Time for a change

[Buraqina]

Hi all, been a long time since I last checked in. I never posted much anyway, so somehow doubt you will remember me! :lol: Anyway, I'm considering making a big change to my hair and would appreciate some people's opinions. My hair has been at tailbone length for a while now (recently it's had a growth spurt so it's actually about halfway down my tailbone) but I feel that it's too long for me. The ends are getting a bit thin anyway, not to mention I'm tired of finding insanely long shed hairs everywhere!

Since I decided to have a cut, I've been really excited about going to the hairdressers. I'm really looking forward to a change :) I would never have it any shorter than waist length so I've just got to decide at what point I want it, and I think I will ask for a bolder curve to the bottom of my hair this time too to make things a bit more interesting :D

My biggest thing is recently I've started wondering about whether I'd like a fringe or some bangs. I mostly wear my hair back in a rope-braid bun - it's crucial for me to be able to have it completely out of the way so I can just forget about it, which makes me think bangs are a bad idea - hair getting in my face can really annoy me.
But at the same time, I think wearing my hair back like I do is a very severe look and I don't think it does me an awful lot of favours. I look smart, and it's practical, but sometimes I look at me and then everyone else and think how ugly it looks :(

I hope to get some photos up soon and would really appreciate any thoughts and pictures people could share of their fringes and/or curves cut into the bottom of their hair :)

[Longlocks3]

I like simplicity so I grew out my bangs a long time ago but hey if you are going for such a big change why not get some? That way it wouldn't be as hard to grow them out to TB length it would just be to whatever length you get it cut too. You could also ask that they not be heavy bangs or do more of a face frame than actual bangs.

[LisaJaney]

Go smaller than you wish; you can always trim more off later. I cut layers into my hair a few years back and LOVE them. Will NEVER go back to "all one length" (which, on me, is a misnomer: my hair is NEVER all one length, as the majority of it craps-out at just-below BSL. The layers make it look NO different, as far as the "fairy-tale ends"ishness of it goes)

I have bangs now, but they are super-long bangs, as I wanted them long enough to still go back into a bun or a FrenchTwist if I wanted to do that (and I do wear updos half the time now) I have NO regrets with my haircut. None whatsoever. But I started out cutting LESS than I wanted, and then hit it again a week or two later. This really IS a case where "less is more". The LESS you cut, the better it will be if you have regrets. And you can ALWAYS go back and "hit it again" like I did. Think about it long and hard (I took a YEAR to decide) and then do what YOU wish and what YOU will like. Ultimately, it's YOU that has to be happy.

[Natalia]

When i was needing to wear my hair up alot more bangs were great for me. I cut them over 2 years ago now i think... Anyways i think they are a blessing for people like me with huge forheads and picky tastes. I am growing them out right now which is a huge pain but it was worth it. When im out and about doing more im pretty sure i will cut them back. whatever you decide i hope you enjoy it :D

[GlennaGirl]

Go smaller than you wish; you can always trim more off later. I cut layers into my hair a few years back and LOVE them. Will NEVER go back to "all one length" (which, on me, is a misnomer: my hair is NEVER all one length, as the majority of it craps-out at just-below BSL. The layers make it look NO different, as far as the "fairy-tale ends"ishness of it goes)

I have bangs now, but they are super-long bangs, as I wanted them long enough to still go back into a bun or a FrenchTwist if I wanted to do that (and I do wear updos half the time now) I have NO regrets with my haircut. None whatsoever. But I started out cutting LESS than I wanted, and then hit it again a week or two later. This really IS a case where "less is more". The LESS you cut, the better it will be if you have regrets. And you can ALWAYS go back and "hit it again" like I did. Think about it long and hard (I took a YEAR to decide) and then do what YOU wish and what YOU will like. Ultimately, it's YOU that has to be happy.

^^^ I probably cut mine a little "deep" into my head this time, but...yeah this (face framing layers, basically). They're adorable and swing-y and bouncy and they can change up your look without taking off too much hair...and without taking anything at all off the ends if you'd like to keep all your length.

