I wonder why flat hair "bad"

[longmane]

It's funny because about a year ago I was frustrated about my hair being flat but I don't see it as something negative anymore. I want long hair, the longer the heavier, gravity and all that. It's just something inevitable I think long and voluminous is unrealistic for my hair atleast. Do you prefer your roots to not be flat? Does it make a difference to you right now or in the past?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Well, flat hair isn't bad. I don't care how flat my roots are, I just enjoy having long hair :)

[Reyesuela]

Very straight hair is pretty flat by nature. Plus: shows off shine. Minus: the ends usually look much worse unless your hair is coarse.

Voluminousness depends on thickness and wave or fluff. Want volume? Braid waves. :)

Mine kinda sticks out because of the line where it’s growing in. That fluffs it.

[Reyesuela]

Oh, and since you said roots specifically... I’ve got lots of hair growing in so it’s usually a crazy mane right now. But generally, only curly hair has real body at the roots once the hair gets heavy. Sleek is a look, too.

[Margarita]

I have flat hair, since my hair starts to grow straight. Like you, im looking foward growing longer my hair and i know my hair will get even flat and straight. I usually put a thickening hairspray from Bb on my damp roots after shower :)

[MidnightMoon]

I don't think I really care if hair is flat or not :p
Mine is pretty flat at the crown because my strands are fine, my thickness is just average, and my hair type+length make my waves almost disappear in the sections closer to my head. I'd blame the weight, and the updos.
I do like the look of fuller hair at the crown I only see on people with coarse hair, but I don't particularly spot it in the wild, it's something I'd only notice if specifically paying attention to this.

[lapushka]

It depends on what you call flat. I remember 80s rocker hair. Nooo thank you. Anything beats that.

[Reyesuela]

It depends on what you call flat. I remember 80s rocker hair. Nooo thank you. Anything beats that.

Girls used to ask why I didn’t curl my bands into a poodle poof. My bangs were as long as the rest of my hair. I wouldn’t have fit through a doorway.

[TheForestFae]

I have super straight hair so I used to desperate for more volume :) I use dry shampoo every time I need some volume for my roots, but I have stopped doing that because I soon realized it makes my scalp more itchy every time I'm using it. But when I figured it out about LHC, I soon learn how to accept it and try to appreciate it. So now, I don't think flat hair is something big deal anymore :)

[chomsky]

My hair is pretty flat. It used to bug me too but now I realise it's just how my hair is. I'll never be the one that has super voluminous curly hair, unless it's super short and heavily layered!

I have no idea why flat hair is considered undesirable though. Like you don't get flattening shampoo (maybe frizzy free shampoos?), just volumising. It's weird.

[Simsy]

Flat hair, like thin hair, is not considered desirable in mainstream culture, despite being very normal; probably because it requires effort to achieve voluminous styles. Personally, flat hair has its own appeal for me, a interesting sleek look that’s hard to get with curls. Likewise, thin hair allows for more delicate styles that get lost in thicker hair.

[Reyesuela]

Except the flat iron look actually is very popular. Lol.

[lucid]

I have flat hair, it can even look painted on at times...You guys with 2 and 3 hair don't have flat hair :p

French braiding my bangs give me some volume around the face :)

[Borgessa]

I think, Just enjoy your hair as it is...

[Reyesuela]

I have flat hair, it can even look painted on at times...You guys with 2 and 3 hair doesn't have flat hair :p

French braiding my bangs give me some volume around the face :)

I get accused of flat ironing my hair if I let it dry straight down. Bet you do, too! I usually have it up, so it gets a kink in it and a little wave. Lol. But it really depends on how I dry it. My baby hairs have started to curl with really high humidity, so I call it 1a/1b.

[lucid]

I get accused of flat ironing my hair if I let it dry straight down. Bet you do, too! I usually have it up, so it gets a kink in it and a little wave. Lol. But it really depends on how I dry it. My baby hairs have started to curl with really high humidity, so I call it 1a/1b.

Haha, yeah, I've heard that a lot! And I have also had people not believing me when I say that it's not straightened :p

And your hair typing sounds about right. My baby hairs are straight no matter the climate and/or humidity, so 1a for me :)

[lapushka]

I have flat hair, it can even look painted on at times...You guys with 2 and 3 hair doesn't have flat hair :p

French braiding my bangs give me some volume around the face :)

IDK, my 2 hair can fall "flat" at the top a bit, due to the weight of it pulling it down. But... I don't mind it one bit. Of course 1 hair is different again. I realize that!

[Cg]

Because I have such tiny pinhead I would prefer some volume, but 1a hair laughs at this. Painted on...yes, lucid, that's what it often looks like. In my case, by a rather sadistic artist.

[Aredhel]

My hair is as flat as a pancake but I've never had an issue with that. :p

[Beeboo123]

I hate flat hair at the roots. It looks oily and limp and dirty and lifeless. Worst of all, it makes my face look SO big and broad. I would rather have volume at the roots anyday, as long as it isn't 80s hair. I look terrible and like a pancake if my hair is flat and limp =[ just doesn't suit me

[Chromis]

I like my hair "flat". I think people would be happier with their so-called "flat" hair if they thought it was more "sleek"

I have posted before that I am happy to have flat hair. I don't really understand what else it would be doing?

