Night Elf Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have long hair that hangs down to my shoulder blades. I have the urge to cut it off into a short style. It's not a spur of the moment urge. I've felt this way for more than a year. I'm just scared to do it. My hair has changed as I've become middle aged. It used to be straight and now it's really wavy, like a perm that has loosened up and is falling out. Because it's so wavy and still kind of thick, it's poofy. I don't like it so I wear it in a pony tail. There is no styling my hair. The last time I did get it cut, a year ago, I cut 5 inches off but it was still really poofy so I went right back to wearing pony tails. Has anyone gone from a long style to a short style in one go? My youngest dd did hers gradually and has ended up with something just a little longer than a pixie cut. It's so cute! I don't see how I can go in stages. The shorter I cut it off, the poofier it will be. I don't want poofy hair. I want it to hang down. So I'm thinking a super short cut is the way to go. But will I have the courage to do it? I tried making an appt. with my dd's stylist but it's a month in advance. I had one for the day after Christmas. By the time I got near the appt., I freaked out and cancelled it. Oh, this is hard. Obviously this isn't a doomsday type of problem. I just thought I'd post and see if talking about it would help me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 when you make the appointment tell them you want a consult because you are thinking radical change. I say you should just go for it. It is just hair. It will grow back if you don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 The stylist can take some of the poof out with good layering. Otherwise, a blow dryer or straightener will be your friend. Going too short may mst result in short and poofy, and you don't want that! I agree with finding a good stylist and having a consultation first, especially since you sound apprehensive. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I thought about using a straightener but I don't know much about them. I feel it will take a long time to straighten all my poofy hair. Do I have to redo it every day or will it last a few days? I know short hair will still be poofy. When I say short hair, I'm talking like a pixie cut where there isn't much hair anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have similar sounding hair. Except my hair has always been that way. I just cut off 15 inches so I'm not ready for shorter at the moment. You know what I find that helps are the Frizz Ease products. It helps tame the poof and frizz. I usually apply them while my hair is still wet. I also don't wash my hair every day. By day two it's just the way I want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have poofy hair too. It didn't get this way until I had kids and started wearing it in a ponytail all the time. Now no matter what I do it's still poofy. No advice, just commiseration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have gone from long to very short. I've loved the results each time. But I am a "It's just hair" kind of gal, so I wasn't super anxious about it. My hair sounds a lot like yours. Short it's very curly and it is also easy to straighten. I second the Frizz Ease products. They seem to help. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I use a dime-size portion of this Frizz Ease product on my towel-dried hair and then blow dry my hair and it's smooth and straight. http://www.walmart.com/msharbor/ip/12167430?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000148139&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=t&wl3=40842514592&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78655172312&veh=sem I have a short haircut. My hair is wavy if I let it air-dry, so styling products are a must. However, it only takes 10 minutes to style, so it's not too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Yup - my daughter uses Frizz Ease and loves it (won't leave the house with out it.) She uses one product you spray on damp hair and another product she puts on dry hair. Otherwise, go for the cut! I always love my hair short - and I hate getting my haircut so it is always a medium length to very short all in one go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 In my early 20s I had a very short style (growing out from when I'd shaved it all off). My hair is thick so if I didn't style it, it would have been a terrible poofy mess. As it was, I bleached it super blonde which changed the texture, and used a texturizing product to shape it. It was very cute in the neo-punk way I was after. I'm guessing that's not what you want, though! :) Short thick hair needs help, more than long thick hair. It doesn't have to take long, but will almost certainly be needed. I say go for it. New hairstyles are fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Go for it. I fought board-straight, super-thick hair my entire life. You would think that would be dreamy hair, and it should have been, but I rarely had a cut that was flattering or easily styled. And I went to good stylists--pricey ones highly recommended. Then my husband made me an appointment with a celebrity stylist in NYC. Seriously--not our kind of thing at all, but I told the stylist to have his way with my hair--I wanted my $400's worth! And he cut and cut and cut--I had NEVER had short hair before and was silently freaking out. But I loved it! My hair is over my ears, and my entire