Friday, March 14, 2008

Hair Help

Ok peeps, I need some help. I am attempting to grow my hair long. I want a cute style in the meantime, something easy. I can't seem to have that. My hair is a huge, out of control fluff ball. When I was a kid, it was neat and tidy. *****

Ok, that didn't work! LOL What you see is a picture of my Dad when he was 21. Handsome, eh?? Ok...ummmm...I have no pics of me as a little kid, but I took this from a site one of my brothers made. So if you see the little scrolly thing on the left, just click on the one that says "Four kids" and that is me with my brothers. That is the photo I am referring to! LOL

Then this next one when I was ten, is the one titled "Later that Day". See how calm it was?? I wish my hair was like it is in "Six of Us". WOW! Talk about easy maintenance! LOL


I asked for help here although I guess that was mainly about colour. It seems to me, that my hair was a tad more calm then?? I am telling myself that the more length it has, the heavier it is, which assists with the frizz factor. I never used to have this problem, as the photos of me as a toddler and a tween prove, right??

SO WHAT HAPPENED!??! Was it the hormones from the pregnancies??

As I said, when Cryptic was a baby, it was SO NICE. I just had nice long curls going down my back. Calm and tidy, nothing fluffing out. I have some video of me with him that I can see if I can get Stud to put on here. I can't find photos, but I have some video.

When I started growing my bangs out, it was still not too crazy, right??

I am not sure what to do. I want it longer until I can lose at least 15 lbs. I always think my face seems more fat and it hides my chins if it is long. Yet I CANNOT STAND it and pull it back most often anyway. So I guess it doesn't really matter. I can't do anything cute with it. Can't put cute headbands or clips in it. That is HYSTERICAL! I know, for a laugh sometime, I should post photos of me with various doo-dads and pretty things in there. MAN! Talk about DUMB looking!

Can't wear hats or anything, cause it just mushes it all down and a huge afro pops out the bottom! People actually approach me on a regular basis and say things like, "Have you thought of using conditioner??" or "Have you tried *insert name of product here* on your hair??" I love the conditioner one! I am always tempted to slap my leg and shout, "CONDITIONER! MAN! Why didn't I ever think of that!??! Thank you SO MUCH!"

Conditioner! If I didn't use conditioner, there is now way I would be able to get my fingers through the dang rat's nest to do anything at all with it! Like rinse!

I want the TOTAL truth on which looks better. I had Jock take some photos of me getting things done in the kitchen today. Ignore the mess and the zits on my face. My thyroid is still throwing me for a loop!

I had it like I often wear it, just back out of the way. It is a LARGE fluffball on the back of my head and I think it looks silly, but it is nice to have it away from my face. He took from a few different angles. We never did get it really from the back, which might be a good idea. Ah well, he is gone now and I need to leave soon to meet him and Stud at the End of Season hockey party. He should get his trophy tonight!


Up ~











Then he took some of it down.




















You can see how nuts it is! Imagine if I did not use countless hair products!?!? I have balms, lotions, creams, straighteners, etc that I put it in every time I wash it. If I blow dry it, it dries it out and fluffs out even more, so I have not attempted that in YEARS. No way I can brush it. I use a pick and pick it out after it is washed and then don't attempt anything else unlil I wash it again. The more it is handled, the more it fluffs up. My hair dresser works with me ALL THE TIME to try and calm it down and we always try new improved products. When she is done with it, it is a tad calmer. I think it is because I sit under one of those dryer things for a while. I don't have one of those. She confirms what I always knew; NEVER use a blow dryer on it!

Any theories on what on earth happened to the calm hair??

Thanks for any help or advice. I just love it pulled away from my face cause it feels better, but have had people tell me that I don't look nice that way:( Kind of hurts my feelings, but I do want to know. So if I leave it down, people laugh at me and make comments about how funny looking it is! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?!?!?

Ok thanks! Have a great weekend!

19 comments:

Jude said...

Oh boy do I sympathize!!

I've got the exact same problem hair except yours is so thick and mine is thin.

The ONLY thing I can do to tame it is to straighten it. I have one of those flat irons (I think that's what they're called) and just smooth it through my hair and presto it's not only straight but SHINY AND SMOOTH!

If I don't straighten it I have an afro bigger than in the 70's. LOL All frizz and fuzz. I used to be teased relentlessly until at 14 I finally started using huge empty juice cans to roll up my hair, and sit under Mom's hair dryer. I was amazed and elated at the difference.

debi9kids said...

