Natural hair vs un-natural hair... - YouLookFab Forum

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Natural hair vs un-natural hair...

Carla

Veteran

Like some other Fabbers, I have a love/hate relationship with my hair. When it is good, it is very, very good, and when it is bad, it is horrid!

May through October, I usually let it air dry curly. Once it gets cold outside, I use a blow dryer (resulting in a kind of bouffant) and maybe a flat iron. As long as it doesn't get wet, I can keep it straight.

Yesterday I got it cut, and the stylist ironed it (pic 1 and 2), today I let it air dry after I put in a little leave in conditioner (pic 3 and 4) It is a little wind blown from the walk home from the gym...but the 20 min walk was all the time it needed to dry. Natural is definitely easier.

It is fun to change it up, but I wonder if one looks better than the other? DH likes straight, but I feel it accentuates my 'marionette' lines. I know some folks with curly hair who never wear their natural hair. I like curly best for me.

Do you wear your natural hair? If you have curly hair, do you straighten it? If you have straight hair, do you curl it?

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42 replies

Latest reply was from lynne

Mellllls

Veteran

Mine is straight. I wear it straight.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I do just about zip to my hair so I vote natural all the way. Once in a blue moon I'll do something different and it's fun but I can't imagine the upkeep of daily hairstyling to fight your natural texture.

ramya

Veteran

I have never straightened my hair or ironed them. Like ever:)
I either tie it up or now in last to weeks let it loose:)
Oh I don't blow dry it too:) I have curly hair

MsMary

Veteran

Mine is wavy rather than curly, and I straighten it. If it were as beautifully curly as yours, I would rock the curls!!

Anonymous

I like yours both ways but with a preference for natural. I suppose the grass is always greener and all, but mine is super straight. No curl will stay. My Mom used to try to get my hair to curl with perms...a disaster, but I think every mom wanted their daughter to look like Little Shirley Temple.

deb

Veteran

I prefer the natural curls. They are great.

Lyn D.

Veteran

I think you can wear your hair either way.
Have you considered long layers to soften around the face? This might bring the eye upwards when your hair is straightened.
My hair is wavy and I sometimes straighten the fringe and front edges, but always need to blow-wave.
Lucky You- your hair looks FAB air-dried and curly!

Echo

Veteran

I love your natural curls, and if I had hair that curly, I would always wear it natural! I have always wanted VERY curly hair, but sadly I have straight hair that is stubbornly straight. Perms fall out within a week. So I wear it straight because there are few other options.

Anonymous

Your curls are so beautiful, Carla! You sound like you have a good plan in place for styling. It makes a lot of sense to wear it natural most of the time because that's healthier for your hair. You can always straighten it for a date night with DH. Maybe you could tuck it behind your ears or pull the sides back gently with combs or barrettes if you think that would look more flattering than straight down on the sides.

My hair is wavy in humidity, so I tend to wear it a little more natural in the Summer. I hate to straighten it every day because it's so brittle now that I've got more grey. Plus it wouldn't stay straightened very long. It's a losing battle in the Summer, but in Winter, I'm able to style it pretty straight without too much effort. In fact, I can't get it to curl much at all once the humid season passes.

Adelfa

Veteran

I have wavy hair that I usually straighten with a blow dryer and straightening iron. My hair is random/messy as opposed to beautifully curly or wavy and I don't like it natural for work. When the temps are near 100 I let it go natural on the weekends. Your curls are gorgeous. I like the suggestion of straightening it for date night.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

I vote for natural. Mine is so short that I do nothing to it but towel off after shower and finger-comb. Your curls are beautiful! Mother Nature doesn't make mistakes.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I wish I had curly hair

I like your curls! They look so fun and look lovely.

Raisin

Veteran

Your curls look great, and because I can only imagine it's so much easier to style them that way, I think I would opt for the curls on most days. It does look great straightened too, so I think you could do that once in a while or for a fancy occasion or something. That way too, you don't damage your hair too much by straightening it everyday, and of course, you save a lot of time.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I love the curls on you -straight is nice for a change though

ClaraT

Veteran

I vote natural except for the odd day when one feels like a change.

