DORÉ

keratin treatments are not good for you – definitely seek out alternatives! it’s not worth it for the sake of vanity :)

i choose the high ponytail and the chignon. it’s better for my face :)

http://littleaesthete.com

Garance, they contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen. In other words, they are extremely bad. I have quite curly hair and I find that it is all in the cut. It’s critical to find someone who actually *knows* how to cut curly hair. I also find that it is easier if it’s longer — sorry, Scott! Courage !

Garance, je seconde le commentaire de Cory Scott. Tes cheveux dans le vidéo entrevue avec Stella McCartney sont parfaits!!! C’est le top! Je sais que c’était l’oeuvre d’un pro, mais tu dois trouver un moyen pour reproduire :)

garance…the perm-to-straighten thing is very old school. i tried it in the 1980’s although it must be improved since then! i did a “brazilian blowout” in the fall (before a trip to paris in fact) and it worked great and lasted forever. by the way it sounds like we have the same hair texture. i have had very short hair and really liked it.

garance–it was straight BUT the person who did it said they can somewhat control how straight they make it and do it less so. Is a frizzy gal, my dream was always shiny, straight hair!

Ah les cheveux frisés, je connais ! ^^ Les miens étaient même carrément crépus jusqu’à mes 18 ans. Pendant 3-4 ans j’ai fais des défrisages légers sans ammoniaque (20-30min de pause) 2-3 fois par an. J’ai fini par arrêter il y a un an car mes cheveux avaient vraiment changé de nature et certaines mèches étaient devenus carrément raides. Mais j’y tiens à mes boucles mine de rien, alors j’ai stoppé les défrisages. Mais ce traitement m’a vraiment changé la vie, et maintenant j’arrive à dompter ma tignasse. Je crois que le produit qu’utilisait ma coiffeuse est de la marque Biolage. J’espère que tu trouveras ta solution miracle en tout cas! Bonne continuation =)

Jackie’s experience is like mine. It is all about finding a truly sulfate free shampoo, clean rinsing conditioner and some easy curly hair healthy techniques so that your hair will no longer be frizzy. For almost 40 years I thought I was cursed with frizzy hair and after about 5 mos of using good products everything changed and I love my hair for the first time- AND, Garance, your hair has a much better color and thickness than mine- I think you would love it if you got rid of the frizz. Livecurlylivefree.com, curlmart.com and naturallycurly.com are great resources (I’m not connected personally or professionally at all to any of these- just found them in the course of my internet research!).

I think DevaCurl has even introduced a special towel to reduce frizz. I just cut mine off because I couldn’t stand the frizz factor. My hair is more wavy than tight curls however. My stylist is amazing, however. She knows just how to make the waves work.

Having just returned from spending the winter on an island off the coast of South Carolina (very near Savannah), lets talk about frizz! I’ve been letting my short cut by David Mallett (which I loved last summer) grow out so he’ll have more to work with this summer when I’m in Paris. So right now, my fine-but-lots-of-it/ wavy-curly with a tendency to frizz at the hint of humidity/ very dry hair is just to my shoulders. I’ve been giving it a quick blow dry on the top layers for a bit of smoothness, then using a curling rod to just give my curls a bit of definition and direction. Seems to work. That said, I’m getting much needed color today and an even more needed haircut tomorrow! I’d go back to short hair again, but at 54, I feel like this is my last gasp at semi-sexy longish hair!

I bet Anne Hathaway’s hairstyle would look great on you……but yes, maybe you´ll have to do something to loosen those curls a bit. Totally suppert the idea of a spring ovarhaul……

Dear Garance,

I hear ya… I had curly/wavy her since forever and then it finally begun to change into more straighter hair and another structure.. it’s true!

I had all kinds of different hairstyle in my life already.. from pixie to long and anything in-between. ;)

Now, I am growing it out again, but still not sure about it yet.. as my hair has begun to get thinner…with age! :( .. but we will see how far I will get with it.

But back to you.. yes, I did the straightening think in an African/American specialist Hair salon back in the days and yes it’s not the healthiest thing you can do, but the result was fabulous!

Still think I might go back to a short Hairdo someday.. but not giving up yet!

Some cute & lovely short looks you may consider!

I Like:
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367306211199
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367305788761
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367304947190
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367304392832

My Favs:
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367304338518
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367304215424
http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367306490247

Very Short: http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367306678370

Let me know what you think! Curious…

xo Cam @somekindofstyle

http://some-kind-of-style.blogspot.de

omg, CAM is right– this one is perfect!

http://pinterest.com/pin/168181367304947190/

Here’s how Karla does her hair! http://www.karlascloset.com/2012/11/hair.html

Hello Garance,
I, honestly, think you should simply go for it.
I know how it feels; with the anxiety et al when it comes to your hair. Being a bun girl myself, I have very stubborn hair and couldn’t imagine having bangs, but I badly wanted some life in my hair. One day, I got tired of all the contemplation and I got them; in spite the hairdresser saying it’s not going to work.It was a nightmare: they would simply spring back into curls and the frizziness (oh my God!)…. it’s like they are telling me I betrayed them. However, after days of “fighting” my way with them, now, we have a mutual understanding. And I love them….

So, again, just go for it with your eyes closed. I’m sure you’ll love the end result…. :)

Sorry, but can’t give you any advice on the hair science.

Garance you would look great with the first image you posted on the far left but with your curls. Shorter in the back and a little longer in the front and totally just create this amazing edge! That being said I’ve seen the photos of you with the curls and I love that look- own it! And if your hair is frizzy right now get a perm to loosen and totally rock the curly waves and make it your second signature look!!!

xx

Pourquoi ne pas les couper court, mais vraiment à la garçonne ???

Bonjour Garance
voici ma ptite histoire
J’ai toujours eu les cheveux mi long bouclés, une très jolie boucle ! j’adorais mes cheveux et puis je suis tombée enceinte et une fois que j’ai eu mon bébé ma nature de cheveux avait compléement changé !!! adieu les boucles et bonjour l’ondulation …..Depuis ce moment j’atttache mes cheveux (bun chignon queue de cheval ) tout y passe sauf les cheveux lachés, je ne me reconnaissais plus et puis dans mon portefeuille secretement caché une photo de jean seberg, la coupe que j’adore mais qu’aucun coiffeur n’a accepté de me faire car cheveux bouclé-ondulé (aucun d’entre eux ne connaissais cette actrice !!!) et puis finalement je suis tombée sur cette coiffeuse à qui j’ai parlé de cette actrice et elle l’a connaissait …. et puis j’ai sauté le pas ! Oui moi la fille au cheveux bouclé ondulé a fini par ce couper les cheveux court et depuis tout le monde adore ! En bref tu as un tres joli visage avec des traits fin alors je suis persuadée que le court t’ira à merveille … saute le pas et pense au dernier défilé Dior !!!

There is also such a thing as a permanent blow dry which is kind of like hair straightening but it doesnt produce stick straight hair. The hair technician can sculpt waves into your hair so that they remain bouncy and shapely but w/o the frizz. Like a blowdry, precisely. Maybe it’s worth talking to a Salon professional about it to find out if it works for you. Also with that, I can imagine you can rock Anne’s hair do.

Comme tu l’as si bien remarqué, les cheveux courts et frisés, ce n’est pas l’idéal, ou alors il faudrait passer une heure à te coiffer chaque matin, alors que tu n’en as pas l’habitude. Si tu veux couper, juste un peu, ne pas faire une coupe courte, et cette permanente semble une bonne idée!

http://www.laurablogmode.com

Garance! We seem to have the same hair( although I think yours is really nice!), in a bun and all! Mine gets frizzier than ever as I get older( plus now I get annoying grays too) and requires so many products to keep it smooth….I too wish my hair would magically become sublime right after the shower, but until then my husband will call me “pretty jungle girl”, and not to my delight…..can’t wait to see if someone have a solution I can jump on as well :)

J’arrive pas à ne pas attacher mes cheveux, j’aime pas les avoir sur mon visage, ça me dérange. Les buns c’est tellement plus confortable. Des fois je me dis qu’il faut que je fasse un effort mais je finis par les attacher a la mi-journée.

Je suis preneuse d’astuces et du matériel à avoir pour un bon brushing. Je n’y arrive pas avec ma GHD.
Quand a ton projet, je trouve cette longueur sympa: http://www.mylifeisbrilliant.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/charlize-theron-hairstyles-charlize-theron-hairstyle-hairstyles-9.jpg

Il y a court et court. J’adore les coupes courtes, je trouve que ça donne du caractère, mais je te vois plus avec un “faux carré court” (ouch, c’est compréhensible ?) qu’avec une coupe garçonne.

Carré plongeant frisé! Mon préféré! Google, il y a des photos divines!

Dans la science capillaire je suis nulle. Les cheveux il faut les couper dans une seule foi. Il ne fau pas y penser trop… Je croie que tu serais bien avec tes cheveux bouclée-frisée coupée come Anne Hathaway dans la photo, peut-être un peu plus court.
http://modeskinen.blogspot.com

Il ne faut pas faire confiance aux coiffeurs, il n’y a pas plus menteur au monde.
On leur montre une image, on veut ça ! Ils coupent, teintent, lissent, bouclent etc … Résultat ? Ah non ça ne correspond pas ! Mais ma petite dame, que voulez-vous, avec vos cheveux …..

Garance,
I completely empathize with your hair issues. I have similar hair and over the years of trying different treatments, one thing remains true — You can’t ‘control’ your hair just by what you put on it. Your dietician can be a big help with diet and foods that nurture, moisturize and help tame your hair. Okay now to the serious stuff. Have you heard of Ouidad? Hair care and salons devoted to ‘women with curl.’ Consider a consultation with them (their flagship is in NYC). I once heard their founder speak and she is an inspiring lady. Their salons have seen it all and could offer some helpful insights and perhaps they are the salon for you. Either way, you are beautiful and I know you will rock any look only if you are feeling good about it!

Hi, I have the same hair texture and I always wore my hair up. I think it looks/looked best on me. However 2 months ago, I was sooo fed up wearing it like this, so I chopped my hair, till shoulder lenght (important, you know when you have curly hair, some hairdressers cut it to short when wet, so for me it should be shoulderlenght when wet), then I tried if it worked for me like this. I started blowdrying (never did this before, but Garance no hairstyle will be as easy like a bun, so when you chop it you have to realize that it will be a bit more work than that your are used to).
For me it works, I put in a product that straights here a little when wet (no foam this makes it really frizzy) and blowdry it for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes I wear it like Anne’s hair pictured above, and on bad days in a low ponytail or in a low bun.
I like the change but I had to get used that I had to do something more than just put my hair up.I didn’t do a keratin treatment because I heard it is really bad for your hair however I don’t think that blowdrying is good.

