Changing my hair

[spitfire]

I have my hair as in the picture below and I don't really want it like this anymore. It gets all wavy and poofy and it makes me look younger than I want to look.
The thing is... I don't want to just cut it off and style it all differently right off the bat. I don't want the dramatic change, I'd rather do something gradually.

I was thinking of cutting the sides and back a little just to get rid of the mass but the front is a problem. I have a largish forehead but I really want to lose the bangs. I was thinking of pushing the bangs to the side a little and slowly over time working the bangs off my face. Therefore the change won't be too drastic and I can get used to it.
Can anyone suggest a "transtional style" between this and no bangs?

http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com/da...9te+tH0300.jpg

[Toni]

Hey spitfire!
Welcome to the forum.

Hope you come back to read this reply as I didn't answer you right away and I apologize.

I think the best thing for you to do is to let your hair grow out at least a little. The weight from longer lengths will pull out the waves and therefore eliminate the "poofiness" you describe. Anytime you cut hair into short lengths, it has the ease, lightweight freedom to spring up into poofs or curls or waves. Go for a longer style, one you can have cut into longer layers or even opt for all one length something.

As for your bangs, try an off center part as you grow it out. At this length, on the side will drive you nuts as it probably won't work too well. Off center it until it grows out some then experiment with where you would like to try it. A severe side part is going to help expose a high forehead more so than one that's closer to the middle so keep that in mind.

Good luck!

[spitfire]

Hey,

I almost forgot all about this thread but I happened by and noticed a reply.

This is the length it's at now and it still is really poofy and the front, especially the right side, has this odd wave in it that is impossible to fight. Here's a pic

http://shutter12.pictures.aol.com/da...6KvMiA01BE.jpg

At this point I began to part the bangs a little toward the side. I always though a center part made your forehead look bigger? My part is more to the side but not off-center. As I have it now, I've got a good part of my forehead exposed with the bangs plastered to one side.

http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com/da...6CTx6F0300.jpg

My goal is still to have all the hair off my face. Is the way I'm going good or should I try something else? Where should I go next?

[Toni]

Hey again spitfire,

I know ordinarily, bangs are best to hide high foreheads. With that said, I do want to compliment you on this new look. I like it better than the flat, comb straight down look you had. It's not just a high forehead you have, you have a long type face in general and the ideal thing is to divert the attention more to the sides. You are slowly achieving this having the length come down to and over the ears, tricking the eye to look off to the side and therefore widening your face more!!!

Let's see how look you grow your look!

[spitfire]

This is where I'm at now:
http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com/da...3f-EiO018E.jpg

I am ready to get rid of the bangs completely. Do you think I could pull off anything like these? I don't really want it too short (yet) and I like the spikey look.
http://shutter14.pictures.aol.com/da...vnbg4+025A.jpg
http://shutter06.pictures.aol.com/da...UyamuR0300.jpg

[Toni]

Hello again spitfire.
How are you?

Foregoing all the face shape stuff, I think that you "could" wear your hair like this. I am guessing you want a radical, new trend for yourself and this could be fun!!! Your hair length right now will enable you to try it out. You just need a product to help you.

I will advise you how, just want to ask one question. Does this style fit your personality? Do you think you can carry it off in public and not care if anyone stares. Cause the old folks will. LOL!!!!! If we think enough of ourselves, like we are supposed to, and love ourselves enough to be who we want to be, than we should not care what others think, especially, the general public who doesn't know us at all!!!!

My advice would be to buy the smallest can of cheap hair spray you can find or if you have any hair spray than great. The small can of cheap stuff is just for experiment purposes only. Your hair will not quite look the way you want to wear it usually. This is for you to judge how you feel about your new look.

READ all the way through before starting:
In the privacy of your home, just before shampooing, bend over allowing your hair to fall towards the floor and spray, trying as much as possible to get near the scalp, not so much the ends. I know this sounds impossible. What I sometimes do, though I have to wash my hands off right away, is to spray my fingertips with the spray and very quickly rake my hair at the scalp with the purpose of getting the wet spray in that area before it starts to dry. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE CHEAP SPRAY HAS MORE ALCOHOL AND DRIES THE FASTEST OF ALL SPRAYS. Spray your fingertips over and over, repeating this action until you feel you have the entire scalp covered.

