S/o short hair

[ktgrok]

I have always had hair that has shoulderlength or longer. But at this point I only wear it in a ponytail or a bun. Usually a bun. I'm really sick of that and I never feel like I look put together. My biggest issue about cutting my hair short is I worry it will be in my face. If I leave it so I can tuck it behind my ears will that stop that? I also wanted to still look feminine. I like edgy or androgynous cuts on other people but for myself I thought that's not what I want. I'm going to include some photos of what it looks like now down and up, and some ideas I had of what I would like to do with it. What do you think? Feel free to add photos that you think would look better. It is quite wavy and actually somewhat curly if I leave it to air dry down instead of throwing it back right away. You can see where it look straight at the top and will you be at the bottom and that is because I had it pulled back in a bun when I got out of the shower. The second photo shows the curl better...I had just had a cut that day and it was still wet when I took that picture. (that was from Februrary)

Edited to add another photo

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Edited July 7, 2017 by ktgrok

[ktgrok]

This shows me right now with it pulled back. See the wispy sticking out? Does get worse and worse as the day goes on. Does not look pulled together.

 

 

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Edited July 6, 2017 by ktgrok

[alisoncooks]

I think the cuts you picked out would look great and would work with your hair type.  I do like the first picture best (where the layers hit more along the bottom of the chin).  That said, the shoulder length looks very flattering on you.

 

Would you miss being able to pull it back into a ponytail?  Maybe pulled back with a clip would look feminine but out of your face...

Edited July 6, 2017 by alisoncooks

[gardenmom5]

I loath hair in my face.  I dont like it on my neck because it's hot.

 

for me - it has to be super short (which is hard to not look androgynous at best) - or long enough to pull back.

the other thing about short hair . . .for me, it is more of a hassle to caretake.  has to be cut every month and styled everyday (or ubershort to be daily wash-n-wear)

 

have you looked at any youtube videos for ideas of braids, etc. that you can do yourself to give it some style?

[meena]

The wavy, blunt bob is in right now. Do a Google image search of blunt wavy bob for lots of pics. I think it would be a good look with your face shape and hair texture. Whatever you do, don't let your stylist cut it angled!

[Farrar]

Mine is cut a bit like the first one at the moment - it's not been hard to maintain. I mean, if I wanted it to look that good, I'd need to use some product and spend actual time on it. But it doesn't look bad, even though I may have fell asleep on wet hair last night and had to wet it down slightly this morning because of the massive insanity... but, um, it was easy and now it's fine. Really. And it's not in my face.

[meena]

Also, if you search for anh co tran, that is the name of a stylist who has done a ton of wavy bob cuts. Pictures of his cuts are my favorite to take to stylists because you can usually find pics of different angles.

[Bluegoat]

I am having the same problem and am thinking the same thing.  I'm feeling like having it back all the time really just makes me look old, at this point.

 

But, I don't want it to annoy me.  I don't want the "old lady short" haircut. 

 

The cut I was thinking of, sort of an inverted bob,  is apparently sometimes called the "mom" cut which doesn't thrill me, either.

 

However, what I've seen with other people who had good results is that they go to someone who is a really good hairdresser - which may mean shelling out at least for that first cut - they tell what it is they are looking for and need, and they let that person do what will work for their hair and face.

 

I think its because a really good cutter will have a lot of experience with hair types and face shapes, and can make the best choice, whereas most of us who aren't great with hair get ideas that just won't work.

[Guest]

It would look great. I'd do it without bang at first though.

[ktgrok]

It would look great. I'd do it without bang at first though.

Good point. Bangs and I don't look great. They get to curly and scrunch up weird in the humidity.

[forty-two]

Wrt "is long enough to tuck behind the ears enough to keep it out of my face", based on my oldest dd's experience my answer is "not really". She cut some wispies to frame her face - too long to go into a ponytail, but long enough to go behind the ears. And she is *constantly* re-tucking them behind her ear. Doesn't bother her - she cut them that way, after all - but they do fall into her face all. the. time.

 

Wrt controlling wispies when your hair is back, I've had good luck using a bit of aloe vera gel. My dds' hair have tons of wisps that go nuts approximately 5 seconds after I pull it back, and aloe gel was enough to hold it all day for dance recitals. I like aloe gel, because you don't need to wash it out - it's both good for hair, and the hold is rather gentle - you can just comb it out when you take your hair down. But it's enough to hold my dds' wisps back and keep their dance buns looking sharp.

