Flipping out (but only halfway...lol)

[Snoofie]

OK, so apparently I have reached my "awkward" stage...i.e., the stage where, in the past, I have always lost my patience, fled to the nearest hairstylist, and yelled "CUT IT OFF FOR THE LOVE OF GOD." I'm really trying hard not to do that this time, but it's....difficult. :p

The sides of my hair have reached the length where it's started to do the "flip" thing. Which I know some people love, but...I don't. I HATE it. Especially since it only flips on one damn side. Can we at least be consistent, here? Gah. For the past couple of days it's been so bad that I've resorted to tucking the sides behind my ears because at least then the flip isn't so drastic (although it still happens.) I wish I could post a picture so you all could see what I mean. My hair is ridiculously thick, too, so it's not exactly easy to get it all to go (and stay!) behind my ears.

Oh god. I can't wait for it to get to the length where this crap will stop. This is, for me, the very worst part of growing my hair. If I had straight hair this wouldn't be an issue, but...I don't, so this always happens. And I feel like I look completely unkempt with my hair like this (although deep down I know I don't). Good thing I don't work in an office environment...I'd feel so ridiculously self-conscious.

Ugh. Come on, shoulder length!

[Anyuta]

Snoofie, I am in the same stage currently, and my hair behaves the same way but mine is more fine and also straight so it "behaves" better. I use tiny clips to keep it down when it goes completely haywire. Or a band, if you like bands, those can be of great help here. Hairsprays can help too. But yea, DON'T cut it. It will overgrow, just be patient. :D

[YamaMaya]

Hang in there :grouphug:

[bunnylake]

SAME HERE. I have to blow dry it under. My hair is a short(ish) bob so I'll probably be stuck with this flippy for a while but my hair seems to be growing fast. We'll make it past the flippies!

[ositarosita]

I JUST PASSED THAT STAGE ... double French braids, just take a minute breathe and don't chop it off... it will be SOOOOO worth it

[PixxieStix]

Sorry to hear it's so frustrating, what hair styles have you been trying? Is there any way to get part of your hair back to mitigate the results of the flipping? My mom has this one chunk of hair on the left side that likes to randomly get wavy/curly depending on the humidity, drives her bonkers. Hang in there, you'll get past this and be on your way to long hair of your dreams. :)

[Naiadryade]

I loved how wild my hair was at that stage, but I can totally understand why one wouldn't!

Can you french and/or dutch braid? Try experimenting with different styles incorporating those. That way your hair is contained (and protected! bonus!)... and if you leave it in for some hours, then when you take it out you may even find well-behaved braid waves instead of your natural flip.

Good luck! Hang in there and you'll get through it! Wavy hair is just GORGEOUS when it's long. It's really only suited to be short if you like the wild look. :p

[Stray_mind]

My hair also does this flipping thing. I don't like it but i am wearing my hair up a lot so i learned to not pay attention. Many people think it's cute, but i hate it.. I know how you feel. I think you should just wait it out untill the lenght does it's job and weighs those flipped ends down.. :)

[Snoofie]

I think I might have to invest in some small clips. I *was* wearing the sides down, covering my ears, but apparently that's not going to work anymore (or at least as long as this stage lasts, anyway.) It's driving me nuts, because my hair's so thick (even the sides) that, although I keep the sides tucked behind my ears, it won't STAY there. Bits keep escaping. I'm pretty sure that at this point I look like someone who just fell out of the ragbag or something. *L*

[Snoofie]

Can you french and/or dutch braid?

AHAHAHAHAHA. I wish! I'm growing out from a super-super-short pixie, so I'm not even close to the braid stage yet. I'm really only at short bob stage right now. It's only the sides that are flipping out (I used to keep my ears "cut out" when it was short, so that's not the same length as the back yet.)

Holy crap. The day I have enough hair to form a braid, I think I'll throw a party. *L*

[Naiadryade]

Be careful when choosing those clips. Hair toys with seams, hinges, or that pinch your hair tightly can definitely cause damage.

ETA: I think we were writing our posts at the same time! How long is your hair? Like, in inches from your scalp? I have successfully crown braided a friend's curly hair that's only 3 or 4 inches long. Even if you think your hair is still too short, try it! You might be surprised. :flower:

[Snoofie]

Sorry to hear it's so frustrating, what hair styles have you been trying? Is there any way to get part of your hair back to mitigate the results of the flipping?