[longmane]

It depends on what you call flat. I remember 80s rocker hair. Nooo thank you. Anything beats that.

The type of flat when the hair is long with no layers. :lol: 80's hair would be a little extreme.

[longmane]

Double post mistake:confused:

[longmane]

I have super straight hair so I used to desperate for more volume :) I use dry shampoo every time I need some volume for my roots, but I have stopped doing that because I soon realized it makes my scalp more itchy every time I'm using it. But when I figured it out about LHC, I soon learn how to accept it and try to appreciate it. So now, I don't think flat hair is something big deal anymore :)



My hair is pretty flat. It used to bug me too but now I realise it's just how my hair is. I'll never be the one that has super voluminous curly hair, unless it's super short and heavily layered!

I have no idea why flat hair is considered undesirable though. Like you don't get flattening shampoo (maybe frizzy free shampoos?), just volumising. It's weird.

It's nice to hear you guys also came to a point of acceptance.
chomsky I was wondering the same. I searched up if there are tutorials to get flat curly hair, I've only found one! All the others I found were about how to get rid of it. Maybe the reason is because voluminous hair requires effort like Simsy said.

[Stray_mind]

I think it depends on hair type. My hairline was always full and "Voluminous" even without me doing anything to it, as it is how my roots grow (sort of straight up at first and then down), my hair forms a V shape at my forehead.
I don't mind "flat hair" at all though? It's just how it naturally is on some people. Flat or not flat - all hair can look beautiful :)
My friend has straight, flat hair which goes down to BCL and is absolutely stunning.

[Reyesuela]

Check out Drybar’s offerings. Some single length hair that is very “flat” is also very fashionable—even to a west coast business that mostly caters to the “beachy wave” crowd.

Chomsky, they make lots of smooth and sleek shampoos.

[nycelle]

I love flat hair. I also prefer straight/messy and shiny. Melissa Alatorre has some of my favorite hair. I will take an of the 1's (1a, 1b,1c) hair.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpjPdIZci0

That's why even though I'm a 2a/2b, I stopped trying to embrace my waves. They're pretty for the first few hours, but they don't last, and I prefer the way I look (my face and style) with straighter hair.

[chomsky]

Check out Drybar’s offerings. Some single length hair that is very “flat” is also very fashionable—even to a west coast business that mostly caters to the “beachy wave” crowd.

Chomsky, they make lots of smooth and sleek shampoos.

I always understood smooth and sleek shampoos to be frizz reducing not necessarily something to make the hair flat, or "painted on" as some here have described? Even the ladies in the adverts for them have some "lift" going on at the roots. Ah, I don't know. :lol:

Longmane, it certainly took a while to like it, lol. Especially because curly hair is always portrayed as so big, poofy and almost floaty, otherwise it's "lank" and "thin".

[nycelle]

I always understood smooth and sleek shampoos to be frizz reducing not necessarily something to make the hair flat, or "painted on" as some here have described? Even the ladies in the adverts for them have some "lift" going on at the roots. Ah, I don't know. :lol:

Longmane, it certainly took a while to like it, lol. Especially because curly hair is always portrayed as so big, poofy and almost floaty, otherwise it's "lank" and "thin".

To me flat means no frizz, and straight(ish). I also don't necessarily think it means flat roots. Even though those can look great too.

[Reyesuela]

I always understood smooth and sleek shampoos to be frizz reducing not necessarily something to make the hair flat, or "painted on" as some here have described? Even the ladies in the adverts for them have some "lift" going on at the roots. Ah, I don't know. :lol:

Longmane, it certainly took a while to like it, lol. Especially because curly hair is always portrayed as so big, poofy and almost floaty, otherwise it's "lank" and "thin".

The lift is to make it look thicker, really. Again, check out the drybar picks! I’m on the East Coast, so a loooot more sleek here than in the South or the West.

https://www.thedrybar.com/styles

It’s called the Manhattan for a reason!!!

[nycelle]

The lift is to make it look thicker, really. Again, check out the drybar picks! I’m on the East Coast, so a loooot more sleek here than in the South or the West.

https://www.thedrybar.com/styles

It’s called the Manhattan for a reason!!!

I live in Manhattan. Straight is definitely still the norm here.
They also opened a Drybar right near me. Next time I use heat, it's gonna be cause I got my hair blown out there.

[Rowdy]

I have spent most of my life trying to knock the volume out of my hair :D I like it flat!

[Reyesuela]

I wanted sausage curls when I was little. We all want what we don’t have!

[cjk]

Fashion, basically.

Everybody wants what they don't have. The grass is always greener, and so forth.

Luxurious and puffy hair with lots of volume is comparatively unusual, flat and limp are much more common in the general population. And "unusual" is desirable.

Add to that whatever is being pushed by the cosmetology lobby and their slavish followers and you have flat hair defined as ugly, puffy hair as beautiful.

Gidget used to flat iron her hair. Hippies and disco chicks had very flat long hair, as well.

It was really only after the Farrah Flip that volume became so fashionable.

[nycelle]

I think healthy hair with nice ends is defined as beautiful - regardless of the hair type.

Stylish though is another thing. Here, straight still reigns.