neck is exposed. It has been years now, and I will never go back. If you have a lot of hair, which it sounds like you do, short can work really well. I also have not blown my hair dry since that cut--I put one product in it and go. It has saved me thousands of hours over the years. It takes a long time to blow-dry thick hair! I can literally go from sound asleep to showered, dressed for work and starting my car in twelve minutes. I do get my hair cut frequently, every six weeks, but I am okay with that. Find a good stylist and tell him not to worry about getting it too short. I have found that is key with new stylists--they tend to be too conservative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 When I cut my hair off super short it sticks up in all directions. off your hair gets poofy, very short may not be the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 You might want to look at curly/wavy styles and haircuts. If you're new to curly hair, part of your happiness will depend upon accepting that it has a mind of it's own and working around what the hair wants to do. You are no longer in complete control of your style and choosing cuts that work only with straight hair might only frustrate you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 You said you've been thinking about it for a while, but also think about growing it back out if you decide you want it longer again. I've had very short hair for years and decided I want it shoulder length. It's taking forever to grow out and making me crazy. I'm using all kinds of headbands, bobby pins, and barrettes. I swear it's growing slower than it did when I was younger. I'm not trying to talk you out of cutting your hair. Just keep in mind what it would be like to grow it out if you decide short hair isn't what you really wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhanaBee Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 When I cut my hair off super short it sticks up in all directions. off your hair gets poofy, very short may not be the way to go. Due to many cowlicks and thick hair, this is exactly what happens when I have short hair. I've learned to style accordingly. For a while I had long hair, but I was just putting it up in ponytails due to all the poofy-ness. Finally I chopped it all off and felt much better. Now I *did* grow up with short hair and, in high school, even shaved the back of it......so short hair felt familiar. If you've never had really short hair before and you're not a "eh - hair grows back" kind of person, you may want to take it in stages. My oldest went from long hair to short after the baby was born and she had extreme shock. Looking back, she says that while she loves her hair now, she wishes she hadn't cut it all off initially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I'm all for a good hair cut but if your issue is poofy-ness then shorter will make it worse, not better. I totally agree with using an anti-frizz serum like frizz-ease. Also, if it poofs right now you might find you can get it to curl a bit or wave. In my profile pic I have my hair 'curled' basically by taking a shower before bed, french braiding on both sides, and then sleeping on it. I wake up, take out the braids, and put a bit of smoothing hold spray on it. And yes my hair was the bane of my existence because of the poofy-ness for years! If you do want to go short, and that's good too, then I suggest straightening it or at least using an anti-frizz serum on it regularly. Another option is to curl it with a curling iron. Any of those should tame the poof and give you a nice, easy, short style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merry gardens Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 A pixie would go nicely with your username, Night Elf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have super thick hair that over the years has gotten increasingly poofy due to dryness and texture changes. Mine is straight but poofy. CHI Silk Infusion is by far the best product I've found to help it. For me it works tremendously better than any of the Frizz Ease products I've tried. I've had shortish hair for decades. Do keep in mind that the shorter you go the more frequently you need haircuts. Mine grows super fast so I absolutely have to have it cut every three weeks or I start looking totally unkempt. Most people with normally growing short hair can go four to six weeks between cuts. But that's a lot different than people with longer hair who can go months between trims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammish Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I've had thick, wavy hair all my life, and I too hate the dreaded "poofy" hair. It drives me nutty when I get my hair cut and afterwards the stylist brushes and blow dries in a way to give it volume. I don't need volume, thank you very much! Anyway, I had my hair very short in my 20s, but I ended up growing it out because I hated all the product I had to put in it to make it not fluff up. I also frequently wore barrettes to keep it from falling forward (along with the gel). But, I am considering going shorter again (maybe chin length), because I have discovered *magical* shampoo and conditioner. It's Herbal Essences "Tousle Me Softly," and is specifically for wavy hair. For the first time in my life, I can wear my hair down! It's not fluffy pyramid hair that's taking over my head. It's soft, nicely wavey (bordering on light curls) hair that lays nicely. Seriously, it's miracle