Growing very thick hair long...

[Orangerthanred]

I'm a bit worried about growing my hair long, because it is super thick. I always thought thin/normal hair looked best long, because it doesn't get super heavy and poofy like mine, and it looks silkier/more moveable.

Are there any people on this forum with VERY thick hair, I mean not just normal thick but really, really thick? How do you manage your hair when it is long? Tips?

[Rocket22]

I'm sure someone with thick hair will chime in, but I have to say it's nice to hear someone say something nice about people with thin/normal hair because I always look at thick haired people and could only dream of hair like that. :)

[slz]

The good side of length is that it makes very thick hair less voluminous by weighing it down. I can't remember for myself since I haven't had anything shorter than classic for decades, however, my sister who's got even thicker hair than me, and wavier, must have heavy layers if her hair is waist or shorter or it will look like a huge triangle.

[pepperminttea]

You might want to give Igor's blog (http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/) a look. She was a member here for many years, and has very thick knee length hair (11-12cm circumference), although it is much straighter than yours Orangerthanred. :)

[jojo]

ultrabella has proper thick hair and its beautiful, id swap you if you want!

[Anje]

Orangerthanred, I think Speedbump, a long-term member here, has hair very similar to yours. Thick, curly, and about classic length. Spidermom also has very thick hair, about 2c in texture. Both will tell you that thick hair that has some curls in it works rather well long, because the weight keeps you from having a huge triangle of hair like you tend to get at, say, shoulder length.

I'm not thick-haired, but from my observations, braids are your friend. Easy way to contain hair without putting more weight on your scalp, works at lengths where you can't manage a bun because of the thickness, and you can use them to stretch out your curls if you want looser waves for a day or two.

[spidermom]

I think my hair is probably more in the realm of normal thick, but oh my! Growing it out was kind of frightening because it got wider and wider and then whew! Relief! It got long enough to pull the poof out (mostly). I still look like I have a big cloud of bushy hair occasionally after it's freshly washed, but it calms down pretty quick now.

[princessp]

Yes that would be me and I am at TB. Honestly, I have been so sick of my hair lately though. So instead of cutting I've just been over-oiling it and leaving it in braids. The length definitely weighs it down (thankfully) and makes it more wurly than curly, but it is still a lot to deal with. But on the other hand when it is short I look like a poodle, so you can't really win with thick and wurly either way. I wish I had that silky moveable straight hair of reasonable thickness that you described above, but we get what we get. Lol, I'm usually not such a downer but apparently I'm just not happy with my hair right now. Please do give it a go and if you can't deal you could always cut it. By the way, we have a thick hair thread here on LHC where we can all commiserate. :)

ETA: Here is a thick hair thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43020&highlight=unite)

[Madora]

I'm a bit worried about growing my hair long, because it is super thick. I always thought thin/normal hair looked best long, because it doesn't get super heavy and poofy like mine, and it looks silkier/more moveable.

Are there any people on this forum with VERY thick hair, I mean not just normal thick but really, really thick? How do you manage your hair when it is long? Tips?

Here's a pic from 1988:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=87275

I always wore my hair up, in braids (buns, Heidi braids), single braids, or multi braids. The secret to hairstyling with thick hair is how you section it, and where you place the style on your head.

[princessp]

Wow Madora that is such a pretty picture!

[Toadstool]

I'm sure someone with thick hair will chime in, but I have to say it's nice to hear someone say something nice about people with thin/normal hair because I always look at thick haired people and could only dream of hair like that. :)

I always wanted fine/normal thickness hair because I thought it lay much better :)

[Kathie]

I think my hair is probably more in the realm of normal thick, but oh my! Growing it out was kind of frightening because it got wider and wider and then whew! Relief! It got long enough to pull the poof out (mostly).
What was that magic length?