 

I wear a bun every day (my hair's longer, though - between mid thigh and knee length). I started wearing it on top of my hair instead of at the nape or crown - so it's visible from the front - and it looks 100% better on me than when all you could see was my slicked back hair. (That's not true for everyone, but it was for me. And it looks different enough it's basically an entirely different style. Also, making *different* bun styles is nice for a change. Although 99% of time I wear the same basic cinnamon bun ;).) My kids always ask what's the point of my having long hair when I wear it up all the time - well, being *able* to wear it up is a major point. I have no idea how to do short hair and I can do a bun in the time it takes to do a "quick" short hairstyle (5 min), so the only reason to go short is because I want a short style. But then I'd lose the ability to do long styles.

[ktgrok]

Part of the reason I want to do this now is that I am going to a major writing conference later this month. It is a huge deal and I'll be around a lot of people where I am making connections and trying to make a good impression. And there is no way I'm going to be able to tolerate having my long hair down the whole time. But I don't want to be walking around with it up and back like this. I need to look like a grown-up for three or four days straight and I don't know how to do that!

[ktgrok]

The wavy, blunt bob is in right now. Do a Google image search of blunt wavy bob for lots of pics. I think it would be a good look with your face shape and hair texture. Whatever you do, don't let your stylist cut it angled!

 

I don't really like my hair one length, I need layers or it looks weird. A bob is all one length, right?

[Guest]

I don't really like my hair one length, I need layers or it looks weird. A bob is all one length, right?

Yes but it looks different if it's wavy or curly. the curls themselves will break up the line of the cut.

 

I did want to mention-- don't go to a cheap place where they are pushing haircuts through one after the other for a big change. Just I. Case that was on the table.

[Critterfixer]

I like the first one. That looks like it could be messy and you did it on purpose. I know you don't like bangs, but I think they would look good on you if they were long. I hesitated over mine, because they are almost in my eyes at times, but I really needed them. Otherwise all that anyone sees is the forehead of Gibraltar when they look at me. :tongue_smilie:

[meena]

I don't really like my hair one length, I need layers or it looks weird. A bob is all one length, right?

 

It's not all cut to one length like a bowl cut--it's that the overall profile of your hair is one length. You can still have layers to give dimension and shape.

 

This picture will give you an idea of how the overall profile looks like a blunt cut (rather than an angled up the neck version) but there are layers cut in to allow the waves to give the hair a shape that is not all one length: http://68.media.tumblr.com/10bb7d99d2ef82a43f5d8c4d52316396/tumblr_o02pk7aOKQ1qf4qz6o1_500.jpg

 

An angled cut will give you more of this profile: http://pophaircuts.com/images/2015/11/Angled-Bob-Haircut-Chic-Short-Curly-Hairstyles-for-Women.jpg which can end up looking kind of poofy if your hair has a lot of wave/body

Edited July 6, 2017 by meena

[Katy]

I would mention that you want it to be long enough to tuck behind your ears, if not long enough for a ponytail.  That way if you hate it you can still pull it back until it grows out, and if you love it you can go shorter.  You might also want to wait to go shorter until October or so when it cools off.  I always regretted shorter bobs in Florida summers.  The buns do help you feel cooler.

[ktgrok]

Yes, messy on purpose is the look I'm going for I think. Not opposed to a bit of product to help that along. 

 

If it does get in my eyes/face, would sticking a barrette on each side be totally ridiculous, while it grows out again?

[GinaPagnato]

You can have the stylist cut some layers at the side of your face so your hair frames your face without getting *on* your face. That's what I've done and it works well.

[Katy]

Part of the reason I want to do this now is that I am going to a major writing conference later this month. It is a huge deal and I'll be around a lot of people where I am making connections and trying to make a good impression. And there is no way I'm going to be able to tolerate having my long hair down the whole time. But I don't want to be walking around with it up and back like this. I need to look like a grown-up for three or four days straight and I don't know how to do that!

In this case, I'd simply alternate between wearing it half up in a barrette, low in a low barrette, or in a low chignon (like a bun but more elegant).  I don't think you need to look like you work in an office.  You're a writer, not an attorney.

[Scarlett]

I wouldn't do it before a big work conference.  Why won't you be able to wear it down while at something like that?  I put my up when I am working.

[ktgrok]

I wouldn't do it before a big work conference.  Why won't you be able to wear it down while at something like that?  I put my up when I am working.

