I've done it a million times, swore I'd never do it again, and guess what, I am doing it now. I am not sure how long I'll go, but my hair is in better condition than ever thanks to the pandemic! Less blow drying, fewer products, etc., and because I don't have to go to an office to work, I figure now is a good time to endure the awkward stage. I think you've already acknowledged what I think of as the most important part -- keep the back as short as possible. Otherwise, I have no wisdom to share.

I use a paste or wax product to make my hair behave, after drying, just a tiny bit kind of smooshed into the ends. Then I sort of tousle my hair so it looks a bit messy if that makes sense.

It makes perfect sense, and I too find that when I'm going to the office, it helps to add some paste and tousle it around -- like yeah, I meant for it to look this way. When I'm at home on the weekends, I just wash it and let it be, for the most part. DH and the cats don't care if I have flat, funky hair, and neither do I when it's "just us." ;-) How long is yours now, Sue?

I think you should get an undercut :-)

Well, yes. I'm going through this right now.

I usually keep my hair on the long side with layers because it is unruly and I don't have the best hair to start with and I color it. I know better than to cut it short(er) but in Nov I got the dumb idea that other ladies my age can do the shorter cut, and it looks nice on them. I did a graduated bob type of cut. Probably similar to what you are going for. Again, I knew better, but being the eternal optimist, I surmised that I'm older now, only have half the hair I used to have anyways, so I CAN rock this. It will be great! Freeing! Liberating! And it was. For half an hour. I'm been miserable since and look like George Washington. On a good hair day. Sigh.

What I've been doing in the mean time is being glad it's hat season. What a godsend. But, that doesn't help you.

Lobster type clips help to get through this stage. Just pinning the sides up and back helps, but I still look like I am hair impaired. I also dug out my old bandanas and roll them up to make a headband. Regular headbands helps too, but really at our age, the headband thing is suspect. Honestly though, it's just been awful. Ugh. No other way to put it. Sorry.

Your dh keeping mullet portion trimmed helps until everything else catches up, but it's a difficult process to go through. I hope it goes easier for you than it has for me. Today I was told I look like Andrew Jackson. So far, I'm hitting the guys who live on our currency. It's been fun! :^\

Sea Sea - Noooooooooo! Hahahaha! I'm so sorry you've been told you resemble dead Presidents, but I'm sure you actually don't! (You did make me laugh, though!) I too make use of bandanas and head wraps when going out for a walk and anything of that nature where I'm "sort of" in public, but don't really have to worry too much about how I look. That does help, a bit. I am going for a style that sounds much like yours -- the graduated bob -- and I've had it before, so I have a good idea of what I want to look like - again. Hey, take solace in the fact that at least your style is down over your ears! Right now, I have flap-like coverings that partially hang down over mine. I try to keep those bits tucked behind my ears, but I have recently discovered that I have become, over the years, lopsided. And my ears are doing "that old person thing" where they look like they're larger than ever before. Yeeps.

Bumblebeez, I have actually toyed with the idea of a closely-shaved undercut, particularly when my hair was shorter. It's a cute look on some women; alas, mostly younger women with perfect features. DH did manage to cut my neckline in such a way that the longest layer became a shorter layer underneath the other layers, and that helps to sort of curve the hair in, instead of having it just sit there like a bowl-cut shelf. I'm probably going to have to break down and go see my stylist soon for a "real" trim, though. I've just been trying to avoid paying her $50 to tweak it very little.

Jenn, I love your pixie! It looks great on you! I can't remember your bob, but can't wait to see it when it's grown out.

I generally keep my hair around the same length. My hair is thick and wavy and needs layers orit is just too big! I don't do alot of products - gel when it's wet and then I will take just a drop more and run through my hair after I dry it. During the pandemic I've gone months at a time without a cut and I generally go every 4-6 weeks. During the long times, I've used a curling iron to tame it a bit. After letting the color grow off, my hair is no longer dry! I still was it every-other-day, sometimes not washing till day 3. I do style it daily although I don't have to do much to it. In the earlier pandemic days, I did take to pinning the sides up (back?) at times. I also will cut on my own hair a bit. Hey, it's layered, wavy and I will just cut a bit at a time, so you can't even tell. Until my hair gal sees it, but she knows me well. LOL

I am really loving my gray and it sounds like you are too!

