Operation: Grow Hair! has been tediously trucking along for almost 20 months now. In this photo taken by Ezra a couple of days ago, you can see the progress so far. Pretty long, no?
I trimmed my bangs WAY too short the other day and am now forced to pin them back until they reach an acceptable length again. Like, oh, say, 3 years from now.
Here's the thing... in this much less flattering shot taken moments later by my three-year-old personal photographer, you can see what I'm really dealing with here.
POOFY, thick, unmanageable hair that is so full of layers it might as well be a pre-teen fall wardrobe.
I need help.
I was fine with hiding the mess by wearing it up day after day after day, and have even begun to resort back to the hippie beanie days to contain the hairsplosion, but it's getting to the point where something needs to be done. And fast.
Even my sweet husband suggested I do something about it this morning. "Maybe a trim? Or they could thin it out a bit on the bottom...?"
When your own husband starts commenting on the unruliness of your hair, I think it's pretty obvious there's a problem.
So... I am lost. I love the length of my hair right now, but only the BOTTOM LAYER is that long. The rest is quite a bit shorter. Do I keep hiding the rat's nest and trudge through? Do I trim the bottom layer to the length of the top layers and grow it all out equally? Do I become a recluse for the next three years and fervently pray to God that He have mercy on my soul?
I need personal experience and opinions here, dear internets.
I need code red intervention.
I need... relief.
Yours Truly,
DROWNING IN HAIR *HACK*HACK*, Oklahoma.
25 comments:
keep the bottom layer, maybe trim it, dont thin it out because that would make the present situation all the more noticeable... go see a REALLY GOOD stylist and have them give your layers a different shape... the layers are good, its just the shape they make is not the most flattering for your hair.... that is my advice. get some super great serum or curl lotion too....
oh AND i forgot to say i love your hair long sooo much and as soon as seth came over and saw what i was looking at he said 'she looks good with long hair' ... so we love it.
"...so full of layers it might as well be a pre-teen fall wardrobe." HAAAAA!!!! Best line ever!
I had boy-short crops and A-line bobs from 15 to 23 so I KNOW what you're going through. I decided to grow my hair out when I first got pregnant with Archer and had to suffer through that awkward stage for (oh, about a year?) so you have two options.
1. Power through with pigtails (I wore pigtails and piggy braids pretty much every day while my hair was growing out. And hats. Lots of hats!)
or...
2. Trim layers. Make sure your hair person is someone you TRUST and they won't take anything off the length... just layer the back. Do NOT attempt to do it yourself. -- also something I can say from experience. (Also make sure its not so layered you can't do a pony of pigtails.
Re: Bangs... Make sure you always cut them dry and no shorter than your eyebrow. Otherwise? You will always end up with Amelie bangs which look totally cute on Amelie and Jason Lee's girlfriend, but uh... that's about it. :) I've cut mine too short before. It took me about a year to get it right and even still, a few weeks ago, I messed them up on the sides. (I cut them once every two weeks, usually)
You look HOT either way so not to worry, lovely lady. kiss.
Hey Emery! I don't think I've ever commented on your blog before, but know that I've read it for a while and love hearing of the adventures of the Clarks in Oklahoma!
As a professional hair grower (me=hair farm, i.e. grow for 2-3 years, then chop for Locks of Love) I thought I'd offer my very limited view. Frankly, I have no patience for layers in my own hair, which does limit style possibilities (I, too, am a big fan of spontaneous bangs). Generally once my hair is past my shoulders it all gets hacked to the length of the top layer. Boring, but easy. This does make getting ready easier, though, and it looks amazing if you straighten the top layer.
This may have been of no help, but it's what I do :) And ditto the others, you look cute anyways!
Why are you growing your hair out? I was growing mine out and faced some of the same issues until I realized that I looked way better with short hair, and chopped it all off. Sweet relief!
Get yourself some sylin' cream! Frizz-Ease is a good product, I even got some "curl cream" generic stuff at a super-cuts type place that helps me. I have naturally curly hair so if I want body in my hair I have to blowdry it and then have to use something to keep it from being crazy, and I just use a little bit to kind of..contain the ends.I also am growing out the layers and have waymore on the bottom than the top, so I feel your pain. You can do it! I think if you cut it, just ask them to shape the layes so there is less poof...but really I think just putting in a bit of product when your hair is damp-almost-dry will solve the problem.
i know. comment fest. but i came back to say something i forgot to say.. which seems super dumb now.. but none the less i just really love the fact that the ends of your hair are the same age as my daughter. 20 months. how precious.
I'm on year two and a half of growing my hair out. I wouldn't cut it while pregnant because right now is your best hair growing opportunity as most women's hair grows faster, thicker and healthier with pregnancy. I have to agree with a previous commenter and say become best friends with the braids and pig tails until you get a little more length and also as another commenter said...find a good stylist and stick with them through the process. My stylist is awesome and has totally helped me not give up and kept it trimmed without sacrificing my end goal. I think you could use a trim but don't lose that longest layer...
so basically what everyone else said...yeah, nothing new under the sun here I guess.
