Hi. I'm fifteen, and my hair is kind of weird.. it's sort of curly, but I can't do anything with it. Until I was ten or so I had really thick, but really straight hair. It started getting really frizzy, so I wore it up a lot. Now I wear my hair in a messy bun every day, without drying it (it usually dries by the end of school). When I take it down its curly, but I can't run my fingers through it, and its kind of too messy to wear down. When I dry it, its sort of wavy, but just incredibly poofy. It looks absolutely hideous and I can't wear it down.

Is there anything I can do to it so that I can actually wear it down? Maybe a way to dry it without it poofing up? It's still pretty thick, but I've had it thinned a few times, as I used to straighten it and straightening's easier to do with less hair. The last time I had it thinned was a year ago. Its getting kind of weak, I think it might be from being up all the time.  I'd prefer not to straighten it, because it takes forever and its kind of bland. Is there anything else I can do with it?

-Kate

Hi. I'm fifteen, and my hair is kind of weird.. it's sort of curly, but I can't do anything with it. Until I was ten or so I had really thick, but really straight hair. It started getting really frizzy, so I wore it up a lot. Now I wear my hair in a messy bun every day, without drying it (it usually dries by the end of school). When I take it down its curly, but I can't run my fingers through it, and its kind of too messy to wear down. When I dry it, its sort of wavy, but just incredibly poofy. It looks absolutely hideous and I can't wear it down.

Is there anything I can do to it so that I can actually wear it down? Maybe a way to dry it without it poofing up? It's still pretty thick, but I've had it thinned a few times, as I used to straighten it and straightening's easier to do with less hair. The last time I had it thinned was a year ago. Its getting kind of weak, I think it might be from being up all the time.  I'd prefer not to straighten it, because it takes forever and its kind of bland. Is there anything else I can do with it?

-Kate

Hi Kate, some thoughts:

1. Maybe consider growing it out? Curly and wavy hair will generally be more manageable as it's longer and heavier.
2. Consider adding another conditioner to your routine. It would weigh your hair down and help the waves/curls become more defined.
3. If you brush or comb your hair, I highly recommend stopping. Wavy/curly hair IMHO should not be brushed or combed while dry. Using fingers to detangle would be best.
4. Growing your hair out would give more options (e.g. braids), if you're wondering 'what to do with it'

Hugs
Anais

Thanks for the suggestions.

When I wear my hair down, which is rare, I don't brush it and usually add some extra conditioner. I always thought it was kind of wrong to not brush my hair though, so I'm glad that other people don't either since it's all that works. I would definitely consider growing it out, but it doesnt like to grow much. My ends get gross pretty quickly after cutting. Is there anything I could do to help it grow?