shampoo and conditioner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I had super short hair about 7 years ago, but that was before my hair changed. I also wore my hair short in my early 20's. I loved my short hair but I never had hair this long before, so it would be a drastic cut. I'll try the Frizz Ease first. I'd love to wear my hair down rather than in a pony tail all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have enough hair for 2-3 people. I forget how much I have until I go to the hairdresser. I just got about three inches cut off. Before, it was to my bra strap in the middle of my back. It is also naturally curly. You need layers. That lessens the poof. Yes, you can straighten it. It is time-consuming, but when I straighten my hair with a Chi flat iron, I can then go for a solid week without washing it and only touching it up a bit every few days with a large barrel curling iron. It looks fabulous. This only works if you hair is dry (curly hair like mine is). I have had it short (above my shoulders), in a kind of layered style which I wore straightened most of the time but sometimes curly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Welcome to the world of poofy hair! haha I think you should get it cut like a short bob, but with lots of layers so that it looks more rounded and not just short with angles. I think you would love it. Maybe along these lines: http://www.carquack.com/contemporary-short-layered-bob-hairstyles/light-brown-layered-bob-hairstyles-with-bangs-for-short-hair/#image-1 That's somewhat the style of my hair, though I kept my my bangs just long enough to tuck behind my ears. Of course, it will never look smooth like that given that we have puffy, wavy hair :), but it's still the style I show my hair stylist. I'll often take a fat curling iron and just spend a couple minutes making it turn under a bit, otherwise it would stick out every which way. Or sometimes in the summer when it's a little humid, I take a dime size amount of gel that you rub through your hair and then crinkle it. That plus the humidity gives it even more waves than usual. It's a different look. Both styles are very easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 My friends with poufy hair have it "thinned." The stylist somehow thins the hair so it's still long but not as poufy. I don't have that problem. I wish I did, but hesitantly because of the saying, "Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it." I think I want poufy hair, but the people with it hate it, so I guess I don't...(But I still do.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 It will drive you bananas. Bat-doodie-bonkers. Believe me when I tell you, it is easier to wear an unhappy pony tail than it is to have short, fuzzy hair that only looks decent if it is gelled and covered an inch in product. Also, if you hate it (and you will, I wager), the only fix is to grow it back out, through fifty shades of pouf for two years or more. I know that of which I speak. I have my hair in a pony often nowadays, but at least I know I can pull it down and have it look gorgeous when I want to bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I thought about using a straightener but I don't know much about them. I feel it will take a long time to straighten all my poofy hair. Do I have to redo it every day or will it last a few days? I know short hair will still be poofy. When I say short hair, I'm talking like a pixie cut where there isn't much hair anyway. I straighten my hair or curl it. That is all that I can do for it at my age. It is an "investment" of time either way. I don't wash my hair daily, though, and this is why. My straightened hair or my curls look great for days. Procedurally, you need a good flat iron. Get a good one! I have some hair clips, too. I section my hair horizontally because there is so dang much of it. I straighten about an inch-wide piece at a time - just place it at the top and gently run it the length of the piece. Then move on. Let down the upper section and do the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Is it straightened in your pic? That is a couple of days after I got it cut the last time. It grows super fast and is much longer now. In that picture, I had used some sort of product and used a hair dryer so it sort of looks straight but isn't if you see me in real life. I was also using a headband. Now if I try to dry it, it looks really poofy. Sometimes I air dry my hair but I don't comb/brush it. But when I sleep on it, it's back to looking like a hot mess. No one told me my hair would change texture as I got older. The gray I can handle. It's pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I have very straight, fine hair. Puffy would be my dream. Seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Can you go to a salon where they have video projections of how you would looks with various cuts? This would be the only way I' do something drastic because I am a wimp and even though my hair grows fairly fast, it would not be fast enough if it was too short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 You might like layers and texturizing to minimize the poof; I would go to a good stylist and ask for options for short or long. Hair changes over time, and what was easy and looked good years ago can really be a pain today. It's just hair, long or short you should find the stele that makes you happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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