I've gone back and forth like that many times and it never seemed to bother me much. I think the key was getting it trimmed frequently which was easy for me to do in the past because I was at the salon all the time for color. The only thing I recall being a nuisance was when I grew my bangs out to an all one length bob but I haven't gone without bangs in a very long time.

Current situation. Still short but it was wayyy short a few months ago and that scared me. (This is the closest I’ve been to my dad in a long time! He’s had both vaccines AND Covid within the past month or so, which in my mind gave me permission to hug him for his 86th bday.)

And here’s Sea Sea

AHAHAHA! @SEA SEA I must say, that curl across your forehead is lovely.

@Sueb20 you look much different than I remember (or maybe it's been forever since I saw a pic) but I was thinking your hair was darker. My sister is one who can wear really short hair (as long as she has some wispy long bangs) and there is no way I could wear my hair as short as hers. The sides/back of hers is REALLY short. LOL I might be scared too.

Omg, you guys thanks for the laugh lol! I'm so loving this stage! Not. Poor Ida, with the hair flaps over her ears. btw, I keep getting master-locked out of Houzz when I clear my cookies/history on my computer. A few days ago I had to set up a new account to get back in and had to post in this thread under the new profile because Sea Sea got locked out again after my first post, but I'm not seeing it. If it shows up at some point, I'm Ima Beach. Since I made that post, Sea Sea is working again. Anyhoo, back to IdaClaire's hair. Sorry for the sidetrack.

I love that photo Sue! You look so happy to be with your dad. And your hair is very nice there. If mine would do that, I would probably give that cut a try, but alas, I know my hair would kaputz that cut too. It's flattering on you-not that I know what a different cut looks like on you, but it's nice. Sometimes we need outside eyes to see us.

You’re too kind, SS. Tina, I think my hair is darker IRL than it looks in the pic but it does seem to get lighter every year as my gray fights against the dye...I used to have dark brown hair with reddish (natural) highlights but the reddish is taking over...

Before our lockdown last year I had just completed growing out my color. I feel really lucky with my color. It's close to what I had colored it to, but without the hassle.

I had a longer in front, stacked back short in back style. Grew it longer for months until I finally got a haircut 3 months ago. Hairstylist works out solo from home one day a week and is careful due to her own health issues. For my first haircut just had it cut shoulder length, but because it,s pretty thick I think my next haircut next week I’m going back to the earlier style.

I just had a coworker ask me if I'd done something different to my hair. I explained that I'm in the process of letting it grow, and she said, "No, no - I meant the color. It almost has purple-looking streaks in it."

Gah. So now I have to worry that my hair is turning freakish colors, along with the weird flaps and the mullet.

imremember the misery of growing out bangs. I don’t know what possessed me to cut them in the first place. The worst stage was when they were mid eyeball length and poking me in the eye. They were too long to wear down but too short to tie back. Somehow I clamped them with a barrette and just walked around looking like an idiot for awhile. Good luck. Don’t lose heart halfway and chop it off again!

@IdaClaire maybe you need to worry about your co-worker LOL.

Hey Ida - don't think twice about the purple comment - people pay good money to have purple streaks in their hair

I haven't done anything special to deal with my much longer covid style. I did have to stop using the products I used to use for volume because they were stealing the little bit of volume i can muster with drying techniques. I started out with a stacked bob longer in front.. just a little longer than chin length.

I mostly manage it by tying bandanas around my head hairband style or wearing a high ponytail held with a wide barrette (traditional ponytail holders don't stay well-- and make for sickly looking "tails"). Not a great look for a 57 yo but i am going with it, ,

My roots and eyebrows are out of control-- this photo was taken with a lot of "golden hour" light and i think that hides the roots. IRL my sister and nieces claim my roots look like an intentional balayage or ombre style. It's not-- but I will go with that until I am vaxxed!

I use purple shampoo and have three kinds in rotation. A few years back when I was just using Joico, I was sitting outside having lunch with my daughter. She said, mom, you might want to cut back a bit on the purple shampoo. Hahaha! I did, a bit, until I decided I didn't care. Now it's purple shampoo everyday. I kinda like a faint mauve glow. Also, lighting can make all the difference, kinda like home decor.

Funkyart, I love your eyebrows!

People pay good money for those eyebrows Funkart! You might think about keeping those post-pandemic. Very nice. And your skin! Wow. I'll have what you're having. I didn't even notice hair. All I saw was great eyebrows and skin. Sorry.

