If you have long very curly hair

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I am at a loss as to how to fix my hair I am 36 years old and the ways I was fixing my hair when I was younger is just not going to do it any more.

I wear it in a pulled back bunn 24/7 now. I just dont like messing with it. I get frustrated because I can never get it to look they way I want. I also have a very round face which makes things even more difficult.

I have checked out the curly hair sites and while helpful I still dont know how I want to style my hair to match my face.

So I need ideas please.

If you could post pictures so I can see what you are talking about or PM me the pic if you dont want your face on the net. I am desperate for a change.

[shanniesue2]

Have you read the book Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey? Lots of great stuff about how to wear and care for curly hair.

[EnviroBecca]

My hair is not very curly, only wavy, but it's really thick and easily gets out of control! My favorite hairstyle:
1. Comb damp hair straight back.
2. Divide front hair (the first 3/4" or so) into 3 sections: left, center, and right.
3. Braid toward the back of your head. Each time you cross a strand over, add some hair (about 1/2 the size of your starting section), first from the front of your head until you feel you have enough hair out of your face, then from under the braid to anchor it.
4. When you reach the crown of your head, stop adding hair. Braid straight down the back.
5. Put an elastic on the end of the braid to hold it. (I can take this off once hair is dry, and it'll stay braided.)

This is a lot easier than braiding ALL of my hair because I don't have to get every last strand into the braid. It gets enough hair tied up that the rest of it can be loose without looking like a crazed frizzball. And once it's done, I'm usually able to sleep on it and just smooth it down a bit and wear it for a second day!

[swd12422]

The best advice I can give you is to find someone who knows how to dry-cut curly hair. Lots of stylists say they know how, but all they do is a regular cut on dry hair. You want someone who will look at your hair in its natural state (wet it, then let it dry naturally before you go) and cut each curl individually. It's more time-consuming than the usual grab-a-hunk-and-make-it-even-with-the-rest method, but you'll get a better cut b/c it will follow the natural wave pattern in your hair.

Also let the stylist know that you're a busy mom with no time to fuss with your hair, so you want to be able to wash it and go. You might have to go to a more expensive salon (I recommend Aveda, just b/c that's where I found the only woman who ever did this to my hair). If you can find a good stylist, it's worth it!

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by swd12422

The best advice I can give you is to find someone who knows how to dry-cut curly hair.

I desperately want to find someone to do this for me! Sorry, OP, I have no advice for you...I'm pretty much in the same position. Once in a blue moon someone gives me a cut that WORKS, but going to the same stylist does not result in a duplication, nor does taking in pictures...or anything.

eta: How do you know if they really know what they are doing for a dry cut? I mean, if I call around, chances are a few salons would cheerfully book me in when they don't have anyone who REALLY has experience with dry cuts.

[cristeen]

TBH, the only time I like the way my hair looks is when I wash it right before bed. Because rather than lie on my wet hair, I flip it up over the top of the pillow and it dries that way. In the morning it's nice and curly, with just a bit of volume to it from drying in the opposite direction. Those are the "good hair days". The rest of the week I wind up pulling it back into a ponytail, bun or braid at the base of my skull. Or clipping it up into a french twist.

Honestly, without a lot of styling, my hair looks the best when it's around shoulder length, which is sad because I hate having my hair cut, I've always wanted long hair.