I haven't really tried any styles, as such, simply because my hair really isn't at the "styling" stage yet. The longest layers (GOD, how I hate layers, and I swear I'll never let anyone cut my hair into layers again, dammit!) are only mid-neck length at this point, and the shortest layer is just down past my earlobes (this is the part that's currently flipping out.) As for bringing part of my hair back -- well, I've done that to the best of my ability at this point; I've tucked the offending sides behind my ears, but the bottom still sticks out (dratted wavy hair! I love it when it's long but it's a pain in the *ass* when it's growing out).

I really don't know what brought this on, actually. It *literally* only started yesterday. *L* I'm hoping it will pass as quickly as it started!

[Snoofie]

Be careful when choosing those clips. Hair toys with seams, hinges, or that pinch your hair tightly can definitely cause damage.

ETA: I think we were writing our posts at the same time! How long is your hair? Like, in inches from your scalp? I have successfully crown braided a friend's curly hair that's only 3 or 4 inches long. Even if you think your hair is still too short, try it! You might be surprised. :flower:

Yeah, I'll be careful. I don't know about clips and stuff anyhow...I never wore them even when my hair was longer. Bands I can handle, but the idea of damaging my hair freaks me out. It's why I won't buy a straightener, even though people keep telling me that a straightener would fix my issue with the flip. I don't see how frying my hair will "fix" it.

As for braids, well...I think my hair's about 4 inches from the scalp? Something like that. I've never really measured it that way; I've only measured from the hairline down to the ends at the back, which comes out to 16.5 inches.

Maybe I'll do tiny braids on the sides. Bahahaha.

[Naiadryade]

Good for you for avoiding damage even at short lengths! That way when you have long hair, you won't have damaged ends you have to cut off like me. :silly:

Tiny braids on the sides would probably be really cute! I think that, unless you have particularly slippery hair, you can probably do it at your length. The nice thing about french braids is as long as each bit of hair can get through a few turns it will usually pretty much stay, and by then you've added the next bit of hair to keep the braid going. Have fun with it, and get us pictures if you can! I bet it will look cute and polished. :popcorn:

ETA: Maybe invest in some hair pins to keep your styles looking polished if you end up with bits sticking out here and there. There have been a couple threads recently about what kinds work best for people and are the least damaging.

[ositarosita]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdnn7UpDsZ8&list=FLdOqTWdKbSGUWciwxI4tu5w&index=9 ... this minus the heat ... DOES WONDERS

[HintOfMint]

Oof, been there. Honestly, thick short hair is just the biggest hassle (especially if there's any wave to it), and the awkward stage can be murder. But you will get past it, it's just a few more inches and then it calms down considerably. I personally got layers as it passed shoulder to encourage more of a style as it grew out. If you're trying to grow it out at one length and feeling frustrated, layers can definitely help.

[Snoofie]

Oof, been there. Honestly, thick short hair is just the biggest hassle (especially if there's any wave to it), and the awkward stage can be murder.

Tell me about it. Seriously, yesterday? After I washed and blow-dried my hair (pretty much the only damaging thing I do to my hair, because if I don't, it just is...completely flat), I looked in the mirror and went ".....WTF is this?!" Because I swear it wasn't flipping as I dried it; it was like it just decided to flip at the last possible moment. I'm *very* glad I don't own any clippers, because with the way I felt yesterday, I probably would have shaved my head.

I love having naturally wavy hair, but only when it's long. Because when it's short...well, it's hell. Bah. And I swear everyone I meet asks the same question: "Can I have, like, just 1/10th of your hair's thickness?" And I always feel like saying, "If I could give it to you, you could have ALL of it!"

I'll wait this stage out; I guess I don't have a choice, if I want it to grow. I think half the problem is that I've never tried to grow my hair all the way out from a pixie before (the last time I grew it out -- twenty years ago! -- it was shoulder-length already) so I've never really had to suffer through this particular stage. But I'll just try to ignore it. Or I could just embrace the flippiness -- but at the moment it is just driving me absolutely batty.

I SO wish I could post pics! *L*

[LauraLongLocks]

I SO wish I could post pics! *L*

You can, even as a newbie, if you upload your photo to photobucket, copy and paste the IMG link into the body of your message. It works!

I've had hair at the flippy length lots of times. I have much less hair, and straight, so I just went with it. The only advice I can give, since you don't like the flippy stage, is do whatever it takes to have a "style" at this length. It's important to like your hair, no matter what length it is. So, do whatever you must, trying to inflict the least amount of damage (which will only need to be cut off later), so that you can have enjoyable hair now, even while you are waiting for it to grow. Life is short. Way too short to hate your hair, even for a little while.

