# Going from super long to super short (hair, of course!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591 "2012-03-12T21:21:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/21 "2012-03-13T05:15:51Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > Also, you will be seeing more of your face. So if you’re self-conscious about it, just know that it will be very exposed. As will the back of your neck–after I got mine chopped, I had to wear scarves for about a week afterward because it was so chilly! It was summer, but my work is super air-conditioned, so I found myself shivering despite my thick sweater. The back of your neck will also need to be razored. > > As for products, generally any kind of thicker gel or paste will work for styling. I use Redken’s Rough Paste (which costs about 12 bucks), but if you find something cheaper than that, it will probably work just fine, just as long as it’s thicker. I don’t flat-iron mine (though I’m thinking of getting one just for shits and grins so I can experiment a little more) because the gel does most of the work for me. All good things to know! I am actually trying to find my glasses (I don’t need them very much, I’m very slightly nearsighted, and I misplaced them) so there is something on my face to distract from my face, once the hair is gone. I don’t wear jewelry or makeup, so the glasses will definitely help. Although once people can see my neck from the back, I might start wearing scarves. That would be cool! I also have some redken leave-in stuff (in a green bottle, it’s like a spray gel for curly hair) that might work. > [@Scarlett67](#): > > Well, I don’t have too many pictures of the back of my head 😃 , but here’s one of the side: > > [August 2011](http://i43.tinypic.com/r8beis.jpg) > This is pretty much the shortest version. > > [May 2010](http://i41.tinypic.com/25rf1w6.jpg) > This was the day after I reached my WW goal and chopped off my hair for the first time in about 15 years. So it’s still a little rough. I keep it much shorter on the sides now. Thank you for the images! I think that’s a little shorter than I’d want to go on the sides, but the overall look is very nice. I’m still trying to learn how long the longest possible length is when getting a clipper-trim. > [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > The pic you linked second in your OP is a cute cut, probably way too much bang up front for you. A super-short shaggy/chunky cut is probably what you’re looking for. [This one](http://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles4/monde4.htm) is fairly versatile with the extra layers around the crown, they can be flat ironed down for a sleek look, or gelled and punked up, with bangs off your face, for fun. Looks fairly wash and go. This site has a ton of short cuts to look at. > > Do you have a stylist you know and trust? It goes both ways, and if you go to a stranger in a new salon, they might hesitate to do such a drastic cut on a new client. If you have someone who’s been doing your trims and re-shaping for a while, s/he will be much more comfortable that you won’t freak out after you see yourself “after.” Thank you for that link! I’m going to surf styles and see what I like. The one you linked is definitely interesting, although I’m not sure about the bangs. They come around too far on the sides; it makes her look like a cupcake. I actually don’t have a dedicated stylist. Because my hair is long and curly, and I never heat-style or brush it, it stays very healthy even if I go a year between cuts. I’ve gone to a nice salon a couple times in my life, but didn’t think it was worth the money. So usually I just head to Supercuts or Hair Cuttery when I need a trim (or wherever I can use a coupon). I’m not too worried about it, though. I’ll bring a couple pictures with me and say, “Make my hair look like that!” And if she doesn’t cut it short enough, I’ll tell her to keep going 😃 > [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > If you are cutting off more than 10", have you considered donating to [Locks of Love](http://www.locksoflove.org/)? Yeah I’ve donated to LoL once before. My hair was so long that they cut off 12" and it was \*still \*long afterward, heh. Oddly enough, for this time I was thinking of chopping off a bunch of my curls before hitting up the salon, so I’d have my own ponytail hairpiece to use later (during the growback phase, just in case I don’t like it short). I dunno though, maybe that’s too weird. > [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > No, do not donate to Locks of Love. They don’t give your hair to cancer patients. They _sell_ your hair to alopecia patients. Yeah I’ve heard they do this if there isn’t a high enough demand for your ponytail. It doesn’t matter to me though, unless I’m keeping it myself. I still think it’s better to sell it, rather than letting it rot in a hair dumpster somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/22 "2012-03-13T07:05:21Z")
Okay, I tried to trim [this picture](http://i.imgur.com/WczwQ.png) to figure out my face shape and I am still stumped (I trimmed out the fat too, because it’s not part of the bone structure). Oblong or oval maybe? ---
