Well, the cut of my dreams came with a price....

[bahannas]

After a long period of growing, my hair had become pretty darn healthy. It was about BSL and all my layers had grown out. I have a very odd hair texture, consisting of corse hair in the back and very week, long, thin hair growing out of my temples, probably weakened by my previous highlights (I got them around mid-April). :rolleyes:

Now, I have wanted to change my hair for a long time. I had become sick of growing out my awkward fringe and my hair looking the same all the time. All the stress of school/friends/etc. really motivated me to make a big change and take the plunge into the "scene hair" look. My hair idol is Hayley Williams, despite all the coloring/straightening/razoring she does on a week-to-week basis.

So yesterday came pretty fast. It felt weird walking into the salon knowing what I was getting myself into, seeing as about a month ago I was on the "I want waist length hair, and I'm only getting VERY small trims until I can make it there" boat. The woman who cut my hair immediately commented on how soft it was, and then went on her way. Of course tons of hair was ripped, razored, blown out, hair sprayed, etc., which was exactly what I expected. And man, if it didn't look as good as it did when she was finished I would've killed her (kidding ;) ). It was exactly what I had asked for.
Still, I hated the feeling of the hairspray. So I came home and trimmed and weak ends I could find and proceeded with a deep treatment. I let it air dry. My hair is fairly wavy, and it just looked so short. My bangs looked awful and were stuck to my head. I have extreme layers all over now, and despite the fact that only an inch was taken off in the back and the front length is the same, I'm having some serious issues with adjusting. I don't know if I regret this or not. It looks long when it's straight, but pathetic when it isn't.

Up until summer of this year, I was the girl who straightened/blowdryed her hair EVERY DAY. And there's no way I'm going back. Before this cut, I never blowdryed or straightened. But now it just looks so awful air-dried that I can't bear to go out with friends without some sort of styling. So, I'm going to mess with it today. Now, when I got my hair cut yesterday, no straightening was required, just the blowdryer. Im going to try to compromise and blowdry on cool, but still use a heat protectant. I'm just worried that I'm going to go right back to weakened hair, and my fragile little hairs in the front are what's keeping my hair looking long.

I think it's just a shock to me. I know it'll grow. This year, my hair went from being shoulder length in January to BSL in December. I'm just really torn on what I think of it right now. :/

Thanks for letting me get this out there. It really looked amazing coming out of the salon, and I hope I can make it look fairly good in gentler ways. It was just a bit too much too fast, and maybe I'm just missing my usual routine. :(

[halo_tightens]

That's actually something I use to motivate myself NOT to cut-- because I know I never like how it looks short without doing lots of stuff to it! If I want to be able to just leave it be and still have it look presentable, it simply has to grow long.

I hope you make peace with your new 'do soon, so you can feel happy with your hair! It's always hard to adjust to a change. :flowers:

[melrose1985]

hang in there. I love those styles and i had it for a while in the past. Every once in a while i want to go back to it and have crazy hair and dye it and do what ever i want, but i havent had only hair in so long so that's what's pushing me not to go back AND i hate shoulder length on me.

[DarkChocolate]

I am sorry:(

It seems that alot of people get their cut and end up not liking it.

Hairstylists are supposed to be artists however sometimes their vision might not be the same as yours unfortunately:(

What is 'scene' hair?

[lapushka]

It's so odd that you would go in for scene hair, which is a cut that you know needs heavy styling, blow drying, gel, mousse, what have you, and that upon coming home you suddenly expect to have your hair look exactly the same without all the styling. I mean, at some point it's about knowing what you want, right?

[krt1013]

I feel your pain. When I joined LHC, I was APL. I grew down to BSL, but after a lot of pressure from my father, I caved and chopped my hair into a chin-length BOB!! I hadn't had hair that short since I was in elementary school.

It looked amazing when I first got it done, but I came to realize that I needed to blowdry and straighten it EVERY day in order for it to hold its shape. Enter: damage. All of the soft, healthy hair I had grown out became a thing of the past.

I'm slowly creeping up on APL again (It's been a year since the chop), and I don't think I'll ever go back to short. I guess I just *had* to know what it felt like...but trust me, I've had bad layers too and they grow out much faster than a whole-head chop. You'll be back to your old self in a few months, I imagine. Just baby your hair and it will reward you!

