ok, all the hairdressers on the board (or anyone else for that matter!) i have a question. my hair is naturally curly. i live in the south where it is always humid. . .therefore, big hair abounds! if i keep my hair all the same length, i look like a triangle-head (meaning the weight of my hair, when grown out, somewhat flattens toward the scalp, but it gets bigger toward the bottom where the ends are) if i layer the bottom 2-3 inches of my hair i look like a diamond-head (meaning flatter towards the scalp, bigger toward the longest layers in the middle, and then tapered again [this looks very feminine on me and i DON'T like it] ) i WANT a lose, tossled look. . .something with long layers. . .and something to lessen the bigness, and lay down. my stylist ALWAYS blends my hair anytime i have had her put layers in it. . .but my thinking is that they should be choppy layers. . .not particularly blended. . .because if it is blended, then my hair just lays on top of itself and out it goes! if my hair were straight i would not have this problem, but it is very wavy. . .with very little effort, it will lie in ringlets.
so, what type of cut should i get in order to have a tossled lose look, that lessens the bigness? blended ? choppy? WHAT?! any help would definitley be appreciated!
thanks a lot!
allen
is there no one to respond to my previous post?
i really would appreciate a helpful response.
allen
i am not a hairdresser nor do i share your hair characteristics, but i might suggest an undercut, that is- leave the top of your hair long- let it grow to whatever length you desire and shave the sides & back. if you let the top grow long enough you can have the appearance of a longhair while getting rid of alot of the 'bigness'. forget layering... it has to be maintained frequently to look right. you also can tie back an undercut & present a frontal appearance of a short almost military cut if you so choose. this style might be a bit more comfortable to wear when it's hot.
I have an undercut, and I really liked it while I was growing my hair out to it's present 2 and a half inches below my ears/ 2 thirds of the way down my neck (I have a long neck). Anyway, it was so great because I have this extremely curly, thick hair. But now, I want to grow it out. Trying to do this and still looking okay is going to give me trouble I think. And besides, only half of my hair is long. I feel sad, like I'm a half-breed or something (forgive the expression).
Anyway, Allen, what you might try is a hot curling iron to straighten you hair, then it will lay nicely. but don't do it every day. That's not too great for your hair and will help the ends to split. But what I think you should do is just leavie it alone. I'm sure that it's wonderfull. I read somewhere that natural, healthy long hair is the only thing that has never gone out of style. Hope I've helped some in all my rantings.
hey luke!
thanks for the response! at least you took the time to respond and for that i am grateful.
i too have had an undercut before and LOVED IT! but, like you, experienced the whole "OK, now lets grow this out" thing afterwards. if the truth be known, i'd get another one, but that just won't fly with me trying to get a different job right now. but i really do like that cut.
allen
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Allen,
Let me make a disclaimer saying that I do not cut hair. For this reason, I do not feel qualified to comment on a hair "cut". However, I have long, curly hair, and I live in a region that does get humidity. I can offer a few styling observations, and these may be a bit fem if you are not into doing stuff with your hair, but they do work
I see your problem as not so much being big hair, but inconsistenly big hair. What you describe is pretty much the reality of long curly hair. This is because curls tend to straighten out under the weight of a heavy strand. However, if you are not comfortable with that style of cut, you may find that you like your hair more if the look is more consistent.
Blow-dry your hair straight(er). Using a large, soft, round brush to straighten your hair as you dry it may calm your curls down a bit. Any hairstylist can show you this technique if you are not sure how to do it. However, I would not recommend this method if you are outside (working) alot. Excessive persperation from the neck and scalp can make the hair damp, and when it dries, it reforms to its original shape.
Use hair products. A de-frizzing agent like Frizz Ease used before you dry your hair helps keep the flyaways in check. After your hair is dry, a professional-line curl activator like Nexxus Rejuv-a-Perm or KMS Curl-up may help keep the top of your hair from straightening out too much. If you can get the curl to maintain its shape the entire length of the follicle, this will eliminate the "triangle-head" look. If the activator works, finishing off with a holding product (spray, mousse,gel) will the curls on top stay there. A cut with long layers is generally best for this sort of technique.
Chemical processing. Only recommended if your hair is reasonably healthy. This is more drastic, but if you don't want a bathroom full of hair products, this might be a better way. Getting your hair relaxed (chemically straightened) will allow you to wear your hair in just about any cut you want, because it hangs straight and stays there. This doesn't involve curlers, you just sit there with gop on your hair for about an hour. There is also regular perm involves curlers of some type. The advantage to this is you can control the amount of curl in your hair. The disadvantage is, unless the perm done with large diameter curlers (which don't add much curl) you get straight "perm roots" as it grows out.