sigh... Let's get this straight from the beginning: You are beautiful by anyone's standard. Normally I wouldn't make such a comment, but your girls' school seems to have left you charmingly naive of the fact. Whatever you decide to do hairstyle-wise, fashion-wise, or cosmetics-wise, the first thought in anyone's mind is gonna be "What a pretty girl!" or "What a beautiful woman!"; depending on the age of the viewer and your age when they encounter you.
Admittedly, then folks thoughts might diverge, for the exact same look: ranging from "She would look better if she did this and this and that." to "I wonder if I can get an appointment with her hairstylist/cosmetologist/etc." Everyone has their own personal fashion tastes.
That being said, I'll return with the how-to of surprisingly easy ways of do-it-yourself haircutting for what will look like difficult-to-do feathered-styles.
posted
Keep it long. Do hard-curled ringlets around the front of one side of your face, and put the other side up.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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with some long (about chin length) layers around your face?
The layers would help with the texture issues, and losing some of the length would help with dryness. Ask your stylist to recommend a nice leave in conditioner for fine hair. You'd keep alot of versatility, even the ability to do your ponytails. Just make sure you go to a good stylist who will listen to you and not just give you "long hairstyle of the moment."
Honestly, I don't think you want anything drastic, just some shaping and refinement. Please note that I'm not advocating the high drama look featured in the above link, just the length.
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If you want your hair to stay long just get a good trim, and maybe some long layers to give it a little bounce.
I think you would look adorable in short hair as well.
Or mid length.
If I were you, I would start with a good trim, and see if that makes you feel better before trying anyhting too drastic. Hair is a weird thing. To go from long hair to short is pretty shocking to the system.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I have had short hair before... grade 3grade6
Thanks for all the advice. I am not ready to part with too much of my hair, as I have grown attached to it, after growing it out for 4 years. I would like it to be a bit more lively than it is now. It's kind of blah. I don't want to dye it, however. I like my natural colour. The priblem is, it has gotten to the point where it is too heavy and fine to really stay in any style. I need to redo everything a couple times a day, which gets quite annoying.
And on a hair-related note, i actually managed to get my hair into even pigtails!Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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First of all, you need to take at least 2 inches off to get it healthy. For hair to be its healthiest, it should be trimmed every 6 weeks. I go every 3 weeks. If your hair is fine and heavy (which mine is, btw), you should have some layering, even if it's very light.
I have some questions for you. What products do you use in your hair, if any? Have you had it trimmed at all in the past few years? When do you wash it and what do you do with it right after? What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Mrs.M is wise in the ways of science. Get two inches cut, and then have about half an inch trimmed at least every six weeks. Quality conditioner is your bestest friend (you can get salon knock-offs for a decent price at beauty supply stores), and you may want to consider supplementing in-shower conditioning with spray-on conditioning until your hair strengthens.
It looks like we have a very similar texture to our hair, and a little layering just at the crown has done wonders for the lift of my hair.
Posts: 7600 | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I wash my hair with Head and Shoulders 2 in 1. (I have a dandruff problem After, I spray it with Joico Integrity Leave-In Conditioning Detangler. And that's it.
I last had it trimmed about a year ago.
I wash it on Sunday after I play hockey and Wednesday night, and sometimes Friday night as well (if I have nothing to do.) Right after, I dry it with a towel. About 15 mins after that, I brush it out, then spray it.
Hope this helps! I have been thinking about getting layers, but my hair stylist "doesn't approve of people under 18 having layers." Is this unreasonable, and should I go to a different stylist this time?
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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How do you put your hair up when you wear the hockey helmet? Could this be a problem for her, style mavens? I had short hair when i played, but with long hair, there is some squishing.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I agree with Mrs. M's and Ralphie's advice.
As to what your stylist said about cutting your hair in layers:I totally do not understand what being over or under the age of 18 has to do with cutting your hair in layers. Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
I put it in a braid at the back of my head, but I could just put it in a ponytail low on my neck if I wanted/needed to. I don't like playing with my hair down because it gets in the way a lot.
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I don't know anything about hair (ask bunbun), but I do know that when I go to someone in the service industry, I'm not going there to be told that the service I want is inappropriate. So I vote for a new stylist regardless.
