Need some opinions, shape up or leave it be?

[misspriss]

I am thinking of getting a small cut, even though I said I was not going to cut til December of this year. I kind of want to get it shaped to where it will look a little better during the process. I found a review of a good curly hair stylist on naturallycurly.com in my area, and I really want to check him out. I don't know though, I can't decide.

My hair was cut in a graduated bob, which means the front is much longer than the back. I want to see if I can get it more evened up and not lose any length in the back, but get it to where it is more of an even length. I also want to get a curly, wash it and go kind of haircut.

What I want opinions on, do you think that getting a shape up will make the waiting-to-grow time easier, because I will be more happy with it during that time? Or has anyone done this and regretted the small amount of length lost?

Also, I have not really been to too many high end stylists and I don't know how to go about seeing them. Consultation ettiquite, etc. What do you smart people out there think?

See last post for UPDATE!!

Also, I would add a link to the salon's website, but idk if that is okay on here, since it is location specific.

[Nat242]

I don't know - it's very individual. I grew out a pixie cut, and didn't get it trimmed/shaped for quite a while. I really wanted to see progress, so headbands and scarves became my friends. If you would feel better about it shaped, then by all means, do it. Have you heard of the 2-week rule? Before you do anything particularly drastic (new hair style, new colour, etc.) think about it for two weeks. If you still really want that change at the end of two weeks, then go for it!

-- Natalie

[misspriss]

Well, I figure I will wait about 1.5 weeks. I go on vaca in two weeks, and if I'm going to do it, I'd like to do it before then, pictures and all, and also ease of styling.

[florenonite]

If your hair is really bothering you the way it is now, then I'd say go for it, as long as you wait your 1.5 weeks and make sure you still want it. However, if it's the length of it (or lack thereof) that bothers you more than anything else then it might do more harm than good to cut it and lose some length at the front. Essentially you just need to consider what's immediately more important (in the long run I'd imagine you want long, healthy, beautiful hair), length or style and ease?

[misspriss]

Well, the length is bothering me too, but I can't do anything by a ponytail and I'm wearing a ponytail EVERY day because it does not look good down anymore. (problem with cute short hairstyles, look terrible if they grow out) and I hate wearing a ponytail every day. I have been stying it curly, but it is cut straight down exactly the same length and the curls just don't fall well. I want to be able to wear it down more, if I want to, you know? Or maybe just not in the same style every day.

[Riot Crrl]

I am going to have a dissenting opinion here. Sorry about that. :)

Curly hair is so fraught by everything anyway, I would not get a new cut and try to adjust to it right before some sort of major event. It might result in a pony every day on vacation anyway. Or that result might not be too different if you didn't get it cut. There will be different water, food, possibly more sun, wind, ocean water, etc. If it were me I would probably just wait until I got back, so I could adjust accordingly to the new cut, keeping more variables the same.

[Saranne772]

Personally I would say dont cut. But then if you are more comfortable with it being trimmed back a little then go for it after the 1.5 weeks

[misspriss]

I am just so frustrated with it. I woke up this morning and my curls looked great, you know, curly. But on the cut? it's just a straight diagonal line from the back of my head to my chin and when the curls vary in length it just makes it look crappy. Although my curls look good today, I'm going to have to wear it in a pony again because it just doesn't look good like this.

[kwaniesiam]

Honestly, I'd rather be happy with my hair than tough it out and have to get it trimmed and evened up soon anyway. If after the 2 weeks you still want that cut, go for it. It's not more than 2-3 inches, right? That will grow back quickly, and hopefully in the process you'll be much happier with your hair.

[spidermom]

If it were me, I'd do it. As I grew my hair out from short and layered, I had it trimmed every 6-8 weeks. It made such a positive difference to me to keep the ends nice. I never thought of it as losing length because no more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch came off each time.

[Katze]

I'll say do it, too. I'm growing out @#^%& layers, which are SO frustrating as the original cut was in 2004, and they make my already-thin hair taper like mad. If I cut to the thickest point, which is now about shoulder, I'd lose 6+ inches of length.

So I am trimming gradually as it grows out. At my length, I *can* put it up if it doesn't look good, but I prefer to wear my hair down whenever possible, so I opt for gradual, 1?4 to 1/2 inch trims to slowly get rid of the taper.

Although I am just brushing BSL, and have been for a year or so, I trimmed the thinnest ends again yesterday just a wee bit after giving BF a similar trim. For me, seeing those bluntER ends is worth it.

