August
Hello All! If you’ve been following this series for a while: welcome back! If you’re new, please don’t be put off by the ‘Part 9-10’. I’m trying to write each instalment in a way that works both as a stand-alone story and as part of a series. I haven’t updated this series in a while so it won’t be as long for the next part. Enjoy!
As the title says this is a true account of my hair journey however names have been changed.
Part 9: Time For a New Plan
The Story So Far
Several years ago, after I got bored of having the same shoulder length hair all the time I decided to have fun by trying out different short hairstyles. I thought it would be fun to gradually take my auburn hair shorter and shorter and experiment which different lengths.
Even though I was excited to try new styles I was also nervous in case I ended disliking my hair the shorter it got. I’ve grown out a pixie cut once before so I know how slowly hair can grow when you really want it to get longer. However I’ve been surprised and so far my favourite style has been an earlobe length micro bob with a zero undercut.
Getting an undercut a few years ago was the best decision I made. I’ve completely loved the style so I was sad when my most recent haircut unexpectantly put an end to this.
I’d opted for a high asymmetrical bob but, with stylist interpretation, the style became an asymmetrical pixie cut with the left side shaved down and the right side covering my ear. Just like that, my undercut was no more.
Love or Hate?
Normally, when I try a new hairstyle, I get an immediate gut reaction about whether I love it or if I’ve just made a massive mistake.
With this asymmetrical style I just couldn’t make up my mind if I liked it or not.
This was my boldest look so far with the shaved sections on the back and left side of my head clear for everyone to see. This definitely felt like a step in the right direction on my journey to ultra short hair but I wanted to experiment! And this half-shaved pixie cut felt quite limiting in regards to what new styles and lengths I could try next.
However the big issue I had with this style was my parting. During my haircut the asymmetrical cut was styled with quite a severe left-sided parting. It looked good at first but, because the parting wasn’t where my hair naturally fell, it didn’t take long for some of the longer pieces to lie across the shorter sections of my hair.
And don’t even get me started on how messy my hair looked when it was windy.
Eventually I’d had enough of constantly brushing my hair back into place and took matters into my own hands. I let my hair fall where it naturally wanted to and cut the more problematic pieces to match the shorter lengths underneath. I ended up sacrificing several locks of hair before I was happy but it was also quite thrilling to cut those inches of hair from my own head.
Problem sorted. For now.
Time For a Reset
Normally I wait a while between each haircut because I like seeing the immediate change when I lose a few inches of hair at once. While trims may be practical I don’t want to walk out of a salon looking exactly the same as when I walked in.
However on this occasion I only waited a month before I returned to Keiron, at one of my regularly frequented unisex barbershops, and asked him to cut my new diagonal hairline into a less severe gradient. This helped a bit but windy days were still my nemesis. We talked about me returning to an undercut but first I had to wait until the shorted sections of hair on the left side of my head grew out.
And so, I waited…and waited…and waited. Literally months later…it was time.
*
By now my hairstyle looked like a half grown out pixie cut which helped to disguise the mismatched lengths. I’d actually come to like this accidental style my hair had grown into and I knew I was going to miss it a little bit but I was determined for a reset.
I’d originally planned to only get a short undercut up to my occipital bone and pair it with a cute ear-length bob that would completely cover my ears. But by this point I was itching for a new look and decided to see how far I could push my micro bob style.
Keiron snapped the heavy black and white striped cape around me and started pinning my hair to the top of my head. Where did I want the undercut to start, he asked.
Definitely above my ears.
Keiron used his comb to show me a few different heights and we agreed that an inch above my ears would work well.
Then Keiron grinned at me in the mirror. Since it had been a while since I’d last had an undercut did I want to go for a modest length or go back to my usual style?
Gone was my desire to keep a soft pelt of hair covering the back and sides of my head. Could I have my undercut shaved the same length as last time please?
