So if you have shoulder length, straight, fine hair...

[GetYourSocksOff]

...and a couple of kids and minus minutes to spend on it, what do you do with it?

I'm fed up with my hair looking rubbish, can't seem to find a way to put it up without looking scruffy or like a teenager (closer to 40), at the moment it just looks lank and it's driving me crazy.

I don't really want to go shorter again but I need a better style or some good putting-it-up ideas or a way to get some life back into it or maybe just a magic wand.

Can anyone help?

[nooka]

My dd has had that type of cut and it looks lovely. She currently has more of a pixie type thing going on. Crazy how ever very short hair has a mind of it's own! I had a pixie for years and now have just over shoulder length. Fine and not a huge volume of it. I just towel dry it and that gives it just enough body for me. I'm not really one for products but did find recently that using a conditioner specifically for fine hair made a bit of difference, otherwise most conditioners make my hair look lank and in need of a wash.

[monkeysmama]

Mine is much longer but dry shampoo has been almost life changing. Highly recommended.

[plentyofsoap]

Every six weeks I get a good cut. Decent shampoo and conditioner with an intense treatment on a regular basis. Layers help too, plus ghd on it when I get time. If not frizz ease spray helps.

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

That's a lively hair cut but very high maintenance!

[MissScatterbrain]

Bobs are high maintenance and can easily look mumsy. Either go pixie short style or shoulder length.

I use BBH - wash hair, leave to partially dry while doing chores then spend 5 mins drying and styling. No GHDs - far too damaging.

Fine hair when long tends to get messy -
www.pinterest.com/pin/373587731559990538/ but don't let that bother you.

[Iris445]

I let mine dry in two big buns, I twist sections and roll into a bun ( think princess lea) when I take it out in the morning it looks fab. Messy curly type affair on the bottom, sleek on the top.
I find not using a hair dryer makes it so soft and shiny.

[Iris445]

Oh yes I use Moroccan oil too. Aussie shampoo and cond.

[Bearleigh]

If you're near London, the best thing I ever did with hair like that is go to Aveda in Holborn for a blow drying lesson.

I got advice on the best (Aveda) products for my hair, plus learned how to blow dry it in a clever way that makes it look sleek. Since then I have been proud of my hair most days.

[nilbyname]

op I have exactly the same hair as you.

Firstly- stop straightening it, it is wrecking your hair.

Next invest in some good products.

Nioxin poo and conditioner for fine and chemically treated hair.
Bumble and Bumble leave in thickening serum- this goes on nightly
Bumble and Bumble mending complex leave in conditioner

Then IF I am going out, I use bumble and bumble prep then thickening had spray. If not, I just give my hair a root blast and rough dry, then sorry a bit of Bastisse XXL volume through the ends this makes the ends fuller and thicker.

Regular cuts, good colour. This has been my regime now for 6m and my hair although never going to be really thick is looking good and healthy.

Also my hair has a slight wave/wisp to it. I have decided to embrace it rather than trying to tame/straightening it all the time. My hair looks a bit like this…. but not the face!!

[Jacksterbear]

My hair is shoulder length and so fine I can't wear it down - it just hangs totally limply and goes into rats tails!

I have a sweepy fringe which I blow dry with a large round brush and then just put the rest back in a knot/bun, which I try to make as big as poss to add the illusion of volume.

Here are some good up-do suggestions (also the photo I took to my hairdresser to get my fringe done).

[HelloBoys]

I will invest in blow drying lesson so thanks to whoever suggested that.

for gods sake DO NOT GHD fine highlighted hair. special occasions only - it will ruin and weaken the hair badly.

I DID have the graduated bob thing - looks nice if you like it - surprisingly I didn't do much apart from blow dry/Babyliss Big Hair to it - BUT you have to be prepared to like that length and you can't put it up so much.

I would not 100% go for expensive products either re shampoo - if you can afford it yes but if you wash like I do every other day then expensive. I use Boots stuff or Timotei Organic (?) the newish ones. Styling products/leave in conditioners are what I find/call the dogs bollocks - makes all the difference.

NO to morrocan oil for fine hair will just make it limp and nasty and greasy IME. there is one for fine hair but not tried it.

[HelloBoys]

as nilby says regular cuts and good colour too. I swear when I don't bleach the hell out of it with high lift bleach highlights (Aveda do kinder bleach or blonder colours forget name) I can grow it more and it looks nicer when trimmed. I get half an inch off but it was an inch and a half recently due to me frying it in sun over summer.

[GetYourSocksOff]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions.

Today I wore my hair in the chignon in that video, it's a good style. Although was a bit dishevelled after being shoved in a hood :) And I bought a baby loss big hair (I actually did). It's enormous.

Planning to book a haircut and work my way through the other suggestions.

Thanks again x

[GetYourSocksOff]

Eeurk *babyliss , sorry. Horrible autocorrect.

[HelloBoys]

keep us updated.

will let you know if I see/try new stuff. always good to get suggestions/recommendations.

My mum LOL thinks I look great with my hair up (like you scrunch it up when you have a bath) but this is my default when she's popped round to see me on weekend in morning for gossip and I'm not up yet! she reckons I should wear it like this more often but I'm like NOOOO.

OP Babyliss Big Hair is enormous and takes some getting used to (eg what you want to do with it etc) but is fairly easy to tackle after a while. My mum (has fine hair too but in longish bob) won't be without hers, thinks it is a godsend.

[dancemom]

Sleep rollers - takes 10 minutes to put them in before bed and in the morning whip them out, blast if hairspray and good to go I ?? Them!

[SantiagoToots]

My hairdresser has absolutely said no to layers, ends up thin and straggly.

I wash mine now every 2/3 days, have a fringe cut in and blow-dry with good products. Stays looking swishy and full now for 2/3 days.

[GetYourSocksOff]

I used the BBH this morning, just to try it on my (now quite long) fringe. It was GREAT.

I think the suggestion that a good sweeping fringe and hair I can pin back might be the way to go. I suit my hair up and fringe was quickly sorted this morning.

On the lookout for some more easy up do styles. Will post if I find any.

[Moltobene]

I've never tried dry shampoo but like the idea of being able to do updos with a bit of body. Feel a bit nervous of trying it though. My hair is very dark- won't it look really wierd if you can see it's got powder in it?

[GetYourSocksOff]

I wonder that about dry shampoo, too

[CointreauVersial]

I have similar fine, limp hair.

I swear by my BBH (I have the smaller-barrelled one, with the pink switch), and use a mixture of gel and mousse to give bit some oomph.

Dry shampoo is the business; use the brunette variety if you don't want it to show.

I did have it cut into a graduated bob a few months back; shortly afterwards, DD2 recounted word-for-word that she heard one of the playground mums saying that bobs were mumsy and awful. And DH moans that it's too short (even though he moaned it was too flat before it had it cut ). But I quite like it, and it does have more body than it did. I might grow it out a bit (OK, I am too busy to go to the hairdressers at the moment).

[fizzly]

marking place sorry. No time to read now. A lot of the above recommendations seem a bit time consuming to me (2 kids under 5 and only have time for make up once a fortnight....). Will re read tomorrow and come back with questions!

[FluffyJumper]

A few layers, plenty of mousse and heated rollers. And I have the flattest limpest straightest hair in history. And once you've got used to it you can put the rollers in in 2-3 minutes (always in totally dry hair) eat your breakfast and voila - Ava Gardner

[Jacksterbear]

I had never heard of BBH before this thread! Just added it to my Xmas wish list!

OP glad you liked the small things blog and tutorials (assuming that's the one you meant!). Am also sporting the "low chignon" today although it's looking a bit bedraggled now from the rain .