Smoothing a Pixie Cut

October 2, 2022 2:36 AM

My new pixie cut unlocked some very dormant waves and curls that are wiry and REALLY stubborn. How can I keep everything flat/smooth while I sleep so I don't end up with immovable cowlicks in the morning?
posted by The Adventure Begins to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

I have found that with a short pixie I always have to wash it when I wake up, otherwise do a spray bottle and get it wet and blow dry again. Or spray in conditioner.
posted by flink at 3:47 AM on October 2, 2022 [4 favorites]

Just get it wet again with a spray bottle or by running a damp flannel over your head and re-style. The beauty of short styles is that it is much easier to do this than with a long style.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:53 AM on October 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

Yeah I have a short haircut and wavy hair, and I always style it in the morning by re-wetting it with a wet comb and putting in gel/cream.
posted by mekily at 5:17 AM on October 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Tie a silk scarf around your head and wear it while you sleep. This holds your hair close to your head and the silk reduces the friction that brings on curls when you move at night. Look up "wrapping hair at night" on youtube for tutorials.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:35 AM on October 2, 2022 [3 favorites]

I just stick my head under the tap and wet it then towel dry it. By the time I’m dressed it’s dry and I put a bit of hair goo in it and I’m done.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:51 AM on October 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

Silk pillowcase. And yes, expect to use water in the morning to re-set the hair directions.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:43 AM on October 2, 2022 [1 favorite]

On the plus side -- if you do wash it in the morning, the short hair should dry quickly.
posted by amtho at 10:26 AM on October 2, 2022

Cowlicks are the ticket price of a pixie cut. Agreed to make it a bit damp and blow dry or gel or style in the morning. Or you can go with a wavy look too.
posted by Crystalinne at 11:06 AM on October 2, 2022

Same as the others, I generally have to reset one way or another in the morning if I need to be somewhere soon. I do find working from home and rarely needing to be camera-ready that it will actually settle down on its own after a couple of hours but I also may need to do some correction with a flatiron or hairdryer still if I want to go out.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:51 PM on October 2, 2022

When I had a pixie, I just tried to work with whatever showed up in the morning (or when it dried). I think it’s better to work with your own texture than fight it - in general, but especially with pixies because short wavy/curly hair looks so cool! Just handle frizzies and help it shine with a pomade, like Kevin Murphy’s Easy Rider. Twist little sections to accentuate curls and waves, if anything. As long as it’s shiny, it’ll look intentional. (Not that that’s how things should be, the hate-on for frizz is so unfair and loaded and coded. But if you *need* to look “professional”, focus on shine and curl definition)
posted by cotton dress sock at 4:37 PM on October 3, 2022