My hair used to be very muxh like yours when younger and very hard.to cut into anything but a triangle or.mushroom at shorter lengths until.I stressed myself.silly so that much of it just fell right out (NOT recommended strategy) But another vote for reverse layering or interior layering. Only ever found one stylist to get it right who cost the moon and the stars... but so worth it... till he moved!

Astrid, I think the problem with your earlier layered cut was also that it was TOO graduated. this is not going to work on your hair... too subtle for the amplitude of the wave... ask for CHOPPIER layering. it looks really messy on straight and less wavy hair so most stylists balk... but will be perfect with your texture as long as they don't put the longest hair into rattail mode by thinning too much (that should be more in the next longest layer).

if you can stand the extra fuss, warm oil.massaged in before washing it can also calm things down a great deal... I tend to be too whimsical about my showers or too bad at time management, so when I DID do this the difference was dramatic.

Thanks for the suggestion, Eva. I'm going to try it this way, it might work much better when there's less stubborn hair to deal with. I'll try it after the next wash, it should help if the hair drys with the new part already done.

Thanks Shiny! The beach is great for my hair too, somehow the combination of humidity and salt in the air, the wind and sun makes for great curls. Oh well, I always wanted to live by the sea anyway... I also sometimes see great hair cuts when I'm out and about, but I'm never brave enough to ask the people where they're going for a haircut, never mind asking for a picture.

Jules, it is therapeutic, you're right. "Very little time or patience for 'dos", that fits me to a t.

Manidipa, which cut do you mean when you talk about layering being too graduate? It's true that I never had really choppy layers, although I think I really need to find someone who can work with hair like mine before I attempt anything like that. I think I'm going to wait until at least summer to gain some length before I do anything drastic. Maybe I'll find some recommended stylist in the meantime. I'm curious about the oil, do you massage it in the whole hair when it's wet? What about the scalp? And which kind of oil do you use? Do you wash your hair normally afterwards? I do use oil for face cleansing and skin care, so I have some jojoba and almond oil at hand (as well as olive and coconut oil in the kitchen).

whole head. I find when the hair is short just going for the scalp will do... it reaches the ends as you wash. it goes in before the hair is wet so you have a bit left in afterwards but not enough to make it greasy. I have used coconut in the past. almond may be too thick but jojoba should be good. or olive... and yes, then wash and go.

ETA: was referring to the later image of the cut you didn't like, the back view image.

Thanks for the explanation. I think I'm going to try it tomorrow, I'm only staying at home so nobody will see if I end up with greasy hair. And yes, that was definitely one of the worst cuts I had. I think it was when I was growing the pixie out, 2008 or so.

I had a client today that went from long to this short and she was very happy, she actually brought me this short do pic of Jennifer Goodwin and you kind of look like her, so I thought I would show you this

Hi again Astrid --

So glad Aida suggested you look at Rachel McAdams as your face shapes are so similar!

And AJ and Mani are so right about moisture -- I think your climate is often like mine (windy/rainy) and I forget how drying the wind can be until my usual routine ain't cutting it. Dryness is the enemy of wavy/curly hair, and it's worth experimenting with what's in your cupboards/handy at the store to get some deep conditioning.

[Personally my hair is perfect post-ocean + sunscreen in hair + hat + baked til dry. Not a daily routine, alas!]

Anyway...another wavy with a lovely heart-shaped face is Meg Ryan. [She may be before your time, but if you're interested in her hair for yourself you can find a million candids + very "done" shots of her with hair from straightened to ringlet-y.]

I tried to pick a few shots that were plausibly DIY. #5 isn't that far off from you with longer hair!

Thanks Misia! Love the cut, but my pixie never looked like this.

Vix, I googled and found a pic of Rachel McAdams where you have the full side view of the cut Aida posted, you can really see the way the layers are cut. Very helpful! And of course I know Meg Ryan, she definitely was a part of my childhood because my mother loved watching her romantic comedies. But sheesh, what she has done to her face is scary...

This has been a very interesting thread! My hair is like yours, Astrid. It's fine, but there's lots of it. I too am an air-dry person and don't like to fiddle with hair and curling irons. I'm still looking for the perfect haircut, but I did find that the cut I have now works reasonably well—though it does tend to get straighter and more limp as the day wears on. There are layers, but only in the lower third of the hair. This helps avoid the crown getting all poofy while the lower layers just lie there limp. My hairdresser has straight hair, and I don't think she understands curly hair as well as she could. But I asked her not to trim the top layers a couple of visits ago, because I wanted fewer layers, and only in the bottom. She agreed, and she was actually surprised at how well the curl lies now, with the longer top layer.

I know what Peri says about the "dose of reality"...all those lovely hairstyles require blow-drying and some kind of heated implement. I do put a leave-in conditioner on my hair, and then a gel, but that's it. I do try to do my final hair rinse with cool water. That helps cut down on frizzies.

Good luck, Astrid!