How to deal with ultra thick long hair (male)

[fj33]

I am a male with ridiculously thick and wavy hair. About a decade ago I had it fairly long, but I cut it off after a year because it was just too much work. I've missed it ever since though, and I'm working on getting back to that length again now. It is so thick that when it is short, people think I'm crazy if I say I will grow it out, but once it gets long I get lots of compliments. But I still feel it is so thick it looks bad sometimes. Image from before:

http://i.imgur.com/6RcsjUY.jpg

Note that those waves are after running a straightener through it, something I refuse to deal with this time around, I want it to be as natural as possible. Most of the waves are only near the end anyway, the weight of the hair makes it straight as you move up toward the root. From that front view I feel like it looks pretty decent and not too thick. But when you look from the back, or especially from the side, it becomes clear how thick it is.

http://i.imgur.com/OveMnFq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MkWCxLE.jpg

I feel like the side view is ridiculous, it fans out backward several inches. I think part of this could be blamed on all hairs being cut to the same length (combined with the waves), which I do because I like cutting it myself for simplicity, easy to chop it all to same length in ponytail.

Even in ponytail it is so thick I think it looks ridiculous, the ponytail is like 6 inches wide at some points.

http://i.imgur.com/TTcoO0r.jpg http://i.imgur.com/zOx1MO9.jpg

So I guess a couple questions, are my worries founded at all, is the thickness too much, and if so how could I deal with it? If I give up my insistence on cutting it myself I could have somebody else layer it which maybe would help the flare out. I could also shave part of the back (undercut?) but I don't really like that idea in general.

Those were all old pics. Here's how it's looking at present:

http://i.imgur.com/p6Y8CIo.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LfbZtjt.jpg

Part of me was hoping that if I kept it shorter than before, i.e. just long enough for a ponytail but not a long ponytail, then the ponytail wouldn't look so thick and ridiculous like before. But this is a new problem, with the short ponytail it just flares out like a volcano, the waves at the tips trying to go in every direction. Thoughts on that?

All I do for care now is wash, condition, and then put leave in conditioner and a small amount of grapeseed oil in. The latter two steps I never did years ago, and I feel like they help a lot making it immediately manageable and no longer needing straightening. But at the cost of it getting dirty faster and needing re-washed in 2-3 days rather than 4-5 like before (actually it feels slightly dirty from the moment it dries with the oil in, there is a very fine balance between too little oil causing poofing/frizzing, and too much oil making it greasy). Looking for opinions on both how it looks (then and now) and also what I can do differently in terms of care and cut to make it more manageable... thanks a bunch!

[yogagirl]

Welcome! Your hair is beautiful!

I'm not a fan of undercuts unless that is really the look you're going for. Doesn't sound like it though. You could try using thinning shears if you want to keeping cutting yourself.

Happy growing. I'm sure your hair will look great at longer lengths too!

[AZDesertRose]

Wow, you've got beautiful hair! Lovely color and great shine. :)

I also have fairly thick hair, although I don't think mine is quite as thick as yours. Honestly, a lot of it is trial and error, figuring out what works and what doesn't for your individual head of hair.

With oiling, I tend to go towards too little at first, basing this on the concept of "I can add more if need be, but if I put too much in, I'm hosed." :D

I might not do both the leave-in conditioner AND the oil. I usually don't use a leave-in, just a little bit of coconut oil on mine. The doubling up may be leading to the greasy feeling.

Also, with my hair, I tend to oil it when it's dry or very close to dry, because if I oil it wet, it seems to feel yucky and greasy, and it seems to me to be easier to control the amount of oil if I do it on dry or mostly-dry hair. I also oil by hand and then brush my hair with a boar-bristle brush to help distribute the oil more evenly. (A boar-bristle brush can be a great tool to have. If you haven't already seen it, people around here abbreviate it as BBB.) Brushing with a natural brush also seems to help to tame my hair. My hair is thick and has a slight wave, so it has a bit of an attitude problem if I don't oil it and brush it (gently, of course).

What are you using for shampoo and conditioner? Changing that up may make a difference too, depending on how well what you're currently using is working for you.

