Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with style and Hair

Dying it purple is an entirely different conversation

PussKillian — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:26:43 -0800

I'm trying to decide whether or not to cut my hair (as well as how to cut it), and I think I'm boring everyone around me with my endless dithering. I currently have longish hair, with what remains of some layering and shorter pieces around my face that have grown out. My usual routine has been to grow my hair out until I'm frustrated with having it back in a ponytail constantly, chop it all off to some form of an angled bob, and then let it grow out again until the cycle repeats.

I don't like doing a lot of hair maintenance, but have just grudgingly told my sister that I GUESS I can learn to use a flatiron if necessary. If I ended up with bangs, I have a cowlick that would require me to either straighten the bangs or pin them back. I don't know if bangs would suit me, though.

That's the problem right there, actually - I don't know what cut might be flattering on me. I have kind of a round, plain face that I don't think can support a really short cut. I sometimes wear glasses that give my face a little more interest, but mostly I'm in contacts. I study a martial art, so pulling everything back into a ponytail is easy, but boring. Here is a set of self-portraits on Flickr, so you can see me with and without glasses, and my hair at varying lengths. (I was enchanted by my Mac's photobooth option and was constantly playing around with it for a while.)

Compounding the problem is that I don't have a lot of money to do this with, so going to an upper-tier stylist isn't in the cards. Half the time I go to the local beauty college and get what I consider a decent cut, because I'm not asking for anything complicated.

I'll probably just go back to an angled bob again, or just keep it long and put it up (I wish I could french braid my hair but I can't seem to learn) but I thought I'd ask the Mefi community if there's something out there that might be for me.

I'm looking for the right set of terms to describe this hairstyle.

Robson — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:51:29 -0800

Image link with some examples. I need help coming up with a concise description of this hairstyle, preferably using hair/fashion industry standard terminology. "Bob", sure, but it's too broad. "Asymmetric"... it's an asymmetric style, but not an asymmetric cut.

A Google Image Search for "asymmetrical chin length 90s bob" still results in a 99% failure to get anything in this neighborhood.

Is there a better way to describe this style?

Where in UK/ Western Europe can I get my curly hair cut?

EatMyHat — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:00:02 -0800

Hi all, I have long caucasian wavy-curly hair, and I'm looking for a stylist who really understands (ideally specialises in) curly hair. Someone who can work with the natural texture and not expect I'm going to straighten it or blow-dry it (complete masochism in a rainy climate...) I'm willing to travel for a good cut so can anyone recommend me a stylist or a salon in London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam....?

I can't believe I'm asking about bed head.

Mrs. Rattery — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:03:32 -0800

So far my bed is my only effective hairstyling tool. Please help me come up with a better hair strategy. There will be several layers (pun intended) of absurdity to this question, but bear with me.

I have very straight, uncooperative, never-dyed hair. It's somewhat fine, but there's a lot of it, so it evens out to "normal." After a year and a half of aimlessly growing out my hair, I just had it cut so it's about shoulder length with long layers and thick, but side-swept bangs.

The cut itself is great! Yay! But.... I need to know how to take advantage of the cut. You see, when I blow dry my hair in the morning it looks fine, but very boring. The layers just sit there, neatly. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't really look great.

You know when my hair does look good? When I get out of bed. It looks FABULOUS! My roots are slightly volumized, the layers themselves are not quite wavy, because my hair doesn't wave, but they look textured and full and interesting. It all works well with my bangs.

The problem, of course, I can't actually go to work with this "bed head." Because, while it does look good, it also looks like I just got out of bed. When I comb it or try to control it, it just looks like I've been living in the woods for several weeks. I haven't have much luck recreating bed head from tutorials on the internet. Here's what I've tried:

1. Applying gel to damp hair and blowdrying with a round brush, then using wax to texturize ends. (My hair, lacking any natural wave, just looks big, and when I add the wax to the ends I look like one of the Weird Sisters. Plus, my hair does not like a lot of product in it -- it gets oily and limp.)

2. Gel. Blowdry. Curling iron. Tousle. (This is okay, but I don't want to use a curling iron every day [or, really, any day] and it still doesn't look "natural" anyway.)

3. Foam rollers. Frankly, I love my foam rollers (the ones that look like rag rollers that you secure by twisting the wire ends together). I can actually get full-on, all-day curls with these suckers! But I can't figure out how to use them to create a wave in my hair. I don't like looking like Baby Houseman.

I don't want to look like a teenager. I don't need edgy hair. I want something that's professional but textured, voluminous and interesting. Essentially, I need to create a wave and then somehow maintain that throughout the day without weighing down my hair. (The comparison pains me, but think Zooey Deschanel.) Can you offer any advice?