 

I can, but I won't. There's so much of it, and it takes so long to do in the morning at this length (it's very thick) and I just doubt I'll keep it nice that long. Plus, I'm SO used to pulling it back all day I'm sure I'll end up wanting to just out of habit. 

[Shellydon]

IMO, short hair looks much more professional and pulled together.  Everyone I personally know with long hair ends up pulling it back into a at some point, or wears it pulled back all the time and it isn't really a hairstyle.  That said, short hair is almost always more work.

[ktgrok]

I forgot to say that I have a bunch of hair that is currently about chin length. When I had bariatric surgery I lost a bunch of hair, and it did grow back but it's shorter than all the rest. So when I pull it back, unless I put it up very high, the shorter parts fall out. So nape of the neck doesn't work. 

 

 

[ktgrok]

IMO, short hair looks much more professional and pulled together.  Everyone I personally know with long hair ends up pulling it back into a at some point, or wears it pulled back all the time and it isn't really a hairstyle.  That said, short hair is almost always more work.

 

More work than a ponytail, but less work than making long hair look nice if left down? 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

More work than a ponytail, but less work than making long hair look nice if left down? 

 

 

My personal experience is that short hair is just as much if not more work. I've had short (pixie) hair, layers, chin length bob...I now have long hair.  I'm not saying don't do it, but I think you'll find it just as much work. I like the styles you are looking at.

[prairiewindmomma]

The hairstyles you posted are of women who have had their hair blown out, curled, and then sprayed.  *Sometimes* people with naturally wavy hair can walk out of the shower and look like that, but not very often. With the humidity here, I've been running about 30% good hair days with air drying and product, and 70% bad hair days.

[ktgrok]

The hairstyles you posted are of women who have had their hair blown out, curled, and then sprayed.  *Sometimes* people with naturally wavy hair can walk out of the shower and look like that, but not very often. With the humidity here, I've been running about 30% good hair days with air drying and product, and 70% bad hair days.

 

ugh. 

 

Although I suppose it is faster to blow dry if it is shorter/layered. 

 

I have a friend with shoulder length thick wavy hair who has a stylist she swears by for that kind of hair. I'm going to make an appointment and talk it over with her and see what she says. I mainly want something that can look cute when I let it air dry and go curly. 

[KungFuPanda]

You've got good hair and could do a lot of different things with it. Both of those cuts are cute. I think the best cut is one that flatters AND fits your lifestyle. You won't suddenly WANT to spend more time on your hair because you have a cute cut. I pull my hair back A LOT in the summer. Instead of a regular bun, I twist the hair, clip with a claw clip, and let 3-4 inches of curls hang over the clip. It's off my neck, but has some life and movement without being a ponytail. I also have bangs long enough to pull back if I want, but they can also be pulled into side curls to soften the look a bit.

 

As the weather gets cooler, I wear my hair down more. I like the flexibility to change my looks.

[ktgrok]

This was my last cut back in February...it shows more of the curl. I did like this

cut. It was still a bit wet when I took this photo.  


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Edited July 7, 2017 by ktgrok

[prairiewindmomma]

Is it that you have to have your hair up off your neck? I think if you pinned your hair, you could pull off this look and look "put together":

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/184366178471462282/

 

Here's another pinup with a twist: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/54324739228309738/

 

If you need it completely up and out of your face:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/316026098835837260/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569635052854592677/

 

 

I think you have great hair!

[Hilltopmom]

Do you know about Lila Rose flexi clips?

That's what I used for a pulled together pony or twist look back when I had long hair.

 

Simple & elegant.

 

I like your cut from Feb, looks very nice.

[tdbates78]

I just had my hair cut from a few inches past my shoulders to a lob. I love it, but the back is shorter than the front and I can't pull it back into a ponytail and that drives me nuts. Its been super hot and humid here, and I also work out 4-5 days a week. I'm aching for it to grow just another inch or two. Its a mess after messing around in my flower beds or after working out.

 

So I'm another that agrees to either make it short enough that its out of your face and off of your neck, or keep it just long enough to pull at least some of it back. I don't think its more work when I'm styling it necessarily, but because I can't just throw it into a ponytail its definitely more work day-to-day. I either have to wash my hair daily (something I try to avoid) or spray the heck out of it with dry shampoo and tease the back to get volume in between washings which takes work. I do have thinner hair than you though so you may not have that problem.

 

Love the pictures of the cuts you posted and I think they would look super cute on you!

Edited July 7, 2017 by tdbates78

[ktgrok]

Do you know about Lila Rose flexi clips?