Sorry for the novel. I hope some of this helps. :)

[swords & roses]

I think your hair looks fantastic! (Also, I'm kind of jealous of it, lol!) I'm not sure what your goal length is, but I'm pretty sure that as it gets longer, the natural effect of taper will take over and soften your hemline, keeping it from flaring so much at the ends. A couple other things you can try, to help soften the look of your thickness, would be to experiment with different hemline shapes (V-shape & U-shape, instead of the almost straight across cut you had) (See Faye's Self-Trim (http://feyeselftrim.livejournal.com/)), or try cutting in layers yourself using the pony tail (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=117777&highlight=compact) method/compact cut (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=129649&highlight=compact) method. You may also find some help over on the Thick Hair (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43020) thread, as well as the Wavy Hair (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=31563) thread. This thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=127305&highlight=compact) might help you, too.

[fj33]

I'm not a fan of undercuts unless that is really the look you're going for. Doesn't sound like it though. You could try using thinning shears if you want to keeping cutting yourself.

Thanks for the input. I wouldn't want to do thinning shears on top since I think that would just increase flyaways, but in the back it might make sense, which happens to be where it's thickest also. Will keep it in mind.


I might not do both the leave-in conditioner AND the oil. I usually don't use a leave-in, just a little bit of coconut oil on mine. The doubling up may be leading to the greasy feeling.

I've tried doing only one or the other, but it seems the leave-in is necessary to prevent frizz, and the oil to decrease volume and waviness and make it soft and less dry. Without both I can't solve all the problems. I have way more frizz now than the first time around, maybe because I'm older, or also because I'm living in a dryer climate (though I always thought humidity caused frizz when I lived in humid southeast before).


Also, with my hair, I tend to oil it when it's dry or very close to dry, because if I oil it wet, it seems to feel yucky and greasy, and it seems to me to be easier to control the amount of oil if I do it on dry or mostly-dry hair.

Weird, I've found the opposite. The longer I wait to oil, the more it stays greasy in the hair. If I oil within 30 minutes after washing, it mostly soaks into the hair or evaporates with the water. If I oil completely dry hair, it just sits on the surface forever until washed off.


What are you using for shampoo and conditioner? Changing that up may make a difference too, depending on how well what you're currently using is working for you.

Yeah I've been experimenting a lot. I have dandruff to deal with that I never did before, again maybe because I'm in a dry climate now. Also I feel like the oil both helps dandruff by moistening my scalp, and worsens it by accumulating into this gross yellow buildup by day 2, that nobody can see, but if I scratch my scalp it comes out under my fingernails. So maybe it reduces dandruff amount but traps it to scalp making it itchier, I dunno. As far as shampoo...

I like this one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8B5HS/), but it makes dandruff horrible so I never use.
This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNTJHQO) seems best at both controlling dandruff and not overly drying hair.
This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJVG6HC) is also ok but dries a bit too much.

As far as conditioner, this one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8BN02) seems best but takes forever to rinse out. This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAL5JAU) also seems ok.

Thanks for the input and kind words.

[Equestrienne]

My 16 year old son has hair that thick, but longer. I can say that the longer it gets, the better it looks. It gets to where the neck area is much less "puffy" and the fullness shows mostly at the bottom, and looks *really* nice. The weight "pulls" everything down more. He has always had long hair, longest has been his waist, but now it's back to below his shoulder blades. His ends are also wavy, and actually since we've moved to a more humid climate, it's practically curly on the very bottom. Still looks really nice on him.

Of course my 17 refuses to grow out again, because he (also thick of hair) HATES the "poofiness" of the entire middle-phase. :rolleyes:

[endlessly]

Firstly, I'll start by saying that your hair looks wonderful and extremely healthy. Secondly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having thick hair - most people here would probably kill to have as much hair as you do. With that in mind and speaking as someone also with thicker hair, the reason it's most likely bothering you as much as it is now is a result of the growth stage you're currently in. Once my hair reached mid-back, it started to calm down quite a bit and I actually find it to be much more manageable now that it's at tailbone length. When it was shorter and actually just about the length yours is, it drove me absolutely insane. Once I passed that awkward growth stage, it became much easier to control.

Depending on the specific products you're using to wash your hair, you might be creating additional volume that way, too. You could always try switching to products geared towards reducing frizz because those have a tendency of calming down overly voluminous hair, however, your hair will feel a bit weighed down as a result. If all else fails, you could even look at purchasing a thinning shears and using that to trim your hair to cut down on thickness, but the result will be quite a few layers.

Best of luck!

