Curly hair - Would a bob work?

[Mixedandproud]

I have very curly shoulder length hair and all I ever do is put loads of leave in conditioner in to tame it and then tie it back. It always looks dreadful however hard I try to make it look nice.
I have always liked the bob style, do you think it looks good with curly hair?
I am going to book into a hair salon which is good at catering for my hair type so I know they will be able to cut and style it well.
I am thinking either a natural curly bob with some colour or to have my hair relaxed (straightened) first and then cut into a bob possibly with a fringe.
If anyone has curly hair and a bob could you tell me if it is fairly easy to maintain?
Would you opt for this style again?
I am thinking why not just go for it, surely it can’t look any worse than it already does! I intend to talk it all through with the hairdresser first to get their advice.
I have attached a couple of google pictures of the kind of looks I like. I only wish I looked like the woman in the second picture!

👋🏽

A curly bob is easy to maintain - I'd go for a longer one so you can still pin it up if you want. Mine is sort of a bob, and I wear it very full and curly, and then up on a fluffy top pony with the back clipped up. You need a really good cut though, to get the layers right. I would suggest you ask you hairdresser to dry cut it.

I have never relaxed my hair so I don't know how that would work. I would be reluctant to take on a new style that would need regular treatment when the hairdressers might end up locked down again.

My hair is naturally curly and my hairdresser always discourages short bobs on curly hair, saying that it would make me look like a mushroom. I think he's right.

Thank you for your replies.

@MaudebeGonne - That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of going for a mid length graduated bob simply because I won’t then be able to tie my hair up so easily. After nearly 20 years of tieing my hair back it has caused 2 areas of thinning hair and I was thinking if I can’t tie it back it would be a good thing but what you say makes sense.
I’m leaning towards a natural curly bob.
Would you feel comfortable sending me a picture of your hair style obviously with your face blanked out as I would find it helpful for reference?

@Londoner99 - Ha! Yes the mushroom look I am familiar with as well as the Brian May poodle look, both of which I am desperate to avoid!

I'm the same as you. Had long hair for a long time, just pull mine into a top knot every day. Anything else is just impossibly time consuming.

I've got an appointment for a cut on Sunday and am thinking bob/lob but am now agonising about it.

I think either of your options are going to take more effort than you're putting in now. I think you need to be realistic about how much time you can spend on your hair.

My instinct would be to try curly first - once its relaxed it'll be really damaged for ages.

I'd also think about a long bob to start with, so you have the option of tieing up.

I'll post some pics of the bobs I've been looking at.

I'm really obsessed with this cut. Though I think maybe I just want to look like the model and that's clouding my judgement!

I think this is what I'll go for though.

I really love this shorter version. I'm obsessed with short curly fringed

Dd has a curly bob. It looks similar to this and suits her

That's lovely but yes the model is almost too pretty and is skewing the picture!
I've had a chin length bob (cut from practically waist length) and that bob was high maintenance! I had to wet it every morning and it was a pain not being able to pineapple it at night. I'm growing it out now, but did the mumsnet unucorn cut on it around a month ago and it's come out really nice - a few soft layers around the face and a curving v cut - but I can put it up at night to protect the shape and curl.

Oooh more!
So you could go for cut 2 first, then move uo to cut 1 if you wanted a change.

I have curly hair and a bob. The first picture that you posted is identical to my hair pre-lockdown. It's the only hairstyle that I can have that 1) I can forget about and know that it looks good all day naturally with little effort and 2).doesn't feel roasting hot. I find that mine is best if it's short enough.

I have a curly bob/lockdown lob and I love it. Very forgiving, barely needs any styling. If you get a cut like pic 1, you won't have a mushroom head.

Personally I dont think you should relax it, natural curls are the business and we are lucky to have them!

How tight are your curls, OP? If they are similar to any of the pics from pp, then you might be alright and avoid 'the mushroom'. Also, you could start with a 'lob' first to play it safe to begin with.

I have a curly inverted bob. It only goes mushroom like if all one length and not enough layers

@ifeellikeanidiot - Yes my big concern about relaxing is the damage it might cause and the ongoing maintenance. I would love to try the straight look but I don’t know if I’m brave enough to take the risk.
I take your points about the time it will take to style and keeping a good length to give me options - thank you.
I love all the styles you have posted, I would love to have wavy hair rather than the tight curls simply because I would have more options.
Plus I long for a fringe..... I have terrible eyebrows!

@AlpineBell - That style is so lovely.

@JMAngel1 - Yes I agree on starting with the longer length then going for a shorter style if I am brave enough.

@Whiskas1Kittens - That’s great to hear. I would like a style that doesn’t need tons of maintenance once I’ve got used to it. I’m more than happy to have regular cuts to keep the shape but don’t want loads of daily maintenance. Currently it takes me 20 minutes to style.

@QuentinWinters - Thats just what I’m after a forgiving style and no mushroom head! I wish I could feel lucky to have my curls, I hope I will once I get a good style.

@Londoner99 - Yes I think the lob is definitely worth trying first so it’s not too much of a leap. Mine are very tight curls though so I’m hoping it will still work for me.

@QueenCT - Thank you for posting the picture. You have beautiful hair, I would absolutely love to have a style just like yours. The curls are wavy and perfect, the colour is awesome, it’s lovely and shiny and the length is great. I have severe hair envy right now!

Don't have hair envy - it desperately needs cutting now! I've actually had highlights so it's a lot lighter at the minute but the pics are my natural colour

Sorry to drip feed but I have Afro hair, I didn’t mention it initially simply because I didn’t want anybody to feel excluded from commenting because they have a different hair type.
I have just washed my hair and it has dried naturally. It goes frizzy very quickly once dry. I haven’t put any hair products on it tonight so this is natural. Sorry the picture is rubbish and the lighting is bad.

@QueenCT - Ha! It looks awesome it really does. I’m thinking if I stay natural I can have some colour put through my hair which I think might give it a new dimension. My natural colour is very dark brown but it looks black unless in broad daylight.

Yeh shape is everything . I love a shaped natural afro bob. Trying to think of somebody.
It is hard! Are you going to let your hair be natural

@KetoWinnie - Shape and style really is everything. I think this thread has helped me realise I need to keep it natural and just concentrate on a good cut and some colour.

I love a curly Bob. I have a wavy (2c) one, myself. It's survived lockdown pretty well.

@PickAChew - I do too. I’d like to know the grade of my hair.
Would you mind sending me a picture of your style (with your face blanked out) it’s really helpful for reference.
Also what hair products do you tend to use?

If you look at the r/curly hair on reddit, you might find some inspiration, btw. Some insanely faffy routines, mind!

Here's a recent one - also now a lob and I'm happy to wait a few weeks more for a cut, though the ends are getting Crispy. It's not holding the best curl, right now, but I can at least tie it back on a crap day!

I need to wash more aggressively than you would and clarify a lot, being a wavy, though my hair is coarse and thick and benefits from rich products so it doesn't end up like straw. I use a lot of cantu, though I think I'd clarified with Alberto balsam coconut and lychee shampoo, before taking this, conditioning with the matching conditioner and setting with aussie instant freeze gel. I think I still had some cast in, here.