Mumsnet Talk

I'm struggling a big to look smart in the heat, 32 here today and my hair has gone mental.
I'm currently mousey brown, just past shoulders and deep waves that end in curls from time to time. I don't have a fringe, oval face, late thirties and just feel a bit scruffy/hippy even in smart clothes.
I look best IMO with a collar length highlighted bob that I wore in 2006. I felt smart and tidy but I had more time then.
Not sure what to do.

Yes. See Lauren Conrad.

She appears to be a beautiful blonde surfer chick and about 20

Mine doesn't! I do pay a lot for a haircut and that helps keep it a bit tidier. In fact it is due for a trim at the moment.

I have read about something called the curly plop method which some people swear by. But it seems like a lot of effort to me!

cornrow it.

at curly plop

Housewife - it does exist I promise!

Keratin treatment! AKA Brazilian Blow dry.

It's not a straightening treatment, it just gets rid of frizz and tames it somewhat. Honestly it is life changing

I have fine wavy hair and I am NEVER going back to my old hair.

With the keratin treatment I can style it and it stays styled, so for example, I blow dry my fringe straight and it stays - a miracle! And in damp/humid weather no big bouffant frizz, just normal hair.

It lasts me about 3-4 months but lasts longer if you don't wash it every day.

Mine doesn't either. If I wear it natural people often say it looks lovely but I feel scruffy! I have it in a collar length bob which I get trimmed very regularly and to look smart for work I use my trusty GHDs. Humid and rainy weather can quickly wreck it though!

I can imagine in Perth plenty do cornrows with stiletto's lol
I'll look into a Brazilian I saw somebody in sea folly the other day who was raving about hers but it looked like she had a helmet stick to her head, I guess there's good and bad blow jobs

I guess there's good and bad blow jobs

.I used to have fine wavy hair.It looked lovely when i was young but horrible when i lived in a hot humid country.I decided to have my hair permanantly straightened using Aveda.I now have hair that is in good condition and it feels thicker and most importantly straight.I can now have a perfect bob even without blowdrying.I also feel i am properly grown up at the grand old age of 48.

I find mine easier to manage when longer, the length seems to weigh the curls down. In damp weather I put it up.

<SNORT> at good and bad blow jobs!!

Mosman - you'd stand out, that's for sure!

The ladies of peppermint grove are already utterly confused by my posh car, English accent and tattoo's. Cornrows might actually make one faint into her lemon ice tea

She's blonde, yes but a good example of how to do good waves. She's got a beauty site (I think called The Beauty Department) where she demonstrates how to do it...

I'll be honest that's exactly the look I'm trying to avoid, great on a young girl but I'm not sure it's very groomed.

Have you tried a babyliss big hair? It's tamed my dd's hair.

My new discovery is washing my hair less often .... it is fine and wavy adn there is lots of it - I am 40 and find that it is much tidier when I don't wash it every day

I'm a lawyer and I wear beachy waves to work. I think it's ok so long as you don't add any other "dressed down" or boho elements...

I tried an elfin crop with mine - but ends sticking out everywhere - which curl when humid - so also awaiting suggestions.

Mine is curly and I'm not sure it can look groomed TBH. I'm wearing mine a bit shorter these days which seems to help (not too short else it curls even more). If I want to look groomed I put it up.

Keratase Oleo Curl is my hair's best friend. I don't wash it every day, but I wet it and apply this balm. It works really well, as it defines the curls and gets rid of frizz.

Tried the curly plop method this morning and it worked beautifully! Simple explanation here: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/tips/to-plop-or-not-to-plop

www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/tips/to-plop-or-not-to-plop might work better!

Marking place to read later

I alternate 'sammy' leave in for curly hair, you can find at super drug and morocon oil.

Does that Keratase Oleo Curl work on fine curly hair? The product description says it is for thick curls.

SavoyCabbage, please tell me if you can straighten wavy hair with babyliss big hair brush. DD has lovely, wavy hair but being 13 she thinks that only straight hair is beautiful. I'm tired of blow drying her long hair, so a solution could be babyliss big hair.

I reckon it would straighten it so it would liik lke straight hair that has not been straightened. I don't use any product or anything.

My dd's hair is curly like this (obviously that's not her!!!!!) and it ends up like this

No, curly hair can never look as boring groomed as straight hair.

An up do, or very short looks sharper than letting it hang loose. I know that when I have my hair blow dried straight I suddenly look more professional. But then I think we have to challenge that perception by being professional and curly

People tend to make snap judgements about people based on age, race, accent etc... None of it is relevant. Be curly and proud!

I look older with straight hair but more authoritarian apparently. Like a fun mum with curls though arghhh

I look terrible with straight hair - it's so fine!! the curl/wave is the only thing that gives it any body

I agree with Himalaya that we should challenge the whole "straight is better" perception - where in hell did that come from anyway?! almost certainly hair product sales/advertising I reckon

Thanks SavoyCabbage.

Savoy Cabbage - my hair looks like your daughter hair but shorter. I can't believe (in a goood way) that I can achieve that result at home with baby liss big hair only! Obviously I will have to do it myself...is it hard work, how long does it take and does the product come with instructions??

I have also found that washing it every other day helps, it's much calmer and easier to style on the non-wash day.
Have alo started using Aussie leave-on conitioning spray, which I use then blast with hairdryer before styling. Gets me closer to where I 'd like it to be (ie what it looks like when I leave the hairdressers).

sadly I think the answer is no ... I always have my hair blow dried straight when delivering seminars etc etc - makes me look more professional and conventional I suspect .... - creates quite a controversy at work as soem of my colleagues hardly recognise me as I have v thick, curly hair!

I have found one conditioner pretty good -Rene Furterer - Karite. Kiehls Olive Oil also good but both v expensive ,,,

I couldn't believe it either! Especially as I bought it for myself and o my used it on my dds as an afterthought, I wanted to see if it would make it any less knotty in the mornings as it is a nightmare sometimes. I thought if it was smoother it would be easier to manage.

I dry it a bit first with the hair dryer to save time and then I use it. I don't put in any effort or use any products. The big big hair is really easy to use. There are videos on YouTube but it really is easy. It rotates both ways and you slide a switch to change it from one direction to the other.

Thanks so much I will have to try