Ha .. well i have heavy eyebrows always. Even when waxed/groomed. Even when not in style.

But thank you for the compliments. I focus on my creases, lifeless hair and chicken neck.

I don't think you realize how lovely your appearance is, Funkyart. Blubird and SueB, you both, as well.

IdaClaire, a few months ago, on a complete whim, I bought these collagen supplements at Costco. I've been mostly consistent in taking them, and I have noticed my hair is thicker and may be growing more quickly. My hair is long, so growth is less noticeable. If you can choke down the 6 recommended pills a day, this may boost your growth a bit.

Has anyone bought a hairpiece? I always used to have a good bob length haircut but now I have a wispy wimpy ponytail. I'm a baker 6 days a week so mostly it doesn't matter how I look. For fun I would love a ponytail like Charlotte from sex and the city, maybe not quite that long. Would that be ridiculous, I'm not a young puppy?

Sue, Bluebird, and Funky, y'all are absolutely gorgeous! I agree that those brows are amazing. Ah, brows ... another thing I'm never happy with on my face.

I covet Blubird's style! So cute.

And Sue, that gamine cut is adorable on you! You do look so happy with your dad. How sweet!

Here's where I'm currently at in the growth game. It would look more like it's an intentional short bob if not for those stupid pieces around my ears.

It feels like it may take literally forever for the short bits to grow out to where I want em. I'll check out those supplements. Thanks, Feathers!

@Funkyart you are beautiful as always. I covet those brows as mine are all but disappearing!

@Sueb20 I agree - you look happy in that pic. I'm sure because you are with your dad!

@IdaClaire your hair looks darker in these pictures! It will get there!!

Wowee! Hotties on this board! 😍

Ida, it looks great! It’s not in mullet territory. 😄

Mr Jinx stopped getting haircuts last year and looks so much like Keanu Reeves in the John Wick movies. I love hearing him complain: “My hair is in my eyes! My hair is in my mouth!” Welcome to our world, Mr Man! His hair was pretty short before, but grew out well.

Sorry, I digress .... anyway, you couldn’t look bad if you tried! It’ll grow fast. :)

His is longer since this pic I took from a video of him playing. It’s dark enough he doesn’t care if I post it ...

I got my hair cut today for the first time in 6 months. Six months ago, it was a pixie. This morning it was a full-on mullet. Now it is a short bob. Because I am growing out the color, I thought my hairdresser would advise a really short pixie. But she liked the bob. I’m happy but I may go back for a bang cut. The top is falling in my eyes and that makes me unhappy!

Here is my hair idol. I'm trying to get my hair to be this long at the bangs but by the time I do humidity will be back. Then I will look like Barbie with her bubble cut.

The hair issue I have now is that no matter what you look like when you get to work, after procedure mask, goggles or face shield, etc your hair looks like cr@&!

I'm "looking like an idiot for a while"))

Can't wait to get back to pixie. I had only two haircuts last year-mid-February and mid-august..didn't have a chance since then.

Unfortunately only recently I got to the stage where they're wavy a little bit before weighing down, so DH, MIL, and kids(who see me on Zoom) like it. MIL told me, excitedly and very untimely, that I look 20 years younger. I took a big offence to that-so what, before I looked forty years older?

They also don't get that even if it's cute it's cute for another couple weeks.

Also it's too much of shampoo spent, and I really don't want to buy a comb..in short as soon as I can I'll go and cut it.

And yes they poke me in the eyes.

Jinx, his hair looks great at that length! He definitely has a California boy rocker vibe going on, and it works!

RNmom- Barbie with the bubble cut! Oh, yeah. I'm totally headed in that direction myself. Ugh.

Ida and I are on the same wave length because @Jilly i was going to say, he’s a musician, the long hair fits!

Envying those with such pretty hair!

Esp. love blubird's color - perfectly silver 😊

Mine has grown something like 7 inches since last year and is boring dark brown with some silver strands. I had it cut in a short layered bob just before everything shut down, and haven't since then. I am sick of all this hair! When I go out, it's pulled back in a low bun and I wear a baseball cap as well.

I'm thinking the first thing I want to do when I finally get vaccinated is get my hair cut.

