For the women! Hair questions!!!

[Miss Mary]

Hi gals out there. Have a few questions about styling hair. Hoping this category fits in this forum. I think it does.....

A little history: I've had several variations of a page boy for over 20 years. In the past few years I've had a point cut bob - it's cut dry, each horrizontal layer is bluntly cut, then vertically cut immediately, chunking it out. Next layer is then cut the same way. Making the ends about 1 inch up, all notched out. With choppy bangs too. It lays very well and blow dries easily that way. I then missed the hairdresser I've had off and on for almost 18 years. He cut my hair my old way for a while, a simple page boy. Then I asked for a new look in July and gave him a list of things I wanted - 1. a messy look, 2. a current updated look and 3. not short. Well, he cut it very short, too short to even curl under in the back. All I could do was comb it down and then work on upper layers. He layered it up to my ears. It was awful. Just awful. He said it was a cut to either flip up or down. Ha! He styled it down, rounded over a brush. Felt like I had a boufont (sp?) look. When I got to the counter to pay my bill, the 2 young-hip looking receptionists had their heads down writing down appointments, so they didn't look at me at first. Oh BTW, they both have pink hair, get the picture? I said well when I came in here my hair was a lot longer (see my gallery photo) and I got a lot cut off today. They looked up with smiles on their faces and both girls lost their smiles quickly and went - oh, how niiiiicccceee. I knew then and there I got a fuddy duddy cut and I looked old and frumpy. I don't want to look old and frumpy! I vowed not to have it cut for 3 months, waiting for it to grow out. I trimmed my bangs and had it cut again in early November. By the dry point cut bob hairdresser (yes I went running back to her, she has a vision for current styles!). I said I'd never leave her again. Okay all of that said.....

I've been flipping up the back and some of the sides, to see if I like that look. Because my ends are cut up at least an inch, it can go that way, sort of. My kids - my advice panel - think it looks better and more up to date than my old standard flip the ends under look. Now I am tempted to go back to Vicki and ask for a very slight trim (b/c I want it 2 or 3 inches longer overall) so the ends flip up easier. With that razor cut look (Nina has it right now and Vicki gave her this cut in August, so I know how it's achieved).

My questions are:

1. Do any of you have the flipped up look?

2. If so, do you just flip up the back and leave the sides somewhat turned under? Like Katie Couric does.

3. If you flip it up, what products do you use? I need first the type and brand. Right now I've been using an Aloe Vera mouse by Suave. And I used to hate mouse but this one leaves my hair soft. I hate stiff feeling hair.

4. I think the flipped up look looks good on women my age - I'm 48. Do you all agree? Please be honest! I mean that........

5. Another look I like is Meg Ryan's messy look. Chunked out. Do you think she achieves that by applying product while wet (again I need to know what type of product) and just scrunching it up? And leaving it that way?

Thanks for any and all responses I get!!!! Remember I need step by step replies if you flip your hair up. Things like do you bend over, put mouse at roots or in ends. Or both. I've had my hair flipped under for so long this is all new to me. But I am willing to at least try a new look. Thinking if I didn't like it, I can always have the ends snipped off and go back to a turned under bob quite easily.

Mary

[StormCrazyIowan]

Well, I am no expert, but I certainly have a lot of hair and have worn it many ways!!

For starters- I love the "flip up" look!! It is much more modern and flattering IMO, for any age!! And I like all of it flipped up as well!

Also, if you want a messy look, best way to get it is when its wet towel-dry it to where it's damp but not dripping, brush it out, and then flip your head over and mess away with some mousse (I usually scrunch!) I love the messy look and wear it a lot too, but my hair is loooong.

Hope I helped!!

[Miss Mary]

Jacki - you did. I need step by step instructions. You see I am stuck in a rut, the rut's comfortable but maybe I need an updated look. Considering it!

I used to joke while on vacations, and the bathroom was busy with someone in there, just give me any outlet, brush and blow dryer. I could blow-dry my hair blindfolded, it's been going the same way for years (before the horrible July cut!).

Mary

[Guest]

Miss Mary,

My hair is the one thing I can change about myself overnight to say the least. I wear my hair short, long and in between. I too was in the rut of wearing my hair in a bob...

Since my hair is longer - I had my stylist cut my hair to where it flipped out.

This is how I achieved the look.

1. Apply mousse or styling gel to keep hair in shape. I used a large round brush - turning hair up and out - until it was dry and I achieved the look I wanted.

2. Spray with hairspray to hold in place and enjoy.

3. I would request to your stylist to cut you hair to get this look - if they know how to use the razors to cut - go for it..