[Orangerthanred]

Orangerthanred, I think Speedbump, a long-term member here, has hair very similar to yours. Thick, curly, and about classic length. Spidermom also has very thick hair, about 2c in texture. Both will tell you that thick hair that has some curls in it works rather well long, because the weight keeps you from having a huge triangle of hair like you tend to get at, say, shoulder length.

I'm not thick-haired, but from my observations, braids are your friend. Easy way to contain hair without putting more weight on your scalp, works at lengths where you can't manage a bun because of the thickness, and you can use them to stretch out your curls if you want looser waves for a day or two.

Thank you.

Braids make my hair HUGE. It looks like someone teased it, blew dry it upside down, and crimped it.

[Orangerthanred]

Here's a pic from 1988:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=87275

I always wore my hair up, in braids (buns, Heidi braids), single braids, or multi braids. The secret to hairstyling with thick hair is how you section it, and where you place the style on your head.

Beautiful picture! :heartbeat:

Maybe I should started learning to do some updos...

[Orangerthanred]

Yes that would be me and I am at TB. Honestly, I have been so sick of my hair lately though. So instead of cutting I've just been over-oiling it and leaving it in braids. The length definitely weighs it down (thankfully) and makes it more wurly than curly, but it is still a lot to deal with. But on the other hand when it is short I look like a poodle, so you can't really win with thick and wurly either way. I wish I had that silky moveable straight hair of reasonable thickness that you described above, but we get what we get. Lol, I'm usually not such a downer but apparently I'm just not happy with my hair right now. Please do give it a go and if you can't deal you could always cut it. By the way, we have a thick hair thread here on LHC where we can all commiserate. :)

ETA: Here is a thick hair thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=43020&highlight=unite)


I'm upset with my hair too... Mine is damaged and I'm sick of waiting for the relaxed part to grow out, and it's always so frizzy.

Thanks for the link!:)

[Torrin Paige]

Mine's fairly thick, not screaming thick, but it's pretty durned heavy and rather large when short. BSL is about where it started to calm down, but waist is where it decided to become cooperative in its natural state. (Its natural state is wavy here and there, with other bits being straight for no reason I can ascertain. I blew it out straight until waist length because it was such a pain.) I think longer is better when dealing with thick hair, as many ladies above me explained so well, because the sheer weight of all that hair makes it behave better. And, as Madora says, learning to separate it properly and where to affix a particular up-do will save you plenty on headaches. :)

[Orangerthanred]

Mine's fairly thick, not screaming thick, but it's pretty durned heavy and rather large when short. BSL is about where it started to calm down, but waist is where it decided to become cooperative in its natural state. (Its natural state is wavy here and there, with other bits being straight for no reason I can ascertain. I blew it out straight until waist length because it was such a pain.) I think longer is better when dealing with thick hair, as many ladies above me explained so well, because the sheer weight of all that hair makes it behave better. And, as Madora says, learning to separate it properly and where to affix a particular up-do will save you plenty on headaches. :)

So maybe waist length could be the 'magic length'? :D

[Quetiepi]

Mine is pretty thick. I just wash it & let it air dry. I comb it fairly frequently to keep the tangles at bay.

[Quetiepi]

Here's a pic from 1988:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6554&pictureid=87275

I always wore my hair up, in braids (buns, Heidi braids), single braids, or multi braids. The secret to hairstyling with thick hair is how you section it, and where you place the style on your head.

Gorgeous hair, Madora!

[Madora]

Wow Madora that is such a pretty picture!

Thank you, princessp!

[Madora]

Gorgeous hair, Madora!

Thanks, Quetiepi! I wish I still had that thickness!

@OrangerthanRed...You'll find that thick hair lends itself wonderfully to all kinds of updos. Keeping your hair up also protects delicate ends.

[BlazingHeart]

I'm one of the thicker-haired folks here, from what I've seen (I measure in at over 5.5"). For me, part of it is the cut. When the ends of my hair are managed correctly, they aren't precisely blunt - the underside is about 1/2" shorter than the uppermost hair. As I recall, my stylist cuts it in 4 layers, each 1/8" longer than the one beneath it, which helps my hair lie neatly. There isn't any avoiding the fact that I have big hair, though.

