We all know the awkward stage is inevitable. As I’m inching towards three months of hair growth, my toes have officially entered the proveriable pool of awkward.

I’ve got hair sticking straight out over my ears, the shape of my head seems to start wide and get narrow, and my neck line is horrendous. I’m talking wolverine-esk type of neck hair over here.

It’s time for some much-needed maintenance. But how do you set yourself up for success growing your hair out?

There are some purists out there who believe you should never trim or do any type of cutting to your hair as you are growing it. While it’s true you just have to power through the awkward stage, that doesn’t mean you can’t look good doing it.

The thing is, we don’t have to be miserable growing our hair out. We can make it more manageable by mitigating some of the most glaring issues, and that starts with maintaining an overall well-groomed appearance.

With an intentional approach to grooming, including our neck line, the sides, our beard and eyebrows, we can look presentable and professional through the process of growing out our hair.

That’s just part of what I learned when I visited two hair professionals seeking advice on how to deal with the awkward stage. First I went to a salon, then I went to a barber shop for a second opinion and actually got my hair cut.

It was super interesting how well the education translated between the salon and the barber shop, and the results were great. I ended up looking clean, sharp, and set up for success growing my hair out.

See how to set yourself up for success, how to communicate with your hair pro as you start growing your hair out, and most importantly how to make it through the awkward stage without being miserable.