Help! How do I get my hair back to how I love? **pics included**

[HowDoIhelp321]

First picture is how I loved my hair. I hadn't had it cut in years, I just used to trim the ends when I could be arsed and let it dry naturally.

Then it got too long and when I trimmed it, it never went back to this. A year of hating my hair and I decided to get it cut and balayage and ended up with this.

How do I get it back to how it was?

Please note, it isn't the colour the fudged it up, it was already fudged to begin with. The original photo is about 2 years old. That 'style' had grown out for sometime and no amount of trimming the ends would make it go back. It happened by accident and I don't know how to get back there!

My hair is wrecked post-baby. Made it slightly better by having some long layers cut in, and using a cotton T-shirt to dry it instead of a towel.

I had lovely soft waves that air-dried perfectly, no products needed. Now I'm like hagrid.

I think it's lovely! Lush oil sticks, especially the one with cinnamon is like a miracle

My hair was awful after I went blonde. It's now back brown and I used olaplex for about a year and hardly ever used the straighteners to get it back to how it was.

I use Label M - Therapy - Rejuvenating Radiance Oil 100ml after washing before I dry it with a hair dryer and after I dry it on the ends. It's not greasy and it takes the bouffounty out of your hair. For me it's the best product I've ever used.

Has anybody tried the Superdrug dupe? How close to the original is it? Love the original but very £££.

I am feed up with my hair. I need a hairdresser who can advise me what's suits. I have tried several local ones but they just say what would you like. Any tips or recommendations in the radius of 10 miles from Iver

Another one here who thinks the second pic just shows terrible over bleached hair (sorry OP ). I’d strip the colour out and start all over again a darker shade.

Blame the baby for sure. They mess up your hair but ooh the cuddles
On a hair note maybe it needs thinning back to the volume you liked and less interference and it’ll come back to how it was

Try a rice water conditioner ?

OP I see exactly what you mean. Your hair is lovely in the first picture and dry, frizzy and puffy in the second. Also the colour is much better in the first.

You def need to trim a couple of inches off to get rid of the worst of the bleached bits

I wouldn't go full curly girl, but I would stop using shampoo on the ends. So shampoo on the scalp and top half of your hair. Then use conditioner to co wash the bottom half.

I would also try some protein treatments. A pp mentioned a rice water rinse (you tube is great for tutorials) or just buy some from boots/amazon etc.

Not much in it but I think you need quite a few inches cut off as the ends look a bit straw like.

I think it looks lovely in both photos.

Curly girl method for wavies will sort that out!

Kerastase Huile Ultime is amazing for frizzy bits. Not cheap but well worth it IMO.

Wirebrush is right. You'll not get the condition back till the bayalage is out. I'd cut your losses and have a good few inches cut off.

Oh, and ditch the thinning scissors till it's out. They don't help damaged hair.

Another curly girl fan here. OP, your hair looks great but it's dry at the ends. I'd stop using shampoo and co-wash with silicone-free conditioner instead - you can use As I Am co-wash from Superdrug but XHC ginger conditioner from Poundland works just fine for me. Only wash every four - six days, and use a microfibre towel to squeeze it dry. Once it's damp, put a few drops of conditioner in your palms, rub them together and rake them through your hair. Don't use heat, don't brush it - use a very wide-toothed comb if anything. Pineapple it to keep it tidy at night.

Try that for a couple of weeks and see how it responds.

it was like that before the bleach
I did mention it in my OP because I knew people would assume that was the cause - although that wouldn't have helped at all!

Thanks for your tips I'm taking these onboard. I've considered shaving it! But I would look like a nob for so long I don't think I could get on with it.

Ooh gawd I'm confused

I have thinning scissors - should I give these a go as well??

(Again)

Why are you confused?

Cut it just below your shoulders, needs a good cut and thinning.

Oh and I'd go a tad darker x

I wouldn’t try layering loads of oils. You’ll just make it greasy unless your hair is extremely dry.

I think you could do with some styling product. I light cream, finger-coil the ends where you want to encourage the waves.

I just bought this from Boots (it’s on sale right now) and I think your hair will like it. You might even get the results you want from the ‘overnight’ claim! I have very curly hair, it’s quite light but very defining on my hair - for yours I think apply it from about mid-lengths to the end, twist into twin buns overnight or gently finger coil and leave to air dry if washing in the morning.

It was the pregnancy, OP. Mine went curly but only at the back of my head and it's totally straight at the front and top. So I can't wear it down because it looks like straight hair combed down over curly bushy hair which is exactly what it is I suppose. It's not as curly if I use lots of conditioner.