[Colochita]

I've got super thick hair myself, and I'm not sure whether it's been said yet, but: sections. Part your hair in sections that you can deal with and clip them up/tire them up in hair bands. Moisturize/wash/condition/etc. them one at a time. Otherwise, your hair will overwhelm you and you will get incredibly frustrated with it. Your hair is fairly short now, so you shouldn't have to worry about it yet. But once you're looking at the length in your old photos, I'd suggest sectioning. It helps me keep my sanity.

[AZDesertRose]

I've tried doing only one or the other, but it seems the leave-in is necessary to prevent frizz, and the oil to decrease volume and waviness and make it soft and less dry. Without both I can't solve all the problems. I have way more frizz now than the first time around, maybe because I'm older, or also because I'm living in a dryer climate (though I always thought humidity caused frizz when I lived in humid southeast before).

Yeah I've been experimenting a lot. I have dandruff to deal with that I never did before, again maybe because I'm in a dry climate now. Also I feel like the oil both helps dandruff by moistening my scalp, and worsens it by accumulating into this gross yellow buildup by day 2, that nobody can see, but if I scratch my scalp it comes out under my fingernails. So maybe it reduces dandruff amount but traps it to scalp making it itchier, I dunno. As far as shampoo...

I like this one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8B5HS/), but it makes dandruff horrible so I never use.
This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNTJHQO) seems best at both controlling dandruff and not overly drying hair.
This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJVG6HC) is also ok but dries a bit too much.

As far as conditioner, this one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z8BN02) seems best but takes forever to rinse out. This one (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAL5JAU) also seems ok.

Thanks for the input and kind words.

Yeah, hair will change as you get older. Mine is much drier these days than it was before I hit 30. (I'm 39 now.) And moving to a different climate will change it too.

Isn't it funny how different people's hair likes different things (wrt oiling wet or dry)? You might try doing the leave-in and oil while it's wet, waiting until it dries, and then trying a boar-bristle brush on it once it's dry. (Brushing wet hair is basically asking for breakage, and if you're trying to grow your hair, breakage is the enemy.)

The dandruff and yellow gunk under your nails if you scratch your scalp sounds like it could be seborrheic dermatitis. There are over-the-counter ways to treat it, but I'd suggest seeing a dermatologist if possible to make sure that SD is in fact what's going on and maybe a dermatologist could suggest ways to deal with it. I have it myself, and I use a prescription ketoconazole shampoo every other wash to treat mine, but that's another YMMV thing. I used to use Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo on it, but the prescription shampoo works better for me.

I agree with others that as your hair gets longer, it gets less likely to floof out on you. The weight of long hair, even super-thick long hair, tends to pull the fullness down a bit, which can be a very good thing in terms of manageability of thick hair.

Anyway, again, you have magnificent hair, and I hope you're getting some helpful tips.

[Aurum]

Wow. :thud: I WANT YOUR HAIR!! Seriously, there are a lot of people who would love to have your hair. It might be causing you problems now, but I promise that life gets better after you get through the awkward short-long stage. :)

[butter52]

I dont think that is ridiculous at all! Well I mean the tiny ponitail is funny but in your older pictures it looked perfectly fine.

You are a man whith a shiny thick mane, well thats a problem you want to have! :P

I have a bunch of wurly hair and I am in the growing out phases and the only thing that works for me is layers.

[lapushka]

It doesn't look "ultra" thick to me, just maybe 4 to 5 inches in circumference (try and measure your ponytail circumference). That puts you in the iii category. Plenty of people on here have that thickness and could possibly help you out. I have that thickness, just barely though, and my ponytail looks about the same as yours.

This means you need to wait until about waist/hip to "properly" bun it (with ease). That's the downside to it.

[Panth]

I'm no help re. thick hair (except to say that, no, it doesn't look silly - quite the opposite - many, may people would be envious of such thick hair!).

I just thought I'd say that this:


Yeah I've been experimenting a lot. I have dandruff to deal with that I never did before, again maybe because I'm in a dry climate now. Also I feel like the oil both helps dandruff by moistening my scalp, and worsens it by accumulating into this gross yellow buildup by day 2, that nobody can see, but if I scratch my scalp it comes out under my fingernails. So maybe it reduces dandruff amount but traps it to scalp making it itchier, I dunno. As far as shampoo...

sounds like textbook seborrheic dermatitis. That is, dandruff and itching caused by overgrowth of yeast on the scalp. Oil and other emolients will soothe the scalp but will provide more food for the yeast, making the situation worse. You want preferably to have a doctor look at it. If the diagnosis is confirmed, you can then use antifungal shampoos (2% ketoconazole works very well, aka Nizoral) to treat the problem rather than the symptoms. (You can also do this anyway if for some reason you can't see a doctor - if it works, you know the problem was probably SD.) You can also come to this thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=54045&page=8) to read about techniques to prevent recurrence.

