I have a confession to make: I haven’t had a haircut since last September. (Gasp! I know, I know. Naughty.) Looking at this picture, you can probably imagine how short it was. I’d had a pixie cut for about three years, but my last salon experience was very traumatic (I now have a fear of hairdressers to rival Scott Pilgrim!), so I’m officially growing it out. Over the past four months or so, I’ve had real trouble getting my hair to look its best, but I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. Here are ten helpful suggestions if you too are attempting to grow out your hair.
Go with it
You can see in this picture that my hair has a natural flick to it. This bothered me for a few weeks, but now I don’t mind. If I blow dry it correctly, it looks okay. Really, there’s no point trying to fight your hair – those follicles are stubborn, and they’ll do what they want, every time! If you find that your hair has a funny kink that wasn’t there before, try to style around it rather than against it.
Change your routine
When I had a pixie cut, I had almost no styling routine at all, and could leave my hair to dry naturally. These days, I have to blow dry my hair to beat it into submission! Be aware that your washing, conditioning and styling routines are going to have to change as your hair grows – make sure that you’re using the right products.
Flip your parting
This is probably the easiest thing to do – just flip your parting over to the other side! At the moment, my hair has grown out in such a way that I can choose from two looks. With my parting on the left, I have a fairly modest fringe. If I part my hair on the right, then I get a full fringe. Some days my hair sits well on one side, but not the other! Grab a comb and experiment.
Dye your roots
If you colour your hair, it’s important to keep up with regular dye jobs, even though you may be growing it out. Until I dyed my roots this morning, I hadn’t realised how dull the colour had become. Hot foot it to the shops for an at-home kit, or pay a little extra for the salon experience – just make sure they don’t come at you with a pair of scissors!
Wear hair accessories
My fine hair is pretty stubborn when it comes to hair accessories (meaning that it won’t hold a clip, band or decoration of any size or description – so frustrating), but that doesn’t stop me from wearing hats, or even headscarves if the mood takes me. Dress up your hair with pretty accessories and no one will notice those unkempt ends!
Cut it yourself
Whilst I don’t recommend trying to give yourself a complete haircut at home, trimming an unruly fringe or tidying up uneven ends is relatively easy. Invest in a pair of professional hairdressing scissors (they’re not too expensive), and set up a couple of mirrors so that you can see the back and sides of your head. And remember to always cut upwards, not across!
Wave or curl
If your has been growing out for some time, it’s likely to be slightly uneven, especially if you’ve been doing a bit of DIY on it. Grown-out layers and skewed ends are much harder to spot in hair that’s wavy or curly, so ruffle up your hair with some rollers or curling tongs. Use mousse to give your hair a bit of volume, and scrunch it with your fingertips rather than using a brush.
Use conditioning treatments
It seems to be true that cutting your hair regularly helps to keep it in good condition, so if getting a cut isn’t an option for you right now, be sure to treat your hair to weekly conditioning treatments. I love pretty much everything by Aussie, especially their 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. It works – and smells good, too!
Try hair extensions
If you’re going from a bob to shoulder length locks, hair extensions could be worth a try. There are many different methods of applying hair extensions these days, so it’s possible to wear extensions without doing your real hair too much damage. HeadKandy make real human hair clip-in extensions, and they’re super-easy to use.
Get it cut!
Sooner or later, I’m going to have to get my hair cut. I really am. I’m already dreading it, but I know that I can’t carry on with this sorry mop for much longer, and an impromptu fringe trim every now and then isn’t going to be enough. I plan on getting it cut in a matter of weeks, but in the meantime, I’ll be collecting images and dreaming of my next hairstyle…
How do you style your hair when it’s growing out?