But just try it Garance, a small change in your looks, can make a big difference in how you feel! Realllyyyy.

Ce pb de cheveux me parle si intensément…..g toujours eu lescheveux tres courts tt en revant de cheveux longs….apres de long mois de patience ils on poussé poussé…en meme temps que mon visage s avachissait (le mot n est pas trop fort!) J ai pris 10 ansd un coup ou presque…et a plus de 40 ans c est moche….dc retour chez le coiffeur qui confirme le manque de….
Dynamisme….pour etre delicat….dc retour a un ptit carre boucle bien plus seyant et tonique! Dc je dirais coupe c vraiment rafraichissant….et pour appuyer mon conseil jette un coup d oeil sur la dernière coupe realisee par FRed le prince du veuch….sur son site que tu dois connaitre…..

Aaaah j’ai entamé les grands travaux du printemps moi aussi: Au programme compléments alimentaires peau et cheveux, crème/masque pour les mains, réequilibrage alimentaire, sport, achat de cosmétiques nouvelles ETC
Mes cheveux ont changé aussi, je les trouve plus fins,et moins ondulés, la masse a diminué.
Pour l’instant je ne vois pas vraiment de différence avec les compléments alimentaires, même après 2 mois….
Pour les traitements pour cheveux, je te conseillle d’aller plutôt voir un “médecin du cheveu”, qui fera un bilan et te renseignera vraiment sur ce qui vaut le coup !

Belle journée,
http://suite910.com/

“Bun” as a verb–I like it!

What I don’t like: The short, curly granny cut modeled by Keri. I’m in total agreement with you. No good.

I wish I liked short hair on ladies, but 98% of the time I don’t. I think I associate short, stacked, over-the-ears cuts with too-busy-to-be-sexy mom hair, aka “the cut of resignation.”

I do love a cute bob though. Sometimes chopping off a few inches is like a new years resolution for hair. You can start afresh with less blow drying and bun-wearing! Good luck :O)

xoxo

Personally I don’t see such curly hair as yours short, it just doesn’t feel right :) but getting a perm and then chopping it might be a good idea. Wavy hair would be great for you!

Garance,

As someone who has had her fair share of horrible haircuts, I think before you overhaul your look, you should try EMBRACING your curls! And not the half-hearted way – but really, really embrace them by wearing your hair down and showing off the curls that so many would die for. I have super curly hair and I have worn it everywhere from scarily short a la Keri Russel to Rapunzel length. You’ve been fighting the curls for so long but you’ve never tried to style them the “right” way. I work in a strict, male-driven job where I have to look strong, sleek, and powerful, and I’ve made my curls work for me. Have you ever tried to have a consultation at one of the curly hair salons in the city? I pledge my allegiance to Devachan (I’ve been going for 5 blissful years) but I’ve heard great things about Christo on 5th and Ouidad.

Bises,
Jacqueline

Garance. I like your site so much.

Regarding your hair saga, I am struck by some deeper thoughts. I hope you don’t mind. It is clear that the way you view others and yourself has more to do with personal energy than it does with looks. Style is part of it, sure. But, the style is a byproduct of the person’s sense of self. So, you want a short haircut because girls with short hair are what? Sophisticated? Carefree? Elegant? Don’t say “chic”. Chic has its place and time, but you need more specificity regarding what is driving your desire for a short do.

I add this dash of caution because I don’t want you to have a bad haircut. And you definitely don’t want to have a bad haircut. Nobody wants you to have a bad haircut! I know how mortifying bad haircuts can be and even if you look as okay as Kerri, you’ll be convinced you look like Justin Timberlake. Anguish.

So, my advice is: think about the energy you want to portray through your hair. Then, think if there is another, less trauma-filled way** to celebrate that energy.

I imagine this: You + long, below the shoulder, hair + an elegant amount of playful/edgy coloring (gray, auburn, lavender, ox-blood, pastels, whatever makes you feel that special energy).

I recall that you visited a colorist to get some advice about your color. He told you it was perfect. Yeah… but… perfect is boring, thanks. Maybe it is perfect for your skin tone, but not perfect for your personality and energy. I feel like this colorist guy (brilliant though he may be with color) missed the existentialist boat, here.

Anyhow, good luck. You’re lovely and thanks for sharing with us. I am sure you’ll write hilariously and insightfully about whatever transpires.

——————————————-

*I use “you” only because it is your post. But, really this applies to me, definitely, and everyone, probably.

**Maybe the keratin treatment and subsequent chop meets the conditions of “less trauma-filled”. What do I know?

Personnellement, j’aime beaucoup cette idée !
Mais c’est sur que court ET frisé ce n’est vraiment pas terrible…
Il paraît que les lissages brésiliens, ça marche bien pour les lisser totalement, après je ne sais pas combien de temps ça dure, ce que ça coute ni quoi que ce soit.

http://www.judithlngr.fr

hello, ton post tombe à pic! Je reviens justement de chez le coiffeur…..même idée que toi, une envie de fraicheur et je dois dire que le résultat est …..désastreux….au lieu d’un carré flou aux épaules, je me retrouve avec une coupe quasi au bol…..avec impossibilité de faire cette si pratique queue de cheval… a ce moment précis ou j’écris, je déteste au plus profond de moi cette coiffeuse! Désolée d’aller à contre courant de tes envies, mais là je n’ai qu’une envie, c’est d’hiberner et de rêver qu’il recommence à faire très froid pour pouvoir remettre mes jolis bonnets….. Choisissez bien votre coiffeur et même si vous pensez être très clair, amener toujours une photo avec vous…. Tiens nous au courant!

I’ve had keratin treatments and it changed the texture of my hair forever more – I didn’t know they could be harmful but you can get more natural ones – although I’d go for the AFRO keratin treatment if you have tight curls. Keratin treatment works exceptionally well with my hair and has left it forever loosley wavy. I wouldn’t go for a perm….that sounds ridiculous!

xx

A bun does not have to be bad for your hair, actually it can be a great way to keep your hair healthy while you grow it out, or just to give it a day off from styling. If you use hair ties that don’t snag, and treat your hair with a light oil before putting it up, and don’t make the bun extremely tight, or bother with any kind of heat styling or blow drying..there is so little environmental exposure/distress to the follicles that it is one of the safest ways to wear hair.

Oh le printemps… Perso ça va être la saison du changement: un bébé, un déménagement et le début de “mon” entreprise! Et du coup j’ai une envie de changement! Peut-être est-ce parce que je deviens plus femme (maman, femme d’affaire, propriétaire) en tout cas envie de changer de tête, de corps, de garde robe (j’en peut plus des fringue de maternité!) et même de façon de me maquiller!
J’ai eu les cheveux courts puis long, des fois j’ai des jolie boucles, des fois non et du coup c’est la galère!
Mais pour t’aider (peut-être) sache que la (seule) fois où j’ai osé le très court mes cheveux se sont “détendus” j’avais peur que ça fasse l’effet inverse, l’effet “petit mouton” et en fait ils sont devenus super cool avec moi!
Saute le pas, au pire comme on dit “ça repousse”!

I love the short hair styles you’ve selected! I think Anne Hathaway looks wonderful with short hair. I went short a year and a half ago, and I love it! It’s so easy to take care of.

Speaking of Keri Russell, she’s been able to tame her curls while maintaining some wave. She looks beautiful!

Personally, I would avoid getting a perm. That word brings back so many memories of bad hair from the 80s!

love the spring overhall idea! LOVE the short hair idea (of course you are talking to someone with short hair)…short hair always has more style to it….then you focus you your beautiful face….eyebrows, eyes and smile…you’ve got all that. probably need to do something to just loosen the curls…..can’t wait for the big reveal….keep us updated…..xoxoxo

This is so true!

would be nice if you shoot a video making of your own “unhealthy” bun)

Garance, I feel we have the same type of hair… you won’t believe how much i understabd you. my hair changed after my pregnancy or was it age? i am 35. any way.. while i am still trying to figure it out i discovered a couple of things for perfect bob style curls: the kiehls argan treatment (shampoo & conditioner), an olive oil hair spray and a curl cream from bumble and bumble. i used to be the bun/ ponytail girl. not any more…. no need be so drastic! remember that if you chop it it will have to grow back eventually and the transition could be a real nightmare. so what about a curly bob?

Je suis d’accord avec Jeanne. J’adore tes cheveux sur les deux photos, Garance – aucune idée si c’est pas trop difficile pour tous les jours, néanmoins…

My very good friend had same problem and for the last year and a half she perms it to have looser curls. Although I’m not into these treatments I have to admit she looks so much better now. Her hair looks healthy and not damaged at all, even though she has to repeat the process every 5-6 months. You could try it once and see if you like it- if you don’t then you can do the bun, no big deal! You will always look good as long as you have your happy smile!

Suis d’accord avec toi : court frise est une horreur… Avant de faire une bêtise, tu achètes la crème Oléo Curl De Kerastase (pas le shampooing, la crème). Sur cheveux mouilles et demeles tu mets la crème partout sur les cheveux, tu laisses sécher tout seul puis quand c’est sec tu structures avec les doigts et de nouveau la crème et aussi avec de la laque Elnett.
Moi, ça m’a changé la vie…

Go for the bob, Garance, please go for the bob!
Really short cuts don’t look good on short hair, but I find chin length or a little longer just lovely. I cut my straight hair into a bob and I liked it, but how I wished it had been curly! My straight hair really needs to be beaten up to have any volume at all. I love curly bobs and I love you and I think it would be a great match.
I think your idea of cutting it until you find the perfect length is great, too.

A propos du regard des autres j’ai oublié de dire un truc après m’être coupé les cheveux courts :
ah mais tu as grossi ?
tu as pris des joues ?
on voit bien ton nez…
etc (dépitée)

bref ca donne un impression d’avoir grossi (super).

