Help! Sick of my thick bushy hair - style ideas needed please!

[messylittlemonkey]

Hello

I need some inspiration for a trendy yet manageable style.

I'm 36 and dress fashionably, so want a hairstyle to match, but the last few times I've been to my talented but young hairdresser, I've come away with a boring bob which looks good when I leave the salon, but due to the thickness of my hair, it nver looks good for long.

As I said, my hair is thick. Hairdressers always comment on it. It also has a wave to it. If I left it to dry naturally it would be a bush.

It's currently in a chin length bob with a growing out fringe and just looks frumpy.

HEEEEEELLLPPPPP!

you need a new hairdresser!

I have similar hair. which has always looked shit. I now have a hairdresser who just sorts it out. I have no idea how he does it - no big change of style, just knows how to thin it out in the right places so that it hangs right.

i am with you sister

i am THIS CLOSE to just shaving the whole damn mess off

I have thick wavy hair and would never have a chin length cut as I imagine it would look like a wedge of cheese on me!

I agree with previous post, go to a new hairdresser and see what they can do, I have just past my shoulders with long layers and embrace my wave by twisting it when wet to enhance the wave/curl.

A good hairdresser will cut your hair to make the most of what you have. No point having a style that only looks good when done in a salon.

agree with apple, that a chin length bob is a bad cut for hair like this. A good hairdresser would know this.

I don't let hairdressers dry my hair straight. I want a cut that works without being made to go straight.

Thank you all!

I've often thought it would be good to be able to enhance the wave rather than battle against it. I've tried drying it with a diffuser in the past but the trouble is the waviness is more in the underneath layer, the 'upper' layer is relatively straight so I end up with weird flat bits over the wavy bits - it's a sodding nightmare.

My main gripe with my hairdresser is that she seems unwilling to give me anything a bit edgy, always steering me towards more trad styles, saying 'that wouldn't work on your hair'. She's in her early twenties and must think I'm ancient!

I don't think this is really and edgy/trad thing. It is about not fighting against your hair. There are loads of wavy styles. Sounds to me like your hairdresser wants to stay in her comfort zone and to what she knows.

Where do you live?

I got a great recommendation for a hairdresser in London on here. Even if you only go to a really good place once, they will show you what is possible with your hair.

We're in York, muddleduck.

Used to live in London and went to Harringtons (back of Oxford St) - great stylist there called Mikael!

Start a thread called "Anyone know a good hairdresser in York?"

It's annoying with my hairdresser as the salon is very high end and well recommended. I always prefer to pay a bit more for a cut as I think hair's important, but I'm beginning to think I might as well just go anywhere!

I did have an undercut the last but one time I went and I thought she was going to do the same again, but I realised afterwards that she hadn't undercut it this time.

However, even with the undercutting, I still feel the need for a more exciting style :)

undercutting is IMO not the solution. It is a way of helping wavy hair to "behave a bit better" so that you can make it look like straight hair, not a cut that actually suits wavy hair.

That's true enough, muddleduck

who said that it wasn't?

I just entreat the hairdresser to thin mine out as much as possible, then you can do more with it. Have you tried letting it curl? Making the most of that?

I think I'll maybe try to work with the wave a bit more whilst looking for a new hairdresser. :o

muddleduck, I'm a bushy haired londoner, could you let me have your recommendation please?

goodnightnobody, I used to live in London and recommend Haringtons, French guy called Mikael if he's still there. Did wonders with my hair and always made it looks modern/cool.

It's on Great Marlborough Street.

GoodnightNobody

I've just updated my original thread on london hairdressers, so should now be easy to find.

Have you tried not drying it? Just gently squeeze water out with towel and run some leave in conditioner through it. How would it look then?

If I left it to its own devices without any intervnetion, I suspect itwould look pretty lame unfortunately.

I could try though!

Have you tried the Curly Girl Method for dealing with curly or even wavy hair? You may find if you try it that your hair is actually more curly than wavy, and the 'thatch' on top is not that straight after all either.

Above all, you need a new hairdresser though. Look for someone who knows curly or wavy hair.

I also have thick hair and problems with bulk. One word for you: straighteners.

I have a layered cut. A bit of straightening balm and then I run straighteners through it (takes 3 mins) after a rough blowdry. All the bulk just vanishes. Looks sleek-ish instead of Wild Womanish

Oh, I have had GHD straightneners since they first came out about 8 years ago! They are indeed a godsend :)