Hair Delemma
OK, so I need a hair cut badly, but I'm getting edgy about how much to cut off. Here's my current hair profile, and history if you're bored.
I have naturally wavy/curly hair. Most days, it is fun. Some days, it is a super pain in the ass. Unlike most people with a natural kink in their hair, mine is super-fine and delicate, not coarse. I have a lot of body, usually, which hides the fact that I have a fairly thin head of hair. Since my hair curls up, it always looks a few inches shorter than it actually is.
Right now, if I pull it straight, the longest layer of my hair is a little less than half-way between my bra-line and my waist, so it looks like it is at my bra-line most of the time. I have a few light layers in it. I also have some pieces left-over from the disastrous bang experiment that are now layered and mostly blended with the rest of my hair; they are just about to my chin.
My hair routine is disgustingly simple. I brush it (sometimes), wash it, condition it (which, admittedly takes a bit of time, and I go through conditioner pretty quickly), rinse. Get out of the shower, flip my head forward, scrunch, put in towel. When ready, remove towel, scrunch curl creme and/or mousse into hair, scrunch/bundle hair up in chip clip, and release when I get to my destination for the day. If it is a special occasion, I'll skip the chip-clip step and use a diffuser to gently scrunch and mostly dry my hair - only for about 5 minutes or so - and add some hairspray. Voila!
If I want to straighten my hair, though... give me at least an hour or two to blow-out and then flatten. And it won't be board-straight, either. It will have a lot of volume and be kind of dry. And the next day I have to condition it to death.
Back to the cut... I'm getting bored with my hair. I don't know if it is hormones or what, but I'm getting dangerously close to making a huge contribution to Locks of Love. The last time I did that, my hair was probably only a few inches longer than it is now, and I whacked it to between chin and shoulder length (this was what, in 2000?). I'm afraid of doing that for a few reasons, though.
Cons: First, this could just be hormones and my lack of patience in getting to my ultimate hair goal. The last time I had hair down to my waist (though, being curly, it looked slightly shorter) was in college. I've always wanted to get it back to that length, and I keep thwarting my own plan by getting itchy for change and whacking off more than I should periodically. Also, I might horribly regret chopping it when I'm back in my right mind (i.e. after post-partum). It really isn't that hard to take care of, either. I admit - I'm not in love with hardly any of my bodily features (especially now that I'm pregnant), but I am vain about my hair, because it is the only thing I've been consistently complimented about (well, that and my boobs, but lets not go there).
Pro: I'm itching for something different with my hair, and I'm not sure if cutting it is the answer, or not. Plus, I'm 32 - am I too old to have long hair? I know it isn't fashionable for my age group, and I generally don't look all that polished and/or professional, hair-wise. And, with the baby coming, it might be easier/cheaper to have short hair?
Well, here's the thought behind my choices below.
1. Just trim off an inch to get rid of the dead-ends. That's easy, and can be done at the cheap $10 salons and I've done it a thousand times before. It will allow me to keep working towards my goal of having hair towards my waist. However, my hair will probably be just as flat and weighted as it is now.
2. Knock off 2-3 inches and get the layers trimmed up to give it more bounce. Again, easy (mostly - I don't always trust hair stylists with layering my hair). I can still go to the $10 place. It will add to getting my hair down to the length I want, but still not too drastic, and should give most of the fullness and bounce back.
3. Chop it off to somewhere between chin and shoulder length with some layers. I'm not sure if I could trust a $10 salon to put the layers in on this cut. And I don't trust expensive hair-stylists - I've never gotten a good cut/style from any of them. Never. Ever. The last time I whacked all my hair off to this length, I went to a cheap place, where they just bobbed it for me. I quickly discovered that with all the curls, I now had a triangle-shaped hair-do, so I layered it myself, and did a fairly damn good job, too. I can also very easily straighten my hair (even though it turns it to toast) at this length, and do some neat "modern" hair styles with it. My husband has never seen it quite this short, nor have a fourth of my current friends. But I'd be back at square one for growing my hair to my waist, and it would take me probably 5 years to get it back even close or more.
4. Meg Ryan in the movie City of Angels kind of short! Ok, so I think she's very annoying actress, but I was intrigued by this cut, and it is something that I've never ever done with my hair before. I'm pretty sure my natural waves will make it look pretty good, but there's always the chance that my hair would curl up too much, and I could come out with a 'fro, and/or looking like little orphan annie. Plus, I have a round face, with my eyes small and too close together, a very weak chin which causes a double-chin look even when I'm skinny (can't wait to afford plastic surgery to fix that horrific feature) and a very long neck and small head on very broad shoulders. Plus, I'm fat in the face because I'm pregnant. I'm just not sure I could pull this cut off without looking like a fat pinhead. My hair as-is hides the fact that my head is so small compared to my shoulders, and sorta balances out my look. If I got this cut, I'd have to find an unbelievable hair dresser (not likely, given my past history). If I did do it, however, I'd save a fortune in hair conditioner. I think I've just about talked my way out of this one. Maybe after I get plastic surgery someday, and lose about 60 pounds...