If I put in a single loose braid for an hour or so, it'll make my hair lie more compactly for a few hours after that, as long as I don't fluff it or end up in the wind.

Gravity starts helping a little around waist, but to be honest most of the neatness of my hair comes from the fact that it's coarse strands so they're stiffer than people with finer hair are used to. If I brush my hair when there is just a hint of moisture on the underside of my hair, it tends to want to stay in that neat, compact array.

I think the texture difference between us will mean that most of the things I do to minimize poof won't work for you, unfortunately. I handle my hair with my hands a lot, and use my fingers and palms to smooth it, which does a lot to help me.

~Blaze

[Olga-Freya]

and has very thick knee length hair (11-12cm circumference), although it is much straighter than yours Orangerthanred. :)
Is 11-12cm circumference is consider as a very thick? O_o I have same circumference and have no any problems with it (probably because its totally straight, I guess).

[spidermom]

Magic length? I started feeling better about it between APL and BSL, but it was layered then. Non-layered, I'd have to say about hip length.

The trick with braid waves (for me) is don't comb them out and never - but never - brush them.

[UltraBella]

I'm a bit worried about growing my hair long, because it is super thick. I always thought thin/normal hair looked best long, because it doesn't get super heavy and poofy like mine, and it looks silkier/more moveable.

Are there any people on this forum with VERY thick hair, I mean not just normal thick but really, really thick? How do you manage your hair when it is long? Tips?

There are plenty of members here with serious hair thickness, I am one of them. Although my hair never gave me headaches, it did become too much for me to enjoy caring for. It felt WARM, much much too WARM and it drove me nuts. I cut from TBL, to waist, to BLS and now I am somewhere in the land of mid-back length. I am enjoying my hair much more now. I wore it really long for years, but I am over it now.
Many members here wear long hair incredibly well, thick haired folks included.

[Alex Lou]

I'm one of those who's always wanted thinner hair...

So far, from the hairstyles I've had I have to conclude that the ideal length for care and look is around BLS. When my hair was waist it was too poofy. But then I hadn't had it cut in a while so the lack of layers may have had something to do with it. I'm also a fan of thinning scissors. So my recommendations are: V or other tapered hemline, layers, thinning scissors. Also, you'll learn techniques to flatten your hair.

[McFearless]

I have thick hair that is also curly. It takes much more time to manage and take care of, but its worth it if you love long hair. Learning how to be patient makes it all easier too. Thick hair can lay just as beautiful as thin hair, I promise.

[ttverdy]

I have crazy thick hair. Check out my albums :) It's not super long yet, but the longer it gets, the easier it is to manage, at least so far. :) The length weighs it down and makes it less triangular :)

[xoxophelia]

It depends how your hair grows out. Mine is pretty thick but I also have a decent amount of natural taper. So, it just looks smoother as it gets longer. You never know until you grow :)

And, remember that you can always cut shorter if you ever decide it isn't for you.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Glad I found this thread. Thick hair is interesting - but kind of a pain.

And thick AND wavy can be annoying.

I am very grateful for having discovered the LHC a few years ago because my thick hair management has become much easier.

I am approaching TB with my longest layers and have to say I think my hair is more manageable now, at this length than it was at shoulder length, pre-LHC .

Things like CO wash, Coconut Oil Shampoo and that wonderful defrizz blend that I think Jessica made (can't find the link right now). It helps a lot to calm and smooth the frizz.

I do find I can't wear my hair down very often with out tangles and it does tend to get dirty quicker ( I try to go 5 days or so between washes). But up most of the time does keep it smoother.

Lately I have been trying 2 rope braids at night. I can't get them tight or smooth enough look good enough to walk around in during the day - but they do produce some wonderful smooth waves the next day when you sleep in them. For best results I spray on a generous amount of the defrizz spray then do the rope braids - keeping them loose at the scalp so they are not uncomfortable for side sleeping.

