Getting past the flip

[Kelly728]

I do apologize if I missed a thread, but I did not find much in my search.

My journey to grow out my hair began in between chin and mid-neck. Now I'm nearing that dreaded flip length (likely within the next 2 months). Every time I hit this length and my hair starts turning up to the sky, I give up and chop it off! Any styles or other tips to make it past this point with my sanity intact?

[Svenja]

Have you tried using mini clips and put your hair up until it's past this length? Something like a wild updo - looks very cute!

[LawyerGirl]

Once you get past shoulder, the flip goes away. Is your hair long enough to put up?

[Bast]

Headbands and bandannas.

The simple "grin and bear it and think happy thoughts" also works; bit harder, though.

Also, the flip like that can be considered a style all of it's own!

[Dani]

I can't live without twin braids and twin buns. :D

[countryhopper]

I did a peacock twist in a claw clip about 99% of the time then. I just had different colored claw clips to try to change things up a bit.

Also at flip length you should be able to do lace or french braids. As your hair gets longer you can start tucking the braid ends under so they don't bother you as much.

[Kelly728]

My hair is long enough to put up, but I still have layers that are close to chin length. In reality it stays up in a ponytail 90% of the time as I'm trying to get off my flat iron addiction.

I find the the flip period lasts a very long time for me (even once past shoulder because of layers) with hair going everywhere. It certainly is not a good look for me. I really should find some new ways to put it up.

Dani- I love the mini-buns for the gym, but never outside of that because they make me look 12! :o

[Dani]

Hey, what about a loose french braid? With layers hanging a bit out on the sides... I love that style, and think it looks gorgeous. I bet it would work great for you. :cool: Just part your hair around the middle or so, then gather each side like you're doing a half up, then french braid all the way down from that, and tie off the bottom wherever you'd like. I like to have a few loose pieces (it looks cool and relaxed) and a bobby pin to pin up a layer or two wherever you choose is nice, too. :) Hope that helps a bit. Don't worry- there are a ton of different styles you can do, and if you keep trying one or two new ones a day you'll find the ones you love. ;) :D

[Svenja]

I have had layers all my life and yes they can be trying when it comes to certain hairstyles, but hey, there are enough styles out there for people who have layers :D

[Katze]

hi almost-hairtwin!

this is the first time my hair has really ever been long, in part due to the 'flip.' I would never, ever go short again just for this reason! I used to think it looked like a 'First Lady Hairdo' - yuk!

French braids were a huge saving for me at that length, or two stubby pigtail braids or ponytails. I also used my curling iron (did not know about straightening irons then!) to straighten my ends, and blowdried them straight too.

The good news is that once you get past the flip, you will very likely have lovely spiral waves! Keep putting leave-in in your ends and giving them more moisture to protect them and they WILL grow past the awkward stage, trust me! :D

[kristymarie87]

I find the the flip period lasts a very long time for me (even once past shoulder because of layers) with hair going everywhere.

Me too :(

I'm just getting past shoulder on my longest layer, the others are around chin and some as short as ear.

This means they flick all over the place and evn when i striaghten my whole head of hair, with heat protector thats meant to keep it straight....5 minutes later it flicks out! I'm easily at collarbone but it still flicks and i think it will till im almost APL :(.

I tried my best last night to blow dry striaght (trying to give up/cut down the irons). Whilst the bottom layer is easy to get straight, the layers wont go even on a low setting, they flick out. It makes it look much more damaged than it is!

I keep going to cut it off, but then i will never have long hair if i do that so am going to grow 'past the flick' and then never cut it short so i dont have to go through all that again!

Keep going! It will be worth it!

[beez1717]

The way I dealt with it was to just accept it. I don't know how I did it but now my hair hangs down and it's nice :D Maybe what you could do would be to make your hair into a tiny ponytail?

[kristymarie87]

Yeah i keep mine in a ponytail all week for work, which is ok, but gets boring since i cant do most fancy updos because of my layers :(

At weekends though its nice to have it down. I just end up realising how much i hate my hair right now :(

[Stephichan]

I've got this annoying 'wing' on the right side of my head right above my ear. I can't seem to get rid of it and it doesn't happen quite as much on my left side. How I ignore it is by pulling some of my hair back with mini jaw clips or wearing a bandanna of sorts.

If your hair is long enough you could try some rag curls or pin curls to blend the flip in with the rest of your hair.

[Kelly728]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'm going to try to play with a french braid sometime this week. I can do them on others but who knows how successful I'll be on my own head. I'll have to start playing around with some clips to see what the heck my hair will do without seeing a flat iron.

[squiggyflop]

try using rag rollers to curl your hair.. it will make it look (temporarily) shorter and allow a smooth transition as you pass shoulder.. i found that sleeping with pigtail braids helped me get past the flippy stage all the while having people tell me how great they thought my hair was..

eta: i slept with regular 3 strand braids.. little stubby ones

[dropinthebucket]

Christina Ricci totally rocked the just-above-shoulder flip in Pumpkin - it's a nice look all on its own.