**Author:** ![highrollinwooded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@highrollinwooded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highrollinwooded)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/23 "2012-03-13T13:07:27Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > OMG, some stranger on the Internet doesn’t like my hairstyle!!! I’d better start growing it out right away! And buy a wig to wear in the meantime so as not to offend!!! > > :rolleyes: Just stating my opinion…which IS the namesake of this forum, correct? We all have differing opinions on every subject known to man. I personally find short hair on women unattractive, and long hair on anyone over 20 something equally unattractive! I work with a young guy who wears puts his hair in a ponytail on top of his head!! Creepy!!! By all means don’t let the opinion of a stranger stop you from having short hair…as if!! ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/24 "2012-03-13T13:51:42Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > You look gorgeous!!! Thank you! 🙂 > [@highrollinwooded](#): > > Just stating my opinion…which IS the namesake of this forum, correct? We all have differing opinions on every subject known to man. I personally find short hair on women unattractive, and long hair on anyone over 20 something equally unattractive! But nobody asked for that particular opinion. The OP was asking for advice on what short style to get and what sort of hair products to buy, not whether anyone thinks that short hair on women or long hair on guys (or people over 20? really?) is “ewww!” Go start your own thread to make your pronouncements on hairstyles in general. The rest of us are here to help the OP. Your comments don’t. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/25 "2012-03-13T16:04:45Z")
> [@highrollinwooded](#): > > … I personally find short hair on women unattractive, and long hair on anyone over 20 something equally unattractive… So women over the age of 20 should … what, exactly? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/26 "2012-03-13T16:19:53Z")
I cut my hair about two weeks ago. It was a dramatic cut. I had it in layers years ago, and then waited for the layers to grow out. Unfortunately the shortest layer only reached to my shoulders when I cut it. My hair is _extremely_ curly, so it is even shorter than that when dry. I miss my long hair…but hair grows back! And that’s what I came in here to say. The nice thing about hair is it grows back! So if you cut it in a pixie cut or whatever and hate it, it’s not the end of the world. And in the interim it takes me about one minute to wash and shampoo my hair, as opposed to what it used to be. So much less tangles and knots, and easy to comb out. For the curly hair, I admit I always always always keep my bangs short. I can’t stand hair in my face, and the second it starts touching my eyes I clip it back. Anyway good luck with whatever you decide! I just wanted to say it really isn’t the end of the world. Oh, and for people who think they know what women’s hair should be like - well, I’ve been told that at 36 it’s “time” for me to cut my hair into a respectable, short style. I say, I’ll keep it two feet long even when it’s white if I want to! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/27 "2012-03-13T16:56:32Z")
I love long white hair on super old ladies, like Rose in Titanic and Grandma Death in Donnie Darko. It’s really cute! My hair grows fast anyway so I’m not worried about hating the 'do. I actually emailed my sister last night because she’s had short (and occasionally butch–she’s a lesbian) hair for a long time. She told me what kind of products do what, so I’m pretty much set. As soon as I choose a style, ofc. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/28 "2012-03-13T17:29:19Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > So women over the age of 20 should … what, exactly? :dubious: I guess we should all just get [mom hair](http://main.stylelist.com/2010/05/17/mom-hair/). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/29 "2012-03-13T17:34:45Z")