How do I grow long hair, as a guy?

Scrimshaw — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:02:26 -0800

I'm a guy, and I'm growing my hair long - what do I need to know? I've never really been to concerned with what my hair does - I'd get it cut when it started to get in my eyes and never really gave it any other thought. All of a sudden, I've decided to try growing my hair long - not necessarily because I think it'll suit me, but because it's one of those things I'd really like to try at least once.

The problem is, I know absolutely nothing about hair, short or long. I've done some research on growing hair long via the internet, but some of what I've read seems to be conflicting (which products to use, if/when you should trim and how, etc...). Coupled with my lack of general knowledge about hair, I'm a bit confused. I'm not certain how best to describe my hair - but by my uneducated observation I'd say it's mostly straight with a slight curl at the ends (so far), and fairly thick (also, brown). My face structure is quite thin and I think a bit long.

So, what should I know as I embark on my long-haired quest? What basics might I have missed?

to baldly go where...

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:26:43 -0800

Are there any actively good-looking hairstyles/cuts for young balding guys? I am a mid-twenties guy, and I am going quite bald. I have a near bald-spot on the top of my crown and noticeably thin hair from there up to my forehead. I have dark hair. It's been peacing out since I was a late teen, so I've pretty much come to terms with it. I don't feel hideous or freakish anymore. The one thing that I still feel resentful over, though, is that other guys my age get to actually express various styles through their hair. I hate how all the options for me basically boil down to damage control.

I'm not a particularly vain guy, I just want to feel like I have choices. Usually I keep my hair cropped pretty close-- maybe a 3 or so clipper. But I feel like this just makes me look...square. Going bald makes me feel old-looking enough; do I really have to have a dad haircut to accentuate it?

For some reason even when my hair is cut very short, it is still kind of floppy on top and falls onto my head instead of standing up pert, making me look kind of baldybald. Do I just need to go even shorter? Whenever I ask the barber if I should go shorter, they usually kind of wince and assure me that this looks better. I definitely don't want to go with a shaved head; I have a gargantuan, moley head, and combined with my affect I don't think it would have the desired cool-guy effect on me.

Honestly, I think my hair looks pretty good when it's a little bit on the becoming-shaggy side, but I'm not sure how to pull this off without looking combovery. Part of this is that it's SO HARD to see what hairstyles actually look like on one's self; in different lighting I'll look at the same haircut and be like daaaaaamn, lookin' good, or AAAAAAH WHY IS THERE A YARD OF SCALP FLESH. I have no idea what people actually see.

tl;dr. What are good options for a balding young guy who wants to look his age?

please hope my hair

NoraReed — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:15:03 -0800

I want a new haircut. Or hairstyle. Or something. I need advice. Very thin brown/blonde hair, no chin. I wear glasses. Here is a picture.

I've been growing it out for a while, but I'm open to cutting it short. If I'm gonna keep growing it out, though, I need advice on how to tell the hairdresser to trim it so it looks a bit less shaggy in the meantime.

I need to look like a 23-year-old. I spent all of college dying my hair and now that I'm back to my natural hair color every time I look in the mirror I see my high school self.

Bonus points for style/accessory related tips.

Take me from "good" to "stunning" with hair/makeup tips and suggestions.

Dukat — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 08:53:57 -0800

Hair and Makeup Experts! Take me, a mid-twenties female, from "looking good" to looking like a *bombshell*. I'm decent at fashion/style, but there's something about hair and makeup I'm not getting right to look my best. Background:

I am a mid-twenties female who is late to the hair/makeup/clothing scene (started a couple of years ago). Grew up a brainiac and not paying much attention to what I wore, etc. My mother is a professional who was far more invested in her work than her appearance until relatively recently, so I missed out on the lessons some women seem to learn from their mothers.

I'm told by people whose style I respect that I have a decent approach to style. I take care to accessorize. I pay very close attention to fit--I like fitted jeans, clothes, tops. I buy fewer higher-qualithy pieces of clothing that look great on me versus more cheaper clothing.

I could do a LOT better job with buying shoes, though.

I am 5'6 and 130lbs or so. I could stand to lose a few extra pounds, but I typically wear a size 4/6.

Area I need to work on:

There's something I need to work on with regards to hair/makeup. For example, I went to the opera the other night. In front of me and behind me were women my age (or maybe a little older) who looked camera-ready. They were drop-dead gorgeous. And I owned a dress very similar to one of the women, but their makeup and hair was perfect. By contrast, my hair had flyaways, looked flat and boring, and my makeup wasn't nearly as good.