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So does ElJay. 'T'ain't her job to approve of it, it's her job to cut your hair how you ask her to cut it. Go somewhere else.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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If I had your hair Kate, I would keep it somewhat long. It's so pretty!
quote:I wash my hair with Head and Shoulders 2 in 1. (I have a dandruff problem [Blushing] After, I spray it with Joico Integrity Leave-In Conditioning Detangler. And that's it.
I last had it trimmed about a year ago.
I wash it on Sunday after I play hockey and Wednesday night, and sometimes Friday night as well (if I have nothing to do.) Right after, I dry it with a towel. About 15 mins after that, I brush it out, then spray it.
Hope this helps! I have been thinking about getting layers, but my hair stylist "doesn't approve of people under 18 having layers." Is this unreasonable, and should I go to a different stylist this time?
1. If you "towel dry" your hair, make sure you just wring it out...don't rub it dry, it causes split ends. 2. If you brush your hair when it's wet, it can also cause split ends. Unless you use the kind of brush with the thick bristles and rubbery tips. 3. Dandruff Shampoo can also aggrivate split ends, make sure you at least use a good conditioner. 4. Make sure you get a trim every few months at least. 5. You might want to try it a little shorter towards the front, to frame your face and add a little variation.
Don't stress out about your hair...you're gorgeous!
(btw...I also suffer from split ends and dandruff/dry scalp)
Posts: 4174 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Kate, there are several things that you can do to make your hair much healthier:
1. Stop towel-drying!!! If you absolutely have to, do as Eruve suggested and only wring it. I wring my hair with my hands and then wrap it in a special "thirsty" towel.
2. Switch stylists. I have never in my life heard anything like a stylist who doesn't believe in layers for people under 18. That's just weird.
3. Never use an 2-in-1 hair care product. You usually end up getting crummy shampoo and crummy conditioner. Also, different parts of your hair need different amounts of conditioner - ends need much more conditioning than roots.
TIGI Bed Head Control Freak ( www.tigihaircare.com/us/products ) Best straightener out there (only product better than its Aveda counterpart)
John Frieda Shampoos and Conditioners ( www.johnfrieda.com/flash.htm ) I've used his Brilliant Brunette line a couple of times while visiting my best friend. It's the best of the drug store brands and probably easiest on a student budget. You might want to try the Sheer Blonde line.
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I'll add my two bits for the "you're already pretty cute."
However, did you have a mental image of what you'd like your hair to look like, or just guidelines?
I'm not sure how women picture hairstyles, but you might find it useful to thumb through women's magazines to help form a mental image of what you might like to try.
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Wow, it never occured to me to condition only the ends of my hair- I never condition at all because it makes my hair extremely greasy, now I will condition just the ends which are suffer from schisms like you wouldn't believe.
Wow.
*is not very clever at solving cosmetic problems*
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I'll second Mrs.M's advice - she knows what she's talking about when it comes to hair health.
I have very long hair right now, but I've played sports with hair at various lengths. I totally agree with the ponytail-length preference. If any layers are too short to stay back in a ponytail, you have to start adding extra clips to hold them out of your face, which don't always work, depending on what kind of helmet you wear.
Low-maintenance hair, if it's going to look like it has a recognizeable "style", has to have a good cut, so your stylist really, really matters. I'd never go to a stylist who thinks that what kind of cut you can get depends on your age - more important is the shape of your face, the texture and thickness of your hair, whether you have cowlicks, etc. I've stuck with my stylist for 15 years because she gives me what I want, which is a good hair cut. Sometimes I have a specific look in mind, and when the look is doable with my hair and face, etc., she does it. There have been a couple times when the cut I've asked for just won't work with my hair without using a whole lot of styling product (which I hate, and she knows this) and she warns me about it and suggests a close alternative.
Lately, I've been growing my hair long, and it has started weighing itself down unless I get layers. My favorite so far is to get the trim I need for split ends, then have a slightly shorter layer put in ("to get some movement in there, honey" says my stylist) and then have the front angled in - enough to frame my face, but leaving it long enough that it will all stay back in a ponytail. The angling also has the effect of giving some lift at the top. It's a fairly simple style, but more interesting than a straight-across cut, and it looks great without getting blow-dried.
