I give up....:(

wavie

I've been at the CG method for about 2-3 years. My hair has gotten curlier, yes, but it's still impossible to manage.
It's BEASTLY thick.The thickness makes for wash/style time to be 4-5 hours, then drying takes a full day.

I'm thinking of cutting it short and straightening it every week (I only wash once a week too, though), since when I straighten it it feels much thinner.

So basically, I want to keep it short and straight pretty much always. Has anyone done this, and been able to keep their hair healthy too? Any tips?

I know it sounds terrible but I'm not sure I have any other option, I feel like I've tried everything :-|

Saila

As someone with thick hair, I feel your pain. I'm sorry you are feeling so frustrated. I completely understand though. I just chopped mine off (10 inches) and thinned out recently.

Firstly, let me tell you that thick hair is not a curse. In fact, most people consider it a blessing. Secondly, you should know that you have options. You mentioned cutting it short and then straightening it. How short are you thinking about cutting?

Your hair is overwhelming you due to it's sheer size and how time consuming it is. It doesn't have to be that way. You can reduce both size and time while still being curly. Trust me. How "easy" a hair style is only how "easy" you make it.

Think long term about what you think you want to do with your hair. This is a very personal question... What are you going to do in the humidity? Swimming? Rain? Sweat? All of these things destroy flat ironed hair. (Not to mention the severe damage that is most likely going to destroy your curls.) Are you going to be okay with this?

I think natural hair is the easiest and I have never flat ironed more than a few times a year. Even with my hair THIS short, I hate straightening. It's extremely time consuming and meticulous. I personally can't picture myself flat ironing regularly so I can't give you any tips about it.

If you're stuck in a rut, I think you need a change but not a drastic one. Try getting a new cut (though not a SUPER short one) and see how you feel. You would be amazed and what some long layers can do in terms of reducing bulk. If you like it, you can always go shorter.

I hope that helps. Let me know what you think about all of this.

kwicherbichen

instead of wasting time and money, you could just do a keratin straightening... You do that like twice a year.

wavie

@Saila

Thanks for your input

Here's of the style I've been wanting for a while - that's about how short I wanna go.

Layers and thinning have not helped me much in terms of size-reduction. In fact, thinning has led to some major frizz issues. :disgust:
Do you know any other ways to reduce size?

I know that it will damage my curls quite a bit. I'm still going to be doing DTs and PTs, and use protection spray. Time wise, I've been able to straighten my hair quite quickly (oddly enough)
I've been avoiding it in fear of damage, though.

Well, all in all, considering my lifestyle, I think I'm going to go ahead with it. Now I just have to worry about triangle-hair. I think I'll get my hair cut a little longer than in the pic to avoid that.

And considering the BKT, I think that's a bit too much commitment for me at the moment. Plus, it's a bit pricey for me, and I've heard it uses Formaldehyde?
But thanks for the suggestion.

Saila

I think a short style is so refreshing! Good luck with it and let us know how it goes. It will definitely be easier to wash and dry. If it's long enough to still quickly pull back, then you'll get the best of both worlds.

My hair is about the length of that picture now, except I wear mine curly. Luckily, I don't have triangle head. I think it's all about layering to create a flattering shape.

wavie

Ok, so I've decided that I'm gonna push back cutting my hair for a while.

I'm gonna try curlformers as a last ditch effort before I do any of that.

Thank you so much for all your advice!

Saila

You are very, very welcome! Please keep me updated. I hope you find something you are happy with!