hair cut advice

amara

ok... a while ago, around april or may, i got my hair cut. the stylist did something to "remove some of the bulk," but the only bulk removed was on the ends! my hair was sooo poofy, it was terrible. i've grown it back out, just below my shoulders. i'm planning on getting another hair cut before school starts on august 25th. i would like to remove a bit of the bulk at the roots if at all possible. i've got 3b curls, and my lower layer is a bit coarser than the top. the problem is, the stylist cut the lower layer shorter than the top layer (are they supposed to do that???). i was wondering how my hair would look if i asked for long layers? i'd like shorter hair, but i'm afraid of the poof.
any suggestions?
i'll post pictures if need be.

thanks in advance!