[Lady Stardust]

The very best thing I ever did for my hair was to accept that it’s flat, and that’s fine.

I was a teenager in the 80s when it appeared to be a crime not to have “volume at the roots” but I’m so much happier now that I accept my hair for what it is. Flat hair reflects the light so beautifully. I just think of it as glossy and shiny rather than flat.

[Lokasigdr]

Yeah, I dunno. My hair is super flat unless it's been outright stripped of all moisture or loaded with product. It does not hold color or shape unless it's brutalized.

I only do a voluminous style like once a year, and that's me trying to look like Marie Antoinette for Bastille Day, so there's a LOT of powdering and gelling going on. The effort involved in both putting it up and taking it down (a good hour, each way) makes me appreciate how unfussy it is the other 364 days a year lol.

[longmane]

I think healthy hair with nice ends is defined as beautiful - regardless of the hair type.

I very much agree!

[longmane]

I love flat hair. I also prefer straight/messy and shiny. Melissa Alatorre has some of my favorite hair. I will take an of the 1's (1a, 1b,1c) hair.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpjPdIZci0

That's why even though I'm a 2a/2b, I stopped trying to embrace my waves. They're pretty for the first few hours, but they don't last, and I prefer the way I look (my face and style) with straighter hair.

Her hair looks great both before and after

[spirals]

What is this flat hair you speak of? ;) Yeah, the ideal seems to be voluminous but there is something to be said for a long, straight, gleaming curtain of hair. It swings. It shines. What's not to like?

[Blue Mermaid]

It depends on what you call flat. I remember 80s rocker hair. Nooo thank you. Anything beats that.

Awww, thats my hair after air dry+ sleeping on it. I grew up in the wrong decade :lol:

funfact: in HS we had a "80's" day during spirit week. Most girls wore neon, sloppy off center ponytails, white sneakers with leg warmers.. I came in wearing an Iron Maiden T shirt, pleather pants, big leather boots, leather jacket, and my hair in it's natural state (it was just about shoulder) Everyone asked me how I got my hair to look that way-did I perm it? tease it? LOL IF THEY ONLY KNEW ... (I always, ALWAYS flat ironed my hair from 7th grade to senior year..)

[embee]

To me, it's kinda funny that "flat" hair is considered bad when folks spend money and time to *flat* iron their hair. Perhaps because flat hair is natural growth and there's no money, products, tools, or effort involved? You know, the thing about "the hair you naturally grow is always somehow *wrong*. pfffffft

[lucid]

But most people who straighten their hair still have volume at the roots. So it's does usually not appear as flat as people with naturally flat hair.

My mom has 1b, coarse hair. And her hair is not at all as flat as mine. I think both texture, strand thickness and hair thickness, as well as what direction the hair grows from the scalp determines how flat the hair is going to be.


I don't mind flat hair at all, some people look great with super sleek flat hair. For myself, I don't mind it at all as long as it's not so flat that it appears painted on. I have a narrow face, so I look best either with bangs or with some "volume" around the face ("volume" because it's 1a F hair, so it's still flat).

[Ophidian]

I like my hair "flat". I think people would be happier with their so-called "flat" hair if they thought it was more "sleek"....
Me too. I have pretty wavy hair naturally but I oil it and keep it up so it usually looks much “flatter” than it really is. I prefer the sleek look on myself.

[nycelle]

Her hair looks great both before and after

I know..
She has my favorite hair, just stunning. So healthy looking and shiny..

My mom has her "after" keratin treatment hair. I was always so jealous.

[Cherriezzzzz]

I have a daughter with identical hair to mine, so thicker, red, mildly course, but lovely. However another daughter of mine has a darker red, but very fine, silky hair. It is straight for the most part, but her ends curl up like she uses a large barrel curling iron! Guess who has the volume?! My straight haired daughter! The thick wavy hair is flat at the roots, but there's no stopping the delicious volume of my silky haired daughter!! It's gorgeous! So I wouldn't say straight and or fine hair equals flat!

And I personally would love to have volume... on short or long hair.

[sugar&nutmeg]

I think some may be equating flat with 'straight' (1a).

My hair is fairly fine and not very thick, especially at the crown. My hair lies 'flat against my skull'. That's what I think of as 'flat'.

I'm okay with it. No point in feeling otherwise, as there's nothing I can do about it!

[nycelle]

to me flat can be a few things. Straight hair lies flat, and hair close to the scalp is also flat.
My roots can go either way depending on what I do, and what day I'm in post wash. But my hair itself isn't very flat.

[longmane]

I have a daughter with identical hair to mine, so thicker, red, mildly course, but lovely. However another daughter of mine has a darker red, but very fine, silky hair. It is straight for the most part, but her ends curl up like she uses a large barrel curling iron! Guess who has the volume?! My straight haired daughter! The thick wavy hair is flat at the roots, but there's no stopping the delicious volume of my silky haired daughter!! It's gorgeous! So I wouldn't say straight and or fine hair equals flat!

And I personally would love to have volume... on short or long hair.


I mentioned twice earlier, by "flat" I mean hair that has no volume at the roots regardless of the texture or thickness.

