Michelle Williams’ Hairstylist Shares Best Products to Help Grow Out a Pixie Cut

We love these products, and we hope you do too. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!.

Ah, the pixie cut. We sorta have a love/hate relationship with this adorable ‘do. It’s great when you first leave the salon, but can be hard to maintain—and even harder to grow out.

To our rescue comes celebrity hairstylist Kristin Heitkotter, who is the go-to hair guru for Michelle Williams, not to mention other famous faces like Busy Philipps, Reese Witherspoon, Kiernan Shipka, Molly Sims, Kathryn Newton, Justice Smith and Norman Reedus.

We chatted with the tress tamer about the best hair products for shorter ‘dos, growing one out and which products are worth the splurge or worth saving your dough! Read on…

Michelle Williams has been rocking variations of the pixie cut for years now, but recently showed off a new bob. What advice and product recommendations do you have for women (1) wanting to take the pixie plunge, (2) growing out their short hair or (3) are trying to rock their shorter hair without looking like “can I speak to the manager” mom hair? 
I’ve always been a big supporter of hair change. And if it feels right for you, I say go for it. Have an in-depth consultation with your stylist to make tweaks suited specifically for you. There are so many variations (texturized, micro bang, blunt and undercut) that short hair can be right for many face shapes and hair textures.

I think it’s important to have regular clean-ups during the growing-out process, to maintain some shape/style. Start growing most layers longer by just mainly trimming the bottom until you can cut your hair into a short bob…and then continue growing out from that point. Or for a more shagged style, just grow all the layers out evenly and maybe rock it with a shorter bang.

[For short hair] I like to take a flat iron and lightly straighten out some of the ends throughout. Then use a dry texture spray (one of my go-tos is Oribe Dry Texture Spray) to give it some volume. I’m also a huge fan of hair accessories. Throw in clips from Lelet NY or a headband from Lele Sadoughi, and you’ll be the chicest girl around town.

Speaking of great mom hair, you work with both Busy Phillips and Molly Sims. Are there any products they swear by?
One of Busy’s go to products is Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. I’ve been trying to get this workout queen to wash her hair less , and this dry shampoo has paved the way.

Molly, through all her years of modeling, has sworn by Viviscal to help maintain her healthy tresses. Helps with everyday heat and environmental damage and gets you back to your healthy happy hair. 

Your clients include men and women with all types of hair texture. What products do you recommend? Is there one product that works on all hair types?
I’m really loving the line from Sachajuan at the moment. It’s very user friendly, and I feel like there’s something for everyone. A few of my heroes from the line are their dry shampoos. The Dry Powder comes in light and dark which is always a big plus. The Ocean Mist is a friendlier version of a salt spray. It gives your hair great texture without feeling extra dry. And the Fibre Paste, Hair Wax, and Matt Wax are winners for my grooming clients—holds the hair in place without feeling like a helmet.

Which, if any, drugstore products do your clients use?
Elnett Hairspray has been a staple in my kit for as long as I can remember. Great working hairspray.

Busy’s go-to for her pink hair vibe is Kristin Ess Rose Gold Temporary Tint. This spray in tint is so easy to apply and fades out evenly and gradually.

What products are always worth the splurge?
Kérastase and Shu Uemura Art of Hair are two luxury lines that actually change the quality and integrity of your hair by using them.

Your No. 1 styling tool is…
The Dyson Supersonic hair dryer. It substantially cuts down on drying time and gives a smooth shiny end result. A win-win.

Any non-traditional items/products you recommend or use to achieve a specific style?
My clients have come to look forward to my signature scalp massage. I love to do it at the end of the styling process after I’ve applied hair product. It makes them feel relaxed and also gives their hair that perfect lived-in look.

You don’t need a personal stylist to achieve the benefits of a the scalp massage. After you apply product such as a dry texture spray, dry shampoo foam or salt spray to the root area. Use your fingertips or palms of your hands to massage scalp is a circular motion. Let the volume and relaxation begin!