Garance, I have curly hair as well. I sometimes have those moments about chopping and then remember that I spent most of the time growing it back out. I had a couple of good short cuts but I didn’t fall in love–didn’t feel like this is “my” haircut–just something I did until it grew out. I think you don’t want to mess with your hair texture as a solution—curly hair is fragile—what can you do that works beautifully with what you have? Have you been to devachan? I’ve found one of the most frustrating things about shorter hair when it is curly is that you want to cut it before summer but NYC summers are humid–so your hair is more frizzy and you most want it off your face!! If there was a time to cut shorter, I’d go for fall because the air is drier and you can really try something.

Try wigs for now! x

I have wavy hair, and upon turning 35 I finally decided to cut it, from very long to shoulder lenghth. What I find is that my hair doesnt look good anymore without a hair salon appointment (in my 20s I just washed it at home and was happy with the beachy curls), so every sunday evening I get it done in a hairdressed (sometimes straight, sometimes wavy) and it lasts a good 5 days- end of problem. I find that it actually saves time during the week as I never have to style it at home.

En semi-court bouclé, je te verrais bien en NICOLE GRIMAUDO:
http://jicky18.tumblr.com/post/33516972692/nicole-grimaudo

Keratin treatments are safe as long as it is applied correctly. There were problems with fumes because stylists were slathering way to much on before blow-drying.

As for wearing your hair up in a bun without causing breakage I would recommend you get a few of the spiral bobby pins like the Goody Spin Pins. I started using them to avoid breakage yet keep my hair up for running or yoga. If you have thicker hair you might need to use 3 or 4.

Si tu veux couper tes cheveux l’important c’est de trouver un très bon coiffeur qui connait bien les cheveux frisés, qui sait comment ils se replacent.
Pour ta dermato, je suis curieuse de voir si elle te conseillera toujours les mêmes produits que la dernière fois.

Garance, laisse pousser tes cheveux, ils étaient très beaux longs et on te voyait souvent cheveux détachés.
Plus ils seront longs, plus ta boucle sera souplée, et tu seras bouclée de nouveau.
Toute forme de traitement à la kératine finira par les abimer et il faudra les récuperer.
Ne coupe, tu vas souffrir! c’est joli quand c’est très court, car ça boucle pas, mais quand ça repousse, c’est cata!

Sorry, but keratin is good for your hair, in fact very good. It does wonders! Even if it is preserved in formaldehyde!

J’ai pensé la même chose, j’aime d’amour ce qu’il a fait des cheveux de Make my lemonade…

Curly hair is awesome, but you need a stylist who knows how to work with it. This site http://www.mydevacurl.com/ has great curly girl products that will keep the curls but tame the frizz. Also, you can find stylists who specialize in working with curly hair. Ani x

Pas totalement convaincue par Anne Hathaway mais les 2 autres coupes sont très sympas !
Ceci dit, quand on a l’habitude des cheveux longs , on ne se refait pas …. Je les ai coupé et les fait repousser maintenant !

As a child of the 80s and 90s, I grew up afraid of perms, especially since I had pretty straight hair. In the last ten years or so, the texture of my hair has definitely changed (like you), and about five years ago I had my hair permed at Aveda. While my hair isn’t as curly as yours, I did find that the perm, which was pretty gentle, gave me really pretty waves, and all I had to do was wash my hair, scrunch it a bit with my hands, and leave the house. I am super-lazy, so I was very happy about it. I’m not even sure I used a comb, except in the shower.

Garance! My daughter has such curly hair and she has all her life hated it. But, she read The Curly Girl handbook (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Lorraine-Massey/dp/076115678X) and it changed her life. She also purchased the Deva Curl system — phosphate free and curl defining, frizz-defying — and she is a happier young woman. Don’t know if this would help you. Short curly hair is such a problem though. It might be worth exploring these options. I think you are so lovely — hair up or down — and if you want a change — absolutely! But not for any other reason than that you want to have a little fun.

Des cheveux frisés ou très bouclés au carré (très légèrement “plongeant” enfin un brin plus court derrière que devant) coupés au niveau du menton ça t’irait vachement bien je persiste! Je trouve ça très frais, très punchy.
Je ne t’imagine pas vraiment avec les cheveux plus courts en fait ou alors avec moultes soins de lissage réguliers mais qui risquent de te prendre la tête…

Tu me fait tellement rire Garance!

” The nightmare” ahahaha la tronche de la photo!!

Non c’est sur faux pas que tu ressemble à ca!
Le problème c’est que pour moi cheveux court et frisé ca donne ca!

J’y connais rien en cheveux et encore moins bouclés car les miens sont raides comme des spaghettis!
Mais peut être te faire un espèce de lissage brésilien ou je sais pas comment ca s’apel ( un truc qui les fait wavy/ bouclé/ effet plage) pourrait être cool, ca serai un mix entre les boucles et lisses.

enfin bon vivement de voir le résultat!

gros bisous

xx
Sophie de http://www.aroundlamode.com

Tu as déjà vu une photo d’Isabel Marant les cheveux lâchés ?

Bonjour Garance, en fait je pense que le chignon c’est ta “marque de fabrique”. Tu le portes tres bien…Pourquoi changer de coiffure ? lache tes cheveux la nuit, ou lorsque tu es chez toi. Comment fait Sarah Jessica Parker avec ses cheveux frises et longs ? cheveux frises courts : regard Halle BERRY c’est absolument possible ! Quant a la keratine, definitely NO ! ca abime. Bonne fin d’apres-midi…

T’es folle (et c’est pour ça qu’on t’aime !). Ouais moi je suis une experte capillaire (mon mari te le dirait) je teint, coupe fait tout toute seule, j’ai la ciseaunite aigue !! Et bien sur je fais n’importe nawak !! Et un jour j’ai tout coupé très court, c’était bien…15 jours après la galère pour la repousse…2 ans. Là je suis en désintoxe (ciseaux!) et ça va beaucoup mieux merci, mais une rechute est vite arrivée !! Laisse vivre tes cheveux, un carré un peu désépaissi et tu seras superbe ! Bon je dis ça je dis rien, surtout ne jamais m’écouter :-)
http://www.mode9.fr

My dear friend. I am a stylist. You seriously need to look at the Morrocan Oil line. It is made for you!! (Just make sure it is the original product and not a knock off)

Curly hair tends to be slightly drier and coarser in texture than straight hair. Hair has “scales” called cuticle on the surface. When hair is “bent” in a curl, these scales do not lie flat like straight hair does. Hence, a rougher feel and frizzy look.

The Morrocan Oil Hair line is GORGEOUS! It will tame your beautiful curls. Most people do not use “enough” product. There is one product called Curl Control Cream. BEEEAUTIFUL

You need to find a salon that carries this and get a complimentary consultation on the products suitable for your wonderful hair. You won’t be disappointed!

Comme toi, j’ai longtemps eu les cheveux longs et à force, je les attachais tout le temps…
Je pense que d’après ce que tu me dis, un carré long ondulé pourrait déjà faire un joli changement et t’habituer à avoir les cheveux détachés.
Peut-être que tu re-couperas par la suite, peut-être pas, mais je pense que ça peut déjà être une bonne étape ;)
Je suis par là aussi :
http://www.madeinfaro.com/2011/11/inspirations.html
http://www.madeinfaro.com/2012/07/orange-sfr-bouygues-telecom.html
http://www.madeinfaro.com/2012/10/la-revanche.html
http://www.madeinfaro.com/2013/03/la-fameuse.html

Bonne chance ! Tu verras, ça fait du bien ;)
Et je confirme, les cheveux changent vraiment d’aspect dans notre vie. Je ne sais pas si c’est tous les 7 ans mais bon, ça m’a l’air vrai ;)

xoxo
Manon

AHHHH. Garance, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE DO NOT PERM YOUR HAIR! Do you really wanna look like Mariah Carey circa 1990s? Those jerry-like curls still haunt me. I propose that you have your hair cut at the Ouidad studio in NYC because they specialize in curly girl hair and will take care of you. Trust all hair advise from a black woman who has had her hair permed, relaxed, and all other things which at the end of the day = destruction. Be kind to yourself and others, just DON”T DO IT.

Wear your hair like you did in the Stella McCartney video – that’s a very good look for you. Don’t cut unless you want to keep going to the hairdressers every month. Or else grow long and that way you can also wear in a ponytail or in a chignon. When you take the hair out of the chignon it is usually a bit straighter and then you can wear in a ponytail.

I think this is my first ever comment…

Please check out naturallycurly.com and LiveCurlyLiveFree.com before perming. You can do what you like, of course, but keeping it healthy and learning to work with the curl might make you happy! Plus, in New York, there’s got to be a stylist or two to give you a good, dry haircut specifically for curls. Maybe you’ll discover that the CurlyGirl method works for you abd is a lot less fuss!

Garance,
There are so many suggestions here that your curly head must be spinning! Please listen to Jackie and Sara (9:32 posts). Devachan Salon in Soho is no renowned Bumble & Bumble, but they specialize in curly hair. (I know because I have a friend who works there.) They use only the purest products because SULFATES and SILICONES are the enemy of curly hair (and all hair in my opinion).

Also check out this website: http://www.jessicurl.com. Read the entire website to understand how curly hair must be treated very differently from all other hair types, and that includes the products that are used on it. The videos explain a lot. These products will put your hair in its most natural state and get rid of the frizz. It will make your hair MANAGEABLE.

Try all of this (jessicurl products, Devachan salon) before you do anything else to it. THIS IS THE SHORT CUT to the MANAGEABLE hair you’ve always wanted!!!!

No on the perm. I’m pretty sure it ruins your hair more than wearing it up every day. Maybe try out the style of Anne Hathaway’s that you picked. You’ll need a blow out or some sort of mild straightening. I have naturally curly hair too but I don’t mind straightening it daily. I like the beachy waves though.

xoxo
http://www.thewrittenrunway.com

Hi Garance,

I have curly hair – perhaps a little less curly than your hair looks in pictures but still pretty curly. 18 months ago I cut my hair short for the first time ever. I love it! It is much quicker to style – it still takes time and product but less time and ALOT less product than when it was curly. I also have fewer ‘bad hair days’

At the moment, I have a Michelle Williams-ish slight undercut but I also wore it a bit like Audrey Tatou so working with my curls – both require the use of straightners but take less than 5 minutes.

The only disadvatage is that the hair is the same every day and needs cut very often (4 weeks), but each cut allows a slightly different style.

Garance ne coupe surtout pas tes cheveux ta signature c ton chignon basta!!!!je suis d ‘accord avec Cohiba aime tes cheveux et Scott les adorera c simple mais c comme ca la vie !!!!!! Biz

I understand wanting a change, but I think you’re fighting what you have naturally WAY too much! Short curly hair can look fantastic. I agree that you have to find someone who’s pro at cutting curls – a great cut is something you can wash and go. Period.

