To chop or not? Honest opinions please.

[ChopOrNot]

Please give me your honest opinions on my hair. I simply cannot decide if it is a bit "meh" or OK. Or am I just not seeing it in it's true wondrous beauty - it is actually stunning and I cannot see it ? Is it aging? Naff? A bit dry looking? Please please give me you first thoughts.

I have an appointment booked for Friday and I am going to give the (new to be but v experienced and highly recommended) stylist free reign. I kind of suit short hair (OK face shape/cheekbones/skin) Happy to go cropped. I just want something a bit...edgier? Less mumsy? Funky? Wild? Exciting?

My main motivator at the moment is to stop the constant dying - the colour you see it fake - am about 70% grey/white at the front/parting and about 30% the rest. Roots not showing that much in the pic as I have painted them with a grey-cover-sticky-things - but there is about 3/4 of an inch there. I would love to say greyed prematurely..) - but am 42. So there is a strong temptation to just buzz cut it and then grow it out.

I was, at the end of last year, planning on growing longer - but I think I would be better off doing that once the dye has gone. Also the reason I was going to grow it longer was to be able to put it up...as it suits me better....er...so....maybe I should just cut it off.

Arggghhh.... I have spent hours on pinterest. I am bored of trying to decide.

What do I dooooooooo Help me. me? midlife crisis...not me

[HandMini]

It's not at all "meh". It's pretty and it's a real "style" as opposed to just hanging there because of the curl. I wouldn't go much shorter.

[whattheseithakasmean]

Your hair looks fab. You could get it cut in short & sharp to the name at the back have have the longer tousled bit at the front. I would love your curls.

Also, don'y go grey. You look v young for 42 & grey hair will really age you. An inch or so off & they dying won't be so bad.

[Dragonflyfly]

Your hair itself looks fine but you just look like you need to style it. Perfect example is of Kate Humble as above. It look flat on the top and is in your eyes. Maybe your hairdresser could help with styling advice. I also agree that going blonder would really suit you. At the moment, your glasses, hair and the top you are wearing are all one colour. Going blonder or adding a little warmth to your hair, would also make your glasses look better.
Just to add, I think you have a lovely face.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

I LOVE YOUR HAIR!!! Don't you dare chop it! It's gorgeous. I second the idea to have some highlights in it, it'd look gorgeous.

You have such a pretty face and your hair really sets it off. DO NOT CHOP!!!

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

And don't buzz cut it off so you can embrace the grey. Honestly, you'd age 20 years in an instant. Please don't.

[Shadow1986]

Like it as it is. Don't change it. You also look much younger than 42.

[Reluctant2ndtimer]

I really like it too but thought you should dye it a bit redder before I'd read the whole of your post. Style wise it's great.

[LeChatRouge]

I agree, you look younger than your true age.

I would take your side parting lower towards your left ear and consider a reddish warm brown, like a conker colour. If I had curls like that, I would seek out a product that would make them more defined, you're nearly there, but a serum or some hair oil might be worth a try. I also think you could grow it another two inches and it would look good.

[RedHairedGeek]

No.

[monkeyfacegrace]

It's screaming out for blonde highlights.

Cut wise I quite like it. Find a good curling mousse and step away from the scissors.

[RedHairedGeek]

blonde highlights, yes. you have nice hair tho

[Taystee]

I love your hair and you look really young for your age. Some blonde highlights would look ace

[ChopOrNot]

Thank you for all the lovely comments. I think you are all being a bit too nice and seriously I can take more honest feedback - which is what I am after rather than a curl-love.

I think I struggle to like my curls - because to me they are not -well - curly. This is what they used to be like - perfect ringlets - did not have to do anything to get them like that. That was off course 12 years ago - before babies and hair dye fucked it all up the cuticle. Hurumph.

So you are all saying not shorter (or not drastically so). Hmmmmm...you are not helping. Well maybe you are. I just think I am sooooo bored of it. Bored, bored, bored. It is a midlife crisis isn't it?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

You just wouldn't look as nice if you shaved it all off and went grey. Then you really WOULD have a crisis, with good reason. You'd look like your nana.

[Taystee]

What products do you use in your hair? There are products with ingredients that encourage hair to curl more, if that's something you wanted.

[ChopOrNot]

Dragonflyfly has one problem I think - it is flat and something I have struggled with since leaving my wonderful "Igetcurlyhair" hairdresser in York. Gill I loved you!!!! I have had 12 years of meh styles/cuts since then. It is actually very fine - and it needs product to define the curls - but the product can sooo easily weigh it down. The right cut can put a lot more spring in the curls - and add a bit of scaffolding I suppose to help structure it/stop the flatness.

That really helps though.

A big consensus for highlights. I am loathe. I really am sick of 4 weekly root touch ups. I hate going to the hairdressers. Could I maybe do grey highlights?

Come on the S&B gurus....hit me with what else I need to think about.

[NeedABumChange]

It's very pretty, relaxed waves. I love your hair. Defo don't go shorter.

[scarletforya]

If anything grow it. Never chop, never, never, never!

[BunnyLebowski]

You have lovely hair OP and blonde highlights would look great.

But if the grind of dyeing is getting to you then please don't feel compelled to or believe the utter shite upthread about how it will make you instantly look like an old witch .

You're gorgeous with great bone structure. You could totally rock the buzz and the grey. It's exactly what I did last January and now, at 34, I have a silver/dark platinum bob with a blunt fringe. And I look 28 . All I use is purple shampoo and conditioner. It's so liberating to be done with hair dye.

I say, do it .

[AnnieMorel]

It's lovely hair and you mustn't cut it!

I would let some grey come through and have low maintenance highlights to lessen it a bit.

[ChopOrNot]

Product wise I chop and change a bit. At the moment I am using Boots Curl Cream/Creme ?sp?. Cheapo stuff. Am silicon/sulphate free with shampoo (only every third wash or so) and conditioner.

Sort of follow CurlyGirl method - lots of scrunching in the product - but then I do have to sort of "twirl" it into ringlets/curls/waves otherwise the texture is urghhh -a bit 1980s perm curls like this. s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2b/9b/f7/2b9bf7fbe89707ad1dff8ad51210aa9b.jpg Not. A. Good. Look.

[ChopOrNot]

Bunny You are one of the people who have inspired me to ditch the dye. And who have made me think to go as drastic as buzz cut.

You have just given me a slap round the face (in a nice way). If I go short I could always....wait for it.....grow it again! If I go grey I could always....wait for it....dye it if I hate it.

It is the dye thing that is really getting me down. I don't, long-term, want a pixie or buzz cut. But I hate the thought of growing the dye out. It seems saner just to chop it off.