So, I have been trying to grow my hair out, this is my 3rd time trying, but my parents want me to cut it again. Last time, they said it was because I don't care for it properly, and I'm guessing that is still the reason.

Anyways, I have ideas for when it gets past my ears, but it is just not reaching my eye brows. My hair is naturally curly, which I had somehow forgotten, and my sideburns curl upwards while the rest of my hair doesn't curl, so that is pretty annoying. I really have no idea on how to style hair, besides putting water in it, and brushing it down.

Any ideas on how to style my hair?

Yeah. Just let it grow. Mine is the same way with the curly, unruly rat's nest until it gets to a certain length. Wash it everyday, condition it and use anti frizz products. Also an anti humidity hairspray helps. If I go a day without washing it, it starts looking dirty, way more frizzy and the curls/waves not looking quite right. I can't even blow dry mine because it poofs out too much afterward, same with using a straightening iron.

As for styling it. I wash and then condition it. I leave the conditioner in about 5 mins and then rinse with cool water. I then towel dry it and brush it. I then add the anti frizz serum, quite a bit more than what it says on the bottle, and brush that through. I then add the strongest gel that they make and then shake my head like a dog to let it do what it does naturally. I then spray the crap out of it with the anti humidity hairspray. When it dries, it feels stiff and then I will run my hands over it and through the top of it until it feels soft again. The main reason I do the gel and the hairspray deal is that it holds it somewhat until it dries which adds weight and kind of stretches the curls out and gives it more length. If not it would lose length becuase of the curls drying.

The awkward stage will suck though but have patience because when it's long you'll be pleased especially if it's a feminine look you want to acheive.

Well, you revealed in your post the answer to overcoming your parent's objections. All you have to do is care for and style your hair extremely well. This is not that hard to do. Jess gave great advice about products to use. Conditioners tend to relax curl a fair bit. In fact, many people who want curl avoid them for that reason. Use a good quality matched shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. If you have dryness, use a good after-shampoo conditioner like Infusion 23 in addition the the other. You might also want to use a deep conditioner a couple of times per month.

Also, try some styling products during grow out to tame things. I love mousse,  myself and tend to avoid sprays. During growout, you might want to smooth it back as much as possible. There are gels and creams that do this well. You might want to talk to a stylist, explaining that you want to grow it out and look as good as possible as it does. She/he could probably give you a good starting cut that will help and also trim it later from time to time so it grows out to the shape you want well. A stylist can also give you good advice about products.

Beyond that, when growing it out, I've used hats, headbands, barrettes and other hair-holding gadgets during the awkward phase. Family always complain when we grow out our hair. This is just fact of life. Just keep it as neat as possible and explain that you're going to keep it super well groomed and it will look better once you reach your target length.

~ Lyric ~

Thanks, didn't even think of using gel or any of that stuff. I just use the shampoo and conditioner my mom buys, think it is anti-frizz. Next time I go to the store, I will look for stuff that fits my hair I guess, plus, wanted to look at other things as well, even though I forgot what I wanted to look at.

Will have to think more about the length I want though.. but that is probably a few more months away. The washing everyday will be easy though, since I kind of have to shower everyday or else I get cysts behind my ears(and bad acne).

Quote from: Jess42 on July 22, 2013, 09:49:07 AM
Yeah. Just let it grow. Mine is the same way with the curly, unruly rat's nest until it gets to a certain length. Wash it everyday, condition it and use anti frizz products. Also an anti humidity hairspray helps. If I go a day without washing it, it starts looking dirty, way more frizzy and the curls/waves not looking quite right. I can't even blow dry mine because it poofs out too much afterward, same with using a straightening iron.

As for styling it. I wash and then condition it. I leave the conditioner in about 5 mins and then rinse with cool water. I then towel dry it and brush it. I then add the anti frizz serum, quite a bit more than what it says on the bottle, and brush that through. I then add the strongest gel that they make and then shake my head like a dog to let it do what it does naturally. I then spray the crap out of it with the anti humidity hairspray. When it dries, it feels stiff and then I will run my hands over it and through the top of it until it feels soft again. The main reason I do the gel and the hairspray deal is that it holds it somewhat until it dries which adds weight and kind of stretches the curls out and gives it more length. If not it would lose length becuase of the curls drying.

The awkward stage will suck though but have patience because when it's long you'll be pleased especially if it's a feminine look you want to acheive.

Pretty much.

Naturally messy (aka curly) defies most attempts to "style" it... best just to let it do what it wants. 

Quote from: Sara Thomas on July 22, 2013, 04:25:20 PM
Pretty much.

Naturally messy (aka curly) defies most attempts to "style" it... best just to let it do what it wants. 

That's me, messy and defies all attempts to anykind of style. I used to hate my curly hair. I always loved the sleek look but when I saw how long it took for me to achieve that, I gave it up. 5mins curly and 35+ mins straight. Not to mention getting it right and then it rains and its back to square one. Now when it rains and I'm caught I jsut do the dog shake and fix it with my fingers and I'm good.