I, too, have very curly, frizzy locks. I’ve been getting a keratin treatment every few months and it does wonders for my hair–it allows me to keep the pretty waves and curls, but takes away the frizz and the “big” helmet hair! My hair stylist recommends them especially in the spring and summer months as the humidity goes up. The keratin makes my life so much easier, yet I still look like myself, sans the frizz!! I recommend one highly–try it once and you’ll never go back…

Garance, I’ve tried the Nanokeratin System and I must say it’s really good. My hair is long and frizzy and the humid weather in England doesn’t help at all. I had to stay at the hairdresser’s for 6 hours (too many magazine were read that day) but the treatment lasts for 4-6 months if you make sure to always use the nanokeratin shampoo :)

Garance,
I think the short (chin-length when dry) and wild, curly cut would be a great place to start. Also, your hair texture might be a little different with short hair, just to warn you. When I have long hair, I have tons of curl, but sadly my short hair is not as bouncy as I thought it would be. All those times I complained about the volume… now I miss it! On the flip side, now I can try out some cuts I never thought I’d be able to have.

Look into Mizani products. Owned by Loreal this line specialises in products for Black / Mixed race hair. What many people fail to understand is that Black hair is very fine and in no way tough and brittle. These products work great on Caucasian curly hair.
Japanese straightening may also help relax your current curl pattern into a more manageable / aestheticaly pleaseing texture.

DO NOT CUT IT. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION. YOU THINK YOU’RE BOYFRIEND WILL FIND YOU CUTE AND SOME FASHION FRIENDS SAY IT’S A GOOD IDEA. Week 1 friends/ boyfriend/ you like it but what they like is you having made a decision and appearing positive and upbeat and partly because of this it looks cute. You feel good. Week 2 not cute x

This is just my two cents….. I love pouring over your older videos and pictures and I remember thinking how beautiful your hair looks when it is longer !!!!!! Curly hair brings the hair up anyway so shorter cuts look shorter…. Grow your hair a bit you will have more play with it ie: up, down, straight, curly. I love the idea of accepting your hair for what it is and it is really great! Play with the length … look at old videos and see where you liked it the best. Besides you know your beautiful either way!

As someone with curly hair also I would recommend going to Whole Foods and checking out the organic/natural conditioners. I wanted to cut all of my hair off and then i discovered Beautiful Curls leave in conditioner. It is fantastic !! and it really works. I also use Giovanni smoothing conditioner and Origins Apricot shampoo.

Nooooooon les cheveux courts c’est ideux ! Ne les coupe pas ! Je suis plus d’avis de les laisser pousser, ils vont se détendre et redevenir bouclés. Ou alors tu mets de l’après shampoing pour lisser tes cheveux, ça va les rendre bouclés comme avant. Mais surtout, surtout, ne les coupe pas ! Et non, les cheveux courts, ça ne va à personne.
xxx

Oui COCO les cheveux courts c’est moche. La preuve: Charlize est mille fois mieux avec un carré, tout comme Anne Hathaway qui, depuis qu’elle s’est coupée les cheveux, s’est enlaidie et a pris 10 ans. Je trouve personnellement que les cheveux courts ça fait beaucoup trop garçon. Je te l’accorde toutefois, Twiggy avait les cheveux courts et ça lui allait bien… mais elle était androgyne !
Même dans Rosemary’s Baby, le mari de Mia Farrow lui dit, dès qu’elle se coupe les cheveux courts, que ça ne lui va pas du tout…
Enfin, non, il y a de très belles femmes qui, vers la quarantaine voire cinquantaine, sont encore belles les cheveux longs (Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Angelina Jolie…). Le court, ça veut aussi dire une seule coiffure tous les jours, alors qu’avec des cheveux longs ou mi-longs entretenus tu as plein de possibilités de coiffures tous les matins. Après chacun son opinion sur le sujet et je respecte ton point de vue.
xx

I am sure anything which you will choose will be great!
You are way too beautiful to think different way!
Changes make you feel much better, so go do it whatever feels right.
Spring is almost here!:)
Here I found some suggestions:

http://pinterest.com/pin/206321226650355425/
http://pinterest.com/pin/206321226649699560/
http://pinterest.com/pin/206321226650355428/
http://pinterest.com/pin/206321226650447855/
http://pinterest.com/pin/206321226649699557/

or watch Curly Nora here: http://cutbyfred.com/category/before-then/

be inspired by seeing those, Garance! :)

la photo court frisé fait peur en effet. J’aime bien celle de la première (celle avec le haut violet) mais ça doit pas être facile tous les jours à coiffer. Et celle de Karlie ne te plaît pas : http://www.so-trendy.fr/post/la-coiffure-de-lannee-revelee-karlie-kloss/ ?

Garance, I have very curly hair like yours, but I cut it a year ago and I love it–it looks great, nothing like Keri Russel’s jheri curl. For me the trick was having a stylist who had cut my hair for years and knew its weight and curl. Now I always travel to Chicago for my haircuts (where my family lives, so no big deal). But she cuts into it very deeply, and I wear it shorter on the sides and longer on top, I barely do anything to style it–actually, nothing, just comb it and then scrunch it with my fingers a little. And I LOVE it. I also was always in a bun, and now I feel either chic or really badass, depending if I comb it down or spike it up. chop it off!!

Curly hair is beautiful if it’s hydrated, cut properly, and cared for properly. The reason it can be such a pain is that most products on the market are too harsh and destroy texture, and there’s nothing fun about frizz. I recommend Devachan in SoHo for the cut, and the DevaCurl product line. I started using it a few years ago and treating my curly hair differently, and it has made a huge difference. It’s common for people with curly hair to obsess over it, because it’s so unpredictable. On any given day, depending on the weather, our diet, our mood, it changes and we don’t look the way we planned. But the right products have definitely helped me.

Garance, it took me 18 years to love my curly hair (now 44 years old) there were no products 24 years ago otherwise I swear my life would have been different as a teenager. Anywhooo, perhaps your curl pattern is big and thus your hair needs to be a little longer to achieve it’s ultimate greatness.
My personal regime is to do as little to it as possible, wash hair at night (ideally an hour or two before lights out) DO NOT comb it, apply L’Oreal ‘Matt & Messy’ then some gel to hair. Push hair up the back of your head and rest on pillow, good night. In the morning use a blow dyer, low blow with some hairspray to arrange and voila. I am good for 4 days.

I could talk about hair all day, I come from a long line of hairdressers and opted out of the profession but cut my friends hair all the time and have for years.

Embrace your lid.

bissou,
Lisa

Two suggestions: try some Wen. The commercials are cult-y, yes, but it definitely makes a difference. Unsolicited hair compliments all the time.
Or find Keri Russel and ask her about her hair. Seriously. On her new show, it’s so nice and wavy. It’s fascinating. And it always looks the same in other pictures of her too. No frizz at all. Maybe the curls were a perm? Hmmm.

Moi j’ai une bonne nouvelle : les cheveux bouclés se raidissent bien souvent quand on les coupe.
Sur un malentendu avec mon coiffeur, j’ai perdu plus de 50 cm de cheveux bouclés en quelques secondes il y a quelques années…petite coupe garçonne avec pas mal de longueur sur le dessus, très effilée, ça souffre aucune frisouillette, une coupe comme ça…j’ai cru mourir de trouille les premiers temps, m’imaginant que mes bouclettes allaient revenir à la moindre repousse…bah, ça fait 6 ans, et toujours pas vu l’ombre d’une ondulation à l’horizon. Ca existe, le bonheur.

I am SO with you on the spring overhaul.
And, people changing their minds is huge.
There are few things as exciting as a sudden
change of perspective.

your hair doesn’t have to be short/short…your hair would look great in a shag cut to suit u with long fringe so it would curl up to still be past your eyebrows…. or a bob with long fringe apply luscious curl by fredric fekkai on damp hair and let dry …redirect curls with a small easy to use curling iron….using heat lamp dries the curls with volume.. turn your head upside down and run your fingers through or u a pic

I have curly hair and I’ve cut it off a few times thinking it will solve some problem. But guess what? It doesn’t ! Better to grow it long and learn how to deal with it. A hairdresser even told me the same.

Short hair is cute but the cuteness is temporary. You end up wanting to grow it out after enjoying it for a few months. Unfortunately, it takes forever to grow out.

Getting it cut into a nice shape around your same length would help. But I wouldn’t cut it short! You’ll miss your bun if you do!

post the name of the salon and stylist

I have hair similar to yours and have wrestled with it (literally!) for a long time until last year – new stylist chopped it to a bit above shoulders, put in some layers (always was nervous to have them with curly hair) and she taught me how to “twist” my towel-dried hair with product (I used Moroccan Oil Intense Curl Creme). Changed my life! Try it! Put a decent amount of product in your hair, take sections and twirl and twirl, let air dry, gently crunch, but don’t shake it or tip your head over and up or run fingers through it! It does not look good wet but as it dries and relaxes a bit, voila! It takes a few times to nail down the look you like. I also don’t shampoo every day and that helps. Another habit I had to break. Good luck with your beautiful hair!

I have wavy hair that used to be stick straight. As you age the texture does change. And especially after pregnancy. Work with your natural texture, but get it cut to remove some of the weight. It has to be removed vertically. Removing the weight in strategic places will allow your hair to do what it wants to do in the most flattering way for you. Trust me, if I don’t do this to my hair it sits like a big brown block on my head. Whittemore House on Grove St has excellent stylists. (Many from Bumble).

Advice from a very wavy/frizzy haired girl- no shorter than shoulder length. Add very few, strategically placed layers. At shoulder length, you can still have a bun. At shoulder length, you may have your chignon. Once you chop it shorter than shoulder length, you become the girl that must style her hair every day. Do you want to be that girl? Will you cry for your bun? Shed tears for your chignon?

I’m a bun girl and darn proud of it. I can’t be bothered to style hair in the morning, only to walk outside and watch it morph into an unflattering melange of pouf and fuzz. Embracing your natural texture is more chic anyway…

Just my two cents on the Keratin — I am hooked. I have fought with my bushy, frizzy hair for many years and resisted keratin because of the dangers. I kept researching, though, and finally decided that getting one twice or three times a year was not a substantial enough danger (now, different story when you are the stylist that is GIVING the treatment several times a day…..don’t think I would chance that). But, let me tell you – I LOVE my hair now. I consider it a miracle – and I live in a very humid environment. So – until I hear differently, vanity is winning this fight. And I do believe you can have a “lighter” strength done – so as to retain some of your wave and body. Good luck!

