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View Full Version : Pondering what to do with my hair . . .



ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 12:01 PM
I haven't updated my pictures in a good long while, and I may try to do that later on so you can see what I've got going on now.

I finally got the last of my layers cut out last July when I got my hair cut into a medium-length bob with bangs. It's since grown out to shoulder-length, and I've done regular trims on my bangs to keep them where I like them. I had originally been growing out virgin (about 40% gray) hair, but I caved last spring and used LUSH henna caca brun. In October I colored with permanent color (L'Oreal Preference) because some of my grays just would not take the henna. I've colored maybe three or four times (including doing root touch-ups) since then.

I have really babied my hair, even with the coloring, and it's in surprisingly (for me) good condition. The ends, however, are dry and much in need of a trim. I'm also growing very weary of the hassle and expense of coloring and really wish now that I'd not caved and put ANY color on my head last year. I have about an inch of roots right now.

A part of me wants to do a major chop and cut off as much of the color as possible and start fresh with virgin hair. I almost want to shave my head, in fact. I say "almost" because I refuse to do that again to myself. I did it when my hair started falling out during chemo and I will not be bald again unless that happens to me again. So shaving is not an option for me.

I cringe when I think about doing a major chop. I did one about two years ago for this very same reason and it's taken me this long to get my hair back to the same length it was at the time of that chop. I don't really want to do that again. I thought about just doing a mini-chop - cutting off some of the colored length and perhaps using semi-permanent color as my hair grows out and do regular trims until all of the permanent color is gone.

Also at issue is that my hair is kind of at an awkward stage right now. If I blow dry and use a lot of product, I can get it looking really nice. However, I prefer just allowing my hair to air-dry. I like how it feels air drying. However, my hair has a mind of its own and chooses to curl and wave in all sorts of dorky directions when left to its own device. When I had layers, this wasn't much of an issue, as it just seemed to give my hair body. I have a blunt cut now, and I just look dorky with my hair going every-which-way.

So . . . I know I need a trim of perhaps 1/2 to 1 inch to remove the dry damaged ends (maybe not that much). I am toying with getting some long layers cut in, especially around my face.

Opinions?

I will try to post a picture in a bit.

spidermom
March 21st, 2011, 12:28 PM
Regarding the grow-out: maybe do some color in streaks to blur the grow-out line. My daughter gets highlights and red streaks in her dark blonde hair only once, maybe twice a year, and it's never noticeable as "oh-my-god; roots!" when it grows out.

I hear you on the hair-change issues. I'm just about dying for a change but fear it at the same time. I've finally got the length I've been dreaming about since grade school; that's a long time.

ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 12:37 PM
http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m546/JethroandAbbysmom/NewImage.jpg

Please excuse the quality - using my cell phone - and the dorky expression. This is pretty much what my hair looks like right now. I have a widow's peak in front and a cowlick to the right (left as you view the picture) of it. My bangs are doing their own lovely dorky thing, even though I used the blow dryer and vented brush. Oh, well. My hair has a mind of its own. Bless its heart.

Your thoughts?

georgia_peach
March 21st, 2011, 12:44 PM
Hi ColoradoDreamer! I think SpiderMom had a great suggestion about easing in a few highlights or streaks to help start the blending process. I did a major chop to pixie as I had very similar issues with gray roots in contrast to color (mine was dark burgundy henna). Looking back on it, I wish I'd NOT cut off the color and done some highlights instead. Your hair looks really healthy and shiny, by the way. Best of luck in your decision and congrats on recovering from your chemo!

Firefox7275
March 21st, 2011, 12:45 PM
In your profile it says you would like terminal length hair, does that still hold true? If it does what would best help you achieve that whilst still making you feel OK about your hair in the short term? More hairtoys? Layers? Semi permanent colour/ henna (assuming it worked)?

