As someone who not too very long ago grew her hair out after chemo therapy for breast cancer........
Just let it grow.....and trim the ends if they get too long....
And color.....don't forget to color!
Linda C

If you let your stylist know what your goals are I'm sure she can work with you on them, just trimming the bottom layers and keeping them neat until the top layer grows even. It will not take that long you know and worth the effort. Can you just slick the bangs back behind your ears yet? Remember what Katie Couric went thru growing her hair out and now how nice it looks. Hang in there, by Christmas you will have won the battle.

Thank you for your responses. I am trying to 'tough it out' and let my hair grow long, but it is so frustrating! I was watching Katie yesterday morning and thinking, "Didn't she used to have real short hair?" I missed when she was growing it out... But her hair is real nice, very becoming on her. Guess that is part of my problem - trying to find a hairstyle that 'suits' me. Was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and telling her I was trying to grow my hair out. (I haven't seen her since March.) Anyway, she was saying how she has always loved my hair short and thinks I need to keep it short. Ugh. Mothers. Gotta love them, right?! She always goes on and on about how tangled my hair used to get as a kid and how she would never let me have long hair cuz I woulnd't sit still to let her comb it. Guess 35 years later, she still hasn't forgotten!
I can't quite get my bangs behind my ears yet - another inch or so to go. I am thinking I need bangs, though, to soften my forehead. Maybe that would make the difference I am looking for. I bought a magazine of short hairstyles at the store the other day, but can't seem to find anything. (Funny, at the store I found 'the perfect hairstyle' in the mag and now I can't find it. Guess the moment has passed!)
Color - I had never had my hair colored before - love it! In fact, I have never in my life had people comment on my hair until I got it colored. People are always commenting on how nice my hair looks now. (Well, until it has hit this stage right now! A month ago, it was great. Now, blah. Too much hair.)
Thanks again. ~ Suzie

: ) I do this 7 year cycle from 'high and tight' to waist-length, and after a few times around the block, I have my own way of dealing with it.

1) realize that women are going to make more negative comments than ANY ahir cut deserves... we tend to be as hard on one another as we are on ourselves, and I think it's what keeps most women doing the same old same old for decades.

2) hard headbands don't work for me, they work for some people. but soft 'elastic' bands work fine on me until my hair hits shoulder length again, and I can polytail it.

3) see 31, and realize that unless you're in a suit, you are NOT to old to wear your hair in pigtails, cornrows, or put a row of those tiny little butterfly clips across your crown...if you have a niece, get HER to play at putting your hair up, they have the most fun with their hair, and may come upon soemthing you didn't think of.

4) I live in a 'do-rag for 6 months at a time during this cycle- but mine are cool remnants of fancy sheer fabrics that I've cut to size, and fray-proofed, so they look more like fashion accessories, and less like bandanas.

5) there are 300 styling products out there- and there's no reason to spend more than $5 on anything but Sebastian's moulding mud, which is the only 'fancy' item I own-but now, with products like 'gloo' and the other spiking gels, getting your hair out of your face can be as easy as rub goop between hands, smear on hair, forehead to crown, flip head over, goop from nape of neck to crown, shake head, arrange clumps, let dry on way down to street.

Every time I let my hair grow out, I end up cutting it and am so happy with the results. I do not like to waste time in front of the mirror, so I like "no care" hair.

You may be past the point of decision, but I thought I'd chime in just in case.

I am also growing out my hair, and I was a hairdresser for twenty years. Growing out is almost always a pain. My suggestion is if you have gone this far, hang in there. You can always cut it later if you decide it isn't what you thought it would be.

About style. I've done the short bob thing like you are doing in the past and this time I have been keeping it in long layers as the top grows out. I have found this MUCH easier to deal with that a really short bob, and as soon as I had a little ponytail I started clipping it up. For awhile I flipped it out and now it is long enought to flip or go under. This is in part due to the fact that I look rotten in a short bob and much better with layering. I just want to say I will never have short hair again. I'll be a little old lady with a bun :-) You can get a short look with putting it up especially if you have layers around the front...well, not quite the same, but I love the practicallity of putting it up.

About those bangs... A small amount left long and swept to the side is in. No POOFY bangs. I add that because of your age. I am 44 and had "big" hair and it was hard getting away from it :-)

All that being said...there are some people that just look great with short hair, and if you are one of them and it makes you happy go for it. I have to say I love feeling more girrly with it a little longer though. Everyone always told me my short hair looked great too, but I like it longer!

As far as flattness, some of that may have to do with your style in the past and what you are use to. Kind of like when you stop getting perms!

I have found that as my hair grows out I really like using velcro rollers and a heat set spray. After spraying get the velcros really hot with the hairdryer and then let them cool completely. This will give you MUCH more volume and may even be too big at first. You just have to play with the roller size and placement and see what works for you. This works great for me at this point, and lasts all day if I use a little Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine in it (it holds but you can still run your fingers through it when dry to break up the frozen hair look.

Heat sets sprays are different and you may have to experiment with your hair to find the best one for your style. Remember that when you set hair do it in a similar manner that you dry...for example if you hold the hair up in the crown, or pull the top forward set it the same. This will give you the fullness.