It forces us to see ourselves as beautiful without the long locks to frame our face, to be comfortable with not having a sheath of hair to hide behind, but instead, to truly love the way we look not because we have long hair, but because we're lovely, and a pixie lets us show that off more easily!
Popularized by the actors Audrey Hepburn and Jean Seberg, who boldly rejected the long waves and coifs of their silver-screen counterparts, the pixie became a symbol of nonconformity and empowerment.
"Often times, people are interested in getting pixie cuts because they are easy to take care of in terms of overall maintenance," explains Sally Hershberger over email, a salon owner and celebrity hairstylist whose clientele has included Miley Cyrus, Nicole Kidman, Meg Ryan, and many more.
Anyone can wear a pixie cut, especially if you're looking for a timeless style that requires minimal effort for maximum chicness. There are, however, some lengths that look more flattering on certain face shapes, if that's what you're looking for.
Women have reported that when they cut their hair short, they experience a newfound sense of power. They claim that shorter hair promotes confidence. This is most likely tied to the energy that masculinity carries. Our world has long been controlled by men and they tend to hold most of the power in situations.
Hair holds emotional weight and memories, so much so that cutting it off can be a form of letting go of those memories that hold trauma, and a tool of empowerment. Recently, the therapeutic chop has been trending on social media. The topic “hair holding trauma” has over 10.9 billion views on TikTok.
Summary: Hair samples from teens could help detect their risk of mental health problems. Researchers found teens with higher cortisol levels in hair samples were more likely to experience depression. Low cortisol levels were also linked to an increased risk of mental health issues.
Pixie cuts can go a long way toward making you appear younger. Still, you can lose the game when getting the wrong shade. Given that, it's vital to make sure your next hue will work with your skin tone and eye color.
“Pixie cuts tend to look best on oval, square, and heart-shaped faces,” says Ryan Richman, stylist at Prive Salon. “Women with heart-shaped faces can pull off shorter pixie cuts as it brings attention to the eyes and away from the long jaw line. Additionally, heart-shaped faces tend to have wide foreheads.
Oval, round and heart face shapes can usually pull off a pixie, says Donna Tripodi, master stylist at Eva Scrivo Salons in NYC. "That said, most shapes can handle short hair," she adds.
A pixie haircut for a chubby face has many options and will look good no matter what. Choppy layers to create the full, wispy effect paired with short sides and some sun-kissed highlights is a beautiful short style that can be customized to suit your facial features.
Tons of different short haircuts don't make you look like a Karen. A blunt bob with zero or minimal layers is a great option. You can also go for a pixie cut or a boy cut. As long as the hair is cut clean with pleasing colors, you won't look like a Karen.
A low-maintenance undercut pixie hairstyle is super edgy and can easily be customized. A pixie cut for thin hair can give the illusion of thicker hair and can offer more styling options to women with thin hair.
Particular hairstyles like a bob, pixie, or buzzcut can have a tomboy feel. Adding feminine touches to your outfit will help to soften the tomboy look. Lace, embellished tops, pastels, bright colors, florals, fitted skirts & ruffles are all good places to start. Avoid clothing that is loose or baggy.
Does short or long hair make you look younger? Long hair can enhance facial features by diverting attention away from wrinkles or age spots and adding volume to your hair. Short hair does not need to age you, though, as the style and texture of shorter hairstyles can add a youthful appearance.
"Pixie cuts are extremely flattering if you're bold enough to go for it! Adding a textured side bang will slim the forehead area and balance out a heart shaped face," says Bosque.
Be patient
When it comes to growing out a pixie cut, patience really is a virtue. It takes approximately 6-9 months for hair to grow out into a bob; you'll have to wait up to 15 months before you can tie it up into a proper ponytail (i.e. something that's not just a tufty stub of hair).
“Some respond to stress by grasping for things they can control since life feels so out of control: Cue the new haircut and color,” shares professional counselor Liz Hughes. Existential psychotherapist Sara Kuburic agrees with the need to feel in control as a large motive behind emotional haircuts.
A cropped cut can be a way to show the world how strong you are. "A woman with short hair is perceived as confident — not having to hide anything,” says Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, author of “Reading People: How to Understand People and Predict Their Behavior – Anytime, Anyplace.”
A Cut Can Help With Mental Health
Our hair can have an intense connection to our emotional well-being. Studies have shown that cutting one's hair (especially when going through a traumatic life change, such as a breakup) can provide a sense of control and emotional release.
"When you feel poorly, it is natural to make changes to your external body in the hopes that it will make you feel better internally as well," Berman told InStyle. "There is something about a drastic cut that can feel cathartic after a break-up, like you are cutting off the dead weight and becoming lighter and freer."
The emotional shedding process
A breakup or other traumatic experience are common times for us women to cut their hair as we see it is the one thing we can take immediate control of; we all know it is often a struggle to adjust our feelings and move on right away.