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New haircut? Advice needed ETA: Pics of 2010 me

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I've found my hair to become more and more shapeless and difficult to style lately. Some of the reason is the long, dry winter season, which leaves my hair dry and frizzy. No moisture packs can redeem it properly. It now reaches my shoulders or a little longer. I'm thinking about going significantly shorter, but I'm afraid that what looks cute on a 20 something might look just frumpy on me. Lately, I've pinned a few versions of a shorter curly bob to Pinterest. I would appreciate your advice and views here, and if you have other suggestions, please feel free to share your ideas.

I have an appointment with my hairstylist next week and would love to be able to make a significant change to my hair then. Thank you in advance!

ETA1 #1-4: I've included a few pics of the styles that interest me in particular.
ETA2 #4-6: Finally, a couple of pictures of what I looked like in 2010, last time I tried to go shorter. When I see these, I'm not too sure about this. I definitely would keep a longer front.

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40 replies

Latest reply was from pastrygirl

Agnes

That Marion Cotillard shot you have pinned is very nice. Its a bit more sassy than the other ones. I have actually admired that hairdo before too. I am attracted to it because it looks more intentional than some of the other hair dos. I find a lot of ladies my ago [mid forties] sort of lop of their hair and it can be a bit blah.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I love Marion Cotillard's short curls for you. I think this is a timeless/ageless style that is beautiful.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I agree, Agnes! Part of the reason that I'm skeptical is that I tried this a couple of years ago, too, and all I see when I look at the photos of me then is FRUMP. I want to look current, modern, fresh and age appropriate, not too edgy, but not stuffy either. Why is this so hard?

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Caro, we double posted Thank you - and I agree, if I could end up with anything like that, it would make me very pleased.

Agnes

I think curls are tricky generally. I have wavy or curly depending on the weather and I like the way in the MC shot its really encouraging it to be curly.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Yes, curls are always unpredictable. My curls change throughout the year, with age etc. I am not good at styling, either, and I want a good cut that allows for a quick dry and a minimum of styling. Normally I only wash it, squeeze in a little curl enhancing product in damp hair and let it air dry.

Parsley

Veteran

The problem with these pictures is that I don't think any of them have hair as curly as yours, Ingunn. And I would bet that they all have been curled with a curling iron- Marion Cotillard's has been for sure, to make those perfect curls.
So the trouble is, I don't think that these pictures are what your hair would look like at that length unless you were willing to spend a lot of time working on it every day.

My comments are coming from someone who is just starting to let my hair curl naturally, and personally I can't wait for it to grow a little bit longer, because I think it will look better that way with curls.

Now that's not to say that your hair couldn't look good shorter, but i think your own old pictures with shorter hair will be more indicative of what you can expect.

We do have some forum members with naturally curly hair who have theirs in a shorter bob: Aida, for one, and hers looks lovely, but I think yours is a lot thicker and curlier than hers. Astrid just had hers cut into a lovely bob, and hers is thick like yours, but not as curly. Firecracker's hair is probably more like yours, and her short bob does look great on her.

Anyway, I would encourage caution, because I think that you're not likely to like your hair short now any more than you did before, and you may find it to require more work as well. And I do LOVE your hair the way it is right now.

Maybe you can start with a more gradual step of having it cut just a little first, and see how you like it, before you do anything drastic.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I love your curls Ingunn but I think there are shorter haircuts that will work them. The key is finding a hairdresser that is experienced with curly hair. I do think Aida's haircut is a good one to check - I am not sure if your hair is similar to hers or not, but she is very insightful about curly hair! I do love #4 above for you, but Parsley has a good point about whether that is something that can done with your hair. It is certainly worth bringing to your hairdresser. Do you have any pictures of yourself with shorter hair you wouldn't mind sharing? My hair is not nearly as curly as yours, but I do sympathize with the temperamental nature of dry, frizzy hair!

Agnes

I agree with Shevia that finding the right hairdresser is key. Most seem keen to remove all hint of curl.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Thank you ladies, you have all made great points. I agree that my curls probably normally are more dense than my inspiration examples. The thing is, lately may hair has had much less curls than six months ago. I find it heavier and more shapeless than I like. My hairdresser knows my hair very well - I've been using her for several years, and she knows every twist and turn around my head. She's advising against going too short, and she also mentioned last time that my curls were almost gone at the moment. This might have to do with seasonal and/or hormonal changes.

It's a good suggestion to look at Aida, Astrid and Firecracker. They all have hairstyles I admire. I'll also dig into the archives to see if I can find a few pics of me with shorter hair - they would probably be on another computer.

nancylee

Veteran

As a straight hair girl, I can't offer much insight into how to handle your curls. But I do think the inspiration photos are lovely, and that you should tweak your haircut if you're feeling unhappy with it.

I've found that we are often limited to what our own hair is "able" to do, unfortunately. Texture, curl, and even the amount of hair you have is different for each of us, so what looks great in a photo doesn't alway translate to a workable cut for your particular head of hair.

As for your lack of curl, it very well could be shifting hormones. As I moved through my 40s my hair changed slightly, becoming wavier and less straight.

rosee

Veteran

i just repinned many of your pics to my board.