Hi. First off, where are the double chins? I saw no double chins!
Second, I think your hair looks lovely pulled back. Whoever told you it doesn't is crazy. You have a beautiful face. :)
Third, WOW! When it is down, it is puffy. Hmmm, what to do? It had me thinking about some episodes from What Not To Wear when they had some women with lots of thick hair like you. One of the things the stylist did on the show was use a special product for curls (God knows I don't know what) and he individually curled each strand (maybe not EACH strand, but ya know...) It was like he did a hand rolled spiral curl & it looked lovely and less frizzy.
Or, have you thought about having it thinned out?

As far as your old pictures, all of them were so fabulous!Thanks for shring. Cute!

Rick said...

Don't ask me. I think your hair looks just fine, but then again, when it comes to hair, I am no expert.

Dooneybug said...

You are soooo cute! I love that necklace too, very pretty. Have you tried going to a salon and getting their advice? I'm sure they have a lot more knowledge on certain hair products and might be able to help you out. One thing I like that seems to really smooth out my hair is the conditioner that you get in the Herbal Essences hair coloring kits. I've heard that they sell the conditioner on it's own too, but I don't know what it's called. It is very, very thick and really calms frizzies. However, I wouldn't use it all the time because it could do some serious build up on your hair. I just went to Herbal Essences's site and see they have a line called "none of your frizzness"! Very funny, maybe try that?

Personally I like long hair. Maybe you could just get a little cut off, a couple inches or so, and try a special for frizz hair product and see what happens?

Jinny said...

Hm, you are in quite a predicament. Did I spell that right? Though I must say that I do love your hair. It's pretty. Curly hair is hard though isn't it. My mom has had a hard time with hers too. Which products brands have you used so far? Since I have no advice to give on why your hair is the way it is because I got the Polan poker straight hair, the only thing I can think of is yet to suggest maybe another brand of product...My favorite brand of stuff to use on my hair ever is Aveda. It's super expensive but it smells so good and works awesomely (is that a word?). They have a whole line of stuff for curly hair. Should I shut up now since I have no idea what I'm talking about? :) I hope someone has some better ideas for you. Oooo, i remember my mom went to a hair dresser once that was like $70 but she specialized in curly hair. It was here in Calgary...want to come visit? :) wow, I'm so unhelpful. Sorry. Alrighty, you have a lovely weekend!

sillygirl said...

Wha!?? I think it looks GREAT when you pull it back. I might be weird though because I'm the one who has flat, stick straight hair and goes and gets spiral perms every now and again so I can HAVE curls. I really like your hair. I know it must be hard to manage but I think it looks good up OR down. So pretty! I have heard that crazy curly afro hair can be tamed by not using shampoo. Seriously. Just washing it with water and maybe shampooing once a week. The natural oils in your hair should weigh it down a little bit but apparently it won't be gross. Just something I heard!

Lowa said...

Jude-That MAY be my only option. The thing is, it takes about 45 minutes MINIMUM to do that with this mop! And my arms get SO SORE...I dunno...*sigh* It would be nice to do once in a while, when I have the time and patience and (and arm strength!) to do for a change. Maybe then I could wear a hat...?? I have a photo somewhere of it like that after a trip to the salon. I should find it...I like it, but it is weird and hard to get used to...I dunno...


Mom9-You are too sweet! LOL You know how it is. OH, I have chins, trust me! Wish I knew what that product was on that show you saw, although it likely would not help! LOL See what a positive thinker I am!?!? My girls at the salon have tried EVERYTHING! Here's the thing. They DO thin it! LOL Every time I go, they thin it out. Forgot to mention that I guess:) Thanks for your help, this did give me the idea to research some more products. Maybe there IS something out there that can help.


Rick- Thanks! Yeah, I am not an expert either:) That is obvious! LOL


Dooney- You are so sweet! The necklace/earring set is from Target.

I LOVE the Herbal Essences idea and am purusing their site. That none of your frizzness is HILARIOUS!