[WinterButterfly]

A bit of poof is natural for thicker hair. Now mine is quite straight and I got lots of poof. It eased up a lot right before I hit waist. And now that I am touching hip, it doesn't seem to be as triangular as it was before. I had a friend when I was a teen. She had incredibly big hair. Hers had to be at least 6 inches around in a pony tail. Hers was about midback, getting close to waist. The length helped her hair lay better. She got less poof the more length she had. And it looked pretty nice. Nowshe would never be able to pass hr hair off as not being ultra thick. But it was beautiful.

[duchesswannabe]

I'm a bit worried about growing my hair long, because it is super thick. I always thought thin/normal hair looked best long, because it doesn't get super heavy and poofy like mine, and it looks silkier/more moveable.

Are there any people on this forum with VERY thick hair, I mean not just normal thick but really, really thick? How do you manage your hair when it is long? Tips?

I clip the front back (hair hanging on either side of forehead) with a slightly curved Goody barrette (which I can't find in the stores anymore; the barrette is not heavy), or I take a coated rubber band (the kind without the metal connector) and gather the hair back from the ears (what they call nowadays a half-up, I guess). To wear a ponytail, I use the coated rubber band back from the ears method, then gather the part that sits on the shoulders with another rubber band. I don't wear a part with these styles.

It is hard for me to wear the plastic clips for the same purposes because the hair weighs them down. I don't wear updos because I would feel as if an elephant is sitting on my head. For the shower, if I am not washing my hair, I pull the front back from the ears in a rubber band and make one braid on each side. Then I try to clip with the plastic clips the braids to my crown. I can stand that for the length of time I am in the shower.

I know how hard it is; the thing that keeps me going with this is that after I am done with menopause I am afraid I might lose a lot of hair.

[duchesswannabe]

There are plenty of members here with serious hair thickness, I am one of them. Although my hair never gave me headaches, it did become too much for me to enjoy caring for. It felt WARM, much much too WARM and it drove me nuts.

I hear ya, sister!

[Nera]

I am also growing my extremely thick hair. It takes a lot of time to figure out the best ways to take care of it. It took me 5 years to grow from shoulder to waist (my hair is curly too). It takes a lot of patience, but it's definitely not impossible!

Thick hair is something you should be really proud of. It takes a lot of commitment to grow it out, but when it get's longer and if it's well taken care of, it can look really impressive! I get lots of compliments about my thick hair.

A tip that i have for thick hair, is conditioning. I use lots of conditioner. I like to mix my conditioner with water (in a bowl for example), before i apply it on my hair. That way, the conditioner will mend with ALL my hair and not just the surface.
A lot of people on this forum use oils to keep their hair smooth. For me, it really helps to remove tangles.

If you need more tips, you can always contact me.

[princessp]

A tip that i have for thick hair, is conditioning. I use lots of conditioner. I like to mix my conditioner with water (in a bowl for example), before i apply it on my hair. That way, the conditioner will mend with ALL my hair and not just the surface.
A lot of people on this forum use oils to keep their hair smooth. For me, it really helps to remove tangles.

Thanks Nera, I'm going to try this too! I have a hard time dealing with both canopy hair and the under-layers of my hair and this seems like it might really help.

[ludwig20]

It's so nice to find this thread particularly because my hair still poofs out a lot - giving me a triangle look. As others have mentioned, it's quite hard, but I'm learning as I go.

I also think oiling helps a lot. I still get some tangles, but if I apply correctly, they are easier to comb through.

[Amber_Maiden]

I agree with most people's statements. The longer it grows the more weighed down it is. I also use tons of oil to weigh it down as well.

[longhairedlady]

I have thick hair and the triangle definitely gets less noticeable the longer it gets. I havent really worried about having triangle head because I always keep mine up.