If you’ve made the cut, you know the drill: months after going from long to short, you’ve found yourself in the midst of no man’s land “ a terrible place where you can’t put your hair up, can’t keep it down and don’t know what to do. So we’ve provided the ultimate guide to keeping your sanity while growing out your hair. (A couple bobby pins required.)
Product
When it comes to making do with what you have, there’s only so far you can go without the help of a professional. And while it may not mean you’ve got to head to the stylist, you’ve got to at least enlist the help of professional products. If you embraced the pixie cut earlier this year, you can adopt the nonchalant bed-head look with wax and flexible hold spray, while if you went for a Victoria Beckham-esque bob, pinning it half up or scrunching it into loose waves will make you look less like a mid-90s soccer mom and more modern and fresh. Since the growing out stage is always awkward, products that add texture, like a beachy waves spray or a texturizing spray are always an asset– they help to play up that dishevelled look (rather than styling your hair really straight, or flat-ironing it, which can make awkward lengths even more apparent).
Put Up
You may not be able to gather your hair into a proper ponytail, but with the help of clips and miniature elastics, you can create the look of an updo without the abomination of a rattail. Use bobby pins to fasten pieces into place, and twist the back into an impromptu French twist while allowing some of your front and side pieces to come out. If you want something sleeker, simply use pins and spray to keep stray pieces from falling free, and to make sure pins are concealed, opt for a colour close to your own and throw a statement piece in to add a little multi-dimension.
Accessorize
You may feel like there’s nothing for your hair to do other than grow out and cause you misery, but with headbands and hair clips, it’s possible to find a way to mask the grow-out awkwardness and come out looking chic. Headbands can help mask the dreaded bang lengthening, while clips embellished by bows and feathers make a tousled, dishevelled look seem intentional as opposed to a pixie cut aftermath. Of course, using your straightener to create waves and movement will save you from outgrown layers and the inevitable mullet “ or from the horrors of a flat, one-length look.
Embrace
Sadly, a big part of growing out hair is accepting its frustrations: for a couple of months, you’ll be stuck in a grey area that only patience and understanding will help see you through. Luckily, hair dye and trims will help keep you feeling fresh, and with the grunge look back on the casual side of things, you can play up your transitional ˜do as an ode to the 90s. (Or you can pin it up every day and abide by the 1960s how-to.)
