STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Lilykind · Hermes

question for girls with thick hair.

blubirde · Chanel

My hair takes forever to dry, consumes a lot of products, etc. I feel you. I hair can do a bit of natural wave, so I decided to revamp my hair attitude and start again. I stopped washing it everyday and now stick with once or twice a week. Baby powder became my best friend, shampoo and conditioner started lasting longer, products are only used on special occasions, and I usually let my hair air dry now. Oh, and I got my stylist to give me a lot of layers so it a) dries faster and b) looks better when I don't straighten or dry it.

If none of that works for you, I say do whatever makes you happiest. If sacrificing some of your precious morning time for pretty, long hair is worth it to you, then go long. If your time is more important than the extra length, go for some cute, funky short do. I think you'd look great either way.

Christine · Coach

So, my hair is thick and I've had it a range of lengths, from all the way down my back, to cut above my shoulders. The best length for me is a layered cut about 3" past my shoulders. When it's cut shorter, it tends to get too wide and puffy because of its thickness, and when it's longer it's just a PITA to maintain.

Tati · Chanel

i have thick hair too, and i've learned that it saves a lot of time and my hair if i wash it every 3-4 days. my hair is wavy/curly and i only straighted it for certain occasions. i've also learned that i dont have to brush my hair out unless i plan on straigtening it, which that alone saves a lot of time! i've had long, mid, and short hair before. of course short hair is easier and faster to maintain but i think i dont look that good with short hair so i've let it grow out again. now its past my shoulders, i dont think i'll let it grow too much longer, especially since summer is right around the corner. how long is it now? past your shoulder blades? maybe just cut it to your shoulders, thats still considerd(sp?) long and you'll feel a difference in just doing that.

btw, if you do cut your hair, please post

Ritz · Dooney & Bourke

i think it depends more on the texture than the thickness.. i wear my naturally curly hair straight, so it is much easier to style/handle when it is longer, or i can just throw it up, whereas when it was short in the fall, i had to style it/straighten it daily.

in general i think thicker hair looks better with some length and lots of layers so it doesn't get too wide and puffy at the bottom

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

I have extremely curly/frizzy hair and I just got it cut into a bob that I wear straight every day. I knew that in doing this I'd have to get a better blow dryer. I bought the T3 Tourmaline Evolution last week and it has saved me a tremendous amount of time in the morning. I used to have blow dry my hair and then flat iron it. The T3 cuts the time in half AND I no longer have to flat iron it. So, I'd say if you're worried about it taking a longer amount of time, definitely invest in a good blow dryer if you don't already have one.

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

I love my hair long, with lots of layers. The layers take off some of the weight, but work really well with the texture of my hair. My layers start at about chin length, and my hair is down to almost the middle of my back. That being said, however, short hair can be fun too. Thick hair is great...you can do pretty much anything!

Oh, and I have to add that I love the K-Pak protector mousse stuff for my hair. I put it on before blow-drying and my hair is super soft.

kenzie · Chanel

I have really long, super super thick, wavy hair. I've had my hair all different lengths, in all different cuts, from a short, pixie cut, to the long, layered style I have now.

I go through a minimum of one bottle of conditioner (John Frieda Brilliant Brunette) per week, and it takes about two weeks for a bottle of shampoo. I wash my hair every other day or thereabouts. But even though, I go through a ton of product, my hair is pretty much wash and wear. In addition to my shampoo/conditioner, the only other styling product that I use daily is Ocean Waves (I use one bottle per week of that, too).

I've found that shorter styles make my hair much less manageable. It requires much more styling time, for which I have zero patience. But I agree with whoever said that it's more of texture issue than a thickness issue. Because my hair is naturally very wavy, the shorter it gets, the curlier it gets, so that contributes to the out-of-control big hair.

Shello · Kenneth Cole

I have super thick hair, and what works best for me is around shoulder-length. My stylist also layers it a ton and thins it with a bunch of different scissors. I straighten my hair almost every day though, so the layers work pretty well and I don't have to worry about it getting really puffy. Still though, I go through shampoo and conditioner fairly quickly (maybe a bottle a month if I had to estimate).

Lilykind · Hermes

Tati wrote:

how long is it now? past your shoulder blades? maybe just cut it to your shoulders, thats still considerd(sp?) long and you'll feel a difference in just doing that. btw, if you do cut your hair, please post

I cut it to just below chin length this past December. My hair is now about armpit length/hits at the top of my chest...it's an in-between length for me and I hate it.

The problem is that while plenty of hairdressers can put tons and tons of amazing long layers through my hair, not ONE hairdresser can give me the short haircut I dream of...textured, super-crazy layered, punky, totally wash-and-wear messy, with cool, slightly jagged bangs. I don't know if it's my hair or the hairdressers though. Plus, I have the world's shortest neck, so sometimes when I do shorter haircuts, I look like I have a bowl cut.