:grouphug:

[hmmm]

I kind of know how you feel because I have hair that looks like crap air dried too. I'm dealing with it by using a leave in with aloe and coconut oil, braiding into twin french braids and forgetting about it. At your length you should be able to do a lot of interesting updos. I strongly recommend not giving in to the whole straightening and blow drying thing, at least not on a regular basis. Unless you want to, and don't mind trimming off damage when it happens. Do keep in mind that you may not reach waist as soon as you would like if you keep using heat.
Good luck :blossom:

[melikai]

Unfortunately, that type of hair style really needs a lot of product and styling. I'm not sure if you can have both worlds. The razoring will lead to more split ends and will be much more delicate, which will be aggravated by any heat styling you do.

That being said - what's done is done. Have fun with it! If you want to grow it back at some point, you can. :flower:

[heidihug]

Do this type of thing while you are young - it sounds like you are still in high school or college, right? Have fun, do wild and crazy things with your hair. I did, and I don't regret it.

I would never consider blowdrying or razor-cutting my hair now, but youthful exuberance and the desire for change just to see what it is like is a good thing. Embrace it and enjoy! After all, it WILL grow back.

[georgia_peach]

Do this type of thing while you are young - it sounds like you are still in high school or college, right? Have fun, do wild and crazy things with your hair. I did, and I don't regret it.

I would never consider blowdrying or razor-cutting my hair now, but youthful exuberance and the desire for change just to see what it is like is a good thing. Embrace it and enjoy! After all, it WILL grow back.

I agree! I was in my early twenties at the time of big 80's hair. And I enjoyed every minute of it! I had every cut imaginable (and every product imaginable) to keep those looks going. Enjoy it! You will grow long when you are ready to grow long. :)

[ap1524]

Part of this is a learning experience, and from what I've read I think you figured that out from the get go. Perhaps this is the event that will finally be the motivation you've needed to stick it out in the long run, or you may even find out something else about your self (i.e. in you appreciate it short). Good luck in any event!

[bumblebums]

This. Enjoy the haircut, and enjoy changing your look. Keep those friends on their toes :) I did this for a decade, when I didn't mind high-maintenance hair.

I've since learned, though, that it is important to ask your stylist whether the hairstyle you like will work with your hair type. Many stylists have learned not to argue with clients and simply do what you ask--you bring in a picture, and they cut it to spec and make it look good in the salon. Then you get home and realize you just can't make it look as good without product, hair dryer, special brush, and an extra arm growing out of your back. This just means that the hair style wasn't meant to work with your hair type. And there are always bad hair days with short hair--there just isn't that much room to work with, and not as much you can do to hide it.

But yeah, it grows back, so do not despair!

[Leena7]

If you really don't want to heat style, I suggest trying to encourage your waves. Waves tend to hide super-short layers a bit and they give you that messy-on-purpose look that is hard to mess up. You could scrunch up your hair when it is damp or put it in braids or something to make your hair even wavier that normal.

[Sammich]

Well, I had this exact same problem. I still have it actually, I scene cut my hair into a style. You know the poofy on top and the longer underlayer...? Yeaah. That's what I got. I had my fun for about 4 months.. but now I really want my old hair back... >< At least with a little less layering..
Aghh.
SO yeah. I feel for you. *Hugs* :(
But we'll fight! And win! :D
I'm just trying to cope with my hair style at the moment... which I do admit I love down. And when I did have the scene hair style cut, I did kind of expect it to look just as it would when it'd be cut.. haha.. so naive.. :)

[Bellona]

I agree with whoever said have fun with your hair now! For 10 years, I just dyed, cut, did all kinds of wacky things with my hair, and now I'm glad to just be growing. I don't really regret any of them except my recent cut, but only because it was unflattering and not what I wanted. I'm so glad I experimented in the past when I could, and now that I'm older and need to look more professional I can just grow without trying to bleach it, dye it purple, flatiron, and tease. It was fun while it lasted, though :) Have fun with it, a lot of the razored ends will go away with a few trims. I love that damaged looking overdyed layered punky/scene hair, even though it's not really conducive to growing super long hair.

[Horrorpops]

Hey, just my imput, but give it a day or two as well. I find whenever I get a drastic-ish cut, or anything different with my hair, I hate it for the first day.. and then it kinda starts to grow into me, and I grow into it - if you know what I mean.

I'd reccommend fiddling around with it, but also give it a chance - shock at the change can often make you go "Oh my GOD what have I done?" when if you look at it later on, you realise it actually looks good.