Here's my hair "styled" to encourage the flip... it was almost a bit too long to properly flip at this point:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/16443_1272620059131_5634775_n-1-1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/16443_1272620059131_5634775_n-1-1.jpg.html)

And here it is a few months later, flipping at my shoulders, unstyled:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/045.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/045.jpg.html)

The year previous, at a shorter length, I was growing out the mullet, and so I wore it like this most of the time:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg.html)

Barrettes and headbands. They were my friends at that stage. Good luck! Oh, I almost forgot, I do my daughter's hair in double french braids, and it's only about 3-4" long. It isn't easy, but it's possible. Here's a link to her pic with double french braids on Facebook. I just pinned the ends under. Very nice looking.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202577372859063&l=745b7dec7a

[bunnylake]

What's weird is the last time my hair was this short it never flipped. Ever. And I cut it myself then... super chunky crazy punky layers. I guess somehow the way I cut it made it lay nicer. Weird!

[Snoofie]

The year previous, at a shorter length, I was growing out the mullet, and so I wore it like this most of the time:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg.html)



THIS IS MY HAIR. o_O Pretty much exactly. *L* Only there's a fair bit more of it (in terms of thickness) so the flip is even more noticeable.

Thanks for the tip about posting pics, by the way! :D I think I'll post a pic of my nightmarish flip tomorrow (if I don't lose my mind and hack it all off by then, haha.)

[Ashflower89]

My right side in front of my ear does the flip-out thing too. I either straighten the one piece all by itself, or just blow dry my whole head until it behaves. I know, heat is bad, but.... the pixie-to-bob stage is way too hard to get through without any control. Just a few more months!

[Snoofie]

My right side in front of my ear does the flip-out thing too. I either straighten the one piece all by itself, or just blow dry my whole head until it behaves. I know, heat is bad, but.... the pixie-to-bob stage is way too hard to get through without any control. Just a few more months!

Holy crap, that's exactly where mine flips out! *L* I know people must think I'm crazy because it doesn't look bad to anyone but me, but it is driving me completely around the bend! I guess I've had short hair for so very long that I'm not used to hair that doesn't "behave" (or, more accurately, I'm not used to having enough hair for it to "misbehave"!)

[rainfortheend]

Flaxseed gel is your new best friend. Rake it through wet hair, scrunch it a lot and it'll dry wavy instead of flippy. It's good for your hair, but if you apply too much, it'll be a little crunchy (which you can squeeze to lessen.) Still better than flippy!

If that doesn't work, braidwaves. I started doing them when my hair was jaw length-- lots of little braids! Don't brush them after you take them out or you'll turn into a poodle. It's an interesting texture that can look natural if you tousle it.

Once you get to CBL, it's smooth sailing. That's where I am. Just a few more months!

[DebieT]

I never thought about being able to braid my hair the length it is at. Barely touches my shoulders with lots of layering. I am going to try the little braids. What do you guys use to tie them when they are little?

[bunnylake]

Flaxseed gel is your new best friend. Rake it through wet hair, scrunch it a lot and it'll dry wavy instead of flippy. It's good for your hair, but if you apply too much, it'll be a little crunchy (which you can squeeze to lessen.) Still better than flippy!

If that doesn't work, braidwaves. I started doing them when my hair was jaw length-- lots of little braids! Don't brush them after you take them out or you'll turn into a poodle. It's an interesting texture that can look natural if you tousle it.

Once you get to CBL, it's smooth sailing. That's where I am. Just a few more months!

Would aloe vera gel would like this also?

[Sharysa]

Oh boy, short thick waves. My awkward stage lasted from about APL length to MID BACK. Luckily, I managed to keep it in a ponytail or pigtail braids. The minute I learned how to French/Dutch braid, THANK THE GODS.

I think with tiny braids, you can definitely use yarn or cord to tie them off.

[Naiadryade]

Would aloe vera gel would like this also?

Possibly. Keep in mind that aloe is a humectant, so if you are in dry air a lot of the time, like in an arid climate or indoors with heating, it can actually dry out your hair. But YMMV - you could certainly try each on your hair and see how your hair reacts!


What's weird is the last time my hair was this short it never flipped. Ever. And I cut it myself then... super chunky crazy punky layers. I guess somehow the way I cut it made it lay nicer. Weird!

Ha, this is exactly what I did! My hair still flipped though, especially when it was shorter than chin-length.


:scissors: The only advice I can give, since you don't like the flippy stage, is do whatever it takes to have a "style" at this length. It's important to like your hair, no matter what length it is. So, do whatever you must, trying to inflict the least amount of damage (which will only need to be cut off later), so that you can have enjoyable hair now, even while you are waiting for it to grow. Life is short. Way too short to hate your hair, even for a little while.

