need same length but less boring cut

hi everybody,
I'm been looking around here for awhile and now want to post one of my own questions.  I am going to get my haircut (by somebody new--eeks!) on saturday and need some advice.  my hair is stick straight, brunette with tons of blonde highlights of various shades, very thick, pretty much all one length except for some subtle layers around my face, and falls about 8" past my shoulders.  I do really love my hair and get lots of compliments on it, so you can probably understand that my vanity (while shameful) causes me to live in total fear of a bad haircut.  So anyway,  I had a consultation with a young stylist at a local (expensive) salon who told me "Oh, I can't WAIT to cut your hair!" which truthfully scares the crap out of me.  The last time that happened was three years ago and I ended up with a mullet that took me awhile to recover from.
So my point is, I don't want a FUNKY haircut that I have to style too much, but I would like some layers (my face is a little long) in the front and less weight in the back.  any suggestions or photos?

When I read your post I had a similar reaction as David. I don't think that stylist is right for you either.

It is possible to cut less than an inch off of hair and change the look. It's as simple as how the stylist holds the hair while they cut or how you have your head tilted. You say you want the same length yet a new cut.

I'll use Feye's page as an example.

http://members.fortunecity.com/feye/trim/index.html

On her page you can see 3 different shapes on basically the same length hair. You could try something similar.

Or you could try some sort of layers. They could be just a few on the side near the ends or you could do more.

Look through the HB Gallery to see if you see some styles. Don't be afraid to look at shorter lengths. You can always take something from a shorter style and put it on a longer length.

Keep in mind things like how much time you want to spend on your hair. Some layers don't look nice unless you iron or blow dry them. Are you used to wearing a certain updo or ponytail? Layers sometimes make updos look different. Pieces end up sticking out where you don't want them to.

As far as that stylist goes, I'm not trying to tell you not to cut your hair. I'm saying make sure you go with a stylist who is going to cut it your way and not theirs. Try going to some salons that offer free consultations. Go there and just talk to the stylist for a few minutes and then leave. You can bring a notebook and pictures or drawings if you have them. Pretend you're doing a school project. Then after you visit a few stylists you can pick out the one that seemed to listen to you the best and gave the best options. If they do offer a free consultation you might want to leave a small tip for their time but that's up to you.

In the meantime keep checking in here and I'm sure you'll get a few more suggestions.

Hi Lime Girl, and belated welcome!

So tell us -- what's transpired in the past few weeks?


Edited by DaveDecker