As you can see from the picture at the bottom of this article, I am currently sporting a pixie cut!
This is the second time in my life that I’ve decided to chop it all off. I was always a little leery of the pixie cut with bangs trend (for fear of looking like late-2000s Justin Bieber).
Recently, though, I took the plunge, and I have been loving it.
There are a ton of ways to sport bangs with your pixie – whether you’re rocking very short curly hair, or short cropped hair, or a sassy style, there’s an answer for you.
Here are a few of my favorite looks for a pixie cut with bangs!
General Pixie Cut Notes
Now with any new style, there are some things you should know before you try it. If you have long hair and have been toying with the idea of a close-cropped haircut, my first piece of advice is this: go for it!
The great thing about hair is that it always grows back. Worst case scenario: you hate the pixie, take a few months to grow it out, and rock a bob for the next couple of months.
If you’ve decided that you want to embrace the pixie wave, here are some cautions and fun facts from my pixie experience to help you prepare for the new phase of hair life.
- It’s still work. The first time I chopped it all off, I had these glorious visions of saving hours in the morning taking care of my hair. Admittedly, it only takes me about 60 seconds to blow dry, but I also basically have to shower in the morning (I used to be a shower-before-bed kind of gal). Remember seeing your dad/brother/significant other groggily getting coffee in the morning? All of those little hairs sticking up at the back of their head? You’ll have those, too.
- It is freeing. Again, when I first took the plunge and chopped, I had an expectation that I would feel like a new person with a weight lifted off my shoulders. This one totally came true! Not only is my hair literally about 10 pounds lighter, the sensation of not having it all hanging around my shoulders is fantastic – especially in the summer!
- There will be days when you miss it. Despite how much I truly love my pixie cut, there are days when I wish I had my long hair back. That said, they really are days. I’ll have a fleeting moment of wishing my hair was long again, and then realize that it’s 90 degrees out and I am so lucky not to have hair on my neck! Plus, if the missing your hair starts to linger, you can just go ahead and start growing it out.
- It’s not that hard to grow out. I know a lot of girls who don’t want to get a pixie because they’re afraid of how hard it will be to get back to long hair. It does take time, but the process isn’t nearly as awkward as people fear. Get regular trims and embrace the fact that you will have bangs for at least a little while (there’s actually no way to avoid it). The great thing is this: we live in the age of the internet, so you can look up photos of your favorite celebrities who have had pixie cuts (and no longer do) in order to see a step by step of how growing out the cut can be not-awkward. The first time I grew mine out, Emma Watson was my go-to.
1. Long, Piecey Bangs
This is the type of cut that I have going at the moment. The back is still pretty short, but on the top and in the front, it’s getting nice and long!
Depending on how you style it, you can have a ton of different looks.
Some days I use product to sweep the bangs back off of my forehead. Sometimes I opt to go au natural and let the pieces fall down over my forehead.
Other days I really lean into the piecey look and use paste to separate the bangs out even more!
The other fun thing with this look is that you need to have a lot of layers on top to get the bangs to look right (at least in my experience).
That means that there’s a ton of hair to play around with for volume at the back of your head.
Every other time I got my pixie trimmed, my stylist thinned out the top (my hair is very thick naturally). This time, she left almost all of my natural hair volume and I have been loving it.
2. Side-Swept Bangs
If you’re tempted but not fully ready to commit to the pixie, this cut is the one for you.
Keep the back really short (up to the nape of your neck), but let the front come down and frame the face.
This haircut is a close cousin to the short bob, which is one of the great things about it!
If you like the short look, lean into it and tuck that hair back for the faux-pixie look!
If you’re not sold, let the front hang down normally for an uber-short bob look until it grows out again.
Another option for this type of bangs is to make the lower layers of your hair really short (think a longer buzz cut) and let the top layers fall down over it.
This will give a fierce edge to your pixie cut with the adorable addition of long, side-swept bangs.
In the photo above, the bangs are long enough to be tucked back behind her ear for another variation on the look!
3. Short, Feathered Bangs
This is the cut a lot of people think of as the “classic” pixie. Kaley Cuoco’s chop from a few years back is a great example of this look.
She still has bangs, but they’re much shorter – only hitting about halfway down her forehead.
In general, the shorter the cut, the more work you have to put into styling.
There’s a bit more of a learning curve (and more effort) to get this style of bangs to work the way you want it to, but it can end up looking effortlessly beautiful.
Again, you have options.
You can just blow dry your hair (maybe use a hair of volumizer for the back of your head) and leave your bangs. You’ll end up with a soft, understated look perfect for a classy event.
Other days, you can use more product and piece apart the layers to give you a funkier, sassy look.
4. Curly Bangs
Whether you have naturally curly hair or choose to style your pixie that way for the day, bangs and curls can be a smash hit. It seems counter-intuitive, maybe – my curly-haired friends avoid bangs like the plague.
When styled right, though, curly bangs can be extremely flattering.
You don’t want bangs across your entire forehead, but curled and swept over to the side (as in the photo) can be a great look!
5. Asymmetrical Bangs
This cut can look similar to the side-swept bangs, but it’s different in execution.
Instead of taking your straight-cut bangs and styling them over to the side, you’ll have your stylist intentionally cut bangs on one side of your part and not the other.
You can make this look as intense or as casual as you like – if you really like the look, opt for longer bangs going down to your chin. If you’re just trying it out, go for something that tapers near your ear.
Asymmetrical bangs can look awesome styled a lot of ways, but I’m personally a fan of the longer look.
If your hair has a little bit of wave to it, take a flat iron to your bangs in the morning to make them really stand out apart from the rest of the cut.
It will also look great if you separate out the pieces a bit to make the look more casual and fun! If you need a more classic look, just tuck the bangs back behind your ear and off you go.
6. Coloring
Not a style of bangs specifically, but coloring your hair can be a great way to accent a new style!
Highlights in a pixie can be a great addition to accent your new bangs, or you can go full balayage and really accent the top layer of your new do.
Alternatively, let your dark roots show under a light dye job for a cute, spunky look.
Of course, when it comes to hair dye, the possibilities are nearly endless. You could have a super on-trend pastel or silver pixie. You can dye it really dark for an edgier vibe.
You could put rainbow highlights in your bangs. If you’re not sure what kind of dye you want to go for, try something temporary to see if you like it!
Conclusion
That’s a lot of info coming at you about styles, tips, and tricks! I hope that it’s been helpful for you to make a decision – whether it’s a question of adding bangs or getting a pixie to begin with.
Are you wondering whether or not a pixie is right for you?
Have you tried one of these styles of bangs?
Are you in the process of growing out your pixie?
Whatever the case, hit us with your questions and comments below!
