Hopefully not the most unkindest cut of all...
May 26, 2011 8:19 PM

I have very thick, very straight, fine-ish hair. It is way too long and needs to be cut. What should I do with it? (Pics and more details after the cut.)

Right now, my hair looks like this. In the past, it has looked like this, this, and this. Like I said earlier, my hair is very thick, very straight (it doesn't curl. at all. not even if i were to put rollers in it), and sort of fine.

My current top choice is this, and I know it would involve some styling every day (something I'm fine with), but I'm concerned that my hair is generally the wrong texture... his hair looks like it might be coarser than mine.

I'm really open to pretty much anything, but I have a few requirements:
It needs to be easy care -- under ten minutes, including washing. It would be nice if it would grow out into something that looks all right, but that's not totally necessary. It also needs to look vaguely respectable -- I'm going to look rather dykey pretty much regardless, but I'm currently looking for jobs and so can't do anything too "alternative." And, although this is maybe obvious at this point, I'm definitely looking more for a men's or gender neutral haircut than something girly.

Thanks in advance!

(Also, any recommendations for places that aren't Great Clips or something to get a haircut for under $20-25 in the Indianapolis area would be appreciated. This haircut is going to be a Great Clips deal, because I have no money and my family has coupons, but once I have a job...)
posted by naturalog to Grab Bag (13 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
Your face is pretty oval, so I think the pixie cut sort of favors you. Maybe get it cleaned up, but I don't think you necessarily need to change it.
posted by Gilbert at 8:27 PM on May 26, 2011


The Rosemary's Baby?
posted by Duffington at 8:30 PM on May 26, 2011


If you're okay with men's cuts, what about a sideburnless adaptation of David Tennant's old (good) cut? It's what your suggested cut one me of. Video evidence here.
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:37 PM on May 26, 2011


Oh, I meant to add - a female friend of mine went in drag (as him) for halloween one year and got her hair cut to match, and it looked amazing on her.
posted by you're a kitty! at 8:38 PM on May 26, 2011


I think you're right that the texture of the model in the pic of your current top choice seems quite a bit coarser than yours. Doesn't mean you couldn't achieve a similar look; it might take a lot of product, though (wax, maybe?).

I think your hair texture looks more similar to the actor Kate Moennig. She's had some great haircuts. Her hair was very short on Young Americans--more of a man's cut or gender neutral. But on The L Word she played a hair stylist, so her hair was often quite funky and much more obviously styled. You might like some of the shorter cuts from that show.

Cuts from Young Americans: one, two

Cuts from The L Word: one, two
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:03 PM on May 26, 2011


For cheap haircuts, check out Frederic's Aveda Institute. I go to the one in Cincinnati and haircuts are between $15-17 and include lots of hands-on help from the instructor so I have never ended up with a bad haircut. I like the pampering they do there (included in price); my daughter doesn't). It's optional.
posted by daneflute at 9:04 PM on May 26, 2011


I, too, like your current hair a lot! I think it's really cute and flattering. That said, it's starting to look a little feminine, which it sounds like you don't want. The cut you like that you want to get I think would work totally fine with your hair, especially judging by the 2nd picture of your old hair. His hair doesn't look coarse compared to yours to my eye at all. I am not a hair professional, though, so certainly get the opinion of your stylist!
posted by pupstocks at 9:05 PM on May 26, 2011


i think your favorite choice would do just fine with your type of hair. since your hair is fine, you should look for a water-based hair wax (or molding gum/paste/glue, etc) for that piece-y texture, not a gel. they're so simple to use with short hair, just a bit mussed near the roots to separate and maybe a dab on the tips if you want. i've heard raves about bumble and bumble's sumo wax, but it's hella expensive, just about any water-based wax from a drugstore would work.

the cut looks pretty versatile on the job front since it's longer on the top-- comb a deep side part and push the sides back to look all the more suave and professional-like, i noticed the dapper look is trendy too.
posted by ilk at 9:07 PM on May 26, 2011


Would you consider a short, angled bob? Fine, straight hair is perfect for that, and it doesn't have to be girly. Might be easier to take care of than a really short cut, and you would definitely be able to last longer between cuts.
posted by yarly at 9:08 PM on May 26, 2011


I agree that your current favorite would be great for your hair- you can use a good wax to rough it up, or have the versatility to style it straight and closer to your head, where it will look more like a conventional pixie cut, and maybe more "acceptable"- although I think it's great as-is. I really like the different styling waxes/pastes by got2b, they have everything from a light hold (spray wax) to a heavier product (the sculpting pastes).
posted by kro at 9:23 PM on May 26, 2011


I have hair that sounds a lot like yours: thick, pretty straight, and textureless. I'm not very girly at all, so when it gets too long, it just sort of hangs there, because I'm not into messing around with it.

Anyway, I just got my hair cut yesterday, going from a shaggy, Tennant-esque cut to a much shorter Jean Seberg pixie. It takes like two minutes to wash, requires very little shampoo, and in my low-maintenance opinion, looks fine without product, though the woman who cut it suggested I use some wax to stop it from sticking up all over the place. In the past, when I've felt fancy, I've used Garnier Fructis Surf Wax because it doesn't make my hair crusty or shiny, plus it's cheap.

The only problem is that every short cut I've had has looked like utter crap after growing out a bit. I haven't found a good solution yet, but some salons will trim your neck for free between cuts, which helps a little.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 9:40 PM on May 26, 2011


I found this picture a while ago on flickr and saved it because I love the haircut. Unfortunately, I didn't save the full link, so I can't give anyone credit for it. Anyway, I've been getting my hair cut in variations of it for the last year or so (and then letting it grow out way too much because I am also poor). It's also nice because it's a pixie cut that also covers up my "baby hair" sideburns. Don't know if that's an issue for you.

I have very resistant-to-styling hair, too, and I find that this haircut is decently manageable with a little bit of (cheap) Fructis hair goo (just look for anything called "texture paste") smushed into my hair while it's wet.
posted by phunniemee at 6:58 AM on May 27, 2011


Okay. I'm a dude. But my hair is almost exactly like yours (OMG, I had such an unfortunate look in high school when it was long -- i looked like Gunnar Nelson. Ecch), and my current haircut almost exactly like the one you want. It can be done.

What you need to do is to tell the stylist that you want high in back, longer on top, off the ears, and obscene amounts of texture. Straightforward enough, there. All I do in the morning is, after it's dry (my hair, being so fine, air dries very quickly). run a small amount of a light, dry product through it -- such as American Crew's Fiber.

A little quick tousling with that, and I am good to go. No effort at all. You can totally do it!
posted by kaseijin at 6:58 AM on May 27, 2011


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