One further thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is getting a good hairbrush and comb. Most plastic combs have ragged edges between the teeth, so every time you run them through your hair, you're essentially scraping at the strands and weakening them. Find a comb and brush that have really been smoothed down on any surface that touches your hair. It really helps. I currently have a Mason-Pearson comb that I love, and a brush with wooden bristles (I would never be able to detangle with a boar-bristle brush, though those are supposedly much better for your hair). The wooden brush also solved most of my static problems.
Posts: 54 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I'll second Mrs.M's advice - she knows what she's talking about when it comes to hair health.
I have very long hair right now, but I've played sports with hair at various lengths. I totally agree with the ponytail-length preference. If any layers are too short to stay back in a ponytail, you have to start adding extra clips to hold them out of your face, which don't always work, depending on what kind of helmet you wear.
Low-maintenance hair, if it's going to look like it has a recognizeable "style", has to have a good cut, so your stylist really, really matters. I'd never go to a stylist who thinks that what kind of cut you can get depends on your age - more important is the shape of your face, the texture and thickness of your hair, whether you have cowlicks, etc. I've stuck with my stylist for 15 years because she gives me what I want, which is a good hair cut. Sometimes I have a specific look in mind, and when the look is doable with my hair and face, etc., she does it. There have been a couple times when the cut I've asked for just won't work with my hair without using a whole lot of styling product (which I hate, and she knows this) and she warns me about it and suggests a close alternative.
Lately, I've been growing my hair long, and it has started weighing itself down unless I get layers. My favorite so far is to get the trim I need for split ends, then have a slightly shorter layer put in ("to get some movement in there, honey" says my stylist) and then have the front angled in - enough to frame my face, but leaving it long enough that it will all stay back in a ponytail. The angling also has the effect of giving some lift at the top. It's a fairly simple style, but more interesting than a straight-across cut, and it looks great without getting blow-dried.
One further thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet is getting a good hairbrush and comb. Most plastic combs have ragged edges between the teeth, so every time you run them through your hair, you're essentially scraping at the strands and weakening them. Find a comb and brush that have really been smoothed down on any surface that touches your hair. It really helps. I currently have a Mason-Pearson comb that I love, and a brush with wooden bristles (I would never be able to detangle with a boar-bristle brush, though those are supposedly much better for your hair). The wooden brush also solved most of my static problems.
Posts: 54 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I don't know what I sohould do to dry my hair if I don't towel-dry. I just rub it down, wait a bit, brush it out, then sleep on it wet. It is usually dry by 8:00 the next day. I don't want to blowdry, as it takes too long and I don't need to.
Thanks for the product ideas, Mrs. M. I actually don't need a straigtener, as my hair is naturally bone-straight.
I use a brush with thick plasic bristles and rubber tips when my hair is wet, and my fingers and a boar-bristle brush when it's dry.
I have been thinking more about the kind of cut I want, and am thinking about getting 3 inches cut off, with long layers and something around my face. However, I have no idea what would look good (I'm a bit naive in the hair field) and ask you all for suggestions!
Thanks so much for all your help!
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Also, I forgot to mention that it's best to rinse your hair with the coldest water you can stand (it's also good for your skin). I end my showers with cold water, no matter what the season.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Margarita, I am highly amused by the fact that you seconded Mrs. M's advice and then double-posted. No fair deleting one!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Mrs. M, this is one time when I *know* you are wrong. Boar Britstle brushes are *fabulous* for hair. They are a natural fiber and distribute the natural oils in your hair wonderfully. Unfortunately they also generally cost an arm and a leg.
http://www.baysidebrushco.com/ Mason Pearson is one of the best, but Kent is licensed to the Queen I think, and the Altesse are a French brand that I've been tempted to try because they are cheaper.
posted
I used to loathe blowdrying my hair because I thought it took forever and I could never get the style right. What made me change my mind was investing in a 2 dollar clippie from Walmart and drying my hair in shifts -- I do the botommost portion of my hair first, then the back, then the sides/top layer of my hair. I've found that it helps me to get it completely dry in the same amount of time as my old method, but my old method usually left me with wet spots under my top layer.