[Nique1202]

I agree with the above about it looking better as it gets longer. Thick hair does not do well between ear and armpit. The longer it gets, the less messy and wild it looks.

My ponytails did the same volcano spread (I love that description!) as your new pics when they were very short, and the ponytail spread in your old pictures was probably mainly because it was still quite short, it was still trying to spread out as much as possible without much weight to hold it down. Aside from being very damaging over time, ponytails compress the hair and encourage it (especially when it's thick) to spread like that. One guy I used to know would wear three or four elastics, a few inches apart, all the way down his ponytail to keep it from spreading out and getting tangled in everything even when his hair was very long.

I find that braids and buns highlight the best qualities of thick hair much better than a ponytail. I don't know how long you want yours to grow out to, but I expect you'll find it much easier to deal with and find much, much more to do with it when it gets a little longer than it was in the old pictures. I started being able to do buns (especially with spin pins) consistently around armpit-to-midback, while your old pics look like about collarbone. You could probably start playing with dutch or french braids at your current length to see how you like them.

As for the routine/product issues you have, try keeping the leave-in and the oil at least 2 inches away from your scalp. Rinse-out conditioner can be spread on the outside and massaged lightly (and worked into everything below the shoulders once it's longer) but if your scalp is getting oily-flaky buildup then avoiding contact with conditioning agents can help a lot, in my experience.

[MINAKO]

I agree with lapushka, thats not ultra thick in my book either. I have thick hair too and dont think it would be more managable if the circumference was below average. Just deal with it like you would do with any hairtype, be gentle, dont forget the back of the head and nape areas, if neccesary section it and you will be fine.

[EdG]

This problem will take care of itself. You don't have to do anything. Just let the hair grow and the weight will keep it down.
Ed

[chen bao jun]

You do have very thick hair. (There are an unusual amount of people on LHC with thick hair which is why you get the comments that it's not ultra thick, which frankly seems like quibbling to me, especially as you are asking for solutions, not a discussion on exactly 'how ' thick your hair is).

Basically I agree with those who say it looks very good, and that when you grow it longer, it will flatten out and be less difficult so far as the tent effect and so forth. I would not suggest layering or thinning, and definitely not straightening as you dI'd before, just patience.

The good side of LHC having an unusual amount of thick haired members is that there are a lot of threads with good advice for thick hair. Some won't be so useful for a man as they describe buns and sectioning, (although man buns exist now) but a lot of others should be h e lpful.

The best thing about being on here for me has been the encouragement, after 3 years here I feel most of th e time that being thick is good, even enviable, not 'freakish ', naturally untidy and inconvenient.

I think you will appreciate how gorgeous your ponytail looks after a while on here and indeed many people would envy you, and not just balding men

[meteor]

Welcome to the LHC! :cheer: Beautiful hair you've got! :D

You already got lots of great tips here, I just wanted to add this: if you want to grow hair much longer and you want it to be manageable, I'd highly recommend not using a straightener. :pray: Heat-styling is damaging and over time, it will feel like you need it more and more (because damaged hair gets frizzy), it can turn into a vicious cycle. Use wet-setting techniques instead. Also, if this is how your hair looks after being straightened, are you naturally a curly? If so, I'd recommend looking into the Curly Girl Method by Massey (it's about conditioner-only washing, avoiding brushes and other tips for textured hair...). I'd also recommend looking into pre-poo oiling and LOC (liquid-oil-cream) post-wash, as well as washing hair in sections or braids. It can really simplify the grooming process. Sleeping on silk/satin or other smooth materials can help with frizz or unmanageable/fluffy volume, too.

For dandruff, I recommend avoiding oils rich in oleic acid (they feed Malassezia fungus) and avoiding putting oils close to scalp altogether and using shampoos with ketoconazole (Nizoral, Regenepure), alternatively, something with selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue), salycilic acid (Neutrogena T/Sal), zinc pyrithione (H&S) or possibly coal tar (Neutrogena T-Gel) can help. If this doesn't work (used as recommended), I'd definitely see a doctor.

