Ack, I don't know what to do with it! It's so poofy :(

[Scelesta]

in about 2 months my hair has grow more then i expected, and it has reached the point where it looks TERRIBLE. Almost 2 months ago it was super short and i grew to love how it looked, now its longer and I feel it looks ridiculous!

this was my starting point (in this pic my hair had just been washed and had olive oil in it, but was dry)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/kick-the-kitten/11_zps65b2cc18.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/kick-the-kitten/media/11_zps65b2cc18.jpg.html)

2 days since being washed, no oil, attempted to comb it but it proved pointless!

and here it is now:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/kick-the-kitten/today_zps02c74083.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/kick-the-kitten/media/today_zps02c74083.jpg.html)

Seriously it stands straight up regardless of what I do, I'm out of olive oil so its always poofy :( but leaving oil on it 24/7 got annoying plus it takes an enormous amount of oil to keep it from being poofy and that leaves my hair heavy. It is SUPER SOFT, which is great but I dont know what to do with it! I'm embarrassed to go out in public with it uncovered, and usually will throw on a wig or pull up the hood of my jacket.

Any tips on how to make my hair not look so...poofy would be great, cause I dont like wearing wigs all the time(they make my head itch something awful!) I just need to get past this first awkward stage Next one for me is cheekbone length which looks soooo bad on me..but i'm not stressing over that untill it gets there...but if I can get the poofy under controll now, it wont be so bad as it gets longer.

[Pamala513]

Wow, I think your second picture looks beautifu! I love your hair in that picture. I think it as it grows, it will lay the way you want it to, but personally, I love that look on you, not many can wear it, but you sure can.

[Wildcat Diva]

Headbands? Scarves? Lots of gel? This too shall pass. It's just a stage that will be a vague memory someday.

[Chromis]

It's the length I think. I had a really awkward time at that stage too! If it makes you feel better, mine has a very pronounced centre part....even when only an inch long and a couple of BIG cowlicks too :lol: At least yours is going the same direction, but I know how frustrating it is.

Mine started laying better after shoulder and armpit length which likely seem ages away, but when you start from scratch those new milestones come much faster! Once it gets a little longer I found clips to be helpful in keeping it out of my face. I found getting to APL was the hardest part and it was all smooth sailing from then on to knee. Knee took me about seven or eight years (I did trim the back as I grew from bald to let the sides catch up so I wouldn't have unintentional mullet and then let it grow from there, with the odd trim. Usually I will grow an inch or two past a milestone and then trim back to even the hem and go on growing. Lately I have had to microtrim to thicken the hemline up, but I hope to gain more length soon.) You'll be joining the club before you know it!

[lapushka]

I'd try a leave-in, a little serum, and: gel!

[jrmviola]

Regular conditioner but on dry hair and not washed out? Maybe watered down and sprayed on? I've also heard of using Aloe Vera or Egg Whites.

If you combed your hair wet the way you wanted and let it dry with a scarf tied tightly, it might keep it tight to the head. Just dont comb or disturb it.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I think it looks cute and that you shouldn't be ashamed of it. It will be long before you know it.

[Firefox7275]

Curly Girl method: don't comb that separates waves and curls leading to frizz/ pouf. Also look at YouTube for how ladies with TWAs (teeny weeny afros) manage the in-between stage.

[Ashflower89]

WOW Scelesta, I don't really have any good advice for how to tame hair that length, but I remember when you first cut it and put your post-cut pictures up. That's amazing that you've gotten so much growth since then! It might be irritating right now, but at least its a good sign that you will quickly grow out of that stage and make your way longer. =)

[GoddesJourney]

Mine did that when it was that short. I had to give in and put product in it for a month or so to teach it to lay down. That stage will soon give way to the shaggy stage. No worries. This stage will be over before you know it.

[Aingeal]

I think it looks beautiful! So shiny!

[Anje]

I'd probably go for hair gel first, see if that did anything.

Another practice I've seen that might be worth a try is putting a beanie sort of hat on after you wash it, to hold the hair flat while it dries. I suppose this requires that such hats fit right and don't try to slide off your head, like they usually do to me. :)

[DebieT]

I had my son shave my head (1 inch all over) *think midlife crisis*. I would not brush it, but instead use your fingers. Mine would poof when I brushed it.

[Scelesta]

Thanks ya'll!

I'm going to try hair gel I have a HUGE tub of it from like 3 years ago, i never actually used it..bought it and put it away and kinda forgot about it lol

First though i'll try the wrap idea and see if that works, i'd like to avoid using products if I can, but I will if I must :)

My hair is wavy/curly when it gets to about cheek or chin length, but until then it tends to lean towards straight with a slight wave, which is a pain.

I will say this cutting off all my hair has been a godsend...it has NEVER been this healthy, poofy even if i dont brush it yes, but it is soft and shiny and feels like hair and not straw, and its hardly shedding at all( i notice maybe 2-5 hairs total when i do brush.) Before I cut it off i was loosing a fair bit more, and it was breaking off frequently no matter what I did...I cannot wait for it to be long again! I baby my hair something fierce since I joined LHC and cut off all the damage, no sulfate shampoos( and even then I only was twice a week, 3 if it feels like the oils built up or is making my scalp itchy), i tried no silicone conditioner but my hair did not take that well, so i switched back to the cheap conditioner my hair just loves that has cones, no product, no brushing(occasional combing), and I use olive oil in my hair (until i ran out and forgot to buy more that is), I tend to just put the oil in while my hairs damp(on wash days only usually) and leave it on all day/night, it adds shine and makes my hair super super soft, and my hair seems to love it. And once a week i use a clarifying shampoo to remove oil build up :)


I think in a month or 2 it'll look fine(or so I hope), I cant wait till its long enough for a ponytail again! I'm so impatient.

[spidermom]

At that length, I would finger-comb my hair away from my face with gel, then let it do whatever. It looked good sometimes and bad sometimes. That's why they make hats and scarves haha.

[redtuss]

You could try some aloe vera-gel to help tame the lovely poof! (seriously, it's so cute on you!!)