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY DOING:

HAIR:
Medium length hair (growing it out from a pixie for the first time in my life--I have never had hair this long). It falls just below my shoulders. I had bangs but they've since been cut into side bangs. I think I might look better with the actual bangs.

My hair is very fine and could almost ALWAYS use more volume.

I use Bumble & Bumble Shampoo and Conditioner, dry with hair-dryer, comb in damp hair. This generally produces decent results but doesn't last too long.

Suggestions for products? Better haircuts for the medium-length growing out phase? I'd like to see what I look like with long hair, as I've never had long hair. Suggestions for styling?

I'm told that I have a facial shape similar to Keira Knightley or Mandy Moore, if that helps.

MAKEUP:

Current morning routine is: Neutrogena sunscreen SPF 50, Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation, and then followed by Neutrogena face powder. Neutrogena mascara. I typically don't wear lipstick.

At night I rinse with Neutrogena makeup-remover and then put on some Aveeno anti-aging cream. It's made my skin feel a lot softer over the past couple of months.

NAILS:

I admit to getting very little done here. I paint my nails myself sometimes. It shows.

What am I not doing right? There's something. I walk past women everyday who look drop-dead gorgeous and smashing. I think I have good material to work with as anyone, there's something I'm not doing right in the execution where my makeup looks blah and my hair looks limp and lifeless. Not to say I don't look decent and put-together (most of the time I do, and I'm not the type to go out the door without makeup and a coordinated outfit) but I don't look like a very well-maintained, kept-up woman.

And I also have an entry-level professional job, with a decent budget, but nothing too extreme.

Thanks so much AskMeFi

Short Boxed Beard & short hair?

krisjohn — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:54:16 -0800

I have a "Short Boxed Beard" (as per this pic), which I like, and long hair which just isn't working. Can anyone point me to some photographs of short hair that works well with this style of beard? Thanks.

Turn my 'shroom head into a hipster do instead of a soccer mom don't

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:57:04 -0800

Keep my hair from going from "awesome, slightly damp" to "pouffy mushroom." Difficulty factor: it's a (human hair) wig. (Hence the anonymity.) I've had some medical hair loss, and in the meantime I'm wearing a (professionally styled, human hair) full wig--hand-tied monofilament top with wefted sides, for those of you in the know. (I'm not sure any of that info matters.)

I've gotten better at styling it, but I'm having a problem not unique to wig hair (but not something that I had a problem with for my "real" hair so I don't know what product to buy). It looks piece-y and lays flat and naturally (and looks as good as a $300 wig gets) when it's still 5% damp or so. I leave the house looking and feeling young and hip.

But then it dries completely and poofs out into soccer mom mushroom. I don't want to thin it out any more, since I can't afford to buy another one before my hair grows in and the wig will shed over its lifetime anyway, and I spent money on a really good layer cut for it, so I don't think that's the solution either. Because it's a wig, I can't just wait a day or two for scalp oils to work their magic. (Note: I'm not overwashing it either.)

I'm looking for what product (wax, pomade, etc.) you use on a chin length cut in this situation. (Note: does not have to be wig specific.)

email= flipmywig@gmail.com

What's with people oiling their hair and sticking the bangs to their forehead?

ichthuz — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:09:07 -0800

There seems to be a trend among older women, at least in Baltimore (mainly African-American ladies, but I have seen Hispanic and Caucasian women do this as well), of matting down hair with some sort of oil. The goal seems to be to get as much hair as possible as close to the scalp as possible. The bangs are then stuck to the forehead, and it looks like this is purely oil based. As I haven't yet had the kahones to ask one of these lovely ladies what's up with the hair, I was hoping someone knew: A. What sort of product is being applied to get this "just out of the oil bath" look? B. Is this an every morning thing, or do you apply just once a week? Once a month?

Maybe it's time for a (hairstyle) change?

Vorteks — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:46:09 -0800

I'm a man, and all my life I've had exactly one hairstyle. Now I'm looking to refine my look a little bit. What do I need to know? I've had pretty much the same hairstyle for 26 years. My friends and family often tease me that there's no point in me even going to the barbershop because "it always looks the same anyway". I have always worn a medium-length cut. My hair parts naturally, and I've never fought it. I pretty much use no hair products of any kind, other than shampoo and conditioner. I'm pretty conservative in my dress and grooming.

Now, I'm thinking a bit of change might be good. I might change my overall hairstyle, or maybe I want to keep my style but use some kind of product to enhance it or keep it in place a bit. However, I have no idea where to start. Can you help me? How does a man choose a new hairstyle? Is there some kind of guide? What sort of products (gels, sprays, brushes, etc) should I know about? What's the difference between a $10 barber, and a $30 salon? Any and all information would be helpful.

