I have a flat iron, which I use on the lowest heat setting to give lift to the crown of my chin-length hairstyle and to flip the ends under, a final touch after applying gel and blowing almost dry. I comb out a thick section of hair, clamp it in the iron near my roots, tilt the iron down 180 degrees and gently pull the hair all the way through. My friend uses her flat iron to give a straight style to her curly hair, which I think is more common. Usually curling irons are used to give a curly style. With any of these heated tools, be very careful not to burn your fingers and remember to unplug them and put them away when you're finished (otherwise they could easily fall into the sink or bathtub and cause a shock).

I've had two bad haircuts in my lifetime - 3rd and 12th grades. Both times, stylist took my long hair and I was left looking like a boy. I asked for it the first time, but not the last. Then, I skipped school and got suspended for three days. I still got to go to DisneyWorld with my BF's and his family for Spring Break, so all was not lost. I will never have short hair again. As you can see, it's comical (or frightening?!) how similar my kindergarten and senior hairstyles look. Rest assured there were long, straight looks in between (remember the 70s). I tried to grow it out recently but it ends up too flat. No matter how hard I try to make it a bit poofy with my round brush (I despise hair gels and sprays). I started getting gray hair when I was a senior in HS, and like the above poster I go every three weeks for a slight trim and color. Recently I asked her to start making it lighter since my roots were showing up so bad (at 3 weeks!!!!). I'm not even 55 yet, so I am not ready to go gray... she tells me (I won't look) that I am easily 80% gray - I think she's being generous!). So while I still feel like a brunette, I am slowing becoming more blonde. :( The photo on the right was taken before we went a tad lighter. My hair does not want to hold color. It is very frustrating! I come out one color and easily have 5 shades between visits. I'd love to do something different, but nothing drastic. I still want to be able to pull it back and leave long enough to keep my neck warm. *edited to remove photo This post was edited by allison0704 on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 14:16

Coming out of lurkdom due to a dire need for information. :) I have very curly hair. When pulled straight it is to the middle of my shoulder blades, but it draws up to shoulder length. Most days I wear it in a ponytail, because I run and work outside. Some days, I'd like it to look nice. I live in the South, with the humidity. I wear it long for two reasons: 1) my mother made me wear it short as a child, when all of the other girls had Marsha Brady hair. Everyone thought I was a boy. 2) If I wear it short, in the summer it looks like a Brillo pad. To those of you who referred to curl gel or other products, can you please be more specific? I want to be able to wash and go, partly because I've never figured out how to blow dry it without frizz. Also, I rarely want to take the time. I've tried a number of anti-frizz products, but have had no luck. Thanks in advance!

Right now I am suffering from and growing out one of the worst haircuts I've ever had. Seriously, there is no styling it. I just let it air dry into its natural waves. Insult on top of the injury of my hair getting noticeably thinner. I was nearly in tears on my drive home. New haircutter (my past one had moved.) I went into the shop with a slightly layered (long layers) chin length bob with long bangs. It just needed about 1.5" off and a little shaping (tapering) at the bottom. I explained that I wanted the same cut - with my naturally very wavy hair, I didn't want any layers shorter than mid ear, and the overall length at the angle of my jaw, because at those lengths it is super easy to style but if shorter it gets wacky waves. Did she do that? of course not. Not only did she give me short layers, very short in back (except for the mullet that she left to meet the length I asked for), one side in front is shorter than the other and just now (almost a month later) the bottom length is just reaching mid ear. She just kept cutting and cutting, when I asked what she was doing she said "I'm just trying to get it to lay right" ! I cut off the mullet when I got home. It will probably be 3 more months before it has grown enough to re-cut and style again. Humph.