I like the unruliness of yours but then maybe I'm just jealous as my hair has next to no body without some hot rollers and product...
keep on keeping on.
Now I'm debating cutting mine all off, I made it and now I think I'm done.
hi emery! i love any of those taming serum products... have you seen them? clear stuff? i use redken's glass. its pricey, but a bottle will last you forever. i'm sure any of the other brands are all the same, so hopefully you can't lose trying a cheaper brand. just put a dime-or-nickel-size blob on your fingertips, rub together kinda fast to "warm" it up a little, then "comb" through (dry) hair with your fingers in all your troubley areas. it's really great for layers. frizz be gone.
i think your hair is beautiful. you've done a fabulous job of growing it out. have you ever played with a flat iron? they're pretty fun. its one of my favorite things for my unruly, crazy hair that has a mind of its own when not serum-nated and straightened-somewhat. super easy, super quick results. no muss, no fuss. great for moms with little time. ;-)
have fun!
Hi, I have very straight, flat hair so I can't really give you advice on the global hair situation. But I've had a lot of experience with bangs of varying lengths. To get nice, poofy bangs (even when they were too short) I'd start by putting styling mousse in them. Then I'd comb them straight out (90 degree angle to my forehead,) curl them under and hold them that way. Hit them with the blowdryer until they're dry, then brush them sideways until they're soft again. Worked every time, if you're looking for a way to get your bangs under control.
I agree with the previous commenters who suggested you find a very good stylist and get a bit of a trim and go from there. Having just a bit (an itty bit) taken off in strategic places may be enough to get you through the growing out faze and lend you enough of a shape that you can wear it up or down, straight or wavy, etc.
I can't quite tell if you have very wavy or curly hair, but I'm a curly girl myself and I've found www.naturallycurly.com to be full of awesome ideas, products, boards, pics etc. It's for anyone with textured (wavy or curly) hair. Their product recommendations from users are great.
Anyhoo, I'm getting long winded. I love the blonde. I love your humor. You look adorable no matter what. Hope I could be of some help. Take care!
Hey Emery....just thought I would let you know I think your hair is beautiful. I know we can't all have the same styles and what not, but i really like it! Just keep going, cause your long hair is absolutely beautiful! Much love....
Do nothing, or try some different products. I love your hair, it looks great!
My hair grows faster at the back than on top. I recommend trimming the back layers. Getting rid of split ends will reduce the poof. I use John Frieda's Curl Perfecting Spray. You have curls like me - curly, but thin. I spray all over, comb through, then use a hairdryer with a diffuser. Result = Gorgeous curls.
Don't stop taking your prenatals after your done breastfeeding. They will help your hair grow more quickly.
I wish I could offer advice about the the too thick issue you have. Unfortunately my hair is so thin I can wrap a standard hair tie around it three times. Or I buy the tiny ones for little girls and wrap it twice.
Why don't you try and a straightener or blow drying it straight with a round brush after the shower? it would make it look less poofed (is that a word?) and not show off the layers as much. obviously you wouldn't want to do that routine every day... or maybe you would... but you could just try it and see what you think? when I had long hair I could straighten it in about 10 minutes and loved the way it looked.
you don't know me.
I blog-stalk you.
:)
my hair does the EXACT same thing. I end up with Christmas Tree hair. Some friends called me Jimmy Page, because I had his crazy-locks.
I twist my hair into small dread-size twists, and then flat iron each one. Then when it was all cooled i would shake it out. It ended up keeping my natural waves, just a little funkier, and smoothed down the mass of crazy.
Ohhhh, your hair's purty!! I see what you mean about it being a little out of control, but it's still so pretty. I can't give you any advice, as I don't have thick hair at all, but I hope you can figure something out that works, so you can keep that long beautiful mane of yours.
What a great photographer you have! I think get it thinned out, and bottom layer trimmed. I have a similar yet opposite issue. I have THIN hair, and just got a cut that isn't flattering on my head (w/thin hair), it just makes it look even thinner. Enjoy the thick, full head of hair, the opposite isn't great either.
I too am in the growing process and have layers and bangs. Do not cut it! I get my "cleaned up" about every 6-8 weeks to prevent bushy hair and it is supposed to help facilitate growth! Your hair is looking great by the way.
I think you look lovely. Never make a big hair decision while infused with preggo hormones. I learned that one the hard way...
Hi Emery,
I love your hair, it's gorgeous. Just let it be - grow - curl - the whole lot. When you are pregnant its grow grow grow. Including your hair, and it will be amazing and shiny and full of volume. Cause once the baby is breastfeeding mothernature will catch up with your hair. So just enjoy it while its in the full on growth phase. It's a great colour too!
Ok don't do the beanie thing.
If you want one-length long hair and you want to grow it out more, try these two really classy and sophisticated ways to wear your hair up for the "mean time.'
Flexi-8 http://www.blogfabulous.com/fabulous-hair-accessory/
EZ Bun http://www.blogfabulous.com/fabulous-ez-bun/
Wow. You've made some progress!
I'm all for the pigtails. And braids. Both.
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