In general, I would consider:

A new (yet still conservative) hairstyle. A bit longer, a bit shorter, try to remove the part, whatever.

Using a subtle gel or spray to hold my hair in place or enhance it

Going to a new shop or salon if it would help

I would not consider:

Coloring or highlighting.

Gels or sprays that have a very obvious and dramatic effect - making your hair look solid, or laquered, or whatever

Anything that would shock your grandmother. I'm going for a more modest, business-friendly look.

I'm looking for more general advice about my options rather than a specific recommendation, but if it helps this is what I look like (although the part in my hair isn't always that pronounced). Also, if it matters, I live in Michigan, USA.

Thanks in advance!

Hairy question

pised — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:42:59 -0800

Teach me to braid my hair like this. I really love how Emily Robison from the Dixie Chicks has her hair braided in this video (the braid shows up around 1:48 -- she's the one in the green sweater). I think they must have put extensions in to get the braid that substantial. It's obviously not the standard braid where you plait three pieces together, so how did they do that? What's this style of braid (if it's that) called?

How can I encourage the 10th of my hair that won't curl to do so?

gwenlister — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:11:11 -0800

Top of my head hair is straighter than the under hair of my head, which is fairly curly. What can I do/use to help the top hair be curlier? Please save me from my 30 minute routine of blow drying and flat ironing.... I have what I can only explain as 'combination hair'. The top layer of hair on my head is only slightly wavy, while the rest of my hair has a definite curl to it, forming nice compact curls with little to no effort. I have a whole lot of trouble getting the top hair to curl like the bottom hair without it looking stupid so for the past year+ I have resigned myself to three possibilities: blowdrying and flat ironing my hair straight every morning (which takes 30+ minutes), wearing it tied back (boring), or letting the hair curl but pulling the top hair back because it won't curl (which makes me look odd... trust me).

What I'd like to know is if any techniques or products that are out there that could help in my quest for uniformly curly hair. I do have and use a diffuser on the rare occasion I try to wear it curly, and it works amazingly well with the bottom hair, but again just makes my top hair look messy. I also have a curling iron like this which I have tried using on just the top hair to make it uniform, but it also looks ridiculous. I also got some layers cut into my hair, thinking that maybe it was the weight of the hair that was pulling it straighter, but it made only a slight difference.

Also, I am not willing to get a perm or anything like that. I am thinking more along the lines of a styling tool or technique or product I can use when I want it to curl.

Help me pick a hairstyle!

nokry56 — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:35:35 -0800

How should I style my hair? 18 year old male with a huge forehead and thick hair... So I'm tired of my current hairstyle that I've had for the past 4 years. Problem is my face isn't all that pretty and I need a haircut that doesn't look bad with my gigantic head or forehead. I'm willing to do anything but a crew cut.

Requirements:
-hip, yet professional (internship this summer with Chevron)
-no styling other than some product and combing

Here are some pictures of me currently: link -- normally I get it cut about 3/4" shorter than that and thin it out. I need a haircut, hence this question.
The first pic (03.jpg) is a style I'm considering. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Help me oil my hair without... oiling my hair.

cranberrymonger — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:20:13 -0800

I have very short, straight hair (pixie cut) and I find it easiest to style the day after the day I shower. I think something about the extra oil gives it more body. When I shampoo and condition, it's very soft and clean (good) but lies flat and has no shape (bad). How to address this? I use pomade but putting it on clean hair isn't as easy as I want it to be. I'm in the midst of a cold and unforgiving Canadian winter, which also makes my hair dry. What can I do to give my hair more oil/texture the day I wash it? Do people put oil directly in their hair? Are there some conditioners that work better than others? What is the key ingredient?

Girlfriend wants me to get a shaggy hairstyle, should I?

jakubsnm — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:26:12 -0800

My other half really wants me to get the modern shag hair style like Brad Pitt's. I have long hair at the moment and I'm not too keen on the change... I think it's too feminine (pink is not the new black) and outdated. Am i being too stubborn?

Recommend a miracle-worker hairstylist for men in seattle/eastside!

anonymisc — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:58:35 -0800

Seattle or Eastside: Recommendations for a hairdresser specializing in trendy cuts for men, despite the formidable obstacle of seriously thinning hair. This may be my last chance to look young, hot, and fashionable, before my hair declares to the world the world "Going on middle aged and should know better by now!". I have long hippy hair that has never been fashionable. It's disappearing and I'd like a trendy cut at least once before it's too late. It may already be too late. I fear a stylist is going to misjudge how thin it is (the length disguises this) and botch it. So: Who is a miracle-worker hairstylist who can give guys makeovers to hotness?

