How to Grow Out a Pixie Without Hating Every Stage
Growing out a pixie takes roughly twelve to eighteen months to reach a comfortable mid-length, depending on your growth rate and starting length. The key is not skipping trims. Regular shaping appointments every six to eight weeks keep each stage looking intentional rather than neglected, and they give you a series of distinct styles to move through rather than one long stretch of awkward in-between.
I am Sheree, a short hair specialist at KOHORT in Richmond. I have cut hundreds of pixies, and I have also guided a lot of clients through growing them out. The grow-out is honestly where people need the most support, because the months after a pixie are the point where most clients either give up and cut it back off, or push through and end up with the longer hair they wanted. The difference usually comes down to having a plan.
How long does growing out a pixie actually take?
Hair grows roughly one to one-and-a-half centimetres per month on average. From a short pixie with a cropped back and sides, reaching a jaw-length bob takes most people around twelve months. Getting to shoulder length is typically fifteen to eighteen months. Those numbers vary with genetics, health, and how much of the length you lose to trims along the way.
The grow-out also does not feel linear. The first three months are often the hardest because everything is at that in-between length where it does not sit cleanly as either a pixie or anything longer. Then around months four to six, most people hit a bixie or short bob length that is genuinely wearable. Months seven through twelve are usually easier because the hair is long enough to style in more ways.
If you want more detail on what a pixie involves before you are already in the grow-out, the pixie cut guide covers that thoroughly.
Stage one: months one to three
This is the hardest part. The back and sides are growing out but not long enough to do anything intentional with. The crown is lengthening but might be starting to lie flat or part awkwardly. A few things that help:
- Do not skip your trim at six to eight weeks. This seems counterintuitive when you are trying to grow, but a trim in this stage is not about removing length from the top. It is about tidying the back and sides so the overall shape stays deliberate. Your stylist can clean the neckline and the sides without touching the length you are building through the crown and top.
- Use a wax or paste to manage the crown. At this length, the top sections can start to stick up or sit at odd angles. A small amount of wax worked through while hair is dry gives you control without adding weight.
- Lean into the textured look. Trying to force hair at this stage into something sleek usually does not work. Texture and piece-y separation tend to look more intentional than a smoothed-down style that just emphasises the grow-out.
Stage two: months three to six
This is where most people start to feel some relief. The crown and top have enough length to shape properly, and the back is starting to approach a length that gives your stylist options. This is the natural bixie window, and it is worth treating it as a real style rather than a transition.
- Ask your stylist to reshape into a bixie. At this length, a small reshaping appointment can turn the grow-out into a deliberate jaw-length bixie. This is not starting over. It is working with what you have. The bixie guide covers what that cut involves.
- The back grows faster than the top for most people. This means the nape can look long and shapeless while the crown is still short. A tidy of the neckline at each appointment keeps it clean without sacrificing growth.
- Experiment with styling direction. You have enough length now to push the crown forward, to the side, or back. Try different directions when it is damp and see what your hair naturally wants to do. Working with the natural direction is always easier than fighting it.
Stage three: months six to ten
The hair is now landing somewhere between a short bob and a proper bob. Most people find this stage much easier than the first few months. You have enough length to tuck behind your ears, do a half-up style, and start using clips and pins as actual styling tools rather than crisis management.
- Layers become important here. Without layering, a grow-out bob can look dense and shapeless, especially on thicker hair. Ask for layers through the crown and back that take weight out while preserving the length you have built.
- The sides and front may be at different stages. Depending on your original pixie, the front pieces might be much longer than the sides, or vice versa. Your stylist can work on balancing the shape without losing overall length. It is worth being specific at each appointment about what you want kept and what can be trimmed.
- This is a good time to think about colour if you are considering it. Short hair and growing-out hair respond to colour differently than long hair. Foils and a toner at this stage can add dimension that makes the shape look more considered. Talk to your colourist at the same appointment.
Stage four: months ten to eighteen
By this point you are past the hardest stages and into a comfortable longer short hair or emerging mid-length. The choices open up. You can continue towards shoulder length, commit to a long bob, or decide the growing-out bob is actually the length you like and stop there.