My shoulder-length hair is also wavy; the hairdresser can make it look lovely with a flat iron and I can make is curly with a diffuser (and a LOT of product to stick the curls together), but it just a mess left to air dry. The waves look like your signature but mine is also fluffy because it's in poor condition. I'm starting to realise my hair may be curlier than I realised! :p I *think* brushing it straight when wet/ tying it back to dry has been pulling some out of the wave but leaving the rest. Is it possible you are also curlier than you realise?

ETA: Did you blow dry your whole head straight in the face shot? Because if you did that is how mine goes - little kinks in the fringe (bangs), tucks under on one side and out on the other!!

georgia_peach
March 21st, 2011, 01:02 PM
Bless its heart.

Oh yeah, THIS made me laugh. :)

spidermom
March 21st, 2011, 01:22 PM
If your goal is still terminal, I think you're going to need all the thickness that you can get. If it were me, I'd grow out my bangs and have a little layering to blend the growing out bangs down the length to the bottom (but no more layering than that) and learn some up-styles. A simple twist up the back with a claw-clip is a good one at your length. I think you're about at french twist length, too.

GlennaGirl
March 21st, 2011, 06:18 PM
Regarding the grow-out: maybe do some color in streaks to blur the grow-out line. My daughter gets highlights and red streaks in her dark blonde hair only once, maybe twice a year, and it's never noticeable as "oh-my-god; roots!" when it grows out.

I agree with this. I have grown my hair out from various colors so many times. Look around you at some of the heads in the grocery store or at school or on the street and you're bound to see some too. You say you don't want to lose your length so allow this for a while, try a little blending as SM suggested, and enjoy having somewhat two-toned hair which is actually quite trendy right now. :)

Then just snip off little bit by little bit -- say 1/2" every three months if your hair grows 1/2" a month, or something like that.

GlennaGirl
March 21st, 2011, 06:19 PM
http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m546/JethroandAbbysmom/NewImage.jpg

Please excuse the quality - using my cell phone - and the dorky expression. This is pretty much what my hair looks like right now. I have a widow's peak in front and a cowlick to the right (left as you view the picture) of it. My bangs are doing their own lovely dorky thing, even though I used the blow dryer and vented brush. Oh, well. My hair has a mind of its own. Bless its heart.

Your thoughts?

Am I crazy? I don't see any color difference at all! I would just grow from here. I think you're just fine! And I'd personally keep the bangs. Maybe grow them right to your eyebrows and then keep them trimmed from there. I'd keep at least a wisp of them, maybe grow out those sides if you're looking for more thickness.

ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 07:19 PM
I hadn't really blow-dried my hair straight; I just dried it. The only part I tried to straighten was my bangs, and they do their own thing no matter what I do. Within an hour of taking that picture (shortly after I'd dried my hair), my bangs decided to curl out to both sides in these dorky little "wings." I may grow them out, not sure. I liked it when it was all one length a couple of years ago but when I was growing it back out this time last year I about went crazy and was seriously eying the dog clippers (I kid you not) when I decided to try bangs again. I liked them, and I've kept them since.

I still want the length. I would love nothing more than to have terminal-length SILVER hair, which is what my grays are. You don't see the roots in that shot because I accidentally cut the top of my head off. But, believe me: they are there.

I don't want to do anything more damaging to my hair, color-wise, than maybe temporary color to get through the growing-out phase. I honestly did think about putting in streaks and highlights, but that is so damaging and my hair is fragile enough as it is.

ETA: I think I will get a good trim to remove the damaged ends (about 1/2" at most) and maybe try a semi-permanent color or something (will ask my stylist for recommendations). Not doing a major chop.

ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 07:24 PM
Oh yeah, THIS made me laugh. :)


Yeah, I'm a southern girl too.

teela1978
March 21st, 2011, 07:39 PM
I say get used to leaving it alone now. It looks fine. Give it a few more months and re-evaluate. I don't think it looks like it needs a trim, I don't see any issues with dyed vs. undyed hair yet... I'd just leave it alone for a bit. I think getting used to leaving your hair alone is one of the big things to get over when growing out hair. Especially if you're used to getting a color/cut every 6 weeks. Letting it go 3-6 months before doing anything to it can be quite a shock to the system!

ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 07:41 PM
I just realized something: one of you guys suggested that my hair might be curlier than I realize. When my signature picture was taken, I was using a lot of Curly Girl techniques on my hair. I had washed my hair and while it was wet, I had worked in some coconut oil and FOTE aloe gel. I had bent forward from the waist and scrunched the gel in really well and then just let my hair air dry however it wanted to. When it was dry, I'd finger-combed (might have combed with a wide-toothed wooden comb too - don't remember for certain) before we took that picture. This was the evening I'd visited my sister and she had not believed that I'd achieved those curls and waves without using a curling iron or rollers.

Major DUH moment for me here: Maybe I need to stop fighting my hair and work with it. Go back to scrunching in the aloe gel and letting it air dry with whatever waves it wants to pick up and just let it be.

I feel like such a doofus now.

musicallberrii
March 21st, 2011, 11:33 PM
ColoradoDreamer,

Your hair looks great to me! I am having issues with dry ends but decided not to cut.. do you CO wash? (sorry if you said if you did or not in the first post, I may have missed it.) My ends improved drastically with CO washing and using leave in conditioner. Your hair looks great, shiny and healthy to me.. I would keep growing!

Roseate
March 21st, 2011, 11:46 PM
Maybe I need to stop fighting my hair and work with it. Go back to scrunching in the aloe gel and letting it air dry with whatever waves it wants to pick up and just let it be.

That sounds like a great idea! The waves in your signature picture are really pretty.

And it looks pretty good to me overall; doesn't look like it really needs a trim or color adjustment or anything. Keep on keepin' on, it's growing!

ColoradoDreamer
March 21st, 2011, 11:53 PM
ColoradoDreamer,

Your hair looks great to me! I am having issues with dry ends but decided not to cut.. do you CO wash? (sorry if you said if you did or not in the first post, I may have missed it.) My ends improved drastically with CO washing and using leave in conditioner. Your hair looks great, shiny and healthy to me.. I would keep growing!

I CO about every other wash, if not more often. I really just use shampoo if my hair is really dirty. I think this has a lot to do with why my hair doesn't have much damage, even with permanent color over henna.

My ends may not look damaged, but I can feel the dryness. I am going to get a trim in a couple of weeks and go from there.

Firefox7275
March 22nd, 2011, 02:47 AM
I just realized something: one of you guys suggested that my hair might be curlier than I realize. When my signature picture was taken, I was using a lot of Curly Girl techniques on my hair. I had washed my hair and while it was wet, I had worked in some coconut oil and FOTE aloe gel. I had bent forward from the waist and scrunched the gel in really well and then just let my hair air dry however it wanted to. When it was dry, I'd finger-combed (might have combed with a wide-toothed wooden comb too - don't remember for certain) before we took that picture. This was the evening I'd visited my sister and she had not believed that I'd achieved those curls and waves without using a curling iron or rollers.

Major DUH moment for me here: Maybe I need to stop fighting my hair and work with it. Go back to scrunching in the aloe gel and letting it air dry with whatever waves it wants to pick up and just let it be.

I feel like such a doofus now.

Awww don't feel like that, I am having that same light bulb moment. ;) I want to try 'plopping', it looks like it gives a lot of the same results as using a diffuser, but I think mine and your hair is a little short for that as yet.

ColoradoDreamer
March 22nd, 2011, 01:31 PM
This morning, I CO washed (in the sink - first time for that, as I usually do it in the shower) and followed with a vinegar rinse, used a little coconut oil on the ends and then gently combed out tangles (weren't many, as I always comb the CO through with a wide-toothed comb before I rinse) and scrunched with FOTE aloe gel. Bent forward at the waist and really scrunched those waves. I let it air-dry, and I like it!

Not sure DH agrees with me, as he seems to prefer my hair not so "foofy." But I think I look better with some "foofiness" in my hair.

I'm at the library right now, but I'll post a few pictures when I get home.