I stumbled across this site quite some time ago and only recently decided to sign up.

I'm 44 (gulp) and I have mid-back length wavy brunette hair with a sprinkling of silver here and there. I started seriously growing it when I hit 40 after a lifetime of wearing super short crops. (Mom was a beautician, so I bore the brunt of her creative urges.)

Right now, I'm going through a love/hate phase where every other day I think of cutting it. I even bought one of those hairstyle magazines but haven't found a good style yet. I love the feeling of long hair, but man it gets in the way sometimes. Plus it's soooo heavy when it's wet. Ya know?

I'm mainly looking for good haircare products and simple updo styles. I'm hopelessly inept at braiding my own hair, so keep it simple please.

Many thanks to bikerbraid for the warm personal welcome.  *waves*

Welcome! (again)  ;D

Another "over 40 and going for long hair"!  Yippee!  If we all stick together, maybe we can change "society's" view of long hair on older women.  Sounds like you are well on your way with your long hair.

Simple styles - the simplest style for me is a bun.  It just takes seconds to twist the hair up into a bun and put a hairstick or two in to hold it in place.  The bun also protects the ends so they don't get whipped around causing split ends.  

When you hair is long enough to wrap around the bun twice, the figure eight bun is a nice option too.  (This is my favorite style which I wear 4 out of 5 days at work).

Hang around, put your feet up, read some posts - I'm sure you'll learn lots!

Welcome, 3aE!

I've got wavy hair, too!  My favorite haircare products are Ouidad.  They are specifically made for curly/wavy hair.  You can check out the whole line at www.ouidad.com.

Right now I'm wanting to change the shape of my hair and I can't find a good style in those magazines, either.

Be sure to check out our Show Off Your Locks thread for ideas for updos.

Greetings and welcome, 3amEpiphany (interesting screen name  ;))

I confess, I'm not terribly keen on the ways of keeping curly/wavy hair, but I can at least encourage you not to cut, right? Having long hair seems like a nice change after enduring your mother's snipping experiments.  ;)

For a simple style, I'd suggest a regular bun...or have someone else braid your hair for you (if you know of anyone who can & will).

Best of luck & happy growing.  :)

Ugg, just went to the Ouidad site and got a serious case of sticker shock. Is it really worth the price?

I've been using Pantene, but am not at all happy with the condition of my ends lately. I noticed both the poo and the conditioner have dimethicone, so I suspect that may be the problem. Time for a new brand. *sigh*

Thanks for all the welcomes!

BTW, my screen name is from a book I own. My muse tends to wake me at odd hours, so there you have it.

~3E

I don't use those products (my hair isn't really that curly, just a bit of wave).  Another option you could try would be to try checking your local stores for shampoos and conditioners that do not contain ingredients that end in "cone", or at least have them at the very end of the list.  You may just find something that works better than you Pantene.

Welcome!

A word about hairstyles:

Long hair can be just as easy as a short hair. IMO, it's just more fun because all the variation you can make all by yourself.

Most longhair styles require a bit of practice, but once you have mastered a new style you know it forever. Besides, when you have accustomed to handling your hair, you will find that learning new styles gets easier and easier. You can also vary a couple of basic styles with different accessories.

In my experience, the key to keeping long hair feeling easy is to keep it contained so it's out of the way just like short hair. A segmented ponytail (make a ponytail and then place a couple of additional ties along the length so you make segments) is a very easy style that can also be worn for sleep. Another good beginner style is a simple bun -a cinnamon bun or a knot bun that you can vary. Braided styles are beautiful and wonderful, but they require a bit more practice. So you'll probably want to start with something a bit easier. :)

It is not necessary to spend a fortune to haircare products- many longhairs get great results with cheap drugstore brands. It just takes a bit experimenting.

I have pretty good results using my cheap (less than $1 a bottle) VO5 conditioners.  I've been thinking about trying the Ouidad Botonical boost leave in, or the curl Quencher gel, just to see if they might help keep my curls a bit longer.  My curls almost disappear once my hair is dry.  (but it is very soft and fine)  For washing, I'll keep on using my VO5 for CO.  By the way, it's so nice to see others over 40...I'm nearly 60!