I hear you on the hair issues. I recently had long, wavy (less curly than before) hair going unmanageable. I just chopped off about 5 inches: similar cut to the ones posted but slightly longer (to just above the shoulders). My regular stylists (2 of them) are both on maternity leave so I went to a new one. She dried my hair straight and flat-ironed it then cut it dry. It does have a nice basic shape but I haven't seen it curly (wavy) yet. Losing some of the "dead" weight will likely pull the curl back up.

Best wishes with your new do.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Shevia said :). I LOVE your curls, Ingunn!! And a shorter curly do is going to look so spectacular I can't even stand it!

I vote the shapes of #1 and #4 with your denser curls.

Peri

Veteran

You re my hair twin, except yours is much thicker than mine. I do have to use a curling iron to give it some shape and not be just a limp curly mess.

Mine is slightly like the first two but about two inches longer...btw chin and shoulder. Could you experiment with going shorter first without going all the way short?

Anonymous

I love your hair Ingunn! I wouldn't mind seeing it around, or just a bit longer than jaw length. Remember thats it is a part of how we percieve your style and once it's cut really short it takes a long time to grow back as I know to my cost.
Pic 2 is rather nice.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Cutting curly hair short is a dangerous game, so I'm definitely not going too short at once. It all depends on how the hair behaves afterwards. I'm thinking about cutting it a bit shorter in the back, but basically keep most of the front quite long. I want the widest part of my do to be at ear height because my face is oval/oblong. I do not want bangs, it doesn't work well with my hair. If you look at the 2010 me, try to imagine me with a similar length, but longer front. Would it work?

Anonymous

Oh yes, I think it would definitely suit. The 2010 pics show your hair looking a bit 'round' and a little non descript. If it were longer at the front it would have a nice angle to it. Go for it!

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I'm not sure if it's only the angle of the cut you had when it was short, but something feels a little rigid about it. I guess I feel like you need to "soften" it around the face more (meaning you have to get used to having some wisps onto your forehead and here and there) and probably have some strategic thinning or razor cutting done in order to get some of the looks you shared with much less volume at the sides.

That said, didn't you say your DH loved your hair worn in a ponytail? Will you be able to wear it that way if you get it cut short like this? And if not, will that bother you?

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Thanks Diane, I hope you're right!

Texstyle, this is exactly the problem. My curls could easily look quite rigid, or downright frumpy if I go too short. Or maybe not. My hair is not as curly these days as back then. In regards of the ponytail, that wouldn't work with this short hair, but I'm thinking maybe it's best to keep a little more length. And when I asked my husband this morning what he thought, he agreed that a shorter do would be a good idea

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ingunn, I can't advise except to say take caution (as I know with curly hair one must) and I do think a shorter bob would look great if it worked with your hair's texture. I do not have your curls but I also have hair that tends to grow "out" as much as "down" --- super, super thick and bulky -- and I find for me that keeping it short again has been a huge time-saver and relief. I do have to get it cut more frequently, of course.

Parsley

Veteran

You have the most gorgeous curls, Ingunn! I'm insanely jealous!

I think your hair looked good at the shorter length, although I still think I prefer it a little longer. I like how it is in #6 better than #5, I think. Did you have more layers in pic 5?

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Suz, thanks! I'll be cautious.

Parsley, thank you so much. The curls are both a blessing and a curse at the same time When they work with me, I love them, when they don't, well! I agree that too short will be a mistake. I think I've more layers in #5, and I find the look a bit nondescript, too. #5 is from June, #6 is from March, so I must have changed it between the two.

Scarlet

Veteran

I actually like the style in 6. I am not sure if making it longer in the front would look good, but it seems like a safe experiment because you could adjust it later. I have to say though that I am another voice of caution. I just cut my hair much shorter due to spring fever or whatever and it is so much harder to style shorter without the weight to tame it and my hair isn't even as curly as yours. I am sympathetic to the phenomenon of hard water and a long long winter. My hair is suffering too.

Liz A.

Veteran

Ingunn, I was going to say exactly what parsley said. None of those curls are natural. I like the shape of number 4 but perhaps a little longer and maybe with a few face framing pieces to soften it just a bit.

I also recommend you look into the curly girl method of hair care. I use it myself and I believe Aida does. It can work miracles on restoring your curls. Good luck!

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

What is the curly girl method?

Liz A.

Veteran

The crux of it is cutting out shampoos that contain sulfates, which are meant to be extremely drying on curly hair. I will type more when I'm not on my iPad, but you can find a wealth of information on the naturallycurly.com forum.

rae

(website)

Veteran

I sadly have zero insight into curls, but I think #4 would look stunning on you!

ramya

Veteran

http://m.wikihow.com/Follow-th.....Curly-Hair
Curly girl method for you
Never worked for me. Love 5 on you
Repeat what others say n say that your pinned inspirations may or may not work on you as your girls are thicker and denser than these
Aida's hair texture is much more like mine fine and thin

Oh ya I finally found organ oil works for me .

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Thank you again - I will tread carefully here. Maybe you won't be able to see any significant difference in the end? I'm never one to do drastic changes to my hair, a few burns have left me very careful with that. Great curls - yay, frumpy curls, not so much. The curly girl information is worth browsing, thank you so much for the help with that, Liz and Ramya.

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