My hair is unprofessional

[juniorcakeoff]

Reading another thread where employee was told off by boss for messy hair. My hair is fine and wavy but thick i.e. the individual strands are fine and fluffy but there is a lot of it. So attempts to style it lead to one of three outcomes:-

1. Hair put up in ponytail or bun falls out on the way to the car.
2. Hair straightened becomes massive ball of fluff on way to the car.
3. Hair put up in mumsy claw clip thing lasts through the car journey to work then falls out on the stairs up to work.

What can I do? Currently shoulder length with long layers and asymmetrical light fringe. Shorter turns me into frump, longer makes me look even more witchy.

Grow it longer and buy some gizmos from Claire's to twist it up. Dry shampoo and Elnett may also be required to give some grip

Cut it all off? I have very thick hair (hairdressers always comment on it), and I got a very short pixie crop a year or two ago. I love it .

French plaits up both sides of your head? Or Dutch plaits (you tube will help). They might keep hair back off your face whilst containing the fly aways.

Closer What can twist it up do you think? Hairspray is a good suggestion, the bastard stuff needs some glue on.
Wasting believe me I would but I sadly have a hideous face so need some hair to hide behind.
Kavv Plaits just instantly fall out. I kept trying to do those little ones at the front of your head everyone was doing a couple of years ago and I ended up with weird little pony tails everywhere

Can you section it and secure each section a sort of ponytail french plat. So middle section of hair and small section from each side, secured with ponytail band. Next small section from each side plus first pony tail, secured with pony tail band. Again a small section from each side and last ponytail etc u til you're at nape of neck - probably about 4 sections.

For the fly aways do you use lots of decent conditioner and have you tried a bit of oil elixor (sp?) after its up?

junior, I'm sure that is categorically untrue .

The only things that ever helped me when I had long hair were washing, drying, and straightening it every day. It was a lot of work, but it could look pretty nice.

Go on though, cut it all off instead .

If you put dry shampoo on clean hair (spray on roots and rub through) it gives it a bit of oomph and grip. My hair is the same! I also find a heat defence spray before straightening stops the fluff, I've tried loads and a cheapy vo5 aerosol one suits me best.

I cover it with expensive conditioner and have tried most oils on the market. I think some of the flyaway is due to straightening tbh but when I have a straightening holiday it just looks so unbelievably shite because I can't put it up properly. It is not nice wavy where you might try the curly girl method or put some mouse in or whatever, it just looks a bit bent and both greasy and fluffy which is an appalling look generally.

I will have a go at the ponytail french plait MisForMum, thank you.

Take your pick!

Bun donuts are really easy to use. Other things that give a twist to a normal pony tail make it a hairstyle rather than "hair pulled back"

Buy lots of Kirby grips plus u pins and play around !

I don't think expensive conditioner is always the best - cheap tresemme works well for me, for example

Thank you tshirt will add dry shampoo and v05 heat defence spray to the shopping list.

Wasting thank you but it is the truth, I have attached a picture of myself just to prove it

I think that stock photo of witch you'd look fab with a short, spikey bob, like Ellen Degeneres has! :D

The nose is a bit bigger maybe but that's definitely my bloody hair

What does your hair look like after you've been swimming in the sea? If it behaves, try a salt spray. It will make your hair less slippery and also less fluffy (unless it does what my hair does after being in the sea and goes manic). If salt spray doesn't work, try leave in conditioner - if I condition a lot my hair is less bonkers. also I never dry it out or use a hair dryer (instant frizz), I tie it back.

For tying it back, I mostly use one of the following (my criteria: quick, easy and not school girl):

• hair sticks
• stick barrettes
• spin pins

I have hair exactly like yours. I use lots of Colab dry shampoo, it doesn't leave a white residue, hairspray and back combing. Use these together and your hair will stay put.

Angled bob with layers?

Don't worry OP my hair does the same and only looks anything like passable with thickening spray and dry shampoo in it.

The days of hoping anyone might like to run their fingers through my hair are well over, they would need the fire service to free them.

Are the long layers long enough to be tied back?
I've settled on a light run through with the straighteners, so as to smooth the frizz, but not make too shiny and slippy.
Then, I either use a bobble (I've got some seamless ones, which means I can twist them in quite tightly), fold up slightly, and put a claw over the top, with the teeth behind the bobble, or sock bun, held in place with kirby grips (you know these go in upside down compared to where most places put any decoration, don't you?), or a clip in a low pony tail, which I can take out, run my hands over the frizz, and put back in to retame if I get caught in the wind / rain between buildings.

Or a bobble in high ponytail, with something like these over the top to make it look finished.

what happens if you straighten and leave loose? Or half back (first demo in the video above) to keep it off your face but with its texture? (mine is also neither straight or curly)

LOL at 'put some mouse in'

Thank you so much everybody there are some good ideas here and I am very comforted by the fact others also have crap hair.

Somuch I tried saltspray and the DCs faces showed genuine fear and horror. The videos look useful will have a better look later.
MrsMyrtle does backcombing not make the problem worse? Will have a go when not due to be seen in public.

Addicted I did not know they go upside down this news may help.
Cutteduppear one of the few times my hair looked good was when a hairdresser had curled it with mouse an everything . DP later tried to run his hand through my hair and had to leave it there for a bit!
M0ther if these options fail I may have to go drastic. Is it better to be neat and hideously ugly or scruffy and passable in a good light?

I have fine hair but lots of it. It's currently in a bob, and on day 1 of washing and blowdrying looks okay. Day 2 I just embrace the messiness - Bumble & Bumble Texture is good, tames the frizz and makes it look like it's meant to be big. You just sort of scrunch it through your hair. Messy is v fashionable atm.

I have hair exactly like yours - very thick and coarse, too wavy for straight styles but not enough curl to curl properly (unless I'm pregnant, thenhalf a can of curls rock sets it into something passable).

It's about an inch long all over, these days. I love it.

2 additional problems - it didn't grow long enough at the front to wear off my face. My fringe never passed the end of my nose. Other one is that it broke just about everything I tried to use to pin it up/back/into submission.

When you back comb it, you smooth the top hair over it with a soft brush. That way you get volume and height that stays in place but looks smooth.
I generally do this to the top of my hair, and then pull the rest back into a pleat and secure with grips.
If you've back combed properly and used the sprays, it won't move.