My hair is very curly. When it is short, it becomes so big it almost looks like I brushed it. Now that it got longer, it is the opposite (sticking to my scalp).Thick hair and curly/wavy is mostly portrayed as voluminous but it is not always true. I wouldn't be surprised if someone with thin or straight has hair with more volume than a thick haired person because I personally think it is not because of hair type.

[lucid]

It definitely has very much to do with hairtype and texture. It is not possible for curly hair to lie as flat against the scalp as straight hair can, and the more curls closer to the scalp, the more volume at the roots.

Of course there are other contributing factors as well, such as hairstyle and/or length and growth pattern.


If you guys with flat 2 or 3 hair could post a picture of flat curly or wavy hair, I would appreciate it. I think our reference point for flat hair may be somewhat different...


This is flat hair to me:
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-2310636-1933978E000005DC-671_634x620.jpg

http://www.fashionmio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Long_and_Straight_Hair_1.jpg

https://yreu4kinnx-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/super-straight-flat-hair.jpg


This is not:
https://www.makeup.com/-/media/images/makeup/2015/04/texturizing-spray-bop-asset-mdc60067.png?h=513&w=600&hash=E80945E7ABAD91C2D17F6C25DD88CE1F7CB29228

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SKgyDqalJME/hqdefault.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J7QFZJLlc9c/hqdefault.jpg

[Aredhel]

It definitely has very much to do with hairtype and texture. It is not possible for curly hair to lie as flat against the scalp as straight hair can, and the more curls closer to the scalp, the more volume at the roots.

Of course there are other contributing factors as well, such as hairstyle and/or length and growth pattern.


If you guys with flat 2 or 3 hair could post a picture of flat curly or wavy hair, I would appreciate it. I think our reference point for flat hair may be somewhat different...


This is flat hair to me:
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-2310636-1933978E000005DC-671_634x620.jpg

http://www.fashionmio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Long_and_Straight_Hair_1.jpg

https://yreu4kinnx-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/super-straight-flat-hair.jpg


This is not:
https://www.makeup.com/-/media/images/makeup/2015/04/texturizing-spray-bop-asset-mdc60067.png?h=513&w=600&hash=E80945E7ABAD91C2D17F6C25DD88CE1F7CB29228

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SKgyDqalJME/hqdefault.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J7QFZJLlc9c/hqdefault.jpg

Pretty much how I see it too. :) I find it hard to fathom "flat" curly hair as well (a photo would help me as well!), but wavy hair can definitely be flat.

Here are some good references I've found to flat wavy hair, it's usually in old-fashioned photos, such as...
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b9/b0/7d/b9b07d498b06c1021765f46f07cb0574.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/60/a6/40/60a6405c3204b5eb440520c5c8fd148b.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/81/8c/fd/818cfd3301e35ed2743ac2634fc6445f.jpg

[nycelle]

I'm a 2a sometimes 2b that currently has very flat roots. Will post pics when I get home and resize.

[spidermom]

Flat is bad for me because it only happens when my hair is glued to my scalp with oil. Not a good look and itchy too.

[chomsky]

It definitely has very much to do with hairtype and texture. It is not possible for curly hair to lie as flat against the scalp as straight hair can, and the more curls closer to the scalp, the more volume at the roots.

Of course there are other contributing factors as well, such as hairstyle and/or length and growth pattern.


If you guys with flat 2 or 3 hair could post a picture of flat curly or wavy hair, I would appreciate it. I think our reference point for flat hair may be somewhat different...


This is flat hair to me:
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-2310636-1933978E000005DC-671_634x620.jpg

http://www.fashionmio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Long_and_Straight_Hair_1.jpg

https://yreu4kinnx-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/super-straight-flat-hair.jpg


This is not:
https://www.makeup.com/-/media/images/makeup/2015/04/texturizing-spray-bop-asset-mdc60067.png?h=513&w=600&hash=E80945E7ABAD91C2D17F6C25DD88CE1F7CB29228

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SKgyDqalJME/hqdefault.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J7QFZJLlc9c/hqdefault.jpg

https://us.v-cdn.net/6030387/uploads/attachments/223487/52804.jpg

The thread

https://curltalk.naturallycurly.com/discussion/181112/how-can-i-get-the-top-of-my-hair-to-not-look-flat

That is a good example of flat curly hair. It's very close to the scalp with little to no volume. It's not wet, it's just the products she uses.

Without a lot of fluffing and fiddling my hair will look like this lol. I can't take a picture right now but my roots lay *so* flat despite my 3c texture. Especially because curls on the top stretch out and weigh down the hair as it grows - or my hair for example is only wavy on the top, and that weighs down my hair a lot too.

Flat hair means a nicer straighten for me, I've come to really love that aspect. :lol:

[lucid]

Aredhel and chomsky, thank you both for the examples, they're very helpful. Seems like they're all straighter at the top?

chomsky, I agree that it's flat on the top compared to the sides. Her hair appears to be pretty straight at the top, but she has a good amount of volume once the curls start. Can hair that is still curly lay flat against the head? Or is curly flat hair always do to stretched curls or looser curls at the top?


Wanted to add, I came to think of a girl in my class in high school with mid back length hair. She had straight, flat hair down to her ears, then waves, and curls from a bit below the shoulders. The bottom of her hair was all corkscrews. Her hair was all natural, and I don't think she styled it much.