[enfys]

I never found my fringe got in my face because it was only on my forehead. However, it's in the long difficult more than a year frow out that they get annoying and stick in your mouth and blow about when you put the car windows down and harvest split ends. </bitterness>

If you want a fringe it'll not get in your way but if you don't like it then it will as you grow.

I found a really deep u hem gave me a nice layered look from bsl to waist, without the thinness proper layers can cause, and all the splits that can hide. It's a good call if you want a different look.

[Buraqina]

Thankyou for sharing your thoughts and advice everyone :) I've decided what length I want it and how deep I want the u-shape to be, but still can't make my mind up about bangs or a fringe.

I've got a very high forehead, so having my hair pulled back tends to look really severe and ugly :mad: It's been well over 10 years since I last had a fringe so I really don't know what to think. I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to looks, as you can probably tell! :rolleyes:

I've still got a couple of weeks but I'll keep on doing lots of fringe research I think :p

[LisaJaney]

One other thing I'd like to share, because a hairdresser once told me this frankly:

When you find a fringe-pic you LIKE and would like to have, take several pics of that in to the hairdresser and ask them to be HONEST and tell you if it would work, given your hairline, hair-thickness, etc. This hairdresser told me once that people come into the salon, look at the magazines and see a hairstyle they like (say "Farrah Fawcett Hair") and then tell the hairdresser, "I want hair like THAT!" They don't seem interested in hearing that it's not going to work, and the hairdresser is stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to do the cut and make it as close as they can, but the woman's hair just is NOT the type that can do it. If her hair is straight as a rod and won't take a curl no matter WHAT, for instance, the cut could be perfect, but it is NOT going to do the little flippy ends that Farrah had in the 70s. Or someone will come in with super super thin hair and ask for a cut that really needs THICKNESS to carry it off. Ask the hairdresser to be HONEST, given your hairline/thickness/curlyness or straightness, when it comes to the fringey parts. And be realistic yourself and know that there are just some things that can't be done very successfully. These "salon dreamers" weren't realistic at all.

It's like my Momma always said: Don't try to teach a cat to sing. It doesn't work, and only annoys the cat! (that said, I HAVE taught my dog to sing. So there! :silly: )

[Bunnyhare]

Hey! you could try that virtual salon,where they put your face in lots of hair styles by computer and see it that way...I got layers and bangs last year and so regret it..it was cute for about 4 weeks then the maintenance and the tickles really got to me, i decided to grow it back out.I can finally get the bangs back in an updo but they still tend to slide out so I am bobby-pin queen!

[jojo]

I second LJ's above advice, I too have pondered over a fringe and in fact had my first salon trim in nearly 4 years today, I asked her advice and she told me although a fringe would look good. Due to my hair being wavy and very fine it would need blow drying every day to look good. Although this is not too bad as the fringe would get cut on a regular basis, so no damage really through drying, I would lose a lot of thickness which I cannot really afford to lose, plus I would find it a drag having to blow dry it to stop it looking a mess each day, for me I have a collar bone length fringe which frames my face.

Little gradual cuts is what I reccomend until you find a fringe which you suit and remember what looked good years ago may be a disapointment now. I am not anti fringes and think they are really flattering to most people, its all about finding the fringe which compliments you. Id say go for it, start with a face framing one and go shorter until you feel happy with it.

And dont forget pictures, we love pictures!

[LisaJaney]

JoJo, I LOVE your face-framing fringe (that is a great avatar pic; your eyes are just beautiful) It's very flattering, that fringe. Mine is about that length, but I'm wavy enough that I have to either blowdry it or loosely clip it back.

[jojo]

JoJo, I LOVE your face-framing fringe (that is a great avatar pic; your eyes are just beautiful) It's very flattering, that fringe. Mine is about that length, but I'm wavy enough that I have to either blowdry it or loosely clip it back.
thank you LJ, I did that myself, just combed my hair towards the centre of my face and cut at an angle, really easy to do and than you for the eye compliment xx

[LisaJaney]

That sounds about like what I do with mine to cut the face-framing stuff. Really easy! 'Course EVERYTHING's easy with my hair -- how could it be hard, when I've only got FOUR hairs on my entire head????? ;)