I go to a salon every 6-7 weeks and they always cut half an inch or so. So the ends are not dry or anything like that. Any more cut off and Stud would be annoyed, he is really anxious for it to get long like it used to be. I got so sick of it back then and hacked it off and now really wish I had left it alone. I had no idea it would come back like this!?!? ACK! I may end up having no choice but to hack it all off, if this nonsense continues. The trouble is, it is so thick that there is nothing much anyone can do. I can't have a "bob" or something, cause it frizzes out. I can't seem to have any kind of style except this or very short and close to my head. I honestly hope that the longer and heavier it gets, the calmer it will get.


Jinny- You are so funny! LOL Aveda, eh?? Hmmmm...I could look into that and see what the deal is. My stylists have tried everything and a new balm by Paul Mitchell just came out and they were so excited when they got it. They thought of me immediately and when they used it the next time I came in, it really did seem to work. When I use it...NADA. I dunno what I am doing wrong. Just don't have the big chair dryer is all I can think of. All the people who work in the place always gather around and see if anyone can somehow magically do something with my hair! LOL I get comments all the time and they all seem to want a chance to work their magic. Anyway, I can't think of all the things I have tried! What I don't get is why my hair used to be calm, even straight, and now LOOK AT IT!?!?

Seriously, can you find out the name of who Joy went to and I may try that next time I come up?? LOL I would LOVE to come visit:) We are going to see "Horton Hears a Who" today! I am SO EXCITED!

T- You are so funny! How are your eyes?? I have been meaning to ask you about that surgery. Stud wants to get it done too. Yeah, I jeard that about not washing it too...dunno if I could handle that or be brave enough to try. You know, my Mum took me for a perm when I was about ten, and if I recall, it was after that that this nonsense started to get a bit out of control. Nothing like now, but still bad. Do you think the perm just stuck and REFUSES to relax!?!? LOL Yeah, a perm that lasts 28 years!

Thanks so much for your help everyone. You have truly been very helpful!

debi9kids said...

ok, this is going to be long, but I researched it for you. This is what I found on Nick Arrojo's website (he's from What Not to Wear)

Get Curls:

Got a natural curl that becomes lifeless, limp, or frizzy? Want bouncy, voluptuous curly hair? Here's the 'wet set' secrets that give you lush, healthy curls.

You need two hair products. For finer hair types use Arrojo volume foam first, followed by Arrojo Curl Crème. For medium to thick, or slightly coarse hair types use Arrojo styling Crème first, followed by Arrojo Curl Crème.

From wet, towel-dry hair to damp and apply a dime-sized dab of your first product (volume foam or styling crème depending on your hair type). Start at the roots, distributing evenly right through to the ends of your hair shaft.

Now apply your second product, Curl Crème, in exactly the same way as the first.

Comb through with a wide-tooth-comb. This will free knots and aid product distribution.

Now, one-by-one, cup curls in your hand and gently squeeze, pushing the curl back into itself without pressure at the root. Avoid running fingers freely through your hair. This will disturb the curls you've just created and induce frizz.

Once all your curls have been cupped and squeezed leave them alone for 15 minutes and then repeat this whole 'cup and squeeze' process, using the same technique just outlined. Repeat every 15 minutes until dry.

When dry, most likely your curls will be slightly crisp. Now you can use your fingers to gently tussle out and ruffle your roots. This develops the softer, looser curls that are sexy and sophisticated.

For final definition and hold lightly spritz with Arrojo holding spray.


Shine On:
For a final finishing touch of sparkle and bedazzle, spray a fine film of Shine Spray into palms and work through hair to give high sheen and a sexy, polished elegance. It's glitzy and it's light, and it's a flyaway fighter supreme.


Hold On:
Or to hold your newfound style in place, spray Holding Spray into any shape or style for added shimmer and gentle (but strong) natural-looking hold. Also great to create structure and invigorate limp or lifeless hair.

This is the link to his webpage:

http://store.arrojoproduct.com/tellhows/tellhows_main.html#frizz

Jinny said...

I think mom went to the Salon in Calgary called Head Candy and the stylist was Jodi...but I can't find the Salon anymore when I look online! I think they changed the name when they expanded. Well, if you're in the Saskatoon area, there's a salon in the building across from the main mall...it's called Ethos and they do the Aveda thing. Aveda stylists do extra training, so maybe they would have a curly hair expert there... Over all, you are lovely no matter what you do.

Lowa said...