I only recommended a small can of cheap stuff so you won't be out much IF you don't like this look.
Have a blow dryer handy set on LOW setting to s***d things up and get the look as you want it....all while still having your hair fall towards the floor.

Ok, now don't judge too harshly. The top of your hair will be too long, yes so imagine it shorter. It will look a lot better and manage a lot easier once cut correctly, yet you have to decide BEfore you cut it. If you walk around the house for a while, checking it out and maybe have your best bud there to help you decide, KNOW that the products I would suggest you buy to get your hair how you want it will NOT leave your hair this stiff and BOZO like. This is just to see if you even like the spikes on you. Once the spray is completely dry, soften up the ends by finger raking with dry, unsticky hands. As it loosens up, arrange it uniformly to see what you think. Then finger rake up closer and closer to the scalp all while observing in the mirror what you think.

PLEASE NOTE: I would never recommend that one use hair spray and a dryer like this on a regular basis, ESPECIALLY that cheap, major alcohol hairspray, as it will dry the heck out of your hair and ruin it. Just this once, or twice if you can't decide, will be alright. Shampoo, lathering twice as hair spray residue is the pits.

Spiking your hair will be fun and you can tell the stylist you are going to do this so you want the sides a bit shorter than top {tell him/her you want the top to be no shorter than (we'll start with) 3 inches,} or you will resemble a clown. And yes, right now your top is way too long, regular spiking products are not going to keep it spiked, that would take freezing spray if you wanted this length spiked. It will take a while to train your hair not to part like it has for so long, yet I think you are going to love the new style! You may even decide to only spike some of it, in a messy like look that has been so popular.
These aren't perfect examples of what I'm picturing, yet I think you'll get the idea....
Nick Carter
Christopher J. Hanke
John Mayer
Bradley Cooper
James Stevenson
So experiment, before you go get that cut and then go for it. Have the stylist spike it. It can even be cut a certain way to help the process, a pro will know what to do. He/she can recommend products that you don't have to buy right away. Department stores carry Garnier "Fructis" products that work just fine! Then after your cut and spike, walk the mall, be happy, and don't worry about the old folks, just see how many pretty girls notice you!

[spitfire]

wow, thanks for your comprehensive reply!

I now see exactly what you mean by the "craziness" of those examples I posted, especially when used with my face shape. I tried something like them and while it wasn't "terrible", it may be a little too much for my personality. I didn't necessarily want THIS drastic a change...
http://shutter11.pictures.aol.com/da...NGfWTF0300.jpg

I think the lengths of the options you posted in the last post are more respectable yet they still have decent length to work with. I think I should get a good haircut all around and then try and spike it up afterward. At least short enough so the spikes aren't out of control and I don't have to use tons of product to keep it that way!

I was thinking the fauxhawk, or something like it, may work well once it is shorter.

Thanks again. For the good responses you give I'm surprised that there aren't more people on this site.

[Toni]

Oh wow. I really like this look on you! You should go with this or something similar for sure!!!

ttfn

and take care.

[spitfire]

I thought I'd stop back and check in... the traffic seems to have increased on here since I was here last.

I've been wearing my hair medium length but I usually work all the bangs into spikes in the front, sometimes into a fauxhawkish spike. I know I have a large forehead but having bangs for so long kind of makes me not care. I want it to show. i think it balances my long face.

But on the other hand, I don't want to look stupid either...lol. The longer the spikes get, the goofier it looks. I think it looks better from the side but somehow my forehead looks bigger from the front. It's not "bulbous" but it just sticks out. Am I stuck? Would shorter hair proportion my face better?

Thanks

http://shutter03.pictures.aol.com/da...ChfTtl02D9.jpg

http://shutter05.pictures.aol.com/da...deFJww0300.jpg

[Toni]

Hey spitfire!

You seem pretty comfortable with your new style. Yes you do have a high forehead and since bangs are old, maybe try this. Instead of spiking your hair straight up, have the spikes go more out towards the front to try and shadow your forehead a little? Let me know what that does.

I'm not there to try it and see what it looks like. Otherwise, if you're happy, then that's all that matters!