[kristymarie87]

ARGGHHHHHH! $"£%$^%$^%$^£%"$"£$%£

Still not past the flip 1 month on.....am i over reacting at this stage?

[heynormy]

Oh the flip!! It's a horrible stage isn't it!! Only time and patience helped get me through..oh and clips! Lots and lots of clips!

[sugarpixie10988]

I hate the flip stage too! I'm a bit past shoulder length and the ends of my hair are still flipping too, but not as bad as they used to. It won't last forever though! I use braid waves to help disguise them usually.

[clairenewcastle]

I'm right at the flip stage too but thankfully I've no layers.

What works for me at the moment is braiding my hair at the nape of my neck then folding the braid back on itself before securing it by threading a hairstick horizontally through the folded braid.

[JenniferNoel]

I love the flip! It's a style of it's own. Many times I've kept my hair at this length just for the joy of it, usually the short end of the flip. It's easier and more fun without layers though for some reason. Less things to fly out in weird directions.

[HintOfMint]

It's a rite of passage, darling. Stiff upper lip, and it will be over in a few months. :flower: or perhaps :toast: to tolerate it a bit better.

[Caldonia Sun]

I love my hair at that length with its little flip!

[Chiara]

I'm at flip stage too. I don't mind it, although, as someone posted, it does make me feel a bit First Lady (now, where did I put those white gloves....)

[Capybara]

I'm another who thinks flip length looks cute :D Especially in the summer!

Peacock twists, maybe a sock bun or simple ponytail would work? Just pinning back the sides looks really nice as well :)

[CrisDee]

I've become a firm believer in "do what you gotta do (within reason!) to get past the x stage," X being whatever stage drove you to :scissors:

If it means you have to blow dry (cool setting, of course) for a few months, so be it. We're all trying to do things as naturally as possible, to cause as little damage as possible, to hair we want to eventually be long. But the reality is, we live in the 21st century, and want/need to look presentable a great deal of the time. So my best advice is to do whatever you need to do, even if it means bustin out the blow dryer for a few months, to get past the stage that always made you cut. And stop as soon as it's past that stage! :)

P.S. - have you tried a French twist?

[Beatrice]

I'm still hovering around flip length, though at this point I'm closer to APL. Try rocking a flip with 1c/2a waves. Without a blow dryer, it looks awful!

I'm also wearing ponytails most of the time, though I did manage to pull off a nice French braid recently. It just had a very long tail, thanks to the layers. Even peacock twists don't work without bobby pins, and even then. . . .

[kristymarie87]

I hate the flip stage too! I'm a bit past shoulder length and the ends of my hair are still flipping too, but not as bad as they used to. It won't last forever though! I use braid waves to help disguise them usually.

Im about an inch past shoulder and i though it would be past it by now....but my layers are just reaching flip length so i guess i have a whil to go. The rest of the flip seems to be calming. Sort of!


It's a rite of passage, darling. Stiff upper lip, and it will be over in a few months. :flower: or perhaps :toast: to tolerate it a bit better.

Yes please......hmmm wine makes me crazy though i might chop it off!


I've become a firm believer in "do what you gotta do (within reason!) to get past the x stage," X being whatever stage drove you to :scissors:

If it means you have to blow dry (cool setting, of course) for a few months, so be it. We're all trying to do things as naturally as possible, to cause as little damage as possible, to hair we want to eventually be long. But the reality is, we live in the 21st century, and want/need to look presentable a great deal of the time. So my best advice is to do whatever you need to do, even if it means bustin out the blow dryer for a few months, to get past the stage that always made you cut. And stop as soon as it's past that stage! :)

P.S. - have you tried a French twist?

I dont mind having to blow dry.....but at this stage i gotta straighten. I manage to keep it up all week in hope that when i take it down its grown! It has worked so far, over an inch in just over a month!

I do i guess sort of a french twist, its sort of hard as i have so many layers it sticks out. I lost my only claw clip recently :( But i want to try doing them again :D


I'm still hovering around flip length, though at this point I'm closer to APL. Try rocking a flip with 1c/2a waves. Without a blow dryer, it looks awful!

I'm also wearing ponytails most of the time, though I did manage to pull off a nice French braid recently. It just had a very long tail, thanks to the layers. Even peacock twists don't work without bobby pins, and even then. . . .

Yeah im 1c i think, i never used to be, but i have these new crazy waves going on. The uncooperative ones that done actually look in sync with eachother, just a random mess!

Im not able to do my own french braid with so many layers and personally i dont like the look of them on me anyway, i did try an english braid but the braid was more like a stub! I still dont know what a peacock twist is......