There are so many things I like to do more than fuss with my hair that I try to minimize the hair routine...

Neelie

Veteran

My hair is so similar to yours. I leave it curly all the time except when it has just been cut or coloured, then I have it blown out. Or for very special occasions. I cannot straighten it well myself and I really don't have the patience! I love yours both ways!

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I have wavy hairs. I used to flat iron every day. My hair would only grow to a certain length and ends were pretty damaged. I now wear it naturally. Devacurl helps a lot http://www.mydevacurl.com/

Also I think super straight hair is not on trend right now.

unfrumped

Veteran

Yay for natural as the norm and styling for fun change. Same as straight hair being mostly straight & then curled for fun.
The different styles do affect things like glasses and neckline styling. Have you thought about lighter spec frames?

Deborah

Veteran

I think you look lovely with both styles and I think it is nice to have the option and choice to wear it either way. My hair is wavy/curly naturally but I have been straightening it since I was in my late teens.

tarzy

Veteran

My hair is also very similar to yours. The only time I wear it straight is when I get it done at the salon, maybe once or twice a year. I can not do it myself, no matter how I try. I have a lot of hair, and it's really curly, so it takes forever.

I'm torn on this issue. I always feel so much more polished and sophisticated when my hair is straight. I've also found that at my age (56) I prefer to keep it shorter. Longer curls just feel wrong on me these days, for some reason. I feel more stylish and modern with shorter curly hair at the moment.

I love your cut, by the way. I love the length and the layers!

Carla

Veteran

The grass is always greener....like Joy says. My curly hair never seemed to grow very long before the ends appeared thinner by half. Long curls a la heroine in 'Brave' would not happen. As a teen, I wanted waist length straight blonde hair. That stage didn't last long, and I'm happy with what nature gifted me. As the colour fades, and I get more whites, I aspire to the clean white short bob. Chances are I'lll look more like the cartoons of Mrs. Santa Clause with white poodle hair, *sigh* but I shall fight to be stylish.

Lyn, layers around the face and bangs don't seem to work. The hair springs up so much that I get strange colicky whirls and straight bits that look for all the world like 'spaniel ears'.

Better for me is what Clearlyclaire suggests, tucked behind the ear, or help back with a clip of comb. (See aspirational style below!)

Alexandra, I love your hair! A key to pixie hair and short styles, is a defined brow, in my opinion. Due to fair colouring, I'm in the Kristen McMenamy no brow camp! I depend on glasses to Add some eye def.

New specs pending! The dark ones are older, and from when I had less white and coloured for a bit. I agree that they are now too dark. I should have new specs in 2-3 weeks....but that is another thread!

Caro, ClarT, Unfrumped, and others...straight and flat ironed IS a date night look! Funny, I could never master. Curling iron (to 'define' the curl!) but I managed a flat iron right off. Don't like to use it too much though. So hard on hair.

MaryK, I think you did wavy for a weekend look a week or two ago, and it was fresh and appropriate (was it with camo?). Deb, do you never go wavy?

Annagybe, loving your recent 'updo's'. Haven't seen the back, but you have such a beautiful face, and the pulled back hair showcases it.

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Marley

Veteran

You have lovely hair! If I were to wear my hair in its natural state it would be a disaster pretty much everyday. I have some straight hair, some wavy hair, some curly hair, and a lot of frizzy hair. If I let it dry on its own and/or encourage it to be curly, it is frizzy within an hour - so, I pretty much straighten mine everyday - or style it wavy. Either way it doesn't take me very long - and I get my hair trimmed every 4 weeks, so I don't have to deal with split/dry ends.

In your pics - I think that the straightened version of your hair looks better than the curly - because it looks more intentional, and I think that as women age (not that you look old!) we need to make sure that our hair looks like it is cut into a specific style, rather then just kind of left on its own! IMHO, when we let it do its own thing - we start to look like the "crazy/eccentric" little old lady!

However, I can appreciate how much easier it is to let your hair go naturally curly. So, I would consider getting it trimmed with just a few more shorter layers - and then when you do decide to blowdry and iron it for special occassions it won't have the bouffant effect! Also, a curl definer will help in "taming" the curls just a bit!