Consider an A-line bob (also known as a “swing bob” or “asymmetric bob”; just Google it). This is basically very short in back, but a little longer in front. I think it would look good with your face shape, and it’s really easy to take care of. You can style it up if you want to, or you can wash and go. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/30 "2012-03-13T18:00:52Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I love long white hair on super old ladies, like Rose in Titanic and Grandma Death in Donnie Darko. It’s really cute! I am just afraid mine will get that yellow tinge. :eek: But we’ll see, I guess…here’s hoping! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/31 "2012-03-13T19:02:46Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I am just afraid mine will get that yellow tinge. :eek: But we’ll see, I guess…here’s hoping! I see blue rinses in your future! 😃 > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Consider an A-line bob (also known as a “swing bob” or “asymmetric bob”; just Google it). This is basically very short in back, but a little longer in front. I think it would look good with your face shape, and it’s really easy to take care of. You can style it up if you want to, or you can wash and go. I do like the body that would add to the sides of my head, but all the styles I see are longer than I want to go. I worry if it’s that long it will start getting wavy or curly, and I don’t want to have to straighten my whole head of hair every morning. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/32 "2012-03-13T19:50:51Z")
I’ve gone from below the waist to around 2-3" long and was a happy camper. I had quite a bit of curl when it was long, it went flat for a few days after the cutting, then it went wild with curl. I loved it. If you have a fair amount of natural curl, add an inch to whatever length you go with. I discovered that the hard way when I ended up with the most hideous spit curl bangs. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/33 "2012-03-13T20:09:42Z")
I’ve done a pixie before and liked it. Right now, I have the asymmetrical bob because I wanted a little length. Anything past my chin or so and my hair looks straggly. I have fine, straight hair which I usually bulk up with styling paste or wax and just finger style it into place when I had the short hair. I used [Short Sexy Hair](http://sexyhair.com/products_short.aspx?parentnavigationid=17658) products and they worked just fine, you have to find the right product for your texture hair. I would think that when the stylist cuts your hair, she/he will be able to recommend products. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/34 "2012-03-13T20:55:04Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I actually don’t have a dedicated stylist. Because my hair is long and curly, and I never heat-style or brush it, it stays very healthy even if I go a year between cuts. I’ve gone to a nice salon a couple times in my life, but didn’t think it was worth the money. So usually I just head to Supercuts or Hair Cuttery when I need a trim (or wherever I can use a coupon). I’m not too worried about it, though. I’ll bring a couple pictures with me and say, “Make my hair look like that!” And if she doesn’t cut it short enough, I’ll tell her to keep going 😃 I went short a few years back and have loved my decision, but a few words from the wise 😉 1. Pay for the best cut you can afford. Don’t just go to the old stylist your mother uses, or nearest place round the corner, as you could end up with a horror story. Short hair is unforgiving, and a poor cut can look either butch or frumpy (or both). Find a stylist who is youthful and talented (and probably expensive as a result). It’s an investment. 2. Brace yourself for having your hair cut often. What you save in daily time you will spend in $$$. You will need to get a cut every 4-6 weeks or you’ll end up with some weird curly carpet on your head. Short hair loses its style quickly. 3. There’s a myriad of short styles and it will take some time to find your perfect cut. Don’t fret if you don’t like your first cut. Leave it 6 weeks and try a different stylist. 4. You’ll also take some time to find the right hair product. Both my girlfriend and I (yes, lesbian alert) have short/shortish styles, but our hair texture and styles are very different and we don’t share hair products as a result. 5. If you have a natural wave in your hair, brace yourself for some surprises. Your hair could be brilliant when short - easy to style - or it could spring back into tight or strange curls. If that’s the case, you may realise you will need to go a little longer to control the shape (and maybe use irons). You just won’t know - my hair is fine in a pixey cut, but needed controlling with irons when it used to be a chin length bob. For others it’s the other way round. You just won’t know til you try. Good luck! Short hair is liberating. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/35 "2012-03-13T21:35:41Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I went short a few years back and have loved my decision, but a few words from the wise 😉 > > 1. Pay for the best cut you can afford. Don’t just go to the old stylist your mother uses, or nearest place round the corner, as you could end up with a horror story. Short hair is unforgiving, and a poor cut can look either butch or frumpy (or both). Find a stylist who is youthful and talented (and probably expensive as a result). It’s an investment. > 2. Brace yourself for having your hair cut often. What you save in daily time you will spend in $$$. You will need to get a cut every 4-6 weeks or you’ll end up with some weird curly carpet on your head. Short hair loses its style quickly. > 3. There’s a