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!

• also very curly hair

I have super curly hair and have had it at every length from ear to waist. I liked my curly bob a lot BUT I was dead lucky with my hairdresser (now no longer working sadly). I didn't realise what a good cut it was (lots of subtle layers and thinning) until i wanted a change from shoulder length and tried someone else. Disaster. It was worse then I thought at the time - from looking back at pictures it was proper Lego style "mushroom" hair. And this was from a supposed curly expert. I'm growing it now (again). So choose your stylist wisely!

I cut this myself by pulling it into a mid height pony tail and hacking the back off. Then I just did some fringe bits round the front. Online there is a woman who cuts her Afro hair fringe free hand and she looks gorgeous (she is rather beautiful tho so she has something of an advantage!).

I use Elvive low shampoo (it's a creme for curly hair) curl creme by John Frieda and usually leave a thick weight condition in after every wash.

Curly hair is more porous and dry than other hair. I have a sister who puts hand creme through hers when she's out and about!

I have a long curly bob but it’s taken me years of experimenting with different products - when I find the perfect one it gets discontinued! Same with finding a hairdresser who understands how to cut wavy or curly hair
All that said it depends on your hair type - DS has much more fro than me and if he grows it - it just grows out rather than down!

My hair has no problem with volume! This is a warning not to be too envious of hair type. I re-visited a gel I've had mixed results with, in the past, yesterday. It didn't give me a cast, despite using loads, and I've woken up today with a big head full of frizzy, knotty straw.

Ponytail day today 😂

I have a curly bob. It's my favourite style, so easy to maintain you can just wet it and go. Also I like volume in my hair and if it gets longer it's not as full. If there are enough layers it won't look like a mushroom head. My hair isn't afro but looks like this just now

@k1233 - Thank you for the pictures, your hair is lovely and I really like the colouring.

@MrsSchadenfreude - Thank you for the tips. I did try one of the mixed chicks products a long time ago, I will have another look at the range.

@QuentinWinters - I’ve not tried the curly girl method after reading mixed reviews. Thank you for the product tips I will look at them.

@JMAngel1 - Thank you that is kind of you and for letting me know the type that’s really helpful.
I am at the stage where I have to cut it, all I ever do is tie it back and it is now thinning around the hair line so I can’t continue with this approach!

@NeedToKnow101 - My eyebrows are a mess! They are uneven and don’t match each other and have become thin and patchy. I really don’t know what to do with them. I don’t think there is enough there for threading. I’m not good enough at make up to sort of colour them in either. I just try and tidy up the stray hairs and hope for the best!

@Sweetener12 - Thank you for the advice. I didn’t know about Photodiva I will look at that. I tried one app for looking at hairstyles and it was very limited and useless!

@BikeRunSki - That’s great to hear, I’m glad the style works for you. Would you feel comfortable posting a picture with your face obscured?
Avoiding the mushroom look is my number 1 priority too!

@Candleabra - Yes I have come to realise how important it is to find a hairdresser who is talented at dealing with curly/Afro hair. The mushroom look seems to be so common!
I have found a hairdressers in Bristol which caters for Afro hair so I feel confident they have the skills needed.

@MrsBobDylan - Thank you for the picture. Your hair is beautiful and the colouring too. I would really like to aim for that kind of look but starting off longer at first.

@JaceLancs - I know exactly what you mean about experimenting with products, the amounts of curl cremes and shampoos and conditioners I’ve tried and rejected over the years is unbelievable!

@PickAChew - Thank you for the picture. I still have extreme hair envy! It would be a crime to put it in a pony tail, embrace the volume! I love the length, the waves and colouring. The cut and layers look really great too.

@motherofgod2 - That is my favourite style, I’m thinking of opting for longer at first until I know how my hair will react. I’m really glad to hear it’s easy to maintain, that’s just what I’m looking for.

😀
Thank you all so much for all the replies, pictures and links, I really didn’t expect to get so many. It has been so helpful.
👍

I had my (non afro) curly hair relaxed years ago, and would never do it again. It did nothing for the condition and after a while, quite a bit of the hair broke off. I really believe there is little point in fighting your hair type- just find a good hairdresser.

Yes my concern is that relaxing would just cause damage and hair loss. Until I much safer system comes out i’m hesitant to try it.

