Help with hair?

[EditEcho]

I have very thick, relatively straight dark hair that resists all my attempts to style it (probably partly due to me being useless at it!). I have never been any good at styling it. At the moment it's shoulder blade length and hangs like curtains from a centre parting (every attempt to change the parting lasts about a week, it just flops back into the centre parting again). I have a longish chubbier than I'd like face. It takes me forever to dry it and then I usually run ghds through it to smooth it at settle down some of the unruly bits.

When I go to a hairdresser and ask their opinions they generally get annoyed that I don't know exactly what I want. Then cut layers when I ask them to thin it out which does NOT help! I honestly cannot picture how different styles would look on me or suit my face shape, I have never been able to. I have never had a style I can easily manage.

What I want is a side parting (but don't know if that can work with such thick hair), something a bit shorter that won't go tent like. I work in healthcare so need to be able to tie it back and I go to gym 4-5 times a week so need to wash it frequently. So essentially a low maintenance easy to keep style.

What should I ask for?

Watching with interest...I have exactly the same hair as you, by the sound of it! I tried a side parting the other day and it just didn't work...every now and then I contemplate a fringe but I think my face is a bit chubby for that..not sure my hair would hang that way either.

I'm a blonde you! I have an angled to the side fringe and VERY long layers to try and avoid the tent look... but I still don't really like it!

Glad there's more of us, nobody in real life understands why I want thinner hair!

Edit I have very thick hair and lots of it, I get medium length layers and tell my hairdresser to thin as far as she can with thinning scissors. It works for a few weeks then I book another appointment

Fringe.

I hate layers and thinning scissors are my hairs nemesis, I need some weight in my very thick hair. The thing that has transformed it has been getting a fringe cut in. It looks 'done' all the time. If you do get one, look up Sali Hughes short video of her drying her fringe. (Except you don't need the products she recommends, the technique is enough).

*should say I 'hate layers' on my hair. They're gorgeous on other people.

Have u thought about Brazilian blow dry. I have that (cost about £80). But makes it a lot 'lighter' and might enable you to do something with the parting too.

I also prefer the hairdresser to advise me. It's so difficult to find the right hairdresser for you, and you can't expect them to get it right first time, you need to return and explain what was right and what didn't work. I usually give a hairdresser threegoes before I decide whether to stick or change!