Jinny and Momof9-

You guys are SO SWEET! Researching and looking on-line etc! And the sweet things yoiu say...I am so blessed to have such amazing buddies:)

Thanks for the info! I went to the site and have some things in the cart. I really want to try them. I will e-mail Stud my list and see if he buys them for me:) teehee

Thanks again girls! BTW, Momof9, I can't read your blog easily. I did something so that it always loads on the same page (I think from New Year's Eve or the video of all 9 of your kids as babies or something) and it takes forever to get to the current stuff. Am I doing something wrong??

Mum-me said...

I don't have any advice for you but I wanted to say I think your hair is beautiful! (I guess you'd expect that from someone with dead straight hair.) It looks good up or down. Good luck trying to find a solution.

debi9kids said...

You know, I was thinking about it, just use this link:

http://bouffard11.blogspot.com/

Leslie said...

Seems like you need to find someone who knows how to cut naturally curly hair. Try Helmet Head in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. It's a bit of a trek from where you live, but totally doable. They're really great at what they do and have been working with hair for over 10 years, so they've seen it all, sister. And I think wearing your hair back looks nice, too - you can see your lovely little face!

clairesgarden said...

aaarrghhh! this is typical!! people with the most gorgeous hair(thats you Lowa!!!) want to change it!! I want my boring slightly wavy hair to look like yours, curls to die for!!
jings. we're never happy.
I love your hair!

Lowa said...

Mum-me- You are too sweet! I know what it is like to have straight-ish hair and want curls. I want curls too, but what I have is FRIZZ! LOL I either get comments like your's, that you like it, or I get giggles, pointing and smirking. I have always assumed it is the mop, because it doesn't happen as much when my hair is shorter.

Momof9-Thanks, I got it! LOL I am going to hopefully get caught up on all your news soon. I quickly glanced and saw all the kids in their St. Patty's Day garb! COOL!

L-HEY GIRL! Good to hear from you again. I am scared of Seattle. LOL I avoid it if I can. In fact, we have a membership to Pac Sci that will expire soon. I need to get the kids down there. I don't mind that so much, but don't know my way around and...it is BIG! LOL MY girly at the salon has done my hair since before Cryptic was born and has made is beautiful before. I went in for my colour and trim yesterday and will post pics soon of what she did with my hair. Now if I can just do the same, I will be good to go! LOL Thanks for the idea though, I will consider it. And thanks for the compliment, you are TOO SWEET!

Claire- NO NO! I want that too! But this is FRIZZ! Here's the thing. With other hair, there are many fun options. With mine...two. Up or down. No cute clips or head bands, no hats or scarves or ANYTHING. THAT is what bugs me most about it! It is true. We always want what we haven't got. I want Princess' hair and she wants mine. Well actually, she wants her Dad's. I will post a shot of his soon. It is GORGEOUS...for a woman! If only I had it! LOL

HomemakerAng said...

you have gorgeous hair, GORGEOUS! I wouldn't try to fight the natural curl, go with it. you could flat iron it every now and then (get a good flat iron from your hairdresser and use redken shine glam on it and then some pomade (paul mitchel) for the frizzies. otherwise just go with it. i love it up... just my 2 cents... xoxox

Chastity said...

I saw that someone told you to straighten it...don't do that! That picture of you with the kids at Halloween...your hair looked absolutely gorgeous!! I don't really have any suggestions, since my hair is about as straight as it comes. Leave-in conditioner?? I don't know. You know what I'll do though...I'll ask my friend Mary. She has ultra curly hair. It looks BEAUTIFUL now, but when we were in high school...oh wow..it looked crazy! I don't know what she did to change it, but I'll definitely ask and get back to you.

Lowa said...

Ang-There you are! HELP! I can't get to your blog anymore! Well, that is sweet of you to say that you love it. I ADORE your's and your daughters all have stunning locks. I just want variety and to do something with it. If it was not so thick, it would be easier. I like your advice and will try it! THANKS!

Chas-I liked it in that pic, too. I think maybe I can get that look again with an iron, just not making it REALLY flat and straight, you know?? I love your hair, too! You can likely do a lot with it, eh?? I mean, straight hair that won't curl or do something for a new style, would not be fun. I would LOVE a cute graduated bob, I want to get Princess' hair cut that way after her dance recital in June. Anyway thanks for the tips! ANd thanks so much for asking your friend, that would be SO AWESOME!

Kaira said...

ha ha - that is some fluffy hair! I think it is super cute and I've got the flattest, straightest hair in America so I'd probably have lots of fun with all that body :) No advice but IMO you have really cute hair :)