Oh and matthewzguitars, easy on the combing and or brushing. I brush mine twice a day and that is when its wet and after the gel. Other than that it's just using the fingers.

mathewzguitars emphasis on the guitars. If your mom and dad are the problem and you know how to play, just convince them that you are thinking about starting a band. Everyone knows that if you're in a garage band you need to look a little unkempt and unruly.

Quote from: matthewzguitarz on July 22, 2013, 04:19:40 PMThe washing everyday will be easy though...

Let's back a bit. I don't think anyone recommended washing every day. Pretty much nobody should do that unless their hair is extremely oily. Shampooing washes the oils out and your hair can become dryer and brittle. Also, longer hair doesn't get as much oil toward the ends, so it really doesn't need to be washed as often. I only wash my hair about twice a week. Less is better here, as long as it stays clean and neat.

~ Lyric ~

Quote from: Lyric on July 22, 2013, 05:45:49 PM
Let's back a bit. I don't think anyone recommended washing every day. Pretty much nobody should do that unless their hair is extremely oily. Shampooing washes the oils out and your hair can become dryer and brittle. Also, longer hair doesn't get as much oil toward the ends, so it really doesn't need to be washed as often. I only wash my hair about twice a week. Less is better here, as long as it stays clean and neat.

~ Lyric ~

Guilty. That was me. I have to wash it everyday with a shampoo that has Argan oil in it. If not it goes to crap. Plus I sweat profusely on a daily basis for about four straight hours and often times my hair is completely soaked with sweat. The salt from the sweat dries it out and then it has the texture of straw. Plus the smell ain't real nice when I turn my head too fast or look down and it falls in my face.

Okay, so that wasn't a myth Now I get to spend more time on my face in the shower(hard to choose between washing my hair, or spending time on washing my face).

The guitar thing could work I am in a musical mood right now because a friend is talking about learning piano, found out one of my cousins is learning the bass, his sister is learning the flute, self teaching the piano, and wants to learn the guitar, and I just got down practicing violin. Anyways, I do play guitar, a lot(at least an hour a day, sometimes more like 3), and going to play even more since after this week I have 2 weeks off from school before I go into the next grade which I have worked so hard to get into.

I could just make an excuse saying that all famous guitarists have long hair(most of them do at least).

Just glanced at the tv to see a girl on The Waltons with curly hair.. that actually does look nice. But, about the brushing when it is wet, I read somewhere that it is bad for your hair? Or is that just for non curly hair?

Well, I brush mine when its wet because that's the only time I do brush it. I haven't got a real big problem with breakage because of the conditioner. You could also use a wide tooth comb and that's a little easier on the hair. I really guess it depends on the hair type though because I used to never brush it, just put all the stuff in and shake. Now I do it to distribute all the stuff evenly.

When I started a band in the early eighties, I had to have long hair and the more feminine the better. Duh.. to all the naysayers, we were a Hair Band after all. I still have a band and it is still rock but instead of the fancy fingerings of the 80s it's more of a mix of classic metal riffs and loud bluesy solos. Pure loudness, dirty and basic. I tried to have shorter hair but it just didn't feel right moving my head with nothing hitting my face. I just couldn't get into it as much. I practice like I play at gigs and why I sweat so much and have to wash it everyday.

Brushing is good for moving oils from the scalp toward the ends. When hair is wet, though, it is much more fragile and breakable, so it's best not to brush when it's wet. In fact, since my hair is fine, I do very little combing or anything when it's wet. Once it's mostly dry, I begin finger coming it, gradually working from the ends up to the scalp. Then I use a very wide comb. I discovered a way to detangle using a wide tooth plastic brush, though. Instead of pulling the brush through my hair, I roll it through gently. This actually is a very effective way to detangle.

Forget making excuses, though, Matthew. Excuses are for chumps. Just know what you want and stick to it. Don't argue with people about your personal grooming choices. It's really only your business and not a subject for discussion. That's always been my approach and it's worked. People respect confidence.

~ Lyric ~

Well, just thought how funny this is, never thought I would be discussing hair

Guess I should buy a comb next time I go to the store as well. Hopefully that will be soon.

The music thing, always wondered what it would be like to have long hair and play music. But also, I shall just say I want long hair to look like the people from lord of the rings Since I kind of do want to have hair like the one guy who I forgot the name of.

Recently I cut my hair short, and I feel it so much convenient and easy. Now I do not need any hair dryer or hair iron, which I just stored at a box. It requires so much time and effort to maintain long hairs.

My big mistake was using chemical hair straightener. Actually I did not need it, but for some curiosity, I started it about 7 years ago. Once starting it, I had to apply once every 6 months, and this deteriorated my hairs. They were easily entangled, and I straightened again. My hairs became worse and worse. Finally I cut my hair about several weeks ago. I will grow my hair again without applying straightener at all. It will take several years.

To keep my feminine looking, nowadays I wear eye makeups. With short hair, it works well. Wearing eye makeup requires far shorter time and effort than keeping long hair.

My hair is very oily and I should rinse at least once everyday.

barbie~~

Well, Barbie, I saw the pics of you with the new short cut over in the pic thread and you really look as feminine as ever to me. I love it long, though.