So many shampoos, so much confusion

stedman15 — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:40:07 -0800

I need to know the truth: How often should I be using shampoo and conditioner, and what sorts of shampoo and conditioner? Over the past few years, my hair has started thinning. I'm not bald, but I no longer the possess the luxuriant mane I had in college.

I get my hair cut at a hairstyling academy, and have been asking the stylists how I should shampoo. Their advice is making my head spin. Some told me to use organic shampoo, others told me to use shampoo without sulfates. Some told me I need to condition my hair often, others have said once a week is enough. I've been told to use volumizing conditioner by some to make my hair fuller, others say it doesn't matter.

So I ask MeFi: How should I be washing my hair, with what, and how often? If you can also let me know specific brands to use, it would be much appreciated.

I saw this earlier thread, but it doesn't seem to answer my questions.

How can my current hair become David Tennant's hair?

John Kenneth Fisher — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:05:52 -0800

So I always have boring haircuts. Standard businessman cut type. Cause I'm lazy and hate having to do anything with it in the morning. And this morning I realized it is now at the point where it needs to be cut as it's looking, well, like it needs to be cut. (How it looks right now: me1, me2, me3, though for some reason in the pics it looks a lot less in need of cleanup than it does in real life.) So I'd like to do something a bit more interesting, a bit more daring. Not much, but a little. I'm kind of in a turning myself around mentally state, and it's passing over into things like this. And you know what style (roughly) I like? David Tennant-ish messy. Seen here and here.... But here's my question: My hair probably CAN'T do that now. The length isn't nearly enough, the current cut can't be reshaped into that, etc. etc. So what do I tell my hairstylist to get a hair cut that looks decent now, maybe even with that same messy feel, but lets it evolve into either that or something that can be cut to that down the line?

(Also note that I'm in suburbia, so my choice of places is somewhat limited to barber shop and low-rent salons)

Volume!

you're a kitty! — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:55:39 -0800

Gimmie volume! Not the acoustic kind... I have fine, flat hair, and want awesome big hair. I've always had baby-fine, extremely straight hair that doesn't really like to do anything, no matter what I try. I've had good haircuts and that's helped (it's chin-length at this point), and volumizing spray + blowdrying upside down gives me some texture, but the only thing that's caused my locks to remotely approach "volumnious" is Bumble&Bumble's hair powder, which, while great for events, is definitely not something I'd want to use every day. Any suggestions? Are there products or techniques out there that I've just somehow missed, or must I embrace the hair I had as a six-year-old?

help me get my hair did.

cilantro — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:04:38 -0800

Please help me find a still photo of the haircut from this Regina Spektor video (with or without the little fringe), and/or tell me how to explain to the hairdresser how I want it cut I haven't been to a hairdresser in at least 15 years. For me, a haircut involves dividing it into two tails, pulling them forward over my shoulders, and trimming them at about solar-plexus level. Since I have major curls any unevenness is hidden, but it's pretty boring unless I put it up and I want something with a more interesting shape that's still long.

Help me put my hair up!

lalex — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:19:40 -0800

Teach me how to style my hair! I would like to learn how to put my (long) hair up in ways that are a tad more polished and elegant than my usual "pile rat's nest on top of head, secure with an elastic" style.

I've googled this, but the results tend to be of the Jessica McClintock Prom variety. I would love it if any MeFi women (or men!) could recommend websites that have simple, explicit, step-by-step instructions for updo virgins. Bonus points for photo illustrations.

Growing hair back (stylishly) after shaving head

panoptican — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:01:59 -0800

I shaved my head a while back and now I want to grow it out again. Formerly, long, floppy, Beatles-esque hair. Now, buzzed, prickly, Army-esque hair. I like it but let's say I wanted to grow it back. What's the strategy?

I actually did try this and it reached a point one-month in where it just looked ridiculous constantly (the hair sticking straight out, long enough that it looked silly but not long enough to actually style) so I shaved it again. So by strategy, I mean how do you grow it back while neutralizing the several month puffball span.

Pimp my hair! On second though, please don't.

lekvar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:58:09 -0800

Is there a "sartorialst"-style website for haircuts? The girl who cuts my hair does a good job. I allow her a pretty free hand with my hair 'cause I always get compliments after she's done waving her scissors at my head. But I'd like to get a feel for what people out there in the world are doing with/having done with their hair without having to read "US" or "People" or similar supermarket tabloid stuff.

So, are there sites out there that show what's hot right now, what's edgy, what's goofy, what's weird and beautiful and fun in the world of hair?