Sunday, July 27, 2008

A Hairy Dilemma

I have been struggling with what to do with my hair for quite awhile now. I need a change. It doesn't necessarily need to be a big one, but I need something. I am desperate enough for advice that I am actually posting some pictures and hoping I can solicite some advice from all my wise bloggy friends.

A bit of background. I have very thick hair. At least two to three times as much as what is probably considered normal. It was always straight, with a little bit of body that might even be considered wave or curl - but the weight of all my hair usually kept it hidden. I have had my hair short before and I liked it, but it was never easy - too much body so I really had to work to keep it under control.

After I had Ella my hair got a bit wavier. After Catherine even wavier. The tricky part is - it's only wavy in the back. The front is pretty straight. Because of that I basically just work at keeping it straight. Here is an example of my straight(ish) hair.

It's way too long and straggly right now. Even after straightening it, it still has a little bit of wave right there in the middle.

Now hear is a lovely picture of my hair as it dries naturally.

And here is another one. Lovely, I know.

Don't you just love that nice straight few inches or so there at the bottom? So you see what I have to work with here?

I am at a crossroads - do I go with the curl and consider getting a body wave to bring some curl to the rest of my hair? This does scare me a bit, because I typically avoid adding body to my hair -the very thought of it really frightens me. Plus, I just don't know how well I'll do with curl. Or do I continue on the same path I've been on and instead just get a new hair cut (which I know I have to do anyway, I'm just not sure what I want).

Any advice or wisdom you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated! Posted by Picasa

12 comments:

greg milinovich said...

here's a link that might help you:

http://hair.lovetoknow.com/Haircuts_for_Thick_Hair

i say: do something crazy! you only live once, and you are beautiful so it won't matter. go crazy.

Happy said...

I have had a body wave before and I have thick hair, but not quite as thick as yours. It did add quite a bit of poof to my already full hair. It was not easier to style...I had to blow dry with a diffuser or at least on low heat (taking forever). I liked the curl, but with children now I don't think I would do that again.

All of the pics on here of you display some very pretty hair...I say get a good trim and perhaps a few longer layers around your face and some highlights to add some pizzazz?

Straight hair is in right now, I think.

The beachy wavy hair that is in that looks so "natural" on celebrities is probably more work than I would want to invest in my hair routine with little ones.

I'm gonna go check out that lovetoknow.com myself now.

Good luck! Make sure you post after pictures!

Anonymous said...

My hair has gotten more body as I've gotten older - Interesting! :) It was spaghetti hair when I was little .. I remember the nickname.
My daughter has really thick hair like you and some wave - more when she lets it dry naturally. Find a really good hair stylist that is recommended by a friend and then consult with her - maybe not even doing anything until you sleep on it. No hurry as the hair is not going anywhere. I know what you mean about dealing with a body curl.
My daughter has hers heavily thinned and she has it alittle shorter than yours.
Find a good professional that can cut in an artistic way ... not just follow directions - if you know what I mean? ;) Praying for you and your hair ...

Stellaandthomas said...

I just had this same question. My hair was about the same length and after the birth of my twins it had gotten curlier...I did not know what to do with it. I ended up just putting it in a ponytail everyday. But I had to look somewhat professional on certain days...so I cut it.

The stylist cut it in a bob...with long layers so it did not look like a triangle. In the morning, I wash and put some mousse and then let it airdry.

I like it and it is easy.

Keep us posted with what you do!

Stellaandthomas said...

Oh I have a picture too:

http://stellaandthomas.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-hair-yay-or-nay.html

Renee said...

love the hair pics megs! you certainly are beautiful no matter what, but I'll try and give you my input anyway.... :)
- go get your haircut somewhere good - shoulder length, and get it thinned out (a lot).
- start asking for gift certs for a professional relaxer on your hair (or invest). I know they say you have to keep going back to get these done, but you never know - maybe it would last a long time, and be so much easier to deal with. Maybe your hair would start to be trained - like how if you keep waxing hair, it grows in thinner and thinner....(??).
- use your really good straightner at night before you go to bed, maybe just twice a week - so that it will keep that straight look at least 4 out of 7 days (or whatever - depending on how often you wash it out or swim....)
good luck!

Erin said...

Megs,

My two cents would sort of depend on when you shower. :) If you're a night shower-er, then I might suggest letting your hair air dry or blow dry until just damp and then add some mousse or gel, then twist up into one or two buns (you may have to experiement - i can only do one b/c two gives me too tight of a curl) on top of your head so they don't bug you too much when you sleep. When you get up, it should be pretty much dry, but with a more regular curl all over. Spray a little with hairspray to keep it from getting poofy and it could give you a nice, even wave. This works for me, but i have much thinner hair than you and my waves are up front, not in the back. Just a low cost option. Otherwise, i agree with the other people who say go to a good stylist. I've discovered that you really do get what you pay for when it comes to haircuts... If starting from scratch, I always call up the salon and request someone who's good at my hair type. Last time i asked for someone who was good with long, straight styles. I think she did a pretty good job. Let us know how it goes.

Megan said...

thanks for the advice, links and kind words so far - keep it coming! i'm pretty sure i'll stay straight as rebecca's experience with a body wave was enough to make me lean away from that. i might just opt for a cut to clean things up for now and something diff in the fall.

Vileation Nation said...

Well I'll tell you what, you can't go wrong, Megan. Your hair is so lush and gorgeous...so many options! Because I'm sitting here sweltering in the heat, I vote for cutting it to just above shoulder length with tossled, choppy, flippy ends so that no matter how it dries, you just put a little waxy pomade stuff on it and it looks all beachy and cute.

That's my two cents! Also, thanks to your post from several weeks back, I enjoyed a tasty Pittsburgh chicken salad for dinner last night...I'm so glad you planted that idea in my head!

And thank you for all your sweet comments on our site...we're all getting acquainted over here and starting to gel as a family!!!!

Steph said...

I say cut it - only as drastic as you want - but the straightness, as you said, is mostly at the bottom - so if you cut it, perhaps there would be a wave of conformity (haha) - and sometimes, with the right cut (like a bob, perhaps?), wavy hair (I've been told) can just mold into the cut - hopefully with little styling neccessary.

I also just love short hair - you'll be beautiful no matter what!

Anonymous said...

I am not one to advise as I have no style... I am happy to wash mine and it air drys... I long for a cute look but lack the time to pull it off.

Looking forward to pics of what you decide!!

Courtney said...

I am the worst with hair (maybe because I HAVE the worst hair?) so I have no advice. But I do have a recommendation: check out http://www.hairthursday.com/
It has a ton of helpful info. Good luck!

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