[lapushka]

Awww, thats my hair after air dry+ sleeping on it. I grew up in the wrong decade :lol:

funfact: in HS we had a "80's" day during spirit week. Most girls wore neon, sloppy off center ponytails, white sneakers with leg warmers.. I came in wearing an Iron Maiden T shirt, pleather pants, big leather boots, leather jacket, and my hair in it's natural state (it was just about shoulder) Everyone asked me how I got my hair to look that way-did I perm it? tease it? LOL IF THEY ONLY KNEW ... (I always, ALWAYS flat ironed my hair from 7th grade to senior year..)

Yeah, that's kinda my hair too. LOL! :lol: Especially at shorter lengths!

[Chromis]

Yep, flat against my skull, check. Yes, my head is head-shaped, nothing wrong there!

I wear hats all winter because it is cold, even if I had volume at my roots, it would get squished anyhow and that is just not how my hair grows. Maybe some people's hair comes out of the follicle singing and dancing and waving about, but mine does not. It just lays there nice and flat.

These descriptions from some sound so awful! "Glued to your head"?! Reminds me of people who hate their hair looking "scraped back" into a bun. Well, gee, I happen to *like* hair that way!

[Aredhel]

Aredhel and chomsky, thank you both for the examples, they're very helpful. Seems like they're all straighter at the top?

chomsky, I agree that it's flat on the top compared to the sides. Her hair appears to be pretty straight at the top, but she has a good amount of volume once the curls start. Can hair that is still curly lay flat against the head? Or is curly flat hair always do to stretched curls or looser curls at the top?


Wanted to add, I came to think of a girl in my class in high school with mid back length hair. She had straight, flat hair down to her ears, then waves, and curls from a bit below the shoulders. The bottom of her hair was all corkscrews. Her hair was all natural, and I don't think she styled it much.

I was thinking the weight of the hair could have something to do with it as well? At least for some people. :)


Yep, flat against my skull, check. Yes, my head is head-shaped, nothing wrong there!

I wear hats all winter because it is cold, even if I had volume at my roots, it would get squished anyhow and that is just not how my hair grows. Maybe some people's hair comes out of the follicle singing and dancing and waving about, but mine does not. It just lays there nice and flat.

These descriptions from some sound so awful! "Glued to your head"?! Reminds me of people who hate their hair looking "scraped back" into a bun. Well, gee, I happen to *like* hair that way!

I agree! To me, it looks very slick and tidy. :)

[Spikey]

Aredhel and chomsky, thank you both for the examples, they're very helpful. Seems like they're all straighter at the top?

chomsky, I agree that it's flat on the top compared to the sides. Her hair appears to be pretty straight at the top, but she has a good amount of volume once the curls start. Can hair that is still curly lay flat against the head? Or is curly flat hair always do to stretched curls or looser curls at the top?



I've can't remeber ever seeing hair that was in the 2's or mid 3's that was as curly at the top as it was at the bottom, and I know mine certainly isn't. But I think that doesn't apply to the 4's or any afro hair. Once it gets really big the weight is evenly distributed enough that the curls no longer get pulled straight, that's my guess. All the frizzies at my hair line that stick out are corkscrews, but the main body of my hair is pulled into waves by it's own wieght.

[Reyesuela]

The ladies with the waves in the old pictures have braid waves. Impossible to tell hair type!

[spirals]

Those were finger waves if you mean the 1920s/30s. Come to think of it, I'm a 3a and my hair is straight at the roots so it lays flat there.

[longmane]

Yes, my head is head-shaped, nothing wrong there!

I laughed at that but you are right. Thanks for the reality check!

[Reyesuela]

Those were finger waves if you mean the 1920s/30s. Come to think of it, I'm a 3a and my hair is straight at the roots so it lays flat there.

I meant the Victorian pictures!

[MidnightMoon]

I have flat hair, it can even look painted on at times...You guys with 2 and 3 hair don't have flat hair :p

French braiding my bangs give me some volume around the face :)


It definitely has very much to do with hairtype and texture. It is not possible for curly hair to lie as flat against the scalp as straight hair can, and the more curls closer to the scalp, the more volume at the roots.

Of course there are other contributing factors as well, such as hairstyle and/or length and growth pattern.


If you guys with flat 2 or 3 hair could post a picture of flat curly or wavy hair, I would appreciate it. I think our reference point for flat hair may be somewhat different...


This is flat hair to me:
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/17/article-2310636-1933978E000005DC-671_634x620.jpg

http://www.fashionmio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Long_and_Straight_Hair_1.jpg

https://yreu4kinnx-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/super-straight-flat-hair.jpg


This is not:
https://www.makeup.com/-/media/images/makeup/2015/04/texturizing-spray-bop-asset-mdc60067.png?h=513&w=600&hash=E80945E7ABAD91C2D17F6C25DD88CE1F7CB29228

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SKgyDqalJME/hqdefault.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J7QFZJLlc9c/hqdefault.jpg

Here's examples of my flat hair throughout the years...

https://i.imgur.com/XIAapkf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bX7vZzB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IQpUHJh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bIxhkNv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YHaLvvN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TlWQD5T.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LgmIv8L.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mNT5wu4.jpg

[MidnightMoon]

https://i.imgur.com/K4CEwSA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TRBuR85.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5XMnsOd.jpg

Looks pretty flat to me.