P.S. Remember when Carrie Bradshaw on SITC cut her curly do? I thought it was so chic! Maybe worth a try?

Here, writing from the midst of the growing it out nightmare, I would only say that your idea to cut up slowly and see makes perfect sense. If you are a hair farmer, someone who has hair that grows fast, it is a blessing. Mine grows so slowly that it has been a year and it’s still short, awkward, and in between two horrible places. Cut it so you can get back to a place you know you like fairly fast. I like the idea of you with a short, curly bob (maybe slightly longer in the front and with bangs), but not a pixie (not that you wouldn’t look fabulous, but it would be a long time before you could be a long hair again).

I think it’s positive to make changes. Keratine treatment gave me the solution I was looking for many years. Now my hair is straight, shiny and healthy. Winter clothing looks better whit straight hair. I am very happy although when my husband said that it was nicer wavy. Many people likes curly, that is because they don’t have to deal with it.
Try to get a Keratine without formol.

J’avais une texture de cheveux assez catastrophique avant de les couper court : raplapla sur les racines, boucle sur les longueurs (mais des boucles vraiment pas jolies). J’ai tout coupe ! et ils n’ont jamais boucle. J’atteinds maintenant le stade carre court, et ils sont encore relativement raides.. LE plus dur, c’est d’eviter la coupe playmobile a la repousse…

I have been Off The Bun for about three weeks after probably five years. I spent the last year growing it rather long and just chopped off about three inches and added bangs. Love it more than I could have expected. And I have to say, Derek at Tommy Guns (the LES shop) was very good about making sure I didn’t freak out. I thought I was going to leave with bangs and chin length for the rest, but he suggested that we just do bangs first, add more layers and cut off everything that was too fried. It was a huge change! So, I think you are on the right path with taking it slow.

As for frizz, my hair is wavy but can get very fuzzy. I agree with others who have commented about product and not using towels to dry your hair. The Deva line is great (but has a strong fragrance), although I’ve been using a Christophe Robin cleaning mask followed by the wheat germ conditioner a few times a week and I think I may like that more. Also, Rodin’s Hair Oil and a little Fekkai Leave-In conditioner. That all seems to keep things in order. And to get the bulk of the moisture out, I just use one of those hand-woven wraps that has no “loops”.

Good luck! I know you will look gorgeous in whatever length you decide to do.

xx

Garance, I have the same texture hair as you, and I did keratin on my hair for 3 years.. and it was a little lifeless but overall eased my troubled frizz, and you can curl it it back, but then I missed my curly hair and having curly hair and knowing how to blow it out, beats keratin everyday… but during the summer sometimes I crave it back for a more relaxed beach day.. less scary from wet to dry.

I have found the most simplest solution in the world, and the answer is hiding in your sock drawer, yes you heard correct, in the sock drawer.
Do not cut, do not perm, Repeat DO NOT CUT, DO NOT PERM, sorry for shouting but you have to try this first. I have very similar hair, and as you know from one day to the next you never know how it will turn out.
Now I get the most consistent hairstyle ever in the history of my hair.
Just google the many video versions of the SOCK BUN that are out there, but instead of using it in the day, I use it before I go to bed, it contains the frizz, creates the most gorgeousness not mad and not straight but just right curls, and I get so many comments on my hair now. It looks like spent hours on hour hair but all you have done is had a good nights sleep.
To get an even better glamourously curl put a bit of product and water on to hold the curl even more.
Do try this, if only to saves a heap of time and money and the results are amazing.
With love Clare

I have curly hair too- not a tight curl though- so just using leave-in-conditioners, masks every week (or couple of weeks), and finding products that have no sulfate (HARD!) and are good for bouncy curls is key to keeping it naturally pretty and less frizzy. I have gotten the chop many, many times but I find that unless you do a real pixie cut and have a strict upkeep of it (read: constant use of products) its hard to have curly short hair without you looking like a puff ball. But if you have tight, tight curls it might be best to let them be the length of Anne Hathaway’s above whilst DRY.

Hope you find your answers!

Je vote pour le carré long (entre menton et épaules) glamour et un peu dégradé pr éviter la lourdeur. Ca fait du bien de changer! Moi c’est un peu l’inverse. J’ai eu lgtps la longueur carré et puis je les ai laissé pousser, je n’avais plus eu les cheveux long depuis mes 8-9ans. C’est grâce à mon super coiffeur que j’ai réussi à les laisser pousser!! Depuis que je l’ai trouvé, je suis bcp moins stressée pour mes cheveux!

Keratin is unhealthy for the stylist to use and it coats your hair so much that it will make it brittle and break off. Too much protein buildup is the issue. I would embrace your curls, but I know that is easier said than done. :-)

hey Garance !

Je suis une frisée qui est allée chez le coiffeur la semaine dernière et j’ai des réponses à tes questions :

Le lissage à la kératine contenait du formol quand c’est sorti. C’est ce qui permettait de raidir les cheveux. Mais c’est toxique, pas pour les clientes qui l’avaient sur les cheveux mais pour les coiffeurs qui le respirait toute la journée.

Donc maintenant, les lissages à la kératine ne contiennent que de la kératine et ne raidissent plus les cheveux, mais les nourrissent et les détendent (les boucles sont moins serrées, mais tu reste bouclée quand même).
Je l’ai fait la semaine dernière et je suis plutôt contente : les cheveux doux et les boucles biens dessinées et toutes jolies :)

WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T GET A PERM/STRAIGHTENER. Also seek out a great Dominican hair salon for blowouts.

Why don’t you try a Salon Shape brush kinda of thing? It’s a mix of hair dryer and brush, lgiht, practical and not a very agressive blowout.

XX

Why don’t you photoshop a bunch of different hairstyles on a favorite photo of you and take a vote?

P.S. The annoying part of short hair is when you are looking down, and it’s always in your eyes

Il faut aller chez un excellent coiffeur pour obtenir une très belle coupe, très courte, et mettre du gel pour les dompter…cela pourrait très bien vous aller et vous donner un style différent jusqu’au prochain changement…:-))
de toute façon c’est vous qui choisirez…;-) mais c’est l’occasion de faire raconter à chacune sa propre expérience…ah ! les filles !

Hello Garance
Quoi faire des cheveux bouclés qui parfois sont magnifiques et d’autres matin sont indomptables? J’ai également les cheveux bouclés et après chaque shampooing c’est le stress!
Mon amour de coiffeur avec son accent sicilien à tomber dit qu’il faut structurer le volume, en gros tailler dans la masse et ensuite tu peux envisager une coupe plus ou moins courte. L’idée c’est de laisser nos cheveux s’exprimer (c’est un artiste ce coiffeur, Sergio je t’aime!).
L’autre truc c’est d’utiliser les bons produits, à utiliser sur cheveux mouillés quand tu les laves. J’adore la gamme Redken Curls/Curvaceous.
Tout ça pour dire, si tu es de passage à Paris, passe voir Sergio et il trouvera una soluccion pour ta cheveux.
Rim (from Austin, TX, qui n’ira pas chez un coiffeur US pour ses cheveux bouclés!)

J’adore le coupe / le style de Dianna Lunt! Ca me donne envie de revenir au court…. Parce qu’une fois qu’on y a goûté on ne s’en passe plus!!
Mes cheveux je ne les confit exclusivement qu’a Bernard Friboulet. D’abord car son salon est a 50 mètres de chez moi, mais surtout parce que lui SAIT ce qu’il faut à telle ou telle morphologie / style de vie / habitudes…. Il coupe divinement bien, l’air de ne pas y toucher, et au final c’est la coupe parfaite! Je l’adore!!! C’est lui qui m’a fait passer du très très long au court garçonne: une vraie transformation hyper réussie. Je lui fait 300% confiance. Et d’ailleurs je ne fait plus confiance qu’à lui (après avoir essayé un ou deux autres coiffeurs, rien a faire, je suis toujours de retour chez Bernard!)
Pour moi Bernard Friboulet est le dieu de la coupe courte!!!!
Crois moi tu peux y aller les yeux fermés tu auras la coupe parfaite dont tu a toujours rêvée sans savoir comment la décrire.

I have curly hair…and I look best with it pulled up. Ponytail is my favorite. Other days I straighten it all with a REALLY good flat iron…tourmaline infused too. I think that is important.

I read keratin causes cancer…I wouldn’t do it.

I wouldn’t cut it short either. Let the, texturizing it…thin it a little…but don’t cut short. I grew out a bob…felt it made my face look fat.

I have been battling with short hair to long, and from curly to straight hair since the first time I chopped my hair off in 2010. I can never decide whether I want to keep it long or short. Halfway through growing my hair long, I decide I hate it and cut it all off. Once I get tired of it being short, the growing process begins. My hair can be rather frizzy and curly, but when it is in a pixie cut it does not curl as much as it does when it is bob-length or longer. What keeps me sane when thinking about my hair is the thought that it ALWAYS grows back, so I say go for the short cut!

As far as hair products go, perms definitely damage your hair in the long run because of the chemicals that go into your hair.

I like to keep it simple with hair products. Dove shampoos and conditioners work wonders and are super affordable.

I find your dilemma in kinship with my own. One of my resolutions this year is to get my act together as a healthy woman (who realizes that I will only be in my 20’s for a few years longer haha and its time to PRESERVE!)

So on my list is : dermatologist, new gyno, nutritionist, and for exercise I have decided to put myself to the challenge of P90x (!!!)

In doing so, I have decided to go natural ( I am a black woman with a whole lot of ethnic mixtures…so my hair is quite curly and BIG!) One thing I tried to loosen my curls, which helped a lot, was a TEXTURE SOFTENER. And what this does is loosen your natural curl (whilst still maintaing your “curly” hair and volume.

As for short hair cuts, and I have had my share all lengths, I think my short “pixie” haircuts I felt the most SASSY & such freedom!

Happy trails on your Spring Overhaul!

Cheers!
LN

Until you decide, you are doing the right thing keeping your hair down as much as possible. I suggest a low bun instead of a high bun so that you don’t put so much stress on the scalp (yes the high bun will do that because of the angle & weight of the bun, you don’t want any future thinning or worse yet, bald spots in that area later!) But Garance, really you are truly beautiful no matter what. I say let your hair run wild. If anyone is going to pull it off in an effortlessly chic fashion, it will be you.

