it does when it's hip length.

[ifyouforget]

Chin to shoulder was just fine for me, my stylist did a great job giving me some layers and texture, I actually liked my hair the whole time, still do now that I am at shoulder length.
My most awkward phase has been getting from super short to chin. Can't tell you how many times I wanted to call for an appointment to go short again.

Ditto. Once my hair gets to chin-ish, it behaves just fine, and if it's annoying, it can just go up. But from pixie to chin? Arghhhh. One annoyance after another. Worst being, as someoen else mentioned, "first lady hair" I have large waves/spirals, and until I get a decent amount of length around the neck, 'spirals' turn into 'flips', and I look straight out of the 1950s. Not a good look, especially when you have a small babyface- it's just so darn *cute* looking.

[hairg33k]

Yeah my hair is between APL and BSL length now and it seems like it would be long enough for a lot more updos but it isn't because of the layers and its really annoying. It's like, a few more inches and it will be great :)

[JenniferNoel]

APL. I hate it. Not short, not long, no shape, no nothing.

[May]

I can definitely relate to the ears to shoulders phase as I'm going through it atm. My hair is wurly and wild so my hair doesn't look that amazing until past shoulder. Before that my hair is just all over the place. I usually end up straightening for that very reason. I can't wait until I'm at shoulder so I can relax and let my hair do it's thing :)

[ArienEllariel]

In between shoulder and armpit length. Mine is a hair (a hair, get it? har har, I'm such a nerd.. :P) above armpit length now.. I hate it at this length but in a couple months it will be solid armpit length and I'll feel better about wearing it in a single english braid down my back.. it's too short for that now. grr.

[chelseamichelle]

I have been through all of them! And it was horrible! the only advice i have for you is try not to think about it too much. I had to ignore my hair for a while haha.

I'm at a bit of an awkward length right now i'm somewhere between mid back and waist.. Waist is my goal!( although when i get there i'm sure i'll want it longer :P )

[shawty]

I'm at quite the awkward stage myself right now! (Hence my joining this site.)

Having short hair doesn't bother me per se, but mine is unruly, and I can't stand it in the particular cut it has right now. The problem is that it cowlicks straight out on either side from behind my ears - like poorly placed horns - and nowhere else. Nothing can be done either. It's too short to pull up in ponytails, too thick for bobby pins, headbands look terrible... all I can do is grow. I think in another few inches it will weigh itself down and look like a cute layered bob, but right now I am sooo miserable...

[Smile4Kiki]

I'm going from chin to shoulders right now and am finally starting to be able to manage it. I feel your pain shawty it took me two years to grow my pixie out to chin length because I kept cutting back to short when I couldn't handle the cowlicks.