Help me decide about my hair

[Shugardrawers]

Ok, after more than a year of being bald from chemo, my hair has finally grown out enough that I need to decide what to do from here. Before I lost my hair it was just below my shoulders, one length with bangs. I can't decide if I want to grow it out that way again or not.

Pro:
It's very easy to just put it in a pony tail and go. No real fuss on a daily basis.
There are several style options, up, down, curled, straight, lots of pins, clips and scrunchies to play with.

Con:
My hair is very thin and fine. It doesn't hold a curl well. It's also very fly away. So 99 days out of 100 I wind up putting it in a scrunchie. If I wear it down it just winds up in my face and looking messy.
I'm 42 years old. Isn't that just a bit old for long straight hair?

I've always loved long flowing hair but I admit I don't have flowing hair. And it stops growing once it reaches just below my shoulders so it'll never be that long. I kind of like that short, spikey look lately but I'm not sure I want a style I have to "do" every day. I'm kind of cosmetically challenged.

So help me decide. To cut this weekend or not to cut?

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I know the feeling. I have very fine hair and it is long. Everytime I think about going short though, my husband threatens to grow a mustache. I say be daring and go for it.

 

[offwegotoneverland]

If you get it cut this weekend you can grow it again after if you don't like it.

BE HONEST with the hairdresser about how much time you want to spend and perhaps they can come up with some ideas on what you want.

I always tell them I'm not going to fuss with my hair for more than 10 minutes so what can we do with that in mine...it's much better than a great cut I can never ever make happen!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

How about a short, funky style that you can play up or down? Sort of like the spikey look, just not so spikey. It would be very modern and hip. If you try and grow it long, you won't like it since you know you won't have long flowing hair anyway. A short style will give you more options as far as styling goes, and you'll feel really good about yourself! And if you don't like it, you can always grow it out. Here are some cute styles:

I LOVE this cut! I've been thinking about going blonde and getting this cut myself)

 

[GoodFairies]

On the makeover shows, I always love when they give thin-haired women the chin-length or just below layered razor cut. Just a little pomade and they are set. I have thick hair so I just have to envy how cute it looks, because it doesn't quite look the same on us.

ETA: Yeah! Just like the last one Chrisnsteph posted! Missed hers when I started posting.

 

[cyndibelle]

great pics up above of short cuts..i say leave it short...give it a fun look that is easy to maintain...

 

[liamsaunt]

Hi Shugardrawers,

I have fine, thin, and flyaway hair too. Part genetics, part a side effect from some medication I took some years ago. Anyway, I kept my hair long for years, because my DH said he liked it. Honestly, though, it was impossible to style, and I always ended up wearing it in a hair clip.

About a month ago I went and got a short razor cut, and I love it! DH does too. The first thing he said when he saw the new cut was: "You were right! You DO look better with short hair!" Honestly, I have gotten so many compliments from my family and coworkers, and I am so much happier with the way I look. So, here's a vote for cutting it off!

 

[lucyblondecat]

I don't think you are too old for long straight hair, but you might not have the right hair for it. If your hair is thin you are probably best with hair between chin and shoulder length with some long layers to make it appear fuller. I'd have to see your face to tell for sure but that cut usually works well on that type of hair.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ok, here I am a few months before I lost all my hair

As you can see, very thin hair. And that was with a body perm! Steph, I LOVE all the styles you posted but aren't they hard to get? Like I said, I'm really challenged in the hairdo dept. I'm not sure I could get my hair to look like that to begin with. I can use a curling iron but with blow dryer and round brush I'm useless. I should be shunned from the girly girl club

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I think the first pic is really cute. I wish I was a real short hair person and would have the guts to go with that one. Who knows, maybe I'll just do it sometimes. Shock the socks off of everyone.

 

[lucyblondecat]

You sure don't look 42! Wow! Now YOU are one of the people on the DIS who can really say she looks a lot younger than her age.

I think your face would look adorable in the last photo chrisnsteph posted, as well as the 2nd and 3rd pictures from the top. You have a very cute face that will look good framed by your hair in layers around your face.

Good luck! Its so fun to try new hairstyles!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Ok, here I am a few months before I lost all my hair

As you can see, very thin hair. And that was with a body perm! Steph, I LOVE all the styles you posted but aren't they hard to get? Like I said, I'm really challenged in the hairdo dept. I'm not sure I could get my hair to look like that to begin with. I can use a curling iron but with blow dryer and round brush I'm useless. I should be shunned from the girly girl club

You might be able to pull off something like this:

You could spike it with gel to play it up a bit. For shorter styles you need to use gels or pomades and a round brush to achieve that look. It does take a little time and effort, but so would a longer hair style! There are hair products out there that will add thickness and texture to your hair. The great thing about short hair is that you can put a headband in and not do anything else, and it would still look great, sort of like this:

 

[Shugardrawers]

Well, thank you. I will brag and say most people think I'm about 10 years younger than I am. Dh likes to tell people I'm 24 and that we've been married 6 years because he had to wait for me to turn 18. Some people actually believe him! Guess he doesn't mind being thought of as a perv! They obviously aren't looking very closely because I don't look THAT young!

I don't know about the cut here but I LOVE the coloring

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ooooh that one looks really easy! It's cute too. Wonder how I'd look with a combo of that cut and the red highlighted coloring???

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Ooooh that one looks really easy! It's cute too. Wonder how I'd look with a combo of that cut and the red highlighted coloring???

That would like awesome!! Going with an all-over lighter color, then add low-lights makes your hair look thicker too.

 

[llp479]

My best friend was 42 when she lost all her hair to chemo. She had it cut prior to starting treatment and donated it all to Locks of Love. Her hair was past her backside and very beautiful.

Since her hair has grown back, she has kept it short. Said she's a different person now than she was before the cancer, so she wants her look to reflect that too.

I'm hairstyling challenged. I always tell the woman who cuts my hair to keep that in mind. I had a just below the chin cut until this week when I went much shorter. A blow dry with some styling gel and I'm out the door.

Best of luck with your decision.

 

[liamsaunt]

I also wanted to mention that one styling product that works really well for me is called Wired by Rusk. You only want to use a little bit of it--now that my hair is short, I would say I use about a dime size worth. It controls all the frizzies and flyaways, plus gives a little extra body. If you use too much it will make your hair look heavy and limp though, so you have to experiment with how much to use.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Where do you buy it? I'm very tempted to make an appt next week to have the red color and the Sharon Stone cut. Haven't quite worked up the guts yet but I'm almost there. Before chemo I had my hair buzz cut. My sister and my friend that went with me both said it actually looked really cute on me. They were probably just trying to make me feel better though.

 

[CathrynRose]

I LOVE this cut! I've been thinking about going blonde and getting this cut myself)

I that cut too!

Fabulous! And stunning on thin hair!~

 

[Shugardrawers]

Question for all you that have fine/thin hair. What's your A-#1, can't live without hair product? I had all but given up trying to find something that actually worked for me.

Truthfully, the easiest and most manageable style I've ever had was the buzz cut I got before the chemo and then the last couple of months as it's grown in. Maybe I should just get it shaved again? Or go back to wearing wigs? But dang those things were HOT. I'd be dripping sweat even in the dead of winter.