As for the chunky and Meg Ryan look - been there done that - I like the messy look - its a breeze to achieved.

1. Towel dry hair - apply styling gel - something a little heavier

2. Bend head forward and scrunch hair with fingers - applying more gel to set hair is messy motif.

3. Bring head back upright (lol) don't faint - and spray and scrunch with fingers. Then go. Hair can be slightly damp at this point and will dry in the messy style.

I hope I have helped - as you can see I probably spend too much $$ and time on my hair. But down here in TEXAS - we like our BIG hair LOL.

Patricia

[Miss Mary]

Patricia - wow, thanks!!! Appreciate the step by step instructions. Very much!

My old male hairdresser, quite good in his own right but stuck in a rut I think, didn't even want to tell me how to use "mud". He just kept going for that overly finished, rounded look. Too big, too fancy for me. I said (this was months ago) someone told me to try mud.....he said well, mud is basically a pomeade. He didn't even want to show me how to use it! My hairdresser now, the woman with current ideas, showed me how - by piecing it in very small sections, around my face. That was another eye opener for me, regarding the former beloved hairdresser. We women get quite attached to our hairdressers and feel bad if we go to someone else. At least with Mark he doesn't hold a grudge. Who the heck knows, I may be back to him one of these years. But for now Vicki seems to have the current ideas and ways to achieve those looks. And get this - she's in her 50s! Nina has the cutest, simplest cut right now. Just a flipped up thing. Evidence I can trust her. Each day I flip it up more or less and ask the girls - how's this? Nina is groaning at this point - Oh MOM. You're into this way too much. I think she wants me to go back to plain ole mom! LOL

Thanks again!

Mary

[StormCrazyIowan]

LOL, she uses gel, I use mousse!!

I would DEFINITELY suggest having a hairdresser give you a flip cut first, MUCH easier to style (and I learned that the hard way!!!)

Ugh, I don't do anything with this hair anymore, it's just too long!! LOL I wash it, brush it, and let it do it's own thing, and everytime it comes out different!

[Miss Mary]

Jacki - yeah my kids have basically said the same thing. Get a new cut, have the ends cut in a way so they flip up easier. I'll get the back going up but one side will go under, the other up. Kids are howling at me. You see I'm not working these days so who's to see me but them? LOL

I saw 2 women today with these flipped up cuts. They were shorter and with many layers. I'm pretty sure my hairdresser could just do the ends. I don't want layers again. Been growing them out since July.

Thanks again!

Mary

[StormCrazyIowan]

Yeah, you don't have to have layers to get a great cut!!

[breeze]

Miss Mary, my hairdresser tried that look on me - first, if you
see my photo in the gallery, I have a high forehead, so, I have
always worn bangs - he made them "wispy", and too much of my
TALL forehead showed. Then, he messed it up and only flipped
up certain areas of my poor thin, straight, no-body hair...leaving
me to look like my 26-yr-old neice (who has thick hair, and,
could pull off that style, at her age!). LOL, if he had cut it and
flipped it ALL outwards, like a Jacki Kennedy 1962 cut, I would
have been MUCH happier, and, would have bought the products
to have kept it that way!

I'm letting my hair grow a bit, now, and, I'll be trying another
hairdresser who can deal with my fine, straight hair....soon!

[StormCrazyIowan]

LOL, I have high forehead disease as well!!

I've always had bangs too, and I am thinning them out because they got to the point where they were ruling my head!! Let me tell you, this is the crappiest thing to have to do!! The bangs that are growing out I have to barette back, and it makes it almost impossible to do my hair!! And not only that, the bangs that are out have suddenly decided they wanted to part, oh joy!! lol, they better grow out soon!!!

[Stephanie]

I used to have the "Farrah Fawcet" look for a long time and went back and forth between shoulder length and a little longer. The large brush and haridryer did the trick for me, but it was a good ten minutes of my morning. I would just go around my head and with my brush take the hair and curl it up and out until dry.

For the last 6 or 7 years I've had it short and don't do a thing with it except to use some mousse and spread it through my hair. My hair is naturally curly when short so I just let it go. I wish I did it YEARS ago!!!

Good luck! I've had the same hairdresser for almost 20 years and I told him that I'd kill him if he left!

[CajunMama]

Miss Mary...i flip out the back of my hair. I use Aveda products....

color conserve shampoo and conditioner
flax seed aloe styling gel
control paste
firmata hair spray

my hair is super straight and it will hold pretty good in our humid weather down here.

[StormCrazyIowan]

Really? My hair is just HORRIBLE about staying when I curl!! And that is here, any day, even in non humid winter days!!

