How to Grow Out a Pixie Cut Without the Mullet or Mushroom Phase

To grow out a pixie cut, leave the top alone and have the sides, back and nape trimmed shorter every six to eight weeks, moving through a longer pixie, graduated bob, bob and lob. Hair grows about half an inch a month, so a bob takes roughly a year.

Growing out a pixie is rarely hard because of the waiting. It is hard because of the months in between, when the back creeps over your collar, the sides puff out over your ears and the whole thing stops looking like a haircut. That is the point where most people give up and crop it again.

The fix is a plan rather than patience alone. A grow-out works when you treat it as a series of deliberate short haircuts, each one a little longer than the last, instead of one long stretch of avoiding the salon. Below is the order to move through those cuts, exactly what to ask for at each trim, and how to style the awkward stages for curly, fine and thick hair. None of it needs special skill at home: a few inexpensive products and a standing appointment do most of the work.

Time: About 12 months to reach a bob, with a 30-minute shaping trim every 6-8 weeks · Difficulty: Beginner

What You’ll Need

Sea salt texturizing spray — Adds grit and loose texture that blurs the difference between a longer top and shorter sides.
Styling balm or soft-hold pomade — Slicks damp hair back off the face on days the in-between lengths will not sit flat.
Bobby pins matched to your hair colour — Tuck and hold puffy sides flat against the head until they are long enough to sit behind the ear.
Slim 1-inch curling iron — Puts loose bends into short layers so uneven lengths blend into one textured shape.
Padded headband or silk scarf — Holds back sides that are too long to lie flat and too short to tuck, and looks deliberate while doing it.

As an Amazon Associate, HairAide earns from qualifying purchases. Some links above are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help support free tutorials.

Step-by-Step

Start by setting a realistic timeline, because unrealistic expectations are what end most grow-outs. Hair grows about half an inch a month, which works out to roughly six inches a year, and nothing you buy changes that rate. From a typical pixie, that means around a year to reach a bob and closer to two years for shoulder length and beyond. Take a photo from the front, side and back today so you have proof of progress on the days it feels like nothing is happening.
At your first few trims, ask your stylist to leave the top length alone and take the sides and back shorter. The top has the furthest to travel before it reaches bob length, so every bit you keep there counts. Shortening the sides and back keeps the outline narrow while the top catches up, which is what stops the cut from ballooning into a mushroom shape. You are on track when the top visibly overhangs the sides and the silhouette still looks intentional.
Keep the nape short until the rest of your hair catches up with it. Hair at the back grows at exactly the same rate as the top; it only looks longer sooner because it has a shorter distance to travel before it hits your collar. Left alone, it gets there months ahead of everything else and you have a mullet. Ask for the nape to be tidied so it matches the rest of your length at every visit, and stop trimming it only once the top and sides reach the same line.
Move through the in-between cuts in order rather than waiting for one big reveal. Stylist Wes Sharpton of Hairstory recommends this sequence: pixie, longer pixie, graduated bob, bob, lob, then long hair. Each stage is a real haircut with its own shape, so you always look like you chose your length. Tell your stylist at the start that you are growing out, and ask at each visit which stage you are closest to. The cue to move on is when the top layers reach the perimeter of the current shape.
Style around the uneven lengths instead of fighting them. Texture hides a mismatch, so mist sea salt spray through damp hair and scrunch, or add a few loose bends with a curling iron, to blur the gap between the top and the sides. On days when nothing sits right, work a styling balm through damp hair and slick everything back off your face. If the sides puff out over your ears, tuck them flat and secure them with bobby pins. The look is done when no single length stands out.
Adjust the plan to your hair type, because the awkward stage shows up differently on each. Curly hair shrinks as it dries and grows outward before it hangs down, so the sides widen early; ask for the shape to be checked on dry curls and expect length to show later than on straight hair. Fine hair looks sparse when ends are thinned, so ask for blunt, solid edges that make it look fuller. Thick hair builds bulk at the sides, so ask for weight to be removed inside the shape, not from the length.
Use accessories and colour as camouflage on the weeks between trims. A padded headband, a silk scarf or a pair of decorative clips holds back sides that are too long to sit flat and too short to tuck, and it reads as a styling choice. Colour does similar work by drawing the eye: soft face-framing highlights or a fresh gloss put attention on shine and tone instead of an unfinished outline. Book colour and trims together where you can, so the cut is reshaped on freshly coloured hair.
When the urge to crop it all off again arrives, wait it out. It usually hits at the stage where the sides cover your ears and the back touches your collar, which is also only a trim or two from a proper bob. Cutting back to a pixie resets the clock by many months for a problem a shaping trim can solve in half an hour. Book a tidy-up, compare with your starting photos, and give the new shape two weeks before deciding. You have made it when everything reaches one clean bob line.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping trims altogether to save length, which lets the nape reach the collar first and creates the mullet you were trying to avoid.
Letting the stylist take length off the top at early trims, when the top is the section with the furthest to go.
Leaving the sides untrimmed while the top catches up, which widens the outline into a mushroom shape.
Buying supplements or scalp products sold as growth boosters; there is no miracle pill, and the rate stays at about half an inch a month.
Cutting it all back to a pixie at the ear-covering stage, when one shaping trim would have turned it into a short bob.

Pro Tip

Say the words growing out before the cape goes on, and ask your stylist to name the stage you are heading for next, such as a graduated bob. A stylist who knows the destination will cut the nape and sides to serve it, instead of simply tidying the pixie you walked in with.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow out a pixie cut?

Hair grows about half an inch a month, or roughly six inches a year. From a typical pixie, expect around a year to reach a bob and closer to two years for shoulder-length hair or longer. The exact timing depends on how short your starting cut was, since the top layers have the furthest to go.

Should I still get trims while growing out a pixie?

Yes. Trims have no effect on the rate your hair grows; they keep the shape wearable. Every six to eight weeks is a common rhythm, because by then the outline has lost its definition. Ask for the sides, back and nape to be shortened while the top is left alone, so the longest section keeps all its length.

How do I avoid the mullet stage when growing out short hair?

Keep the nape short so it matches the rest of your length. The back grows at the same rate as the top; it simply reaches your collar sooner because it has less distance to cover. Having it tidied at each visit keeps the outline even until the top and sides catch up, at which point you can let everything grow together.

Can I use a curling iron on a grown-out pixie?

Yes, and a few loose bends are one of the best ways to hide uneven lengths. Apply a heat protectant first, and only use the iron on completely dry hair, since heat on wet hair causes real damage. Stay around 150C/300F for fine or bleached hair and 180-200C/355-390F for coarse hair.

Do hair growth supplements or scalp products help a pixie grow out?

No. Hair grows at about half an inch a month, and no product, supplement or cutting technique changes that rate. What you can control is how much length you keep: gentle handling and regular shaping trims reduce breakage at the ends, so more of each month's growth stays on your head.

A pixie grow-out goes well when every stage is a haircut in its own right. Keep the top, shorten the sides and back, keep the nape tidy, and move from longer pixie to graduated bob to bob to lob. Texture spray, a balm slick-back, bobby pins and a good headband cover the days in between.

Rebook a shaping trim every six to eight weeks, or sooner if the outline starts to lose its definition. See a stylist instead of reaching for the scissors yourself whenever the nape or sides need work, because those are the areas you cannot see properly and the ones that decide whether the shape looks deliberate. If you are tempted to start over, book a consultation first and ask what one trim could do.

Sources

Stylist Wes Sharpton (Hairstory, New York) recommends moving through intermediate cuts in order: pixie, longer pixie, graduated bob, bob, lob, then long hair. purewow.com