What to do with overly layered hair?

I am really unhappy with my last hair appointment and need advice on what to do.

First of all, my hair is straightening back out again. It seems to just have multiple personalities these days.

I noticed it seems to get straighter with each trim, so I think just the unhealthy ends were wavy, and now the new healthy growth that has been coming in is straight. I don't know. I just know it is getting harder and harder to make it wavy, and it gets harder with every trim. The past few days I have just pulled a wide tooth comb through it and let it air dry with no product, and the most it does is flip a tiny bit at the ends from bumping against my shoulders.

Anyway, the problem I have is twofold: the layers are way too long, and way too heavy. She layered the front of my hair a lot, so I have all these annoying fiddly short bits in the front which I hate, and throughout the rest of my hair, there are very long layers that seem to have no purpose except to flip and stick out and annoy the daylights out of me. They overall result is that my hair looks thin and flat because of how much layering there is. I really hate how it is angled in the front. I don't like the profile view at all. I am not sure what my stylist was thinking. I really liked her the first few times I went, but this is bad enough to make me consider not going back.

It's much shinier, softer, and healthier than before, which is all good, but I really hate the style. I am not sure what to do though. I don't know if I should just grow all of these horrible layers out, cut my hair and start over, or have the existing layers modified somehow. I am just an inch away from getting it to the length I want, but the amount of layering makes me think even when I do get it to the right length, I'm not going to like it, because most of it will still be shorter if that makes sense. But the idea of cutting it again so that it's constantly bumping up against my shoulders makes me really bummed out. I am sick to death of having shoulder length hair. :\

15 years ago

Marley

Veteran

Are you comfortable enough with your hairdresser to give her a call and tell her the problems that you are having with the most recent cut? (or do you just never want to see her again?) Everyonce in awhile, I get kind of a weird cut (too heavy on top, or not enough bangs, etc.) and I just call my hairdresser (who I LOVE) and she fits me in to her schedule (free of charge) and "fixes" it. My impression is that they are more than willing to remedy the situation, if at all possible!

Anonymous

Maya - I'm far from a hairstylist but I have had layered haircuts for as long as I can remember. I have always heard from my hairdresser that the best thing to do when your hair was layered improperly is to let it grow out. Also, that it is rather difficult to fix layers when you don't have enough length to do so.

How far back was your last haircut? I would not attempt a fix for at least a couple weeks.

I've been there .... Stay put!

Astrid

I would probably wait a bit and let the layers grow out. Maybe you can get the longest layers cut in two or three months, so you have the same length as now but not such a big difference between the lengths anymore. I wouldn't cut the hair again at the moment, especially if you say that you're just a little bit away from your preferred length. If you reduce the layers in three months, you can have the length you want (without the big layers) in say six months. That sounds like a long time, but it really isn't. I had short hair like Angie two and a half years ago and I was consistent in my wish to get long hair so I just didn't cut it. And it didn't feel like that much time, when you have some patience.

taylor

I agree with Zap and Astrid...let the layers be until you reach your desired length. the only way to rectify meantime is to reduce the overall length and it doesn't sound like you want to do that. For heavens sake don't have her re-layer! But it wouldn't hurt as Marley suggested to make a call and get your stylists take on the situation, after all she knows your cut best.

Jonesy

Taylor has spoken about the cut, so I have nothing new to add there. Re. your hair seeming to get straighter: I wonder if it's in part because of the drop in humidity now that it's winter? Wavy/curly hair is extremely variable, depending on the weather conditions, especially humidity/dry air.

Maya

I'm not sure Jonesy. This is the first year I have worn it wavy, so I'll have to wait until spring to see if any patterns form.

My hair has never really been one way or another in its natural state. It's just...scraggly.

I don't think it's worth asking her to fix it, if only because fixing it will require cutting more of it.

In the meantime I guess I'll stock up on cute headbands...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And barrettes and hats.

catgirl

Can you use a flatiron to settle down the choppy bits and help them merge better until the layers grow out? I have done that to give the illusion of not having layers.

I don't heat style my hair anymore Una. It never has good results.

I actually need to have my layers show, so it's evident why my hair is so thin and flat! Otherwise it will just look like I don't have enough hair :\

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