The guard on the clippers was popped off, their settings were reduced to the closest possible shave, and then the blades were passing over the back of my head before I could blink. Three to five inch soft chunks of auburn hair started raining down on the cape. I think this might be the longest these sections of hair have been since I got my first undercut.
Oh my god I’ve missed having an undercut so much! I’d almost forgotten how it felt to have clippers used on my head. It feels really good every time I get it re-shaved and it stops my thick hair from becoming too much of a nuisance. Without the bulk underneath it was great to see my hair lie flat again without the need to straighten it.
Now for the rest of my hair. But what length to ask for?
Keiron explained that, to completely erase the last traces of my asymmetrical style, the longest my hair could be was right underneath my ears. The plastic comb showed me the length. Excellent, I didn’t want my hair longer than my ears anyway. But I needed it shorter than that.
My last micro bob had shown off my earlobes. The comb rose to the same length. Could I try an even shorter look this time? The comb was raised to line up with my cheekbones. Perfect.
Keiron sectioned my hair and, starting at the back, snipped away two inches of auburn hair which immediately fell onto the collar of the cape. It is always a thrill when I get my hair cut short at the back, when I can feel the scissors high up against my head. That said I both like and dislike this first stage of a new haircut. It’s exciting not knowing exactly how my hair looks but equally its nerve-wracking because now this length is locked in and there’s no going back and I can’t see if it’s going to look good or not.
It was only when Kieron completed these back sections and moved onto the sides of my head that I could work out how the finished cut would look. As I’d asked, my hair was cut into a perfect line no longer than my cheekbones. This revealed half my ears, making it my new shortest micro bob.
I love it!
The longest my hair has ever been was halfway down my back. I’ve gone from collarbone length, to shoulder length, to a chin length bob, to an ear length bob, and now to a ‘just covering my ears’ micro length. And every time I’ve been surprised at just how much I’ve ended up liking each new length.
With the basic cut finished, Kieron stepped back to show me my new length in the mirror.
Damn the back looked short! Ok, that’s because my hair was short but I wasn’t expecting such a dramatic line across the back of my head. I remember when my undercut was a secret, hidden beneath waves of hair. But now, like my last micro bob, this was a style I couldn’t hide behind. It demanded attention.
A micro bob is a really fun style. From the front, with my hair framing my eyes, it looks like I’ve got a pixie cut. Similarly these front pieces also give the illusion that most of my hair could be tied up behind my head and these are just part of my fringe. Its only when you see my hair from the back that you realise just how dramatic the style is. And the paleness of my shaved nape offers an amazing contrast which makes my micro bob appear even shorter and more extreme than it is.
But that wasn’t quite the end of my haircut. My previous micro bobs have all been super straight blunt cuts but I wanted to continue changing things up for this haircut. I asked Kieron to make this a choppier bob with some long (relatively speaking) layers to soften the edges of the cut. A blur of point cutting and thinning shears later and my haircut was complete. I know my haircut mightn’t be to everyone tastes but, honestly…I love it!
And I can’t wait to keep experimenting. Keiron suggested trying some shorter layers next time. Although I’ve been thwarted by some annoyingly over layered haircuts in the past, it might be quite fun to see what I look like with a really rounded micro style…or maybe even something shorter.
Part 10: The Experiment Continues
The One Disadvantage
When I was at university I experimented with both an ear length bob (which I hated) and I pixie cut (which I could never decide if I liked or not). If you had told me then that I’d grow to love short haircuts I would never have believed you. Back then I was convinced that shoulder-length styles were for me and, to be fair, the look does suit me. I never would have guessed that, flash forward to years later, I’d know it was time for another haircut when my hair covered my earlobes.
While the sensible part of me knows that my hair likely grows at the same constant rate, I swear that it actually grows slower when I’m trying to grow out a style I don’t like and grows faster when I have a style I do like. Or maybe, now that I’m keeping my hair ear length or shorter, I’m noticing the growth more.