Best of luck! And happy growing! :D

[MINAKO]

You do have very thick hair. (There are an unusual amount of people on LHC with thick hair which is why you get the comments that it's not ultra thick, which frankly seems like quibbling to me, especially as you are asking for solutions, not a discussion on exactly 'how ' thick your hair is).


Pardon for sharing my opinion on a note that was meant to be realistic, reffering to the general classification system. I did not intent to come across rude, but i think its ok to let people know what they are actually working with, so they can find a comparison in what worked for other members. There is a difference between M/C and straight up C as well as there is a difference between upper end of ii thickness and iii+i+x thickness.
I could describe my own hair as either 1a or 4b and some people would probably not correct me, so i dont fell offended or anything, not sure thats gonna help tho. :flower:

[fj33]

This means you need to wait until about waist/hip to "properly" bun it (with ease). That's the downside to it.

Yeah, that seems to be a common theme in the responses here, and I agree thick hair looks better super long, the problem is that I really don't want my hair that long. ;-) Probably shoulder length as I had it in my old pics is as long as I'd ever want it. I guess I will just let it get to that length again, and then experiment with cut and other things to see if I can make it more to my liking this time around. Thanks!

[fj33]

Pardon for sharing my opinion on a note that was meant to be realistic, reffering to the general classification system.

No offense taken, I have no idea what any of these numerical classifications are, and am aware that there is much thicker hair out there than mine. Ultra thick per my words really just means "thicker than I'd prefer." ;-) I think again because I think long hair on men looks best only shoulder length or so, but for that length my thickness is probably a bit excessive. I agree for very long hair my thickness would probably be an asset.

[MINAKO]

No offense taken, I have no idea what any of these numerical classifications are, and am aware that there is much thicker hair out there than mine. Ultra thick per my words really just means "thicker than I'd prefer." ;-) I think again because I think long hair on men looks best only shoulder length or so, but for that length my thickness is probably a bit excessive. I agree for very long hair my thickness would probably be an asset.

You ca find more information on all those letters and numbers of the hair typing system here http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8954

Of course there will never be two heads of hair that are identical just because the classification matches, but it gives a good general idea what to look for in thousands of threads.
Its all about personal preferences how and individual wants to wear their hair. In my opinion there is no ideal hair length for either men or women. You will find out what you are most comfortable with in time. That being said, i have seen alot of male heads with hair longer than hip or even classic and it suited them very well.

[lapushka]

Pardon for sharing my opinion on a note that was meant to be realistic, reffering to the general classification system. I did not intent to come across rude, but i think its ok to let people know what they are actually working with, so they can find a comparison in what worked for other members. There is a difference between M/C and straight up C as well as there is a difference between upper end of ii thickness and iii+i+x thickness.
I could describe my own hair as either 1a or 4b and some people would probably not correct me, so i dont fell offended or anything, not sure thats gonna help tho. :flower:

Yeah, sheesh, it was part of the discussion! It brings up the classification system indeed, and makes "identifying" your hair a lot easier - so at least you know what the heck you're working with, and to find similar people out there who share your hair type and thickness.

[molljo]

Since you don't want your hair to be longer than collarbone, then yes, absolutely get layers. A blunt hemline at that length on wavy hair, no matter the thickness, will result in triangle head.I also think you should look into wavy hair care. Focusing on increasing your waves and encouraging clumping will help reduce frizz and provide more visual texture/interest that will mitigate the triangle effect.

I did want to clarify on something you said in passing about frizz. Both a very humid climate and a very dry one contribute to frizz. I would avoid products with glycerin, honey and aloe. These are humectants and while they work at good dew points, they'll cause more harm than good to your hair since you're living in a dry place.

[Linard M B]

Hi! :)
I really like your hair, especially when it was long.
I think you should like your natural waves and definitely shouldn't feel bad about you hair being thick. That is a sign of good health and it is beautiful!

If you want it to be less voluminous you should not get layers done - they make the hair more voluminous, especially if you have wavy or curly hair!
What you could do to lessen the volume (and I don't think you should) - get it permanently straightened by a professional in the salon. This will make your hair
stick to your scalp more and not poof and have so much fly-aways. This wouldn't be very damaging for natural hair, but it is costly. And your hair will stay
straight permanently.