Here's my hair "styled" to encourage the flip... it was almost a bit too long to properly flip at this point:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/16443_1272620059131_5634775_n-1-1.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/16443_1272620059131_5634775_n-1-1.jpg.html)

And here it is a few months later, flipping at my shoulders, unstyled:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/045.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/045.jpg.html)

The year previous, at a shorter length, I was growing out the mullet, and so I wore it like this most of the time:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/Bestbirth/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/Bestbirth/media/Hair%20Gallery/LauraPrego016.jpg.html)

I totally agree with this advice! LauraLongLocks, your short styled hair looked particularly awesome!

I'll play... here are some pictures highlighting the flippyness of my short hair!

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/Naiadryade/gradhair.jpg
6/06

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/Naiadryade/hamp.jpg
9/07

And by this length waves no longer meant bits sticking out:

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w421/Naiadryade/teaparty.jpg
4/08

[rainfortheend]

Aloe could work-- it never really worked for my hair type, though... I'm fine, thin, and low porosity, so it doesn't take much to weigh me down. If you use aloe, get a humidifier for optimum moisture.

I used to use tiny fluffy children's ponytail holders... they're not attractive, though. Now I just tie everything off with satin ribbons... they really don't slide out of my hair that much. I'll divide the hair I'm tying off in the middle and pull the ribbon through, like I'm making a figure 8, then knotting it and tying it into a bow.

[rainfortheend]

Jaw length braidwaves!

http://i41.tinypic.com/25q9c15.jpg

And the natural flippy texture.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/17590_10201500227413430_2002526564_n.jpg?lvh=1

[restless]

I love having naturally wavy hair, but only when it's long. Because when it's short...well, it's hell.

As a fellow wavy I feel your pain! The shorter the hair is, the worse it behaves and some days the awkwardness knows no bounds. However: it gets better with every centimeter so just breathe and ignore it for a little more while. Like the others have already suggested; experiment with cute hairstyles, braid waves, clips and head bands and dont do anything drastic (like chopping it off, no matter how tempting it may seem at times). If you want long hair this is unfortunatly something you´ll have to go through and chopping it wont really solve anything in that case, it´ll only take you back to the beginning.

What I really wanted to say was; you have my sympathy lol ;)

Good luck on your hair journey :)

[LauraLongLocks]

I totally agree with this advice! LauraLongLocks, your short styled hair looked particularly awesome!


Thank you. I made it a point to enjoy my hair at every length, and so, for a while I was at the salon, trimming back my mullet frequently, and asking the stylist to shape it up as it grew. I had to get the right stylist, however. So much of the time, if I told them I was growing it out, they didn't want to touch it. They couldn't understand that even while it was growing out, I still wanted it to look like it had a style. Every length can by enjoyable. The way I did it meant that I spent longer getting it grown out to shoulder length, but I enjoyed it along the way, so it was worth it.

[Mizumi]

Don't worry, I remember when I had that length, it was awful for me, even it was one of the reasons why before I had used to always cut it short when It came to that length. However, when it grew below armpits, it was breeze.

[AmyBeth]

My hair wouldn't do a flip, no matter what I do, and I'm one of those straight fine limp haired ladies who wouldn't mind. But DH- I persuaded him to grow out his hair, and when he was at the awkward phase even his bangs did the swoop. I still can't say "Hermey doesn't like to make toys!" without getting a dirty look.:laugh:

[Zindell]

lol, I remember my flip stage. Most of the days one side was flipping out and the other side were flipping inwards. :rolleyes:

[cranberrymoonz]

I've been there! You'll get through it. Try some new styles like french braids, half ups, a bang poof or a headband tuck:) You can use a a blowdryer to tame the flippies when you need to look neat. Using heat sometimes isn't too bad if it helps you through the awkward stage!

[Ambystoma]

When my hair was that length I wore a french roll every day - it's do-able if you do two rolls, one with the top section and then one with the bottom and then arrange the "join" with your fingers so it looks like one continuous roll but all the short bits stay secure, that style saved my sanity while I was growing :laugh:

Also, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news: your hair may never stop being flippy even if you grow it long. I'm so sorry :rolling:
look at mine at MBL and BCL -
http://i.imgur.com/aIQrXl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/QbSOjUOl.jpg

The good news is that once it's a bit longer you can wind the ends round a few big rollers after a quick spray of water to encourage them to go under instead :p