- Do not abandon trims now. The temptation to just let everything grow without touching it is real, but untrimmed ends start to split and thin, and the shape gets increasingly undefined. A trim every eight to ten weeks at this stage costs almost no length but keeps the quality and shape intact.
- The nape and back tend to be the longest sections by now. If you want a clean bob silhouette, some of that back length may need to come off to level the shape. If you want length first and will fix the shape later, that is a valid choice too, but tell your stylist explicitly.
- Split ends are the biggest threat to length at this stage. Regular conditioning treatments, a heat protectant whenever you use tools, and a protein-based treatment like K18 or Olaplex between appointments all help you hold the length you have grown.
Products that actually help during a grow-out
You do not need a lot, but the right few make a difference.
- Lightweight styling cream or paste. For damp or dry styling at every stage. Controls odd-sitting sections without weighing down new growth.
- Dry shampoo or volumising powder. As hair gets longer and heavier, root lift becomes more of a concern. A volumising powder at the roots before styling helps at the bixie and growing-bob stages.
- A bond treatment. If you are colouring as you grow, a bond builder like Olaplex or K18 used at home every couple of weeks protects the lengths and stops breakage from undermining your progress. Ask your stylist which suits your hair.
- A heat protectant. Non-negotiable once you start using a blow-dryer and brush regularly. Breakage at the ends undoes months of growth.
How to talk to your stylist at each trim
The grow-out works best as a collaboration. Come to each appointment knowing three things: what you want preserved in terms of length, what is bothering you most about the current stage, and what your target style is. That tells your stylist exactly where to focus.
If your goal is a specific length or style, bring a reference photo. It does not need to be exact, but it gives your stylist a shared target to work toward across multiple appointments. Saying "I want to get here" and showing an image is more useful than "I just want it to look better."
At KOHORT, Billie and I both specialise in short hair and understand the grow-out from both the cutting and the client side. You can find us on the team page and book directly. The short hair service page also has more context on what short hair work looks like at KOHORT.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to grow out a pixie cut?
Roughly twelve to eighteen months to reach shoulder length, depending on your growth rate and starting point. Jaw length is typically achievable around the ten to twelve month mark. The first three months are usually the hardest stage.
Should I still get trims while growing out a pixie?
Yes. Skipping trims to preserve length is the most common mistake. A shaping appointment every six to eight weeks tidies the back and sides and removes split ends without sacrificing the length you are building in the crown and top. It makes each stage look intentional rather than neglected.
What is the hardest stage of growing out a pixie?
Months one to three for most people. The hair is long enough to look like it needs a cut but short enough that it does not sit like any deliberate style. Regular trims and textured, piece-y styling make this stage significantly more manageable.
What styles can I wear while growing out a pixie?
At the early stage, textured and piece-y works best. Around months three to six, a reshaped bixie is a strong option. By months six to ten, a short bob or growing bob is achievable. Half-up styles and clips become useful tools once the top sections have enough length.
Will my pixie grow out evenly?
Not usually. The back tends to grow faster than the top for most people, and the front pieces often outpace the sides. Regular shaping appointments address these imbalances and keep the grow-out looking deliberate at each stage.
Can I colour my hair while growing out a pixie?
Yes, and it can actually help. Foils or a toner at the grow-out stages add dimension that makes short, uneven lengths look more considered. Talk to your colourist at the same appointment as your trim so the colour is planned around the current shape.
What if I hate the grow-out and want to cut back to a pixie?
That is always an option. If you are genuinely miserable at a particular stage, cutting back to a clean pixie is not a failure. Some people try the grow-out, decide short hair suits them better, and go back. The best length is the one you actually enjoy wearing.
How do I stop my hair looking flat during a grow-out?
Volume through the crown is the main challenge at grow-out lengths. A volumising powder or dry shampoo at the roots before styling, combined with a round brush lifting the crown while blow-drying, helps. Avoid heavy conditioners on the roots during this period as they weigh new growth down.