Growing Out a Pixie Cut: Month-by-Month Timeline
What your hair looks like at each stage of growing out a pixie, from the bixie to the awkward phase to a bob, with the cut to ask for and how to style it.
Growing out a pixie cut is a long project, and the middle part can feel endless. The good news is that it follows the same steps for almost everyone, and each step has a haircut that makes it look planned instead of messy.
This growing out a pixie cut timeline walks through each stage month by month: how much hair you have gained, what it looks like, what to ask your stylist for and how to style it in the meantime.
Quick answer: Hair grows about 1/2 inch a month, so growing out a pixie usually takes about 10 to 12 months to reach a chin-length bob and about 18 months to 2 years to reach your shoulders. The stages are: grown-out pixie (months 1 to 2), bixie (3 to 4), the awkward mullet phase (5 to 6), short shag (7 to 9), chin-length bob (10 to 12) and lob (13 to 18). Trim the back and sides, not the top, so the shape evens out.
Pixie grow-out timeline
| Time | New growth | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Month 0 | – | The pixie |
| Months 1 to 2 | 1/2 to 1 inch | The grown-out pixie |
| Months 3 to 4 | 1 1/2 to 2 inches | The bixie (bob plus pixie) |
| Months 5 to 6 | 2 1/2 to 3 inches | The mullet phase |
| Months 7 to 9 | 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches | The short shag or ear-length bob |
| Months 10 to 12 | 5 to 6 inches | The chin-length bob |
| Months 13 to 18 | 6 1/2 to 9 inches | The lob |
| Months 18 to 24 | 9 to 12 inches | Shoulder length and past |
New growth is based on the average of about 1/2 inch a month. Some people grow closer to 1/4 inch and some closer to 3/4 inch, and trims take a little off along the way. See what each length looks like in our hair length chart.
The golden rule: trim the back, grow the top
A pixie is short at the nape and around the ears and longest on top. If you let everything grow at the same rate, the back reaches your neck long before the top reaches your chin, which is how the mullet phase happens. The fix is simple: every 6 to 8 weeks, have the nape and the sides tidied up while the top keeps growing. Over a few months, the back and sides catch up with the top and the shape turns into a bob.
How to get through the awkward stage
- Use texture. Messy waves and texture spray hide uneven lengths much better than sleek, straight hair.
- Change your part. A deep side part moves the longer top over the shorter sides.
- Try bangs. Turning the front into a soft fringe gives the cut a purpose. Our should I get bangs quiz helps you pick a style, and these curtain bangs grow out nicely.
- Accessorize. Thin headbands, small claw clips, barrettes and bobby pins at the nape all buy you time. See our claw clip hairstyles for when you have enough length.
- Lean into a shag. A shaggy, layered cut makes uneven growth look intentional. Browse shag haircuts and wolf cuts for ideas.
Can you make hair grow faster?
Not by much. Trimming does not make hair grow faster, but it does stop split ends from breaking off the length you gain. What helps is keeping the hair healthy so you keep the growth you get:
- Use heat protection and lower heat settings.
- Be gentle with tight elastics and rough towels.
- Eat enough protein, iron and overall calories, since hair is one of the first things to suffer when your diet is low.
- Talk to a doctor if your hair is shedding a lot or not growing, because thyroid problems, low iron and some medicines can slow growth.
Should you grow it out or keep it short?
If you are not sure about the long road ahead, take our should I cut my hair quiz or our will short hair suit me quiz. For more short styles to try at each stage, browse our pixie cut ideas and short wavy haircuts, or find a cut that suits your face with the what hairstyle suits me quiz.
Keep going: see what each length looks like on the hair length chart and get ideas from our pixie cut ideas.
