BTW, I should say before I start that I love the new layout. Very cool!

I'm starting to reach a point where I'm really not sure about growing my hair out anymore. It's a few inches past my shoulders, and I'm trying to resist the impulse to put it in a ponytail and hairspray it down every single day - but it just DOES NOT HANG NICELY. When I leave it down it looks a mess. Period.

I don't even know how to describe what, exactly, is bugging me so much about it, because it's not a disaster area. It's healthy, it's in nice condition - I just feel like I wash it, comb it out, let it air dry, and it looks fabulous...for about an hour. But it's so fine that all these little tiny waves and flyaways reappear, the instant a breeze goes by. The only way I know to set it well is with a hairdryer, and even that doesn't hold for very long.

I suppose I COULD wear my hair pulled back all the time...but that was certainly not the idea when I was growing it out. And my hair is just SO incredibly fine that it can't be trusted to hang loose. It's in great condition, but I just don't seem to have the kind of hair that holds any shape at all.

Is there some product that will make my hair stay in a nicer shape? The truth is that it doesn't even hang nicely in a ponytail...the part that is still hanging loose does the same thing when I pull it back. Flyaways pop out everywhere and it looks messy. A braid is starting to seem like my only option for a hairstyle...

Be patient.  One thing I found was that there were times I would become totally frustrated with my hair.  Then (usually due to procrastination), I would discover my hair would once again cooperate.  Your hair may just need a tad more length to again become manageable.  A small change in your routine might also help out.  Don't give up - not yet!