[opera ghost]

I tend to flip mine out when it's short- I just blow dry it with a round brush constantly brushing it in the flip I want it to go in. I put gel and mousse (I have extremely fine and thin hair- they give it body) and top it off with a bit of hairspray if it's going to be windy.

I haven't had layers since the 8th grade- just long or short hair flipped under when I was younger and out now that I'm older. I grew out the bangs when I graduated high school. I'd point you towards the gallery but I nearly murdered my hair dresser when I saw the final product. I asked for a few blonde highlights in my natural brown hair *laughs* and I wound up with a few brown lowlights and white blonde highlights in my brassy dark blonde hair- a week and a half before my wedding. She'd been my stylist for 3 years and I havn't gone back. Talk about your betrayals.... she was so proud that she'd done something that she had been wanting to do with my hair for years ("It's a MASTERPIECE!"- I nearly cried... because it wasn't ME). I've spent the last 5 months trying to grow the blonde out/cover it up until I can chop it all off.

But when I'm not scrambling to cover mistakes- I keep mine between my shoulder and my chin and curl it out- just using the hairdrying and a round brush. Sometimes when it's being difficult I use a curling iron- but I try not to (it fries my hair!)

[StormCrazyIowan]

See, my hair is about 27" long, and THICK!! I just can't do anything with it- the only thing that looks good is to scrunch it and wear it messy, which is what I did last night when I celebrated my birthday!

[Miss Mary]

Jacki - I had long hair in HS and a few years after. It was to my waist. All straight, one length. To this day, I still think that's a neat style. So don't complain!!! I used to get many compliments. When you're older you can't pull off this look. Maybe Goldie Hawn can, but she seems to have some wave to it. My hair was very straight. I had a good friend with naturally curly hair and it was short. That was all she could do with it she said. She used to envy my hair! I still think well maintained long straight hair, bluntly cut every 3 or 4 weeks, looks so nice. Another look I've grown to like is the way Jennifer Aniston has the ends of her long hair cut - it's razor cut or something. And that looks good too.

Mary

[pvroses]

Don't you hate it when a trusted hairstylist screws your hair up terribly ??!!! I tend to cut my own,and for drastic cuts I ask my friend who's a hairstylist to do it for me. I'm either,short haired or long haired,right now it's long....again.That is until I get bored and chop it all off.My friend (hairstylist) has a new cut w/ the flipped out back.It looks so cute.She uses a product called "Flipped Out" she bought it at a local Sally's Beauty Supply which is open to the public. She just has to use the one product,no combo of gel,mousse,hairspray. She calls it gelled concrete ! Her hair stays absolutly perfect all day long.

I think the flipped "do" looks really nice on any woman,regardless of her age. But I also like seeing older women who "buck" the system and do their own thing,I love to see a long single braid or a pretty updo!~K

[Miss Mary]

pvroses - I've always said I could cut 75% of my hair, front and sides quite well if someone would just cut the back. I color my hair and never miss a section in the back (we have 2 set of folding mirrored doors in my bathroom to a closet and if I position them the right way, I can see the back of my head fine). I've been tempted to get out the scissors and go at it. But I don't. LOL I've even offered to pay my kids to cut the back but they won't touch that job with a ten foot pole. They all say - I've even asked my hubby - what, no way are we doing that? You see I'm picky about my hair too......can see why they run the other way.

Mary

[breeze]

LOL, Miss Mary - at least you could cut some
of your's! I have the NON-gift of NOT being
able to cut hair, even if you put a bowl on
someone's head and asked me to cut around
the bottom of the bowl! LOL! I'd botch it up!

[Miss Mary]

LOL, Miss Mary - at least you could cut some
of your's! I have the NON-gift of NOT being
able to cut hair, even if you put a bowl on
someone's head and asked me to cut around
the bottom of the bowl! LOL! I'd botch it up!

Annette - you know what it comes from don't you? I'm so picky about my hair I started paying attention when they were cutting! And to run in for a simple bang trim when the rest didn't need it, made no sense to me. My old male hairdresser never minded I trimmed my bangs. He just smiled. I took Nina in for a trim once when she was 3, and her bangs ended up being about 1/2 inch long. People thought she was a boy! I said that's it, I can cut her hair. And I did just that. When Laura was born, same thing. I'm still cutting Laura's hair! It's long, all one length. Now she wants the jagged Jennifer Aniston look on the ends so I said I think I'm finally out of my league here - you need a real haircut if that's what you want. But when they wanted simple page boys, that was so easy. I actually paid THEM to cut their hair when they kept fidgeting. Mommy will pay you to sit still. Hey, it worked!!!

Mary