[Reyesuela]

When you don’t have braid waves, I’d put you at 1c, not 2b, for wave, though...

[MidnightMoon]

When you don’t have braid waves, I’d put you at 1c, not 2b, for wave, though...

I've thought about it, but the thing is my unbrushed hair does have a good amount of waves sometimes. The crown usually dries flat against my skull if I don't manipulate but the rest is too wavy to be in the 1's. It also depends on the weather. In dry climates after brushing it looks almost straight, and in humid places after a good wash it's definitely 2b. Granted, it probably looks straighter most of the time than that because I comb.

For example, I don't remember the rest, but in the photo from above, the "panoramic" one my hair was wet before I left home and dried while I was out.

[Reyesuela]

1x hair for fine haired girls will often take the shape that it’s dried in, whatever shape that is. If I brush my hair wet to squeeze dry it as much as humanly possible, it will dry straight. If it’s just squeezed while clumped up, it dried in the waves of the clump. To be a 2, you have to have a wave pattern that’s different from its drying position—it’s own waves.

The panoramic one was the one that I based 1c off of. :). 3, 4, 5, and 6 all look likes 1bs, and some that don’t look like braid waves head towards 2a, so I figured 1c usually, maybe 2a in certain weather.

My daughter is half Asian, and when her hair dries, it gets three distinct waves always in the same places from her nape to her waist. That’s clear 1b hair. I can’t get a distinct wave pattern that belongs to me at any length except a teeny tiny one at my nape when my hair is short. My face-framing hairs will sometimes curl up if I’m outside under an umbrella in the rain now, and a few of my hairs are now actually wavy when they’re under 4” in length, and my under hair acts like it would maybe like to wave now but can’t quite pull it off, but these are pretty new developments, so I call myself 1a/1b. Yet I can MAKE sausage curls if I do rag curls! (Oddly, heat curls just fall right out.). And I get a body wave from my buns, which makes my hair look huge when it would dry very flat if I kept it down and center parted.

[lucid]

Here's examples of my flat hair throughout the years...

But the same goes for your pics though. Your hair seems to be straight at the top, with some waves at the length. I'm not surprised that hair that is straight at the root (and down to the ears in your case) can lie flat against the scull.

Thank you all for posting pics. I have a better understanding of what you actually mean when saying flat wavy or curly hair. It's basically hair that is pretty straight at the top. Weighted down or stretched out by length, manipulation, or just how the natural wave or curl pattern is.

[MidnightMoon]

But the same goes for your pics though. Your hair seems to be straight at the top, with some waves at the length. I'm not surprised that hair that is straight at the root (and down to the ears in your case) can lie flat against the scull.

Thank you all for posting pics. I have a better understanding of what you actually mean when saying flat wavy or curly hair. It's basically hair that is pretty straight at the top. Weighted down or stretched out by length, manipulation, or just how the natural wave or curl pattern is.

Yes, that's exactly what I said in my previous posts. I blame the weight, weather, and having fine hair that changes shape easily. I also feel like each strand is so fine it doesn't have a mind of it's own, and any waves I get can be easily stretched or move somewhere else depending on my hairstyle/updo. Curls don't stay, any attempt at volume looks pathetic, and using products just makes it limp.

[Reyesuela]

Yes, that's exactly what I said in my previous posts. I blame the weight, weather, and having fine hair that changes shape easily. I also feel like each strand is so fine it doesn't have a mind of it's own, and any waves I get can be easily stretched or move somewhere else depending on my hairstyle/updo. Curls don't stay, any attempt at volume looks pathetic, and using products just makes it limp.

Get it 90% dry and then put it in a topknot for a few hours.

Dried in a topknot:

https://preview.ibb.co/d8gjpn/4_F2414_EF_AD8_A_4_EA6_A629_355145992_CA3.jpg (https://ibb.co/maDavS)

Usually, it would have more volume, but there is a ton of scalp oil right now.



Deflated to normalish with a bit of water and dried again—side poof is from the first twist of the bun and would take a good soaking to lose:

https://preview.ibb.co/bNZn9n/8_E9_B6831_6_E10_4_B0_D_9094_CB24_B47_F7_D40.jpg (https://ibb.co/hndEpn)

ETA: what the heck??? My eyes are changing color...AGAIN. I’m like some kind of freaky chameleon human. My hair and eye color keep changing long after the should stop.

[Chromis]

Your hair looks like mine Midnight! (Although I think my wave is merely standing braid waves.) I have the same sort of part and same sleek on the top thing going. My length is floaty if not oiled.

Also, randomly, I love your outfits.

Rey - Even if I dried mine like that, it would go flat again within an hour. Also I would have a splitting headache. My follicles protest that sort of thing. Back in the 80's and 90'd I tried so hard to brush and gel and hairspray my hair into those swooshy "mall bangs" or "the wave" and nothing made it stay. It is actually pretty impressive how resistant my hair is to change :lol: These days I am quite happy with it and I think there is a larger variety of styles accepted.

