Short or longer hair?

phoenix my daughter would say "You need product". She taught me to tame my hair through the growing out stage.

Seriously though, the mad hair stage doesn't last long. Just bite the bullet

It's very thick, and when it's growing it seems at first to go sort of outwards and upwards, bit hard to describe!

Phoneix - try breaking a foot - that way you can't get to the hairdresser's and you can get through the in-between stage without actually caring!!
I really do think that layered hair growing out looks very pretty. Your drying technique sounds much like mine!

I so want to get mine a bit longer! Although it grows like a weed, I really struggle with the in between bit, doesn't help that I'm no good at the self styling thing, can't do the hairdryer/brush thingy, just sort of blast the dryer in general direction and use fingers!

I often wish I had a "Tressy" button (was that the doll with the extending hair doo dah?)

After always having had long hair, I went through a phase of having it short and spiky. Now it's long again, around my shoulder-blades, and I wear it up, in a plait, or leave it free but with the sides pulled back into a clasp. My hair is now naturally white. I cut my fringe myself - not very well, but it'll do!

I resented paying upwards of £30 for a wash, cut and blow dry every couple of months, so have let my hair grow for the last two years and now wear it up. It is easier to cope with and I can either do it in a French pleat, small bun or pigtail.Takes me 5 minutes to do. It's quite fine hair and is better longer as there's a lot more of it than the layered-scalped look hairdressers seem to think appropriate for ladies of my age! I think it's in better condition too. I have had the ends trimmed a couple of times.

I think the only way to keep it in check whilst you are growing it is to keep having a trim every 6/8 weeks as the layers grow down and make sure your hairdresser knows what style you are aiming for in the long term,I go just every couple of months for a trim of mine and my fringe trimmed,my hair is waist length now and it soon goes tatty at the ends if I don't have a trim,in the meantime jenny just make sure you use a thickening mousse/shampoo to give your hair that extra bit of body and the appearance of length & body and you hair will soon grow down.

My hairdresser has persuaded me to grow my hair longer than the short style I had and has been very helpful about keeping it tidy in the meantime. She understands I have very difficult hair and thinks it would be better in a bob.

She is also quick and pleasant and doesn't make a whole production number out of it. None of that fussing and faffing I used to have where I lived before. Oh, and she is very reasonably priced.

When I was working I kept my hair short so that it was quick to wash each morning, but on retirement I grew it to shoulder length, which took about a year. I was surprised to find that I have curly hair! I knew it had a bit of a wave, but my new layered style naturally hangs in ringlets, and the bushiness I used to have thinned out now looks OK. All I do after washing is add leave-in conditioner and scrunch it a few times as it dries naturally. I agree with Nonu, I definitely think it flatters me more, if only because it softens the outline of my round face and hides a few of the wrinkles!

I think that slightly longer is more flattering to SENIORS.

Seems to draw attention away from wrinkles, well mine anyway !

I have thick shoulder-length curly hair, which I layer and cut myself because I too have found that every hairdresser wants to scalp me. If I have a fringe it needs to be long, they try to cut that too short as well. I have a friend who has just been to have a 'trim' and returned with her hair four inches shorter and almost in tears! It has really aged her, hairdressers seem to be under the impression that short hair makes you look younger, but it only works if you have a long face.

How about a thin hairband? A tortoiseshell one perhaps. They can look very nice on short hair.

Jenny you are right 're hairdressers. Is there a conspiracy to make us all look generic! (Not all hairdressers of course).

My current battle with hairdressers is to make them understand that I don't want that ghastly haircut that is so fashionable at the moment and doesn't suit everybody where the back is cut shorter than the sides in a sort of inverted bob. I hate it but all the hairdressers want to cut my hair like that, I have to watch them like a hawk. Grr.

I think hairdressers are always keen to cut your hair short when you are older,and I thought I would look like Judi Dench,but didn't !

I've gone from long to short to long to short to long regularly.
It's easiest long.
Inbetween you just have to get it trimmed every month until it's even then just let it grow

I don't think you have a lot of choice but to just go with what happens as it grows. Sometimes hair growing out looks better than we think.

I had short layered hair, then when I broke my foot, getting to a hairdresser was difficult, so I just let it grow and now it is proper long hair, which I mostly plait. I really like having hair that I can wear in different styles. I can look very sophisticated (very occasionally!) or scruffy; or recapture my youth with the plaits.