I have naturally wavy/curly hair. Most days, it is fun. Some days, it is a super pain in the ass. Unlike most people with a natural kink in their hair, mine is super-fine and delicate, not coarse. I have a lot of body, usually, which hides the fact that I have a fairly thin head of hair. Since my hair curls up, it always looks a few inches shorter than it actually is.
Right now, if I pull it straight, the longest layer of my hair is a little less than half-way between my bra-line and my waist, so it looks like it is at my bra-line most of the time. I have a few light layers in it. I also have some pieces left-over from the disastrous bang experiment that are now layered and mostly blended with the rest of my hair; they are just about to my chin.
My hair routine is disgustingly simple. I brush it (sometimes), wash it, condition it (which, admittedly takes a bit of time, and I go through conditioner pretty quickly), rinse. Get out of the shower, flip my head forward, scrunch, put in towel. When ready, remove towel, scrunch curl creme and/or mousse into hair, scrunch/bundle hair up in chip clip, and release when I get to my destination for the day. If it is a special occasion, I'll skip the chip-clip step and use a diffuser to gently scrunch and mostly dry my hair - only for about 5 minutes or so - and add some hairspray. Voila!
If I want to straighten my hair, though... give me at least an hour or two to blow-out and then flatten. And it won't be board-straight, either. It will have a lot of volume and be kind of dry. And the next day I have to condition it to death.
Back to the cut... I'm getting bored with my hair. I don't know if it is hormones or what, but I'm getting dangerously close to making a huge contribution to Locks of Love. The last time I did that, my hair was probably only a few inches longer than it is now, and I whacked it to between chin and shoulder length (this was what, in 2000?). I'm afraid of doing that for a few reasons, though.
Cons: First, this could just be hormones and my lack of patience in getting to my ultimate hair goal. The last time I had hair down to my waist (though, being curly, it looked slightly shorter) was in college. I've always wanted to get it back to that length, and I keep thwarting my own plan by getting itchy for change and whacking off more than I should periodically. Also, I might horribly regret chopping it when I'm back in my right mind (i.e. after post-partum). It really isn't that hard to take care of, either. I admit - I'm not in love with hardly any of my bodily features (especially now that I'm pregnant), but I am vain about my hair, because it is the only thing I've been consistently complimented about (well, that and my boobs, but lets not go there).
Pro: I'm itching for something different with my hair, and I'm not sure if cutting it is the answer, or not. Plus, I'm 32 - am I too old to have long hair? I know it isn't fashionable for my age group, and I generally don't look all that polished and/or professional, hair-wise. And, with the baby coming, it might be easier/cheaper to have short hair?
Well, here's the thought behind my choices below.
1. Just trim off an inch to get rid of the dead-ends. That's easy, and can be done at the cheap $10 salons and I've done it a thousand times before. It will allow me to keep working towards my goal of having hair towards my waist. However, my hair will probably be just as flat and weighted as it is now.
2. Knock off 2-3 inches and get the layers trimmed up to give it more bounce. Again, easy (mostly - I don't always trust hair stylists with layering my hair). I can still go to the $10 place. It will add to getting my hair down to the length I want, but still not too drastic, and should give most of the fullness and bounce back.
3. Chop it off to somewhere between chin and shoulder length with some layers. I'm not sure if I could trust a $10 salon to put the layers in on this cut. And I don't trust expensive hair-stylists - I've never gotten a good cut/style from any of them. Never. Ever. The last time I whacked all my hair off to this length, I went to a cheap place, where they just bobbed it for me. I quickly discovered that with all the curls, I now had a triangle-shaped hair-do, so I layered it myself, and did a fairly damn good job, too. I can also very easily straighten my hair (even though it turns it to toast) at this length, and do some neat "modern" hair styles with it. My husband has never seen it quite this short, nor have a fourth of my current friends. But I'd be back at square one for growing my hair to my waist, and it would take me probably 5 years to get it back even close or more.
4. Meg Ryan in the movie City of Angels kind of short! Ok, so I think she's very annoying actress, but I was intrigued by this cut, and it is something that I've never ever done with my hair before. I'm pretty sure my natural waves will make it look pretty good, but there's always the chance that my hair would curl up too much, and I could come out with a 'fro, and/or looking like little orphan annie. Plus, I have a round face, with my eyes small and too close together, a very weak chin which causes a double-chin look even when I'm skinny (can't wait to afford plastic surgery to fix that horrific feature) and a very long neck and small head on very broad shoulders. Plus, I'm fat in the face because I'm pregnant. I'm just not sure I could pull this cut off without looking like a fat pinhead. My hair as-is hides the fact that my head is so small compared to my shoulders, and sorta balances out my look. If I got this cut, I'd have to find an unbelievable hair dresser (not likely, given my past history). If I did do it, however, I'd save a fortune in hair conditioner. I think I've just about talked my way out of this one. Maybe after I get plastic surgery someday, and lose about 60 pounds...