[Reyesuela]

Chromis, you have to train your follicles. It used to really hurt to put my hair up into a bun for a while—and hurt more to take it down! It took three years to train the center part out of my head. :P. If you get your hair going mostly back instead of straight down, you usually buy a little body that way even without the topknot.But your hair is also a lot longer than mine.

I’m actually driven nuts by it when it’s really poofy at the top and down because it gets EVERYWHERE. If it’s going to be down, flat at the scalp keeps it behind my shoulders.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with flat hair. Mine is pretty flat when left down. If choose to style if very sleek if it’s going to be down for any length of time so I don’t freak out.

[Chromis]

No, I don't need to do anything actually since I am happy with the way my hair grows and don't see any reason to give myself headaches. I have tried training my follicles bit by bit in the past and it did not work. My hair was much shorter back when I first joined. I just wear my buns lower and both my scalp and I are happy! I'm not sure why I would try that again seeing as I have made no complaints about the nature of my "flat" hair in the thread and have consistently mentioned how much I happen to like it.

There is no reason to make your hair do something different to what it wants naturally if you don't want to. Growing up my mother was constantly wanting to curl my hair. Those stupid curlers hurt! And the curls fell right out within an hour. So pointless. I don't even want curly hair. Meanwhile I had curly-haired friends trying so hard to straighten theirs. We don't need to fight with our hair! Choose your battles.

We are not celebrities with a team of stylists shadowing us to do touch-ups and I think sometimes we just expect the impossible. I do know some people in real life who pull off that perfect beachy looking hair, with mega volume at the roots. It does not grow out of their head that way! They straighten it, then add the waves back in and the bleaching and dying lifts part of the cuticle, which roughens the hair surface a little so that it can hold the look. And they have to like fluff it or something in the washroom a couple times during the day (It's all voodoo to me, but I am lucky if I remember to touch up lipstick). It actually takes quite a bit of commitment and effort on their part. They deem this worthwhile, so for them it is. Maybe it is for you as well dear thread, but I mention this so you know that this is not always as effortless as the magazines or Buzzfeed or whatever makes it sound.

[Reyesuela]

Chromis, I was just responding to Midnight’s unhappiness! Like I said, if my hair is down for the day, it’s flat! And it was flat in the 80s and early 90s. When Jewel and Avril Lavigne came into style, I’d been there for years. :) I did foam curls as a tot for the first day of school and for Easter, and that was IT! Lol. And when I did curls, I did old-fashioned sausage curls because I loved them, not 80s curls.

You can love your hair’s personality and still play around with it. I wanted my center part gone because it kept parting no matter what I did to the rest of my hair, and I wanted to be able to wear buns without stying products or clips to keep away the part. Now when I wear it down, I try to move my part around so my hair doesn’t decide to get “stuck” again.

Celebrities are usually wearing hairpieces to add to their hair because their jobs just destroy it. Christina Hendricks is one of the few white celebrities who almost always wears a complete wig, but most are sporting a pretty big dose of help when they appear.

[Reyesuela]

BTW, a great scene is in the first episode of the TV show Grace and Frankie (just the scene—I only watched the premiere because I wasn’t a fan) where Jane Fonda takes off all her “society last” enhancements—including her hairpiece, because she has thinning (yep, pattern balding) hair like so many older women. It’s great in context and brilliantly done...but that’s how most celebrities are most of the time.

And their hair LOOKS good but feels awful. I gave up all permanent salon dyes because the change in hair texture was so yucky. I don’t look at myself that often, but I sure do feel my hair all the time!!!!!

[lucid]

I cannot train my follicles either. Or, they can get used to certain hairstyles so that they no longer hurt, but that's all. I can not train them to the extent that I can change my natural part. I have cow lick at my hairline, and a swirl at top/back of my head, both at the left side. I can change it up somewhat, but it has to be on the left side.

My hair also gets limp from products that are supposed to give volume. So it ends up looking flat and dull instead of flat and healthy. If I want volume I curl or rope braid my hair, heatless :)

[Reyesuela]

I have a kid with a double swirl! I have just one, but it seems to have disappeared after years of wearing my hair up. Weird. I didn’t notice until I just checked.

Most “root lifting” products just weigh down my hair, too. It poofs the most nekkid. ;)

The anti-balding treatments are thickening up my individual strands, though, to the point that I might not be able to claim fine hair much longer.

[MidnightMoon]

Reyesuela I've found using tiny claw clips or a larger one make it dry with more volume, but I don't really like any waves near my forehead, and since I often have shorter pieces around my head that weigh less, I could end up with too much action going on where I don't want it.
What I do often is use some pins on my temples, or the tiny claw clips like in my profile picture.

Chromis
Mine is floaty as well, which makes removing tangles a nightmare after I've worn it down :rolleyes:
Thanks so much for the compliment. I "like" clothes, not fashion per se, but don't waste an opportunity at coming up with something nice with (the little) I have.
Also, sadly, I believe I haven't seen much of your hair. Maybe I've missed it on other posts, but my only reference is your avatar and profile picture. It would be nice to see it more.

