Growing Out Your Hair

Pixie before growing hair out — Photo: Bigstock

How to Grow Your Hair Out in Stages

Growing out your hair, especially when you have had a pixie cut for a long time, is probably one of the hardest things you can attempt to do in life. You yearn for longer locks; you see celebrities and have friends with these amazing bobs or waist-length hair, and you crave it.

It doesn't even matter how healthy their hair may look. The bottom line is that they have this hair, and you now want it. But how does anyone have the patience to let their hair grow? How does someone come back from the cropped pixie that is still super fashionable and favored by many?

I am at the point in my life right now so I know exactly how hard it is to let my hair get past a certain point. It has been over a decade, and I will let my hair get to a certain point. But then I get so frustrated that it isn't growing fast enough and looks sort of awkward that I go back to the scissors. I give up. I've used extensions as a buffer, but that can become very expensive and time-consuming, so it can lose its appeal. Plus, I would always worry that any guy I was with would love my long hair and then get turned off when he felt the glue and/or the tracks that lined my head.

It is an uphill battle and often feels like a losing one because as much as I want super long hair that is all my own, I doubt my own patience. So I start to wonder what I can do to make it go a lot smoother so that maybe I can actually achieve my long hair goals. That is actually how one starts to grow out a pixie cut: by setting hair goals based on length but they have to be realistic.

Yes, I would love to wake up tomorrow with hair down to the middle of my back, but I have to be realistic with myself and know that is not going to happen. But it can, for me and for you, and here are a few ways to make the process go more smoothly.

First off, look at your bangs and how short they are. A lot of pixie cuts consist of super short bangs so set goals for your bangs, lengthwise, like mine was to get them down past my eyes. Once I knew I could do that, then I knew I was going to be able to pin them back, and that would be a huge accomplishment, especially for me. So start small, and then it is time to take on the challenge. But how do we get there in the healthiest way?

Happy woman with steadily growing hair — Photo: Pixelshot/Canva

It requires a lot of changes to your habits, but if you really want this, you can do it. Start by replacing your cotton pillowcases with sateen or silk ones; these won't tangle or damage your hair while you sleep.

You also need to know your hair type - whether it is thick or "normal" - and don't over-suds it with shampoo. Shampoo only two to three times a week. Always use conditioner, no matter how many times per week you get your hair wet. Conditioners help to moisturize the follicles whereas shampoos only remove the beneficial oils that are in your hair. The good oils are essential to helping your hair grow and stay healthy. So make sure you don't skimp out on the conditioning. Even apply some conditioner before you take a dip in the pool (chlorine!) to avoid chemical damage.

At the end of your shower, take about five seconds and turn on the cold water as this will increase and enhance shine in your hair. And do not be rough with your towel post-shower, wrap your hair up in it. Find a nice scarf or wrap made of cloth or silk that is super smooth so as not to pull at your hair and cause unnecessary breakage, thus defeating the whole growth purpose.

You might think that by growing out your hair, it means you need to stay away from scissors altogether. That is the furthest from the truth as you need to avoid split ends as much as you can. This means you should visit your salon every two and a half to three months for slight trims. Less than a quarter of an inch should suffice, and while you are at the salon, you should consider changing up your hair color as well.

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