Hair help

[readertorider]

Right now I have frizzy/wiry reddish brown hair that a friend calls 'mermaid-length' (it will cover my breasts when dripping wet). It's usually braided back for safety reasons and to look professional. It takes 0.5-15min to braid depending on the complexity (4+ strands adds time, as does French braiding). The problem is it's due for a trim/cut and since my plait makes me feel all of 12 years old I'm not sure I want to keep it. It is fun to play with though


(my hair as worn by Maid Marian)

My usual modus operandi is to let my hair grow, get it cut to my ears, donate the 15 or so inches to Locks of Love*, and repeat every 4ish years. I'm not opposed to getting it cut again, but I'm worried that short hair will be harder to control (when it was short in college and highschool I spent a lot of time tucking it behind my ears, but that's not really an option while wearing nitrile gloves) and be prone to looking unprofessional (the guys at my office always seem to have neat hair). Headbands remind me of elementary school, and I'll almost certainly lose any sort of clip/bobby pin I try to use.

Does anyone have any suggestions for styling long or short hair, especially hair that's not naturally straight? Any ideas for updos that will fit under a hardhat? Any cool pictures of hair in general?

*I think I remember people having issues with Locks of Love awhile back--if anyone wants to point me to an alternative that would be welcome.

[eselle28]

Oh, I feel you on the curly hair situation. It's so hard to find looks that are both passably professional and that that keep things relatively under control even when it's humid out! I'm generally wary of cutting my hair to my ears. It's under control in a pixie cut or when shoulder length, but the curls in mine tend to be pretty pronounced at chin length. You might want to consider cutting 5 or 6 inches off and evaluating your options. After all, it's easier to get a second haircut than it is to wait for hair to grow. The downside would be that you couldn't donate it.

As for updos, I sometimes wear my hair in a Gibson Tuck. It's really easy, and while most pictures online show women with straight hair, I think it actually works well with curly hair as I've found I need at most one bobby pin. I also think it can flatten enough to fit under a hard hat compared to most buns, especially if you make your tuck a little flatter. It does require a hair band and a bobby pin or two. I am always losing mine as well, but both come in big packs and tend to be far less expensive than the sort of pretty barrette meant to be visible.

[readertorider]

Ooh, thanks. That looks easy, elegant, and adultish! Now all I need to do is invest in some bobby pins...

[Wondering]

I read that tutorial and I don't understand how the hair tie doesn't show when you tuck the hair in. (I am very bad at hair. I do pony tails and buns. That's about it.)

[eselle28]

I read that tutorial and I don't understand how the hair tie doesn't show when you tuck the hair in. (I am very bad at hair. I do pony tails and buns. That's about it.)

That's a fault with the picture, I think. I pull my hair band a bit further out than that. Basically, it ends up resting just on the back of the flip.

I envy the ponytails, though! I end up with a ball of fluff at the back of my head, so I have to generally stick to either updos or wearing my hair down.

[Nerdator]

Okay, I think this is an appropriate thread for this question. My hair is more wavy that curly (certainly not as curly as on that criminally 80's picture from the OP, but tough enough to stick out in all directions if it is short enough), but I have a problem with stubborn locks.

I normally wear a ponytail and the hair on the temples just won't grow long enough to be easily tied – and it loves sticking outwards (looking silly on its own, and fucking up the already not very flattering proportions of my head). I already use a hair wax which is supposed to be 'super strong': it does help, but doesn't last long.

I'm looking for something more lasting – and something that doesn't make my hair look wet or glossy, or anything other than the way my hair normally looks. Could a hair spray work?

[ashleysummer]

Look at these hairstyles!


These are perfect updos for curly/frizzy hair

[readertorider]

Thank you ashleysummer! I actually did end up getting it cut (forgot how much I like having it short), but I probably try something like those fishtail braids in the first picture.

[Enail]

Ashleysummer turned out to be a spambot, but I thought the hairstyles suggested were pretty good, so I left this one up

[readertorider]

Huh, I never would have guessed. Thanks for leaving it up though!

[Enail]

It was more obvious in the other posts, which fit a lot less well with the subject. For some reason, spambots seem to be really strong on hair questions.

[Wondering]

I had a suspicion. The post didn't directly address anyone, and spambots frequently resurrect old threads.

Glad to see my instincts were right.

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