[Chromis]

Midnight - I have posted lots, but I am also a blabberfingers so they get drowned out :laugh:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4282/35456388590_8c38e6f3be_z.jpg
Hmmm, and it looks like I need new length shots! This one is from last year and I think my hair is still a bit damp. It is hard to take length shots myself with dry hair because of the floatiness! Also this is why I usually do length shots in long skirts my ends disappear a bit otherwise, but it is a pretty good way for me to see how much past knee I have gotten I suppose.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4083/5151211594_f3ed03ee45.jpg
I do not post full face shots in public forums, but I tried taking this half shot. This was taken right after I took my winter hat off with no additional fussing, so this is about as much volume as you ever get with my hair haha

[nycelle]

Does it get flatter the longer it gets from the weight?

(was gonna post my pics too but it wasn't as flat as I thought.)

[Chromis]

Does it get flatter the longer it gets from the weight?

(was gonna post my pics too but it wasn't as flat as I thought.)

Sort of? I mean it gets flatter once it reaches BSL, but I'm not sure it got a lot flatter beyond that. I think that effect is more pronounced for curlies. Lemme pull up some older photos, these ones are 10+ years old.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/95/234768687_00abae9c7e.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/182/467810375_96348945b0.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2410/3546971888_fc0a8b0c48_z.jpg
I think the big difference here is more that my hair is damp.

[MidnightMoon]

Midnight - I have posted lots, but I am also a blabberfingers so they get drowned out :laugh:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4282/35456388590_8c38e6f3be_z.jpg
Hmmm, and it looks like I need new length shots! This one is from last year and I think my hair is still a bit damp. It is hard to take length shots myself with dry hair because of the floatiness! Also this is why I usually do length shots in long skirts my ends disappear a bit otherwise, but it is a pretty good way for me to see how much past knee I have gotten I suppose.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4083/5151211594_f3ed03ee45.jpg
I do not post full face shots in public forums, but I tried taking this half shot. This was taken right after I took my winter hat off with no additional fussing, so this is about as much volume as you ever get with my hair haha

I get the same effect :p With shirts though, I've never gotten past tailbone.
I always thought your hair was auburn (though wondered why in your profile picture it was darker).
It's nice to know floaty hair can grow long too, though mine is fine, on top of that.
I also don't get more volume than that, and have wondered exactly how much hair or coarseness would one have to have in order to look like you have some bulk of hair. I feel like mine looks like one "sheet" of hair, if that makes sense :lol:

[Chromis]

I get the same effect :p With shirts though, I've never gotten past tailbone.
I always thought your hair was auburn (though wondered why in your profile picture it was darker).
It's nice to know floaty hair can grow long too, though mine is fine, on top of that.
I also don't get more volume than that, and have wondered exactly how much hair or coarseness would one have to have in order to look like you have some bulk of hair. I feel like mine looks like one "sheet" of hair, if that makes sense :lol:

I used to henna, so in the sunlight it shines red and right after henna it does look quite auburn. My henna always fades, but I still get red glints in the right light. Mine would look like one sheet if it actually liked sticking together haha. Bun waves and braid waves give an illusion of volume, at least for a while. Growing up I always wanted my cousin's hair though, which was black, silky, and super straight. They all meanwhile wanted brown so very bad! I still do henna now and then and tried doing two-step hendigo, but it was so much fuss...and the colour fades so fast on me. I still do henna now and then, but more as a gloss and I am playing with cassia and sedr these days instead now that I have a nice crop of silvers coming through. (I think they are really pretty look so striking on darker hair, so I don't want to hide them!) I don't actually want the red all that much you see, but I love the scalp conditioning and how much stronger and smoother my hair feels after henna. Sedr is colourless and cassia is so pale that it doesn't show and both seem pretty promising!

[Ophidian]

Totally off topic but Chromis I love your eyeshadow :)

[Reyesuela]

Dried down, my hair is equally flat at any length longer than BSL. Can’t get flatter than flat. :). Dried up, it gets a bit less volume but still had some at FTL before.

[Chromis]

Totally off topic but Chromis I love your eyeshadow :)

Thanks! I like playing with wild colours sometimes :D

[MusicalSpoons]

I've been thinking about this since this thread was started. I'm not sure why flat hair is seen (generally) as less desirable. Personally, I have naturally flat hair, and I used to always have very tight buns so it was FLAT. I used to damp bun as well, so it truly dried with zero volume; this was some 20-ish years ago, and through my early teens. Then somehow I discovered there was a different way and realised I prefer the not-entirely-flat look on myself :lol: now, I comb my scalp hair upside-down and it gives me some volume, even when putting my hair up. When my hair is oily it won't hold that volume, so that's one reason I prefer not to have completely flat hair.

[Reyesuela]

“Flat” hair is bad. “Seek” hair is good. “Ringlets” are good. “A wild mess” is bad. It’s all in phrasing and how you style hair within its capabilities.

[lapushka]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4083/5151211594_f3ed03ee45.jpg
I do not post full face shots in public forums, but I tried taking this half shot. This was taken right after I took my winter hat off with no additional fussing, so this is about as much volume as you ever get with my hair haha

Those wispies look very familiar to me. :) :thumbsup:

Love your eyeshadow, BTW! :D

[Chromis]

Those wispies look very familiar to me. :) :thumbsup:

Love your eyeshadow, BTW! :D

Thanks!

And yup, allll da wispies! Especially in the winter when I pull off my warm hats :laugh: