Anyone ever cut those side bits?

[julliams]

My hair sticks out on either side in front of my ears. I normally tuck it behind my ears but if I happen to forget, they stick straight out. I'm SO tempted to cut them right off but worried I'll look like I have sideburns and being a woman, that's not a great look for me.

Anyone ever done this and what were the results?

[LornaDoone]

I would strongly suggest you not cut them. If you do, they will just stick out even more while they are growing back. And at that point, they will be too short to go behind your ear.

I had this exact same problem. I recommend that you wet them and gently finger comb them straight down. If you have to, get them really wet and stick them to your cheek. Let them dry that way, it won't take long. And do not tuck them behind your ears. Do this every day for a while, and before long, they will no longer stick out.

I did this with great results. I think the constant action of tucking them behind my ears was causing breakage. Now that I don't tuck them, these bits have grown out a few inches, about neck length. It just takes a little patience.:)

[Igor]

Can’t say I have but if they naturally sticks out (Has more curl or wave than the rest maybe?) I would definitely not cut them. That could make them harder to tuck behind the ear if you want to and might make them even more sticky-out

How about smoothing them down with some product like oil, aloe vera or leave in conditioner? An old, clean mascara brush is excellent for spot targeting like that

[julliams]

And do not tuck them behind your ears. Do this every day for a while, and before long, they will no longer stick out.

I did this with great results. I think the constant action of tucking them behind my ears was causing breakage. .:)

The problem is that they are about chin length so if I were to wear them in front of my ears it would look really weird. Do you mean just to dry them against my face and then slick them back? Or actually wear it that way?

My hair is wavy so they won't ever just lay flat. They are wiry coarse hairs, some are white and they just, well, stick out. I'm pretty sure that even if I were to wet them down, they would not lay flat.

[pepperminttea]

I have them too; don't cut them! I did when I was a child and it looked rather disastrous. Suffice to say I didn't keep any photos from that time...

I find a bobby pin directly behind the ear keeps them in check, and is mostly hidden by the ear too.

[Marjolein]

I'm gonna be the odd duck in this thread. I have more than once shaved the buggers off, and that worked just fine. The regrowth wasn't noticable as well, because those hairs were so light in color. But, ofcourse, we are two different people, so what worked for me, might not work for you.

[Carolyn]

No don't cut them. Way back in the day there was a fad of cutting them short. I did that and it sucked growing them out. I wouldn't recommend doing it. I'd use some aloe or gel and pin them behind my ears.

[Anje]

How far in front of the ears are we talking? The sideburny stuff could potentially be cut, but you'll want to be careful. Trimming it too much might make it look more like sideburns. If it's the shorter stuff from above and in front of the ear, I'd suggest you leave it alone. I'd say don't trim ANYTHING above the root of the helix (http://www.infovisual.info/03/048_en.html), and preferably not above the tragus, though you may decide you need to taper a little in there.

I'm a relatively un-hairy person by most female standards, but even I have a little thicker fuzz in front of my ear going all the way to my jaw. Most women do. (Heck, my sister-in-law has quite a bit, but she's hirsute. She makes it work, too!) My point is that you shouldn't go overboard with hair removal there, or get too obsessive about it. It's not a difficult path from removing a little of that hair to feeling like you need to shave.

[tigr]

An old, clean mascara brush is excellent for spot targeting like that

Igor - this is brilliant! Thanks!

[kmoc123]

MY GUY has the same problem. His hair is bsl (he doesn't like that term for him), and that bit on both sides refuses to grow. I told him NOT to cut that...surely, in time, it will grow out....

[LornaDoone]

The problem is that they are about chin length so if I were to wear them in front of my ears it would look really weird. Do you mean just to dry them against my face and then slick them back? Or actually wear it that way?

My hair is wavy so they won't ever just lay flat. They are wiry coarse hairs, some are white and they just, well, stick out. I'm pretty sure that even if I were to wet them down, they would not lay flat.

I just dried them against my face to straighten them a bit. They had been tucked behind my ear so often, they had taken on the shape of my ear. If they are chin length, I would suggest slicking the back into the rest of your hair with gel (assuming you're wearing an up-do).

[little_cherry]

My hair sticks out on either side in front of my ears. I normally tuck it behind my ears but if I happen to forget, they stick straight out. I'm SO tempted to cut them right off but worried I'll look like I have sideburns and being a woman, that's not a great look for me.

Anyone ever done this and what were the results?
This. Absolutely this. When I was a teen, I cut them once and they were awful to manage...even more of a pain after I cut them. I would suggest using something like shea or cocoa butter to smooth them down. :)

[tinti]

I would strongly suggest you not cut them. If you do, they will just stick out even more while they are growing back. And at that point, they will be too short to go behind your ear.

I had this exact same problem. I recommend that you wet them and gently finger comb them straight down. If you have to, get them really wet and stick them to your cheek. Let them dry that way, it won't take long. And do not tuck them behind your ears. Do this every day for a while, and before long, they will no longer stick out.

I did this with great results. I think the constant action of tucking them behind my ears was causing breakage. Now that I don't tuck them, these bits have grown out a few inches, about neck length. It just takes a little patience.:)

Wow, thanks, I'll try that, I've had this problem since forever :)

[spidermom]

I always think of my short sticky-out hairs as my future long hairs. However, I have a spot at each temple where the hair likes to wurl about halfway around and then stick out like horns. It never seems to get any longer, but I wouldn't think of cutting it. I smooth it down with product, then it looks acceptable.

[Peter]

I agree with the others to not cut them.

I have the same problem, and unlike others, I actually keep those hairs cut very short (a few mm). I have a beard though, so it doesn't look strange to me. IMO, cutting those bits will probably give you a sideburn look, so don't do it if you want to avoid that.

[Intransigentia]

I had a co-worker (now retired) who used to trim those bits, and it was an all-round bad idea. She could have been a fabulous renegray, but she dyed her long, thick, wavy hair an equally-fabulous bright red. The problem: she kept those ear-bits cut short, so as soon as she had any roots, the ear-tendrils would be straight salt n pepper with no red. And then the combination of wild red on top, and the little grey bits with a totally different length, texture, colour and texture sticking out from the bottom, made it look like she was wearing a wig.

[ddiana1979]

Are you talking about the little short, fine sideburn like things in front of your ears that never seem to grow longer? I wax them. They drive me nuts. Takes all of 5 minutes once a month or so.

[ilovelonghair]

I had a friend who cut them: it looked awful, don't do it!

[AreWild]

My sister had the same problem. She has naturally wavy, light brown hair. Everyday she blowdries it straight just to wear a ponytail and those little bits sticking out bugged her so much she opted for electrolysis. It worked, but is a pretty dramatic solution.