Thread: How do you get body with long, heavy hair?

Ok, so RawrGirl's hair always falls flat and looks stupid and she's always self-conscious of it, and she is almost to goal weight, and wants her hair to look good. So here is a pic of how it usually looks:



Even when she parts it on the side, it looks like this:



So anyway...this afternoon, she spent an hour curling it (around 2 pm) and it looked like this:



RawrGirl thought it looked very nice but by the time evening rolled around (8 pm) it was flat against her head, the curl was barely there and stupid looking, and overall, it was just a poofy mess. So obviously, curls are not going to work.

She is really frustrated as she has spent years loving/hating her hair (loving the length and will never cut it off), but hating its dullness and flatness. But she is tired of just giving up and not doing anything with it, because she is almost to goal, and working on building a new wardrobe, and doesn't want her hair to look stupid all the time.

So, she needs so advice. How does she get some body on the top? Blow drying her hair with head upside down works, but looks weird, and doesn't last all day anyway, and she can't do that every day as it dries out hair. Even rollers and huge curling iron don't work, because her hair is long and thick/heavy, and within hours is quickly weighed down.

So she is now considering this:



She can spend $400 on a treatment that will straighten her hair (or straighten it herself everyday, which will also dry it out). But this girl's hair isn't flat against her head. And RawrGirl knows that her hair is flat (but not dull) when she straightens it. RawrGirl is confused. And frustrated.

She was so happy earlier because she thought she wouldn't hate all the random photos taken of her by family over Christmas, and then--poof--it was flat and looked just as bad as usual. She is so close to goal, many family have not seen in months, others years, and she wants to feel good about herself and not hate all pics.

Does anyone else have thick/heavy hair and has figured out how to get it not flat against your head???

Thanks in advance!

Hi just seen this so hope the reply will help and isn't too late!
I don't have heavy thick hair but I am a qualified hairdresser, don't do it anymore but was a long hair specialist.
The best thing to do it to get it cut with some shorter layers through the top, ask your stylist for chin length graduated length round layers (which means the shortest layers will be chin length, but they will get longer to blend with the length of the rest of the hair), this will help the top be less heavy and will hold the body you style into it better.
Find a good strong hold styling mousse and dry your hair upside down. Once its dry take a large round brush and place it under the section of hair by your crown. Use the barrell of the brush to lift and curl the hair roots to add lift whilst blasting it with a hot hairdryer. Finish with a cooler shot of air if your dryer has this setting. You could also add some slight backcombing into the roots in the top layers to give it some lift.
Hope this helps! If you happen to live near west Sussex I'd be happy to cut and style it for you

Thanks! RawrGirl lives in US, so unfortunately too far away. She has bought some uber huge rollers she is going to try. She has some layers in her hair, but she can't go that short or she freaks out....long story, bad childhood experiences. But she is def going to try the strong styling mouse trick...thanks!

Originally Posted by RawrGirl

Thanks! RawrGirl lives in US, so unfortunately too far away. She has bought some uber huge rollers she is going to try. She has some layers in her hair, but she can't go that short or she freaks out....long story, bad childhood experiences. But she is def going to try the strong styling mouse trick...thanks!

you're welcome
The other tricks won't work as well without the short layers though