Admiringly,
Anita

Les cheveux longs te vont bien même lâchés et ils sont beaux. je ne couperai pas mais j’essayerai en revanche un autre type de chignon, tressé,torsadé sur le côté,etc, dans le style de ce que fait Fred : http://cutbyfred.com/

il y a plein de possibilités et je suis certaine que cela t’irait très bien et serait facile à faire avec ta nature de cheveux.

Haha, le changement de nature de cheveux tous les 7 ans? Ouais je crois que je connais ça ! Lorsque je suis née j’avais les cheveux ultra bouclés/frisé, puis un chouille plus grande de belles anglaises, puis de mes 7 ou 8 ans jusqu’à mes 19 20 ans j’avais les cheveux baguettes, très noirs et très raides. Aujourd’hui? Ils sont châtains foncés et, comment dire… Indépendants ! Flemmasse du brushing aussi, et de la brosse. Le bun à l’arrache c’est dès que je bosse, ou que je réfléchis!! Les cheveux courts-courts j’y ai pensé aussi mais vraiment c’est un cap, parce que je les ai eu courts hein, mais pas courts-courts, et le fait de ne pas pouvoir les attacher je trouve ça frustrant !!
Sur ces bonnes paroles, une très bonne journée.
Marion

Garance, I totally feel your pain. Our hair types are very similar, almost identical, as I always laugh out loud when I read your comments on your hair, I never thought somebody else could be having the same specific hair problems and the same attitude towards it.

Anyhow, I’d advise you to give up on the very short hair idea. It’s very tempting, looks gorgeous/stylish/cool on the people whose HAIR can pull it off. Hair being the operative word here. Your face structure, and your style pulling the chopped hair is one thing, your hair structure (the frizzy unruly hair) pulling it off is another thing. It may even look great when you step off the hair dresser the first day, but we don’t have time to go the hair dresser every day and straightening/styling a very short hair is not easier because there is less hair. In fact it’s harder because there is no room for error. With long hair, even if it’s messy, it’s much easier to quickly put together a presentable look. And if you make a mistake with short hair, and not love it, you have to wait a lot for it to grow back and the in between lengths are a pain. The same logic also applies to bangs for us girls with non-straight and frizzy hair.

I’ve had a period when I straightened my hair too much with an iron that my natural curls have become unruly and just frizzy. I had to style it or it looked absolutely horrible. Only in summer if I let it dry under the sun after swimming in the mediterranean, it looked somewhat OK without styling. So I decided to get a perm (which was confusing to my straight haired friends who knew me a long time as they believed people got perms to have their hair look like mine.) The most important thing I can advice about a perms is don’t have them use curlers that are very thin as they would give you an afro-like curly style and that’s harder to deal with when you wanna straighten or do anything else when you feel like it. If you have them roll the hair with much thinker curlers, than it won’t be like a typical 80s perm, but more like a larger ruly weaves, which are much more versatile and easier to style. So basically the thinner the curlers, the shorter the distance between each curl (ie. hair will look like the cords of the land telephones from 80s) But if you use thicker curlers, the curls will be larger and more spaced out. With such a perm, you have have less unruly and less frizzy hair. You have a great hair cut that will go with this, maybe something slightly shorter but not drastically. You can wait for your hair to get longer and see what that looks like. Also, yes, keratin is harmful to the hair, and it doesn’t work miracles on hair types like us and you don’t wanna limit yourself to slightly frizzy straight hair for 6 months.

I complete understand you need for change, but please make sure it’s logical and you won’t regret it or won’t be able to easily use it and then wait in agony for a min of 6 months for your hair to get longer.

Coupe courte comme michèlle Williams, toi en brune, je sais pas pourquoi j’ai eu un flash, je t’immaginais ainsi au coté de Karl sur le plateau de Canal +, la grande classe….

Ah là là… Chère Garance, j’ai pile les mêmes cheveux que toi et donc pile le même problème. J’ai résolu la question en m’en tenant à mes cheveux suffisamment-longs-pour-que-leur-poids-les-empêche-de-remonter-en-afro. C’est assez frustrant car on se dit qu’ils sont incoiffables et qu’on n’a quasiment aucun choix de coupe! Et tandis que mes copines aux cheveux fins et raides -les veinardes- envient ma chevelure-parure, moi je peste contre cette foutue nature… Bah, comme dit ma mère, au moins quand je serai vieille je ne me retrouverai pas de sitôt avec 3 poils sur le caillou.

Garance, trust me don’t cut your hair; J ‘ ai fait l erreur : j ai adoré en sortant de chez le coiffeur, mais ensuite, impossible de les replacer moi meme , et no way pour cacher la catastophe au moindre temps humide, tu sais quand la nature reprend le dessus et que l’ effet de ton brushing, fait il y a une heure, disparait soudain au profit d’ une masse folle de frisottis sauvages qui te donnent soudain 10 ans de plus et l’ air pas soignée du tout ! Crois- moi quand on n’ a pas le temps d’ aller chez le coiffeur chaque matin ( l’ as -tu ? ) le bun te sauve de tout ! Et des cheveux coupés mettent tellement de temps à retrouver une longueur ” attachable” !

Pas les cheveux courts Garance, NOooOOOoooon. J’ai la même nature de cheveux que toi (à peu près hein!) et une fois j’ai tenté le court. Un véritable cauchemar. Je ressemblais à un petit mouton tout mouillé. Et la repousse. L’horreur. Je fantasme à fond sue les jolis coupes courtes mais je crois que pour les cheveux frisés c’est quasi impossible d’avoir un joli résultat. Ou alors ça demande des heures de préparation (gel, coiffage, etc.).
En tout cas j’ai hâte de voir vers quelle solution tu vas te diriger. De mon côté, impossible de faire mieux que les cheveux bien longs qui détendent un peu les boucles.

Love the hair you wore in the stella Maccartney video!!

Je crois que j’aurai pu écrire cette article!!!!
Il y a de ça 1 an et demi j’ai commencé à voir mes cheveux longs et bouclés s’alourdir puis quasiment se raidire. Je ne comprenais pas ce qui se passait… et mon coiffeur m’a en effet expliqué que les cheveux changeaient de nature tous les 7 ans…
Je ne savais plus comment me coiffer, du coup je les attachais tout le temps.
Mon copain, alors qu’il ne jure que par les cheveux longs, m’a dit un jour tu devrais te couper les cheveux au carré …. et les treindre en blond aussi (mais ça c’est pour l’anecdote) : à quoi j’ai répondu tu veux vraiment que je me coiffe comme ta mère (je comprendrai jamais le rapport qu’entretiennent les hommes avec leur mère).

J’ai en effet coupé mes cheveux au carré. Oui c’est joli mais ça ne remplacera pas mes cheveux bouclés. Tous les jours je me lève et je ne pense qu’à une chose c’est me faire une permanente. Mais il parait que ça abime les cheveux. Franchement si tu connais une technique géniale de permanente qui ne ruine pas les cheveux, je suis super intéressée…

Du court, Garance, du court, très court!
Voici mon expérience perso’ : métisse, d’un père noir et d’une mère indienne, j’ai les cheveux aussi frisés que les tiens, et je les aient toujours portés longs, enfin niveau épaules. Mais c’était trop de travail le matin, de me coiffer, de les raidir ou de les soigner pour pouvoir les porter au naturel, de faire ressembler tout cela à quelque chose d’élégant ou un tant soit peu potable… -_- Un jour, il y a plus de 3 ans de cela, je suis allé chez le coiffeur et lui ait dit: -on coupe tout!*

Résultat: une coupe très courte, avec une nuque bien dégagé, des pattes fines sur le côté, la révolution! C’est hyper féminin, l’allure est fière et allégée, le visage dégagé, gain de temps pour les cheveux le matin, on s’éclate niveau maquillage, on se sent renaître!

Essayes, tu verras :D

My tuppence worth: Life is short and hair grows quickly. When you have long hair you forget this. Once you cut it, and need to cut your hair every six weeks instead of twice a year, you realise that growing hair out is not such a big deal. You will probably wish it grew more slowly.
I piled my hair on top of my head for years after my son was born as it suited me best and looked/sat better when it was dirty! I cut my hair into a bob about six months ago after chunks of hair kept breaking off, and have not looked back. It feels youthful (which is meaningful when you’re 42!), stylish and easy.
And if in need of further inspiration go listen to/watch Cut Your Hair by Pavement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoMdkyeZOqE
Hair cut big deal need not be…

Garance, I also have naturally curly hair. Anytime I have cut it short I have hated it. Wavy hair short is one thing, but curly hair short….ugh. I think you do look better with your hair up. Is there a way you can accept that and find some interesting ways to wear it up? If you do want to cut it a bit and wear it down, find someone who can put in some long layers. Find the best side to part it on. Sometime a side part can make all the difference. Left and right are very different! And don’t forget summer is coming and short curly hair is just one big ball of frizz. We all want makeovers in the Spring because we are fed up with winter. Do something else rather than a drastic hair change. New shoes or whatever. Wait until Summer and if you still feel the same way about your hair, then you can change it. In the meantime, try Shea Moisture hair products. Inexpensive and you can find them at CVS or other drugstores.

I’ve been dealing with my extemaly thick and curly hair since forever and for many many years I’ve been wearing a bun. Not even a ponytail, just a bun. I wanted my hair to be very long, I just thought they will be wavy and I would look like a Hollywood star. Ha ha, best joke ever. I looked like a witch! I tried permanent straightening, I was desparate to change something and stop being ” a girl with a bun”. It looked very very good. For five days. After this time my hair became frizzy as hell. Hello bun again.
And then, suddenly I found a blog of Christina Caradona and I fell in love with her curls! I took a picture and show her to my hairdresser. He cut my hair, it was then shoulder lengh, maybe a little bit shorter. I looked like Baby from Dirty Dancing. I didn’t want to be Baby!!!!! I was devastated. but…….after a few more visits at my hairstylist studio it became more and more cool. Now I have hair a little bit longer than to ear and it looks veeeeery good! Finally I feel pretty:) this is funny but after all those years of hating my bun because it was a must to me, now when I can let my hair down and look great I put my hair up very often. Just because I want, not because I have to. Take care Garance and experiment!