myriad of short styles and it will take some time to find your perfect cut. Don’t fret if you don’t like your first cut. Leave it 6 weeks and try a different stylist. > 4. You’ll also take some time to find the right hair product. Both my girlfriend and I (yes, lesbian alert) have short/shortish styles, but our hair texture and styles are very different and we don’t share hair products as a result. > 5. If you have a natural wave in your hair, brace yourself for some surprises. Your hair could be brilliant when short - easy to style - or it could spring back into tight or strange curls. If that’s the case, you may realise you will need to go a little longer to control the shape (and maybe use irons). You just won’t know - my hair is fine in a pixey cut, but needed controlling with irons when it used to be a chin length bob. For others it’s the other way round. You just won’t know til you try. > > Good luck! Short hair is liberating. All great advice, thanks very much! Re: number 5, I have had very short hair before, although I was 10 years old at the time. From looking at photos from back then, it was very relaxed and would be easy to style. Will I still have that kind of hair once I cut it now (at 27)? Or is it possible for hair texture/curliness to change over that much time? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/36 "2012-03-13T21:51:09Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > All great advice, thanks very much! Re: number 5, I have had very short hair before, although I was 10 years old at the time. From looking at photos from back then, it was very relaxed and would be easy to style. Will I still have that kind of hair once I cut it now (at 27)? Or is it possible for hair texture/curliness to change over that much time? Certainly! Your hair will probably be thicker (and darker), but who knows… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/37 "2012-03-13T22:48:26Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Also, would it be too weird to cut off a bunch of curls before I go to get it cut, in case I want to use them in a hairpiece later? > [@rachelellogram](#): > > Oddly enough, for this time I was thinking of chopping off a bunch of my curls before hitting up the salon, so I’d have my own ponytail hairpiece to use later (during the growback phase, just in case I don’t like it short). I dunno though, maybe that’s too weird. I don’t think anyone else has addressed this, so I’ll say that the problem with this idea isn’t so much that it’s weird (IMHO it is kind of weird, but that alone shouldn’t stop you) as that it probably isn’t practical. I don’t think loose hair can be turned into a hairpiece, you’d need to bind/braid it before cutting, and I don’t think it would be cheap to have a hairpiece custom made even if you provided the hair. Unless you know how to do it yourself, the odds are you’re just going to end up with your saved curls gathering dust. I’ve gone from long to short several times, and my only real warning is that people who don’t know you well might not recognize you after you cut it. I did a big chop one summer when I was in college, and also got new glasses in a very different style from my old ones. When I went back to school I felt like a number of my acquaintances were snubbing me and wondered if someone had started some horrible rumor about me. It took a little while for me to realize that people I only knew casually did not recognize me! \*I spent a number of years growing my hair out, cutting it all off and donating it, and growing it out again; I went though this cycle four or five times. It was mostly because I have thick hair that grows out well but that I don’t really care about styling or maintaining, so I figured it was just as easy for me to wear it in a ponytail for a few years at a time and then let have some kid with allopecia have it. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/38 "2012-03-13T23:06:42Z")
I found a coupon on Yelp (yay!) and made an appointment with a fairly fancy salon for Saturday. They’re small, very highly reviewed, and not a chain. I’m thinking I will probably just go in and say, “I want hair that’s pixie-short, but I entrust the particular style to you.” Should be fun 😃 ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/39 "2012-03-13T23:18:13Z")
You should post some before and after photos. I bet you’ll look very cute. Good luck. I hope you are pleased with the result. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591/40 "2012-03-13T23:34:28Z")
You could even give the salon a heads-up that you’re doing a drastic change. They may want to take before and after shots for themselves. My salon posts some of them on facebook (with client’s permission, of course!). Here’s where I go: [Website](http://twistedscissorschicago.com/about.php) and [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3026005541407.138772.1600842481&type=3) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/going-from-super-long-to-super-short-hair-of-course/615591.md?page=3)