If you want your hair to look more neat - use my method (I am a male with shoulder length wavy hair, also) : wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo (recommended)
and put a good conditioner in it, let it sit for 10 minutes and wash it out. Then put a little bit of your hair oil only on the ends of the hair. Then comb your hair out with
a wide tooth comb/brush and let it air-dry. After it's dry don't comb it until you feel like it's not aesthetically pleasing anymore (after a day or so). I love this technique.

Also - I recommend not using a leave-in conditioner, because you have natural hair and it's unnecessary. That will help you not have to wash it so much. Also, it's not
healthy to wash your hair too much. I recommend not washing the hair more than 2 times a week, if you can.

I hope this will come useful for you. ^_^

[chen bao jun]

Minako and Lapushka, I did not mean to offend, nor were my comments aimed at you. Re-reading what I said, I can see that the word 'quibbling' was not the best word to use, and then I looked back through the posts and saw how you could think I was taking aim at your posts. But I answered without having anybody in mind, and without carefully reading the posts (and I never really notice in detail who said what). All I was thinking is that it can be off-putting to always have thought of yourself in a certain way and to ask advice and then to hear, 'oh, but that doesn't apply to you, you don't fit that category'.

Which is not what either of you said, of course.

The classifications are useful and are t here for a reason and its good that the o.p. is now aware of them. But I was just trying to point out, not aimed at ANYBODY, that mathematical standards don't matter sometimes and that it really didn't seem to be the point here. to me, looking at the o.p's pics, the hair clearly looks thick and is behaving in a way that thick hair behaves that annoys the possessor ('tenting') so I thought it was more important to reassure him that it doesn't 'need' thinning' or something to 'fix' it, that was all.

Again, apologies that it came out wrong and sort of derailed the thread.

[sarahthegemini]

Sorry for not being of any help but I think your hair looks spectacular. So shiny and luscious!

[lapushka]

Minako and Lapushka, I did not mean to offend, nor were my comments aimed at you. Re-reading what I said, I can see that the word 'quibbling' was not the best word to use, and then I looked back through the posts and saw how you could think I was taking aim at your posts. But I answered without having anybody in mind, and without carefully reading the posts (and I never really notice in detail who said what). All I was thinking is that it can be off-putting to always have thought of yourself in a certain way and to ask advice and then to hear, 'oh, but that doesn't apply to you, you don't fit that category'.

Which is not what either of you said, of course.

The classifications are useful and are t here for a reason and its good that the o.p. is now aware of them. But I was just trying to point out, not aimed at ANYBODY, that mathematical standards don't matter sometimes and that it really didn't seem to be the point here. to me, looking at the o.p's pics, the hair clearly looks thick and is behaving in a way that thick hair behaves that annoys the possessor ('tenting') so I thought it was more important to reassure him that it doesn't 'need' thinning' or something to 'fix' it, that was all.

Again, apologies that it came out wrong and sort of derailed the thread.

No apologies necessary. It's text you know, often that confuses in and of itself. :shrug: It's all okay. :)

[chen bao jun]

:)thanks for understanding

[jpitt]

I am a guy here with hair similar in length to yours prior to your cut. Personally I see nothing wrong with any of the pics, just up to preference of how you like it. If you grow it out a longer and add some layers though it might not look so "thick" in a ponytail since it would taper a bit more. My hair is pretty thick and I have a "wide ponytail" similar to yours, but I am a fan of the look on me. Also though you may not grow it long enough for a proper bun you can also just pull the ponytail part way through and wear it like that. best of luck.

[elvenelk]

I have pretty similar hair. I never wear it out as it does the same as yours . I hope as it gets longer it will look better as previous people said it gets weighed down.

(most guys generally have thicker hair)

[Islandgrrl]

My hair is probably a little thicker than yours, judging from your photos. I can honestly say that the longer it gets, the easier it is to handle. Once you can do braids and updos, the thickness isn't an issue.

[spidermom]

You're at an awkward stage, but at least you can pull it back. Don't layer or thin it now because bits will fall into your face when you want to pull it back out of the way. Don't worry. As it grows, the weight will pull it down and it will lose most of that flared-out effect.

My hair is thick, too, and I really prefer it layered and cut into a steep U- or V-hem now. Otherwise it looks weird to me - little tiny head at the top, big wide sweep of hair at the bottom. The advantage of waiting is that my shortest layers are still long enough to pull back now. Yours wouldn't be if you had it layered or thinned at that length.