Garance, I currently live in Korea where perms (both for creating waves or straightening) are pretty common-its the next thing to colouring one’s hair. I’ve tried straightening perms and loved loved loved the results! I got really sleek and straight hair which lasted for about four months, and afterwards my hair started getting wavier and curlier but still looked pretty calm for awhile. It does dry out your hair a bit, so hair oils or essences are a must (and I second Jojo, Asian hair products are great; try Tsubaki if you can get your hands on them). One last thing, if you are considering hair cuts, shoulder length cuts can be surprisingly flattering and still give you the chance to grow them out again.

xx Kristin

Hi Garance!

I like the short idea! But also think avoiding the “Brazilian blowout” and all keratin treatments is best – even the ones that say “formaldehyde free” aren’t actually – they still contain formaldehyde! It can be dangerous for you (some people have even had hair LOSS afterwards – just ask Mary Louise Parker!) and is bad for customers and often even worse for the salon workers who are around the treatments all day – nose bleeds, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, rash. In Brazil a woman gave herself an at-home Brazilian Blowout, and, because her bathroom was so poorly ventilated, she died! Scary, scary stuff!:
http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2010/10/brazilian-blowout-even-more-toxic-than-we-thought/

And they don’t necessarily work very well…:
http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2010/10/my-brazilian-blowout-from-fab-to-drab/

Curls are beautiful! And so is change! Whatever you do, I hope it is safe and healthy!

un carré comme Jenifer un peu plongeant (désolée pour la référence).”A vue d’œil”, je pense que vous avez la même nature de cheveux

laches toi , garance ,, une bonne vieille permanente comme nos grands mères en etaient adepte ,
tu vas relancer le move !hi hi

I have curly hair too and I dream of Lorraine Massey cutting my hair. Dear Lorraine Massey, save Garance’s curls!
http://www.devachansalon.com

Bonsoir Garance,
Quand j’étais petite, mes cheveux étaient un peu frisés (comme des algues ;) , bien que je sois japonaise. Mais maintenant j’ai les cheveux lisses et brillants. Alors je n’ai plus d’algue sur ma tête, mais je le mange beaucoup !

Ah Garance ! Je te dirais bien : réfléchis à deux fois avant de couper. En même temps, si tu n’as jamais essayé, je pense que sauter le pas tu dois … Sinon, comment savoir ? Procéder par étapes est une bonne chose, pas évident de passer du long au court en une seule fois. J’ai les cheveux bouclés, jadis plutôt frisés. On me demandait souvent si je n’avais pas un peu de sang africain … Puis ils sont devenus moins indisciplinés lorsque j’ai enfin accepté de laisser sa chance au dêmélant (!). Les cheveux courts, j’ai donné, jusqu’à.l’âge de 12 ans, suffisamment pour savoir qu’avec ma nature de cheveux c’est no way. Aprés j’ai tout essayé sur le long pour les raidir (désaipaisir, défriser, brusher …). Pour finir par accepter mes boucles. Et ne plus subir. On ne peut pas lutter contre sa nature ! Mais comme toi, j’aimerais aussi et surtout savoir me coiffer autrement qu’en remontant le tout sur mon crâne. Et sans y passer trois heures. Savoir juste me coiffer quoi. En été, je suis assez fan des bandeaux et autres foulards mais ça ne suffit pas. Il me manque de la pratique, du temps, la patience de mon coiffeur … Hâte de suivre tes tatonnements capillaires. Bises from Biarritz ;)

Non toxic keratin treatments exist! I get mine done by Jacob at Jeffrey Stein Salon on the Upper West Side, it gives my curlyish frizzy hair perfect smooth waves and the treatment is safe. I started getting it over a year ago and I have no intention of stopping, the results are just so fantastic! Good luck with your hair project!

Also, short and curly = very high maintenace in terms of which smoothening process your hair responds well to the most and which ones of those means are you willing to incorporate in your regular routines, you know. I’d say, forget treatments such as Keratin and all and go for haul of useful products you’ll have in your kitty for the rest of your short-haired life and these should include:

1. Anti Frizz Shampoo
2. Anti Frizz Conditioner
3. Anti Frizz Serum
4. A style holding spray
5. A dry shampoo
6. Any hair accesories you might like to add for an extra zing ( turban, scarf)

Choose wisely, lovely Garance!

Loads of love from India!

Hello Garance,

Je ne sais pas pourquoi mais quand j’ai lu ton article j’ai tout de suite pensé à Karla de Karla’s closet,
take a look : http://www.karlascloset.com/2013/03/flaming-red.html
Je pense que ça t’irait à ravir !!

xxx,

Cassandre

Garance, I have wanted to cut my waist long hair for ages but keep deciding not to because I get tired of the same hair style. If you cut your hair you will be stuck with the same look for ages. I can tie my hair into a pony tail, plait it, leave it loose or put it I to a bun (neat or messy). My hair determines my mood and compliments an outfit so my hair does a lot for me. I say, keep growing your hair. The longer it is, the more it will pull down your curls and leave you with a wave. I think :-)

Good luck deciding.

Hello Garance,
Je te lis depuis quelques mois, et j’aime beaucoup ta manière d’écrire, simple et belle, tes photos justes mais aussi surtout tes dessins (encore plus!). Je t’ai découvert grâce au Daily Elle.
Comme tout le monde te l’a dit au dessus, j’ai les même cheveux que toi… Comme tu le sais le secret c’est l’hydratation: Huile d’olive, masque, crème, et surtout la crème sans rinçage DOP (pas chère, qui ne paie pas de mine, un pot jaune et violet et finalement la meilleure pour les hydrater et structurer les boucles/frisettes). Comme toi mon cheveux est passé de frisé petite à presque lisse à re-frisée ado (l’horreur) puis plus souple aujourd’hui.
Je ne sais pas non plus me faire des brushing mais depuis un an MA VIE A CHANGÉ. Haha littéralement grâce à la brosse soufflante et rotative de babyliss. Tu es coiffée comme si tu étais allé chez le coiffeur en 15min chez toi. Elle est géniale. Et tout le monde autour de moi l’a acheté et est ravie. Je te la conseille!!!
Je t’embrasse
Julie

Bonjour Garance,

Ayant les cheveux très bouclés également (je les lisse ou les garde bouclés mais seulement l’été lorsqu’ils ont une longueur suffisante), j’ai pensé à la kératine… Pas essayé encore! En revanche lorsque j’étais beaucoup plus jeune, j’ai tenté cette fameuse permanente. Ils appellent ça “mini-vagues”, ça fait un peu vieux comme expression…Bref, je me rappelle c’était très long à faire, pour un résultat très sympa, mais les produits sont hyper agressifs pour les cheveux…C’est des gros rouleaux, donc finalement tu choisis l’amplitude de ta boucle.
Si tu as de nouveaux bons plans, je suis preneuse en tous cas et je continue mes investigations concernant les cheveux bouclés!!!

Anne.

Garance,
I have curly hair and everyone in my family has curly hair just like yours. I’ve had the keratin treatment and I love it but I only recommend it for the summer. I would only do it once a year. I personally never ever wear my hair curly. I either put it up into a bun or blow it out. Why don’t you just get a blow out once a week and that should last you a couple of days? The rest of the time alternate between a bun and wearing it down curly and natural. If you want beautiful hair you have to work at it when it’s curly. Otherwise, embrace what you have and move on…

If you cut your hair short you will have to blow it out to loosen the curl to create a nice shape. Unless you go more pixie then you just need product. My opinion is that cutting curly hair short is a very bad idea and you will most likely not like it. It is even more high maintenance than long curly hair.

Cheers,
Hala

Garance my darling, you have to stop fighting your hair so to speak. Resist the urge to go against it and I promise it will reward you. You have amazing hair! Do you know how many women would kill for naturally wavy hair? Look at women like Andie Macdowell, she has amazing waves. Sometimes she accentuates them and other times she simply irons them. If you use a good non-permanent product such as Kerastase from the Nutri-Thermique range which will help condition hair as it is activated by heat! I use this and I have afro hair so if I’m recommending it you know I know your pain!
I hope this helps. Bisous Bisous ;o)

Oui tu as tout a fait raison : les chignons a la longue c’est pas bon. Et les couper n’est pas la solution non plus. Il finiront par pousser et boucler quoi que tu fasse et tu te retrouvera encore avec une tête que tu ne pourras plus voir en peinture (pour avoir essayé…)
En fait, le mieux c’est que tu te les laisses pousser naturellement. Je t’explique : pour avoir de beaux cheveux, il suffit de les accepter tels qui sont et faire en sorte qu’ils soient en très bonne santé. C’est inutile d’aller à l’encontre de la nature de tes cheveux : sur le coup ça sera joli et tu seras contente, mais ça finira toujours pas être laid au bout de trois mois maxi.
Donc, puisque toi ils sont frisés apparemment (hi hi) il faut beaucoup beaucoup nourrir les pointes et un peu les longueurs pour que tes boucles soient parfaites (mais pas avec des après shampoing trop lourd non plus.. le tout étant de trouver le bon produit). Te les laisser sécher à l’air libre (le sèche cheveux, même si c’est la meilleure invention de la terre, c’est très vilain) et surtout sortir du cycle infernal des lavages trop fréquents. (rien de pire pour que ta crinière se transforme en paille)
Après, les laisser pousser (tout en coupant régulièrement les pointes) pour qu’ils aient une longueur parfaite pour que tu puisse te faire des coiffure sympas, mais sans élastique ! Les barrettes à chignons sont parfaites pour ça, et tu peux aussi te faire des tresses (c’est l’idéal) il y a pleins de tutos sur youtube pour réussir des choses vraiment belles et originales (ma youtubeuse préférée : sara sabaté, c’est vraiment génial) et tu pourras comme ça te faire une nouvelle signature ;)
Et avoir des beaux cheveux passe aussi par l’alimentation ! Le mieux c’est les fruits et les légumes (et oui) mais tu peux aussi prendre des compléments alimentaires qui sont très efficaces, surtout la levure de bière. (et ça marche aussi pour avoir une belle peau et des ongles solides)
Et aussi n’oublie pas que le but des coiffeurs et de te faire payer cher et que tu reviennes souvent, donc méfie toi vraiment, tu ne sera jamais totalement satisfaite quel que soit le prix que tu y mettes ! (je parle dans la durée)
Voilà désolée d’avoir été longue et un peu soûlante mais c’est vraiment la meilleure (voire la seule) solution que je vois pour toi ;) J’ai un peu peur le fait que tu sois en permanence dans le milieu de la mode te fasse rencontrer uniquement des gens (très biens je n’en doute pas) mais qui considèrent que l’unique solution est d’y mettre beaucoup d’argent…