Good luck :)

[bumblebums]

I had to do a google image search on Hayley Williams. I'm a bit of a square. :)

If that's the haircut you got, I've had something similar, and there are ways to wear it without styling. One is to get an elastic headband and put it over your bangs. Once it gets a little longer, it will look decent air-dried on wavy hair. And it's possible to straighten your hair by tugging on it while it air-dries--it's not ideal, obviously, but if you are going to work against your texture, it beats ironing.

[Leabhar]

Well, now you know what you don't like, lol. Sometimes that's what it takes (in the name of experience) to find out what you like, and what you want.

I've done all sorts of things with my hair and enjoyed them as I did, and that past experience serves me well now, in growing out for length and health. (e.g. knowing that I can't do many styles with short hair, and that I find short hair takes more work/upkeep, etc.)

[hmmm]

I had to do a google image search on Hayley Williams. I'm a bit of a square. :)


Me too! :rolling:

[bahannas]

Thank you so much for the support. :)

There are some positives to this cut. First off, I did get EXACTLY what I asked for - so at least it wasn't a total disaster. I think I can find alternatives to heat styling, because it actually looks pretty cute with messy waves and a headband. I have some teeny claw clips that I can use to clip the ends and keep them together while I gently blowdry the back (on the lowest, coolest setting!).

Also, looking back on old pictures, I've realized that my hair grows pretty darn fast. I didn't start growing and pampering my hair until the beginning of last summer, and it was just below APL then... Well it's just below APL now, so it's almost like gettng a head start, right? Plus, when this cut grows out a bit, it'll have some killer body - a product of the layers, which I have always loved to some degree.

Maybe my goals are changing a bit, but I'm 100% sure I won't be getting it quite this short again. Oh well, live and learn! As for now, I'll stick to putting binning it, S&Ds, and my regular pampering routines. I'm going to stick to thr positives and look on the bright side. :) It's Christmas Eve, happy holidays! I bet I can make it look pretty darn cute for our family feast tonight.

Oh, and yep, I'm in highschool. A freshman to be exact. So yes, very naive. ;)

[Katurday]

Well, it looks like you aren't the only one who has a hard time heat styling all the time.
Hayley Williams (http://images.askmen.com/photos/tila-tequilas-mtv-new-years-eve-masquerade-2008-show/34519.jpg)

[bahannas]

Haha, that's pretty much my hair right now!

[heidihug]

I must say, bahannas, you are quite articulate for someone so young! And, I must confess, I have no idea who Hayley Williams is - I live in a houseful of men, so no teen daughters to inform me of such things.

Have a lovely holiday season enjoying your new fun hairstyle!

[spidermom]

Interesting how one person's dream haircut can be another person's nightmare. I had something similar quite a long while back by accident and couldn't wait to grow beyond it.

[bahannas]

Thank you, heidihug!

The good thing: all these layers have really brought my waves to life. I've managed to air dry my hair in a very nice way that only required a bit of cool blowdrying on the bangs. It seems to look longer like those for some reason. The result, with an added headband, came out with a vintage-y feel - maybe not how the cut wa intended, but I really like the looks of it.

I'm ready to deal with this like a grown-up.

Oh, and thanks again for all the feedback! You guys are the best and I hope your holidays are joyful! :)

[hmmm]

I want to see pictures of it!

[Lioness]

I think i might help you on this one. In fact i had the exact same problem with my hair.
About a year ago my hair was midback to waistlenght but very damaged so i went to the salon. I wanted something totally different so i said to her she could cut off as much as she liked.
I walked out with a haircut that was 95% like Hayley's. I think my bangs were even a little shorter. The shortest layers on the crown of my head were about 4 cm long.
This meant i had to straighten my hair everyday in order to look decent. If not, my bangs looked non-existent because of the shrinkage and my hair looked like i hadn't combed it in years.

I tried lots of things, blowdrying, straightening, etc. I even considered getting one of those "straight perms". Thank god i didn't.
So one day i was searching on Youtube for hairvideos and i came across an African-American woman who wrapped her hair around her head to make it straight.
This method has been talked about on other topics here on LHC, i can't explain the whole thing or my post would become way too long.

This wrapping method was especially helpfull for my bangs and the shortest layers. Your hair might still have a little body wave but still, it's worth it.
If you have a lot of layers i found it better to wrap it when it's still a little damp so the hair won't fall down again before you're done wrapping.

When you blowdry your bangs you might try to blowdry them in the opposite direction than you want them to be. This prevents the end from having that weird half curl and makes it look straighter than if you would blowdry it the usual way.

HTH