Absolutely go for a bob. My hair is very similar to yours and looks it's best in a Bob. Where do you live? There are a few places which are excellent and probably better than a place which does predominantly Afro hair - Afro stylists have never wanted to cut my curls 😂

@hangingupmyscrubs - I live in the South West.
Would you mind sharing a picture if possible with your face obscured? It would be good to see as your hair is similar to mine.
That’s interesting about Afro stylists not wanting to cut your curls! Is that because they think it’s wrong to shorten the hair?

@Mixedandproud

My hair is a bit damp in this pic, but it gives you an idea. The shaved inverted back has grown out.

My colouring is natural. Naturally dark brown with the silver highlights that come with middle age! Gave up on dye about 5 years ago because I'm so fair (pale pink/blue toned skin, blue eyes) that it just looked wrong.

Also glad I tied it back since, as well as the persistent breeze, I got rained on. Probably why it went pouf in the first place! Back to the humectant free gel, I think.

I've got hair that's somewhere between wavy and curly depending on how it's feeling. My hairdresser warned me off a bob because she reckoned it would pouff up too much but actually, I went for a short/jaw length bob earlier this year and it's by far the best hairdo I've ever had. My hair has been much less frizzy and easier to handle. I don't need to style it. I just put a bit of cream or oil or something in to smooth it down, tuck it behind my ears to dry and that's it. I love it.

I've got curly hair, it is longish at the moment, but I do like having a bob (always with a fringe in my case because not having a fringe really doesn't suit me). I probably have one for a while about every 2 years and then I feel the urge to grow it out again. Mine looks best (curliest) if I don't use any products at all but let it dry naturally and then just separate it with my fingers, but if I'm in a hurry I sometimes scrunch dry it with Boots curl cream.

I have curly hair and for years have asked not to have a bob if I went for a cut without a clear plan. Not because it didn’t suit,but because it was always what hairdressers suggested would suit my hair

My hair is cut in an inverted bob - fairly similar to the first and last (I think?) pics you showed but probably a bit shorter (or at least it was before lock down). My curls are tighter than those pics. About as tight as curls ever get without being Afro. So not quite as tight as yours but almost. I think the style would work on your hair, but you definitely need a curly/Afro specialist.

Some of these photos I don't really consider curly at all! Just kind of wavy...

I've never had my hair straightened so can't really comment on that. I do think it is all very specific to the exact texture of your hair.

Thanks everyone for your posts I really appreciate it.
By chance I got chatting to a colleague at work who used to live in the area I had booked to go to the hairdressers. She has the same hair type as mine. She said she went there and that the stylist told her she was leaving to go it alone and open up her own home salon. She has been going there for years and said the stylist is fantastic, very experienced with Afro hair, talks through all options, takes her time and is much cheaper than the city centre salon I had booked into.
So I cancelled my appointment and booked in with this lady. She sounded lovely on the phone so already I feel much better about the whole thing.

My colleague has a texture release treatment done every 3 months which i’d never heard of which is a completely natural version of relaxing the hair. I understand natural hair products are used and then the hair is straightened with hair irons, it takes 3 hours to do. Then once done you can wash it and the hair will be an elongated wavy curl version of its normal self so you can wear it like that or straighten it yourself if you want the poker straight look. It sounds good so is a possibility.

I’m going to be open minded and take with me pictures of the styles I like and go from there. I’ll make a decision once I’ve talked it all through with the stylist.
Wish me luck, I will post a picture of the end result good or bad when I’ve been!

That sounds brilliant. I've been wondering how you were getting on, especially as everyone round here seems to be sporting a new hair do! That's great the stylist will be someone you can trust. I've tried so hard to get recommendations for a good curly hairdresser (NW), but they all seem to be booked up. You can't even get on the waiting list at the Manchester one. I know this is leading me to make a rash decision (my hair really is a bit of a grown out mess at the moment) - I must stay strong and keep looking!
Good luck and do come back with pics.

@Candleabra - Thank you for your reply.
Yes exactly with all the new hair do’s! I was prompted to post an update after seeing the thread of the lady with beautiful auburn hair who was asking for opinions on fringe or no fringe. She looked so awesome with the fringe and slightly shorter length.
I do hope you manage to find somewhere near you that you feel comfortable with. When I was searching for somewhere near me I came across an article with a list of best Afro hair salons, I’ll see if I can find it for you because it covered the whole of England and Scotland I think.
As you say stay strong and don’t rush it. We all know how disappointing a triangle or mushroom hairstyle is!

I’ve a short curly bob. It needs wetting every morning (not washing but at least spraying down) so I have it quite short at the back to dry quicker and longer round my face. I can’t tie it up and that for me is good because if I could I would be lazy and tie it up.