My hair was very much like the photo RNmomof2 posted last year when all this began. I had also said I wouldn't grow it out again, but it is now collarbone and beyond length. Now that is has grown this much, I'm torn on whether I want it to go that short again. But talk to me in June or July. LOL

I had my last haircut March 11th, 2020. I'm growing it out - my COVID "Cut". It had been short-ish, feathered and layered, with bangs. The bangs are now long enough that they are no longer bangs, and no longer falling down in my eyes. I've decided to grow it out further, wait until summer, then get it trimmed - and probably leave myself bang-less, and tint the tips of my hair with bright colors. I'm retired - it would be just for fun, and when I want to move on from that, I'll re-decide what sort of hair style I'll then want.

Yeah that hair growing out over ears is the worst! I had a chin length bob last year. Now my hair is past my shoulders. Last weekend I cut a good 1.5 to 2 inches using a “unicorn ponytail” cut. Not as much grey but I did the Overtone Pink for Brown Hair. It’s fun but pretty messy. Wear gloves!!

I'm really enjoying seeing pics of real people's hair. I find it way more helpful than model's in magazines.

I have super thick hair that seems to grow forward, so growing it out means it is always in my eyes. I need some softness around my face so hair clips or headbands pulling it all away from my face are last resorts.

I haven't had a haircut since early december, but am scheduled for next week. I don't mind my cut, but I after growing out my grey, I think I am going to colour it an ashy blonde. I am really not loving the grey. I'll do it eventually, but I don't think I'm ready yet. I just look washed out and older than my 55 years.

Feathers, Tina and all thank you for the sweet words. It's hard to look in the mirror and see someone so foreign! The brows are unruly but not "new" to me lol.. but I haven't had long hair since grade school!

Sue, you always look so bubbly and fun! So glad to see you with your dad <3

Love the color Gscience! and your style, Blubird!

I get it, Ida.. you are at the tickle your ears stage! Hold on-- it won't be long and it still looks great in the transition!

I've been looking at some photos taken when I started the transition from long to medium and then to short hair. Here it was cut in a chin-length bob, and I'm not quite sure why I didn't keep this style longer ... I guess I was just eager to go short, and of course also to get the bleach off my hair entirely. So this is when it was still quite blonde, but does show that my hair has a good deal of natural wave.

I also had shorter bangs, which I don't think I want again. They drove me nuts. Lately I find I really like the look of a cute little "French" bob, but they almost always come with bangs. So I don't know if I'll go back to a style like the one above, but I'm curious how much my hair would wave without the color on it. Ah, it's ALL such an experiment, isn't it!

It's strange -- I still think of myself as a blonde, as in just about as blonde as in the photo. I was born a blonde, but clearly I now have very dark blonde-to-brown hair, as you can see in the photo I first shared. It does get lighter if I'm outdoors, but being cooped up inside for most of the past few months has definitely taken me to the dark(er) side.

Gscience, I love your color! It looks so vibrant, but quite natural. Seems to suit your skin tone beautifully too.

Gscience, that color is so flattering on you. Gorgeous. Everyone else too. Lots of handling pandemic hair in style.

Ida, in that gorgeous photo of you a couple of posts up, was it hard for you to live day to day with that cut? It's so pretty, but I'm wondering if it got in your face much and perhaps that (and wanting to get rid of the colored hair) is what made you go for the pixie eventually.

Thanks! It's fun! And the color picks up more on the colored ends so it's a little more of an ombre effect.

Here is the Unicorn Ponytail haircut, LOL.

Sea Sea - funny you should mention hair in the face. I pretty much live with hair in my face to some extent at all times, but now that I think back on it, one of the motivating factors for going from that bob to a pixie was because I'd just bought my convertible and couldn't stand having hair in my eyes and mouth as I drove. Even trying to pin it back was unhelpful (and I'm not the scarf-on-head type, so wasn't gonna wear one of those). Having very short hair is extremely liberating -- when cruising with the top down, running, hiking, having a wretched hot flash, etc. I may find that I cannot stand the feel of hair down further on my neck as this progresses. We shall see.

Excellent reasoning Ida. I'd probably do the same thing in the same situation. It sure was a pretty hairstyle on you :)

I did the unicorn haircut last year and all it gave me was layered bangs which I brush back and to the side. I think it was because my hair comes, or came, just below my shoulders and was too short for layers.

The other day I was able to put my hair in a braid.

DH or I have cut my hair probably 4 times over this past year. As soon as I can confirm I'm vaccinated I will be heading back for a pro haircut and mani-pedi! Don't think I will go back to full color, though.