That's what I used for a pulled together pony or twist look back when I had long hair.

 

Simple & elegant.

 

I like your cut from Feb, looks very nice.

 

The side parts are too short for that to work right now  think. I can't do nape of the neck without the short front pieces falling out. So I've been doing a high ponytail or bun. But those are adorable. 

[kitten18]

This was my last cut back in February...it shows more of the curl. I did like this

 

cut. It was still a bit wet when I took this photo.

 

 

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I think you should try one of those shorter cuts. That first picture is pretty safe, my hair was about that length a couple month ago and I could get it back in a clip if I needed to.

 

That first one is pretty safe. If the long bangs bother you sometimes you can twist them back and pin with a bobby pin. I'll try to find some pictures.

[Arcadia]

The 2nd last photo was the hair style I had in high school. I just wore a tennis headband when doing homework as the usual U-shaped headbands don't work. The last photo was the hair style that I get after every hair cut at the hair salon and the stylist has to use strong hold gel while blow drying for that.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Arcadia

[KrissiK]

My hair used to be your length and I got a chin length Bob. The model you posted second from the bottom is actually the same one I showed my stylist. Lol. I love it. It is quick and easy to do, just put some mousse in and scrunch-blow dry. Everyone complements me on my hair now. My old style made my face look kind of drawn out and was straggly.

[ktgrok]

My hair used to be your length and I got a chin length Bob. The model you posted second from the bottom is actually the same one I showed my stylist. Lol. I love it. It is quick and easy to do, just put some mousse in and scrunch-blow dry. Everyone complements me on my hair now. My old style made my face look kind of drawn out and was straggly.

 

Good to know! I think we have similar shaped faces as well.

[ktgrok]

Also, I don't even know if my hair is curly or wavy at this point...what do you think? 

[Night Elf]

I have no idea how to wear my hair in any style except a pony tail. I've tried braiding it but it's sloppy and looks awful. I've tried buns but the hair falls out immediately. It's nothing like I see in some of the pictures posted. I'd need a stylist to do that sort of thing. I'm amazed when I hear someone just throws it in a bun and calls it a day.

 

I'm 49. My mom is old school and thinks I need to get it cut short into a mature cut. She says pony tails are for young girls.

[ktgrok]

I have no idea how to wear my hair in any style except a pony tail. I've tried braiding it but it's sloppy and looks awful. I've tried buns but the hair falls out immediately. It's nothing like I see in some of the pictures posted. I'd need a stylist to do that sort of thing. I'm amazed when I hear someone just throws it in a bun and calls it a day.

 

I'm 49. My mom is old school and thinks I need to get it cut short into a mature cut. She says pony tails are for young girls.

To be fair, what I'm calling a bun isn't really a bun. It's pulled back into a ponytail, hair band around it, then folded or twisted and the band around it again. No bobby pins or whatever. 

[ktgrok]

So today I put some mousse in and let air dry. I definitely need a better cut if I want to air dry. And different product.

 

 

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[tammyw]

My hair is a lot like yours. I actually wash and then straighten it every three days (it gets greasy if I don't wash every third day). I've tried going short -- it was a disaster. Especially in humidity. The weight pulls it down so it doesn't get as frizzy. But when I had shorter hair, both in dry and humid weather, I found it unbearable to manage, had to style it every day (as opposed to now where I straighten it and go three days) and found it very unruly. It showed me that I personally would never be happy with short hair. I think it's easier to have short hair when you have naturally straight hair. Most stylists will tell you that it's much more work to have "styled" hair if it's wavy/coarse/curly because it will just do it's own thing and without a lot of work, it won't look like those pictures you showed (which are lovely, btw!)

 

If you want lower maintenance, I would seek out someone who is very skilled and experienced in your type of hair and go for a consultation, tell them all your concerns, etc. and see what they say.

Edited July 7, 2017 by tammyw

[ktgrok]

 

 

If you want lower maintenance, I would seek out someone who is very skilled and experienced in your type of hair and go for a consultation, tell them all your concerns, etc. and see what they say.

 

That's my plan. I have an appt tomorrow at 2pm with someone that cuts my friend's hair, who has thick wavy hair. Hopefully she can help!

 

I definitely won't blow dry/straighten several times a week, and really need to wash it almost daily due to the heat and sweating. Plus working out, etc. At least I won't at this length. It just takes too long. 

[tammyw]

That's my plan. I have an appt tomorrow at 2pm with someone that cuts my friend's hair, who has thick wavy hair. Hopefully she can help!