I didn’t take into consideration that, now my undercut was always on display, it would need shaving more regularly to avoid the sharpness of my new ultra-short micro bob being lost. I just managed to visit my local barberette Nora in time; a few weeks after Kieron has created my high bob. After that I made sure to visit Nora every couple of weeks to have my nape shaved smooth.
But, inevitably, life and work got in the way and my undercut and micro bob once again grew out into a long pixie cut style. With the definition of my bob lost and my hair once again long enough to completely cover my ears, I booked an appointment with Kieron.
But what style to ask for?
The Extreme Micro Cut
I entered the unisex barbershop and settled into the black leather barber chair. What are we doing today? Kieron asked as he fastened the cape (plain white one this time) around me.
As someone who has gone from long to medium to short hair I always find it fun being able to talk about my ear-length hair and say: my hair is getting really long.
Naturally I requested that my undercut be reduced to its usual skin length, but what about the rest of my hair? I had two choices – the layered micro bob that Keiron suggested last time or a bowl cut. But maybe there was a way I could get both.
Could I get my bob refreshed please but could it have a lot more layers put in this time?
Of course.
I could have just left it at that but…Would it be possible to get it cut shorter than last time too? Maybe short enough so my hair can’t get into my eyes when it’s windy?
You got it.
Well…no going back now.
As usual my undercut was first. I’ve been visiting Keiron long enough that this time he didn’t bother asking what length I wanted it. The guardless clippers chewed effortlessly through the centimetre and a half long auburn pelt on the back and sides of my head. Little tufts of hair tumbled onto the white cape. After the clippers, Keiron used a foil shaver to remove the last pieces of stubble. From my neckline to an inch above my ears, the back and sides of my head are completely bare.
Now for the fun bit.
Keiron pinned my hair up and, starting at the back of my head, he began creating the baseline of my new micro bob. I was left wondering where the line would fall until he reached the left side of my head. With some easy snips of the scissors half my ear was exposed.
I’ll confess I was actually a little disappointed. This line seemed to be about the same length as my last bob. Ok, maybe it was a fraction shorter but not the transformation I’d imagined. Maybe I should have been brave and directly asked for a bowl cut after all? Keiron created an identical line on the right side and I assumed my haircut was nearly over.
You’d think I would have learnt by now.
Next came the layering. Keiron lifted section after section of my hair and cut diagonally into it.
Starting again at the back, multiple chunks of carefully selected pieces of hair were removed and consigned to the floor. My hair was then smoothed down with a thinly toothed comb while Keiron assessed his work before the process was repeated and a new cloud of hair was removed from the back of my head.
God I really hoped this would look good! I’ve had mixed success with layered haircuts over the years which is why I normally stick to blunt cuts. I don’t think I’ve ever requested this much layering added to my hair before – normally it comes from overly-enthusiastic hairdressers.
Then it was time for the sides of my head to receive the same treatment. Once again, left side first. My hair was divided into sections. One at a time the sections were raised up and the scissors slid into them. Strands of hair were sent tumbling down onto the cape. Whisps of auburn covered my lap – some tiny, some a centimetre and a half in length. The original baseline that had covered half my ear was raised until only the very top was hidden by this new layered style.
Wow!
Well…I wanted it short.
The end result was a style that was too long to be a bowl cut but too short be still be considered a bob. From the front my hair could pass as a pixie cut but the baldness of my undercut and the blunt line of my hair that started at my occipital bone suggested another style altogether. It’s bold and dramatic and oh my god practically half my head is shaved and everyone can see it! It’s one thing to fantasise about short haircuts like this but it’s quite another to be sat in a barber’s chair staring at your new appearance in a wall sized mirror.
What do I think of my new look?
Like my last micro cut, I know this won’t be to everyone tastes but I like it. Maybe not love it, but I certainly like it. It’s fun and different and odd-length hair styles like this were the whole point of this experiment.
And for my next haircut I know exactly what I’m getting next. It’s about time I finally try out a bowl cut.
