I'm struggling with what to do with my hair. For years I had shoulder length hair and kept it in layers. I always wanted longer hair, but could never get it to grow much beyond my shoulders, and always had short/ medium layers. For some unknown reason, in the last yr, it has started to grow like a weed. In the last 6 or 8 months. it has grown down to where my bra strap is. I'm almost 45, so I don't know if this is hormones or what?

My dilemna is, my hair is very fine, bone straight, hard to manage, and all one length now. I can get a lot of volume and curl if I really work on it, but it takes a long time. I would like to keep the length since it took me so long to actually get it, but I'm so used to having shortish hair that I just don't know what cut will suit my face (oval/lrg eyes) and be the easiest to handle and get the volume and curl I want, without it taking an hr every time.

Also, I like the spriral curl look. Is a perm out, to achieve that look with my fine hair? Do I keep my spiral iron and tough it out that way? I also would still like to wear it straight from time to time, or just scrunched (seems to be easiest)

Any thoughts on layers? (longer/shorter?) One more question if I may, I have a light skin tone and want to get a couple or 3 colors. I've been blonde for yrs. but the older I get the less golden or honey I can pull off. I'm not opposed to doing a sharp contrast with browns/blonde/subtle red either. I just need a whole change from cut to colour I guess is what I'm saying :confused: (sorry I don't have a pic to send you)

My hair is like yours and brown with a little golden highlights. I can't grow it much past my shoulders because it gets really flat and thin looking and tangles. I like it right past my shoulders and layered because the layers give your hair body. The only other way I can do my hair is perm it but my hair doesn't hold the curls. Layers and highlights would probably work for you.

Thanks, I would so much like a perm, just because it seems the easy way out? But my hair is so baby fine that from past experiences it went frizzy. I haven't had a perm in probably 15 yrs, and they were home perms, so I'm sure the quality has changed a lot. I'm scared to chance it though... I don't want to look like a fluff ball, lol. My biggest problem is that when I find a good hairdresser that gets to know my hair, they don't stick around for long and I have to do a hit and miss thing all over again :( I'm not scared to get colours and highlights, but I just never know the right ones to mix and match.

:) Hi Starbuck!

Firstly, Having a perm is a no no really! If your dead set on having one, have a loose perm not a sprial as this is not a good look to have constantly.
There are ways of getting gorgeous curls without going the whole way such as using ceramic rollers that are hot and you can leave them in while getting ready doing your make-up etc, Flexi-Stylers (foam hair pieces) you can put these in and leave it overnight to have curls in the morning or as you said stay with your curling tongs.

As for a cut.... Have it trimmed if you want to keep it the same lenght, have longer layers and have it layered around the face with the shortest one being no shorter than the middle of the neck area.

Colour... Go for caramel, auburn, light brown and dark blonde highlights, making your colour alot warmer will do wonders as you get a bit older and make it look less harsh.

I hope this helps, A pic would be great for a better anaylis.

Thank you ;)