 

I definitely won't blow dry/straighten several times a week, and really need to wash it almost daily due to the heat and sweating. Plus working out, etc. At least I won't at this length. It just takes too long. 

 

Oh that sounds perfect!

 

We currently live in California, so I can totally go three days, but when we lived in North Carolina, forget it! That's when i had to learn to work with my texture and wore my hair curly for the first time ever. I didn't love it, but straightening it there was absolutely a no go, so I get it!

 

Good luck. Once you find a style you love, it will be amazing, but I know how much stress it can be to get there!!

[forty-two]

I have no idea how to wear my hair in any style except a pony tail. I've tried braiding it but it's sloppy and looks awful. I've tried buns but the hair falls out immediately. It's nothing like I see in some of the pictures posted. I'd need a stylist to do that sort of thing. I'm amazed when I hear someone just throws it in a bun and calls it a day.

 

I'm 49. My mom is old school and thinks I need to get it cut short into a mature cut. She says pony tails are for young girls.

 

As someone who does that (throw my hair in to a bun and call it a day), I think part of it is that my hair is very long, and it's not blunt cut, but tapers down.  Fairy tale ends, I've seen it called.  It can be hard to have fairy tale ends look nice when you wear your hair down (takes a lot more split end trims than I give mine), but those tapered ends wrapped several times around a bun anchor it like nothing else.  I actually sometimes forget to put in my hair clip (those lovely Lilla Rose clips mentioned above) and I don't even notice for hours.

 

It doesn't work like that for my dds, who have mid-back, blunt cut hair.  Their buns can't hold themselves, and my oldest dd's hair, which is thicker than my middle dd's (and so doesn't taper as much), can have a lot of ends sticking out, which makes it hard to clip firmly.  I can get middle dd's hair into a firmly-held bun with two smallish claw clips, but not oldest dd's.  Oldest dd's hair holds better if I do a half-up bun, and then wrap the lower part of her hair around that bun - the skinnier, longer twists make for a more secure bun, with less ends sticking out.

 

Sock buns also work really well with shorter hair that falls out of a regular bun.  Here's a good video tutorial:

though it uses a purchased bun form instead of making one from a sock (and that size bun form on a pre-teen girl's head makes for a *large* bun).  This tutorial shows how to use an old sock to make the bun form:

and it also shows how to use hair spray and a curling iron to get everything extra sleek (it never occurred to me to do that, and I wouldn't except when extra perfect sleekness counts, but it was interesting to see).

[Mom22ns]

After all the pics, I think you can totally pull off that first style you posted with just a little product put in and letting it dry naturally. You have a very high forehead which will keep the hair out of your face and just the right amount of wave/curl (you're right on the line between!) to make it work. It won't look as amazing as hers unless you blow dry and curl it, it's true. But I bet it will look cute and be super easy with that cut for every day wear and you can fancy it up when you want to!

[RootAnn]

My hair isn't as wavy as yours, but I'm known for my pony tails & pony tails-into-buns, too. I was tired of how heavy my head felt when I did either of those, so when I got my semi-annual hair cut about a month ago, I had it chopped above my shoulder. It was long enough then to put behind my ears if I wanted it out of my face. But, what I found looked the best & kept it out of my face were medium size clips like these 'jaw clips'

 

I can put one in or two (one on each side). It isn't as young looking as a barrette, but does the job, is easy & quick, and adds just a touch of 'fancy' to my minimalist hairstyle. (My picky mother actually gave me a backhanded compliment on the look in June.)

[Caroline]

I look enough like you to be mistaken for your older sister. No really, I think I do. My face might be a little rounder. My hair is cut like your last picture. I can either blow it straight (Well, kind of straight) or put some product in and leave it curly. I do go to an expensive hairdresser to get it just right. It grows out fabulously. I can tuck it behind my ears when I want. It's easy peasy. I have a ton of fine red hair.

[Paige]

If you go just a bit longer with the first haircut option you should be able to pull it back in a small ponytail still. My hair is like that now and it is very little work and I love still having the ponytail option. My hair is straight and too fine to rely on clips or barrettes, so ponytails are my best option when I need it out of my face. I find that anything shorter requires much more work. I usually get it cut to there, let it grow until it starts to look straggly, and then get it cut back to there. 

 

Again, my hair is straight, so your experience may differ, but all I need to do is blow it out with a brush and it looks pretty good all day with a cut similar to your number one, but just a bit longer.