[hennalonghair]

Your hair is awesome. I wouldn't shave an undercut or thin it out with thinning shears. You obviously know how to care for it because it's strong and healthy looking. I've got ridiculously thick hair and have cut it after growing it to 48 inches mainly because I didn't know about various hair toys. Now I do and it has made the world of difference.
Man buns are stylish and sexy looking. I highly suggest you get some sticks or other suitable hair toys for men.
The right hair toys will make the world of difference. You might also want to get an empty spray bottle and fill it 1/4 way full of your favourite conditioner and the rest with water. Shake it up and spray your ends every now and then when they feel dry or unruly.

[hennalonghair]

My hair is probably a little thicker than yours, judging from your photos. I can honestly say that the longer it gets, the easier it is to handle. Once you can do braids and updos, the thickness isn't an issue.

Absolutely!..... :thumbsup:

[yahirwaO.o]

Yeah, dont layer or thin out your hair at this lenght, only if wear it down may be ok, but if u put it up it will drive you insane LOL....

And yes thicker hair looks better with more lenght, I have a little thought in my mind... If u can put it in a proper side braid without short pieces stickin out, then u know thats a perfect lenght to braid and bun evenly and deal with such awesome mane more easily.

Oils and conditioners help a lot to make it managable and if u still want to layer it, do it with a longer lenght and with a very skilled person.

If I had that thickness and waves.... oh I could do so many things with that LOL!!

[EdG]

It's your hair and you get to wear it the way you like... but, you seem to want to keep it at a length where it will be annoying.

Your body knows best. You will encounter fewer problems if you let your hair grow in its intended manner. :twocents:
Ed

[truepeacenik]

To be fair, Ed, there are multiple annoying points along the sick, twisted....um....fascinating journey we are on toward floor.

If, OP, you love that shoulder blade top length, then think about how you want to wear it most.
I've a friend with thicker curly Asian hair who does have the under layer cut shorter, not shaved. It works so well for him, given the limited attention he wants to give hair.

Other friends with thick curls just let it go and don't keep length. Your target is their end point, and they cut it back some, two inches or so, but the curls go up about three, three and a half inches.

My kid just let his go. I think he wore a bandanna during the worst...and funky hats. Fedoras and such.

[EdG]

To be fair, Ed, there are multiple annoying points along the sick, twisted....um....fascinating journey we are on toward floor.I think of us as going au naturel. :eyebrows: :rollin:
Ed

[Obsidian]

I don't know if you are familiar with the band AFI but the lead singer had beautiful long thick hair for year (recently cut short) If you watch this video, around 23 second, there is a close up of his hair in a bun and you can see it has a pretty thick under cut. Can you imagine how awesome his hair would be if it wasn't shaved?
This is just to show you that even cut straight across, long thick hair on a guy can look incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fwGZohSJ9g

I agree about you possibly having seborrheic dermatitis. I too had itchy, thick "dandruff" for year and finally got a diagnosis two years ago and now its mostly under control. The big thing for me is to keep oils and conditioner off my scalp, especially conditioner with any kind of silicone/dimethicone or other "cones". I also have to keep my scalp clean or it will get very itchy, to the point I scratch bloody spots.

Most washes, I only use shampoo but when my hair starts to get dry, a oil free clarifying conditioner seems to be best. Believe it or not, I'm getting really good results with viddal sasson cherry almond shampoo and V05 tea therapy vanilla mint clarifying conditioner.
When I have a flair up, I use a prescription selenium sulfide shampoo but will be switching to selsun blue when I run out of the stuff I have now. I only have to use it once and the itchy sores go away.

Edited to add another video just because its a great song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BguZZ3rGKe0

[therebelqueen]

Your hair looks similar in thickness and texture to mine. Honestly, none of the pictures had your hair looking awkwardly thick or fluffy. I would second the comments that you're in the more awkward stages of growing your hair and that length tends to make it more manageable.

However, since you seem to be looking for some lower profile hair, I'd suggest looking into braids. French and dutch braids will help keep your hair closer to your head. Once your hair is back to the longer length, English braids are also helpful for eliminating the hair spreading along the back. Those are the ones I usually use during the winter, since my hair rubbing along my back gives me very intense static cling.

Also, you might want to look into half-ups. They would let you wear some of your hair down, but make it a little less all-consuming. Plus, with thicker hair it's sometimes the only way to use many of the buns posted around here. I've just passed BSL and I'm still too short for a Nautilus or an Orchid bun with all of my hair.