Deborah

Veteran

Carla, I never go wavy lol

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Bone straight hair here - and have come around to "working with what I've got," rather than trying to spend all kinds of time coaxing my hair into something that it isn't. I used to spend a lot of time curling my hair with a curling iron or hot rollers.

These days? I just go with the fact that it's naturally straight and do the best I can with that situation. If I had curly hair, I'd recommend finding the best cut/styling routine for curly hair instead of trying to coax it into something that it isn't.

That said though, you look gorgeous with straight hair. Recommend doing this once in awhile at the salon, for a night out or special occasion. For regular daily stuff? Don't fight your hair - just go with what is. I can't see fussing with a flat-iron any more than I can see spending all that time with a curling iron. Not worth the hassle, imo.

That said - I'm jealous of your gorgeous curls! My hair is super-straight, flat and kind of ho-hum. Like I said, I have spent a lot of time trying to create curls....

These days, I'm embracing my boring, flat-looking, straight hair.

If I had a special occasion happening or felt like I change, I would go to the salon and have them come up with something a bit different. Me doing all that work myself? No, not happening. Been there and done that. Too much hassle!

Embrace what you have, and if you feel like a change or something fancy, go to the salon and have them do it.

Sounds lazy, but ....I can't tell you how much time I've spent trying to get those exact curls that you have. Grass is greener, indeed.

You have beautiful curls - the kind of curls that I'd spend a whole hour with a curling iron trying to get!

PS - editing to add: I do have a flat-iron, but I just use it just on the very outer layers of my hair for going out. I *do not* spend nearly as much time as the pros might, clipping up hair and flat-ironing it all....if I use my flat iron, it's only to tame the outer-most layers, smooth them out a wee bit and get rid of fly-aways. This takes two minutes, rather than 45 minutes with a curling iron, trying to get curls I don't have. Can't help but wonder if your "flat iron" might be a curling iron - something to just get the curls to go where you want them to go and only takes a few minutes?

Lisa

Veteran

I am not a natural gal when it comes to my hair. I have enough wave to be frizzy but not to be lovely even with product. Straight is best on me, which means daily blow drying and then flat ironing to get it that way. In the summer months I have no patience for sweating while I style my hair, so I just wash and then put it up everyday in a clip. In cooler months I style daily.

Cindy

I agree that you look good either way and would go natural for the most part while straightening for "date night" or other special occasions.

My hair is extremely straight. When I was young I put a lot of time and money into curling it. Several years ago I realized that working with what nature gave me was a heck of a lot easier! LOL My hair is currently cut into an angled bob. I usually let it air dry then smooth the ends with a flat iron if needed.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I have wavy, slightly curly hair that is also frizzy. I have to use products to tame the frizz and make the curls look their best. Whenever I move, I have to find a hairdresser who can really cut wavy and curly hair. I know what you mean about layers not always working well; if not cut right, layers in my hair can end up just sticking out funny. Sometimes they do anyway, if that's what they're feeling like doing on a given day.
I prefer your hair curly. Your haircut looks really great in the side view; love the angled cut. From the front view, it looks like your stylist could do a bit more shaping around the face, or maybe you could try styling it a little more around the face--blow dry just a few strands to straighten them, and tuck one side behind your ear, maybe. I used to let my hair dry naturally on my way home from the gym, too, and I find it now looks better when I dry it at least part way with a diffuser.

marit

I like your hair both flatironed and natural, Carla! I rather envy you your styling options. I have straight hair that will not hold a curl or a wave so I leave it be. I don't have time to fuss with it & I am not a fussing type anyway. Luckily as I've aged (or maybe the hormonal shift from having children) my straight hair does not turn into an oil slick after 12 hours as it used to. I have it cut with some layers, although (confession time!) I haven't gone to the salon in a year now so it's really long and probably rather shaggy & unstyled. I pull it back in a bar clip most days!

elpgal

Veteran

Carla, You lucky gal! You rock both looks and I am very envious.

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