My hair's finally getting to a decent legnth (just past my shoulders), and I'm wondering if I should let it keep going or cut it off. I have super-fine hair that likes to stick up if I don't tame it with a blowdryer.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I have taken into consideration all of your suggestions, and when I go shopping this weekend, good shampoo/conditioner, a new hairbrush, and various other haircare stuff.
And I am still looking for more cut ideas. I now have :
cut at least 2 inches off some layering (long layers) long (about chin length) layers around your face Keep it long (from more than one person)
I would really like some more suggestions on what to do with the hair around my face, and any more for the other hair would also be appreciated.
I have been hearing a lot about 'side-bangs' and how they would look good on me from my friends. Is this true? What are these 'side-bangs?'
for the nice people who want me to have a nice haircut.
And last night i washed my hair in cold water. And I am getting my nice shampoo on the weekend. Thanks so much !
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Yes, but I'm not getting it cut until Monday. So I have until then to decide what to do with it. And how to leave Hatrack stealthily so that you'll never see...
As far as the cut you can do what I do. Go into a nice place that you like the feel of*, give them an approx. length and any other limitations or prefrences, and let them do what they do best.
*I thought I should explain this a bit more. Go into a place that you feel suits you. For example I go to a place that has kind of a younger more stylish feel. This results in a more stylish younger cut which is what I am after.
Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Kate just washed her hair with new Aveda shampoo.
Kate did not towel-dry.
Kate is going to brush her hair soon
Kate has booked an appointment woth a new stylist for Tuesday at 2:45.
Kate is still wondering what to do with the hair around her face. Should she leave it the same length as the rest of her hair, cut it short, get a side-bang, or get bangs?
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote:Mrs. M, this is one time when I *know* you are wrong. Boar Britstle brushes are *fabulous* for hair. They are a natural fiber and distribute the natural oils in your hair wonderfully.
Not wrong, just ignorant. See, we all have things to learn.
Kate, I wouldn't get short layers around your face. Start with long layers, about chin-length, and see how you like them. Bangs might look nice, but not heavy bangs - wispy ones.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Well, in fact, it does, right after I put it on!
Seriously, though, my feet are usually like concrete, and I have tried the soaking, the pumice, all those foot things. This lotion is amazing.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I'm glad someone is excited... I have to leav in half an hour and I'm SCARED!
Stupid hairdresser making me nervous... I'm just scared that I'll walk out of there with wisps of hair, or no hair at all.
P.S. Hey google-smart-type-people, if htere is a photo on the internat that you could find of long layers with chin-lenghth layers around th e face, I would be much obliged...
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote: Kate, I wouldn't get short layers around your face. Start with long layers, about chin-length, and see how you like them. Bangs might look nice, but not heavy bangs - wispy ones.
Forewarning about wispy bangs, as I am an owner of them: They are a bit of a pain. Fall asleep and wake up with them sticking out at all angles! The straight-out-of-bed-look is not an option.
EDIT: But nevertheless, I wouldn't discourage you, if that's your plan. If not, it doesn't matter either way.
posted
Good luck!! (I'm of the long hair with long layers crowd as well, though my hair is probably more like Mrs. M's in having lots and lots of fine hair. Layering is almost a requirement. And my stylist refuses to cut me bangs. Sort of a passive agressive thing, where she says "sure, I'll cut you bangs" but somehow, when I walk out afterward, I never have bangs. It's gotten to where I laugh every time it happens.)
Post pictures afterward!
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Elizabeth: Heh, I hadn't been back to the thread in a while, so I had no idea I'd double-posted. Then again, my browser has been acting wonky for a while....
On another note, however good they may be for my hair, I despise boar-bristle brushes. Loathe them. They make my head feel de-brushed, and then I have to go back over everything with my normal brush to feel right again.
Good luck with your haircut, Desdemona!
Posts: 54 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Well, it happened. And it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I went into the salon, feling really scared. Once I got seated in the chair, my haircutter pretty much stated everything that you said in this thread. THen I got my hair washed, and then it was time. He cut 2 inches off everywhere, adn gave me long layers around my face.
Pictures may be up soon.
EDIT: If the techies of Hatrack figureout what is wrong with my laptop
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After, I spray it with Joico Integrity Leave-In Conditioning Detangler. And that's it.![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
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