If your back is as short as your avatar pic, you might want to let it grow - say, to where the front is - before cutting. That 'do can look nice a bit longer, but in the "dead zone" between chin and shoulder is where, IMO, you will probably want to make your hair look as good as possible (and maybe trim more, or maybe less to grow faster) as that length is a problem length for most people.

hth!

[Peggy E.]

I am just so frustrated with it. I woke up this morning and my curls looked great, you know, curly. But on the cut? it's just a straight diagonal line from the back of my head to my chin and when the curls vary in length it just makes it look crappy. Although my curls look good today, I'm going to have to wear it in a pony again because it just doesn't look good like this.

I'm going to vote with the Nay-sayers (easy to do - it's not MY hair!).

For one thing, your hair is no doubt different, but I've always found that the hair in back was longer than that in front. I suppose that's because the front hair is "messed with" more than that in the back (wearing it up all the time has put an end to this problem, or at least cut it way down).

So, if your hair was originally cut on the diagonal, longer in front to shorter in back, as it grows out it's going to be straight, anyway! If you cut it off in front now to make it even, you will have a longer in back hair profile very soon.

If this is what you want, then you'll be happy. However, it doesn't sound like this is the case. AND by cutting off the front you may well be making the ponytail you can now do undoable, thanks to the shorter sides and lots of curl.

AND summer's coming and you may find yourself knocking your head against the wall for having cut what you did and now it's sticking to your neck and you can't find any way to stop it!

Still, this is all my own experience with hair that is nothing like anyone else's in the world, so I wouldn't necessarily pay any attention to me as I tend to blather on and on....

If you were growing out layers, damaged ends or correcting the color, it makes more sense to cut. But if you are truly out to grow long hair, with the issue being finding something to do with it, cutting it will only put you back further from your goal and further from having it long enough to put up. You may well come out of the salon unable to do the ponytail!

Just my thoughts on the subject, fwiw. In the end, it's your hair - do what you need to do to make you happy and feeling attractive. That's what REALLY counts!

[misspriss]

Okay had a salon picked out of naturally curly.com, but could not get an appointment there. So I started calling salons, and just asking if they had anyone who specialized in curly hair. If they replied "all our stylists cut curly hair" Then I just thanked them and hung up. I called a nail salon (they came up under salons!) and the manicurist reccomended a salon nearby. I called and they said yes they had a couple who did a lot of curly hair and had a lot of repeat clients. So they scheduled me a consultation this morning. Well I had to wash and gel my hair because I stupidly flattened it yesterday, and it was rainy/raining all morning so my curls were at their curliest, softest, nicest. I met the guy a few minutes ago and it was great. He said I had good hair and all, which I am sure is his job. I told him I was growing it out and that I wanted to keep the length as much as possible, and that I wanted a haircut I could just let dry naturally and the curls would look great. He said we didn't have to lose the length at all to shape it up, he said that he could give it some shape and trim it a little bit to point cut the ends instead of blunt cut which would encourage it to spiral more. So I go see him next wednesday. Wish me luck. I think it will make me very happy.

[misspriss]

Oh and I also asked about my two-toned color, he said he could put a semiperm toner on there and it would probably hold enough permanantly to bring the redder ends to the same color as my roots, without much damage at all. So I'm doing that too.

[snowbird]

My personal ethos is that I have to be happy with my hair at every stage of the journey.

[camillacamilla]

Misspriss...good luck when you get it cut! Your stylist sounds like he understands curly hair and what you are wanting, so hopefully all will go well.:)

[Speedbump]

Misspriss as a curly who had to grow out a horrible, incredibly layered haircut many moons ago, I can tell you that getting it shaped so it looks better in the process is absolutely the RIGHT choice. :lol: Being unhappy with it all the time until "one day when it's long enough to cut" is martyring yourself for nothing. As you well know, a bad cut will make the curls look like crap as long as the cut is bad, period, no matter if you wait to cut or not. Why keep a terrible cut when you can be really happy with slightly shorter, more shaped curls that will grow out looking great?

It sounds like the stylist you picked out knows his stuff and is going to help you out. I wish you much luck and I would love to see a photo of your new curly do after you get it! :D

[tmmycat]

I am also eager to see pictures when you get it cut! I think you made a good choice. it is important to enjoy your hair along the way and not just at the end.

and a cut that grows out nicely can remove the desire to cut it for many months. that is useful.

:cheese:

[misspriss]

Thanks everyone!

Speedbump, that was exactly my thoughts, I'd much rather be happy with a slightly shorter, well shaped cut that will grow out looking great the whole time, than not feel good wearing my hair down the whole time.

Thanks for everyone's opinions! I'm glad you guy's are here.