WOW! So much Curl information… I have checked out Devacurl, it seems I am Botticelli which sounds like I Sould be standing in a shell looking fabulous, I can roll with that. This post brings back memories of a particularly heart breaking separation. I did what I think a lot of us do, I went looking for a change, a new improved me.. I immediately made an appointment to see my hairdresser Mark – he is in LA – and he does hair, any hair, even curly hair to perfection and that comes with a good raunchy laugh, a winning combo I think. I digress, back to the heart ache which equals hair cut… Short hair I think. “Great” Mark says. “You’ ll look adorable”.. Cutting is his forte, I know it’ll be great… Pause…. ” you can blow dry it or straighten it slightly with a reverse perm…. And you will need REALLY good products”… “Okay” I mutter back. “THEN, you will have to come back every 4 to 6 weeks for a trim to keep it in control and in shape” he says… ” and after a year when you are bored of short hair you will grow it back”….. Which equals – an awful lot of clips/hair bands/whatever else you can get your hands on to contain those curls so you don’t have a bad “fro” or a curly pyramid sprouting from your parting! Long story. …. Long… Mark did cut my hair, but not so short I would suffer the re growth, and yup I re grew – love that he knew – I recommend a hairdresser that understands curls plus product, find your products and don’t go too too short. I use Sebastian potion no.9 mixed with Aveda serum (so i dont have crispy curls, HATE crispy curls) and then I twist in sections for a little control, let it dry and toss like a good salad! Works for me but our curls are all so different… yet thanks to all the suggestions I am going to try blotting instead of wrapping in a towel and I am going to see if I really am a Botticelli.

Hello Garance,
I too have had curly hair my whole life. About a year ago I got a ‘brazilian blowout’ – one of the newer ones with less formaldehyde. I continue to use sulphate free shampoo and my hair is still less curly. It is wavy. Recently I had it cut to my shoulders with lots of layers and it looks great. More sophisticated than long hair, plus, curls and waves around the face are flattering. I also go regularly for a blow dry at Dry Bar. Since curly hair is usually dry rather than oily, I don’t wash my hair some times for a week and it looks great. You might also try large hot rollers which makes bigger curls instead of frizzy curls. So, in conclusion, find a great hair dresser (I’d recommend mine, but I’m in Los Angeles), try the Keratin, invest in blow drys and hot rollers. I look forward to your new hair style, whatever it is.
P.S. The perm idea sounds archaic.

Ne les coupe pas tant que tu n’acceptes pas toute cette chevelure indisciplinée, tu vas en pleurer. laisse les pousser comme sur la photo de Caroline Issa de dos chez toi en Corse. J’ai l’impression que tu passes ta vie à t’intimer des ordres, sois comme ci, sois comme ça et tes cheveux ils te disent … no way pour parler poliment ! Il y a une partie de toi encore non explorée, bridée, retenue à cause de tout ce milieu ds lequel tu évolues pour gagner ta vie, chéris tes cheveux qui eux restent “wild”. Ne cherche pas à être sublime, “irradier” est bien plus important … et sublime !Bisoux

Bonjour
Je suis une fille qui a besoin de faire son chignon a un moment de la journée. En ce moment je laisse mais cheveux pousser car il y a un an j’ai fait un coupe carré. Je me suis rendue compte qu’il faut savoir porter les cheveux courts. C’est le conseille que je peux donner. L’avantage c’est si on n’aime pas cela ça pousse :). Bon courage et je suis certaine que tu seras magnifique peut importé ton choix
Zamel

Bon j’arrive un peu après la bataille, ca fait longtemps que je ne suis pas venu, mais justement, j’ai vu une fille il y a deux jours avec le même genre de cheveux et elle était super jolie, elle une sorte de chignon fouilli avec une coque un peu rock devant, bon ça aller super bien.

Après de mon coté je ne jure que par le naturel donc adieux shampoing plein de silicone et traitement etc, bon c’est peut être simple pour moi aussi..mais apparemment le henné (il y en a qui ne colore pas, je peux t’écrire un livre là dessus) “raidisse” un peu les cheveux, bon je ne sais pas à quel points, je pense pas que ça fait des miracles mais ça aide à définir je pense.

mmh voilà mais je ne suis pas bouclée, donc j’aimerais bien :) on veut toujours ce qu’on a pas aha, du coup je serais toi je les laisserais tout le temps libre et sauvage

Have you ever heard of curly girl? Lorraine Massey, owner of the Devachan salons, is a curly girl advocate. Everyone I know who has lovely curly hair seems to go to her.

Tu es parfaite comme tu es!!!!!!!!! Vive les cheveux frisés et crépus. C’est tellement joli!

J’ai exactement le même problème et c’est vraiment déprimant . Mes cheveux au naturel sont vraiment pas top sauf si je les nattes le soir alors du coup je suis pratiquement en chignon tout les jours et même si je sais que c’est une forme qui me va je rêve de pouvoir faire parti des filles qui se lèvent avec des magnifiques cheveux qui tombent sur leurs épaules .
Je ne pense pas que tu devrais te couper les cheveux sauf si tu es prête a te les raidir tout les jours car moi aussi je voulais un joli carré mais j’ai vite abandonné mon idée sachant que je suis une grande flemmarde .
Si tu trouves une solution j’espère que tu nous diras . Pour ma part je pense que je vais essayer la keratine , une fille que je connais la fait et ca a vraiment rendu pas mal (et je me dis que au pire personne verra la difference si c’est moche vu que je les laisses attacher .) d’autant plus que j’habite au Maroc et que ici ils sont vraiment les pros des cheveux bouclés !!
bisous !!

I have hair similar to yours. Fine, but very curly, especially in the front. I have done everything to my hair-Keratin, Relaxers you name it. Unless you have coarse curly hair, its hard to get the volume and the beautiful shape.

The best “natural” non-toxic solution I found was a treatment called Provana. Its been around a few years. Its shea butter. It doesn’t change your curls. It just take out the frizz and makes it softer. In the humid NY summer and rain, I was frizz free. The treatment lasts about 3-4 months.

Good luck!

Garance you should look into the Brazilian blow-out technique (http://www.brazilianblowout.com)! It doesn’t necessarily result in straight-straight hair but rather frizz free hair that still retains its natural volume. It lasts about 4 months before you need a re-touch. Good luck!

Dear Garance,

I live in Hong Kong which is 90% humidity and hot and steamy ALL the time. My hair is wavy with some curl, it loves Europe and the States but Hong Kong is like living in a sauna. I’ve been experimenting with different treatments and levels of straightness/waviness/curliness for 10 years now. I hate my hair straight, but like it to be more relaxed than it’s natural state.
My advice? Go to John Frieda, or another hair salon recommended by similar haired friends of yours in NYC, who recognize what you’re looking for! I did a perm once and the results are so temperamental and hard to predict. I use a keratin (Global keratin) treatment and do it only every 6 months. There are many different strengths. GO for the weakest… it washes out in about a month, so if you hate it you don’t have to commit! I don’t dye my hair, but I assume that’s just as bad if not worse for your hair!

try the japanese thermal reconditioning – I’ve done it every year, once a year in the spring so my hair is manageable in the humid summer. It looks like crap for the first 2 weeks, but as it slowly grows out it regains body and is so easy to take care of!! It’s changed my life! I’ve been doing it for 8 years and I never look back. And – it doesn’t damage my hair any more than it would if I continually used a straight iron. I have crazy frizzy curly hair and have to start blow drying again after 5 months. The chemicals in the keratin are awful.

Garance, I have the same hair. A little Mexi-Fro my whole young life. It was only until the right products came along about 10 years ago that I could do anything with it.

I’ve had a Vidal Sassoon pixie cut and the long Carrie curls and everything in between, so I have lots of opinions on the subject. I love your work, your outlook, your look… I have read your blog every day for years. So please don’t take offense to any of this comment….

The pixie is fine but it changes your whole wardrobe, makeup, jewelry, everything. Then if you cut your hair short, you will inevitably have to treat it very badly as it grows out. Because kinky curly hair growing out demands straightening or at least a bigger curl, which means high heat and lots of product. Then once you get it long it won’t be as healthy.

So I say do not cut your hair short. I say keep it long, condition if often, and try different-easy ups:

1. A deep sidepart and bun or ponytail.
2. A super-high bun (I think you’ve done this before).
3. A Latina ponytail where you comb it super straight, wet, into a ponytail, then let the curly part air dry and just run your hand over the tight, straight hair on your head to break up the product.
4. Braids! When mine was long enough, I loved making a big, fat braid down my back, especially with ethnic/global type clothes. Two braids is nice, too.
5. Low, loose pony on one side. Not dramatically on one side, just a bit off-center of the neckline in the back.
6. Headbands. I especially like to wear those stretchy, plastic, comby headbands that separate your curls up front then let them fly free. Great with summer whites.

At the very shortest, maybe go for a bob. I tried the Japanese straightening about 10 years ago, but what I realized is that my head needs some volume. I didn’t like seeing my ears through my hair… and I could not imagine what girls with hair that straight did to it.

Again, love what you do. Enjoy your curls. Remember, when you’re 80 you’ll wish you’d embraced them more.
6.

I think there are keratin treatments without the amoniac. I have similar hair to what you describe. I even was also addicted to wearing a bun, and desisted for the similar reasons.
I did myself a Keratin (according to them without the toxic chemicals) and the hair was so much better. If didnt do my hair, it stays curly (but less curly) but if I want to straighten them up it’s much easier and if you forget or dont want to do the keratin again the hair will keep the same. But you can’t use the usual shampoo because of some chemicals that diminishes the benefits of the keratin, you have to buy a shampoo specifically to people that had treated their hair with keratine.
I have heard about the perm, some girl told me, it keeps ALWAYS straight (even if wet) but when your hair grows, it grows curly… So, you’ll have a mix of curly hair in the roots and straight hair in the rest. My friend didn’t recommended for me , because it almost makes you a “slave” of the perm

Like the comment before, I haven´t cut my hair simply because its curly and it is so hard to keep them in the right place.

Thanks for sharing, it’s really helpful for me! I also have a wavy bob, and I love it. But sometimes I spent a lot of time to make my medium and long hair , so I’m looking when it grown, and I can make a braid.