Hi friends!
I’m talking about hair today for the first time ever on here. The hair in question is my hair actually; who knew 😉. This is inspired by an Instagram Story I did about a week ago where I discussed my angled lob haircut (lob = long bob), and how it’s helped me with my thick-hair struggles. So this is really an extension of that conversation. (If you didn’t see my Story, don’t fret, I’ll be covering all the same stuff here.) So if you’re out there having similar struggles to me and are looking for a change, perhaps this post may help you in some way. That’s the goal!
MY HAIR TEXTURE
I have really thick, wavy, but fine-textured hair. So my hair is quite soft (not coarse at all), but I have a ton of it. When my hair was very long I regularly broke hair bands trying to put in ponytails. Yup. And nearly every hairstylist that has touched my head has remarked on just how much hair I have. “You have enough hair for two heads, not just one!” I think you get the point now!
THE ANGLED LOB HAIRCUT – WHAT THE HECk IS IT ANYWAY??
You can easily search Google Images for what is called an ‘angled lob’ haircut, but what really is it? Well, a few years ago when I was tired beyond belief of long, layered hair I started searching the internet for alternative hair styles & cuts that would suit thick, textured hair. I began to find these images of cool, angled cuts where the hair slopes down from back to front. The length would vary a bit from image to image, but generally the longest pieces hit just below the collar bone, and the shortest pieces graze the shoulder.
Read this: Long Angled Bob Haircuts That Prove Blunt Isn’t Always Better.
So I went to my hairstylist armed with a few different inspiration photos and we discussed pro’s & con’s; ultimately we decided it was a good decision for my hair texture and she cut it in. Besides the graduation in length from back to front, my hair has long layers and is texturized a bit at the ends to combat bulk.
I absolutely love this cut, and have never looked back…except for a bit last summer when I thought I wanted to grow my hair long again, but then quickly decided to cut the lob back in. Phew!
WHY I THINK THE ANGLED LOB IS GREAT FOR THICK HAIR
I can only speak from my experience, of course, but this cut has helped reduce my hair’s volume & bulkiness. Some of the big problems with my natural hair texture is its ability to frizz and double in size in hot, humid weather, and just its overall manageability. Of course my hair is still going to frizz despite this cut (products can help address frizziness), but I can still pull my hair half-back or even full-up in bad weather if need be.
Another great thing about the angled lob haircut is that it works nicely with your hair’s natural texture. You don’t necessarily have to straighten your hair everyday to make this cut look good; I’d even argue that this cut looks much better with some wave or curl. I had a blow-out before these photos were taken so my hair here is straighter than I normally would wear it. Day-to-day, I use the natural waves of my hair to give this cut more movement.
BONUS: THE UNDERCUT
Last summer I went a step further in my quest to combat bulkiness: I had my hairstylist give me an undercut. From the nape of my neck to a few inches up the back of my head, my hair is buzzed very close to the scalp. It doesn’t show on the sides of my head at all, nor can you see it at all unless I pull all my hair up. In other words, it can stay hidden if you want it to.
I don’t tend to the undercut very often, and usually have it re-buzzed every 2 months or whenever I’m going back to the salon. So between the lob cut & and the undercut, I’m really enjoying my hair’s lighter volume. I don’t foresee changing this combo for quite a while.
If the undercut seems too extreme for you, you absolutely don’t need it to take bulk out of your thick hair. There are a variety of other ways, like the angled lob cut for example. Talk to your hairstylist about what might work best for you, your hair texture and your lifestyle. It’s really handy to have a good stylist who understands your hair texture.
I hope this post has given you some ideas if you’re looking to change up your hairstyle. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Hair always grows back and nothing is permanent.
Do you have any favorite hairstyles or tips for battling bulky hair? I’d love to know!
Catch up on my last few posts!
A chat with creator Priyanka Patel of Glamour and Giggles
Instagram images that have inspired me, Vol. 5
Review: CoverGirl Clean Liquid Foundation
Xo, Erica
PIN IT!
Erica, I never knew about this, My middle daughter has really thick here and I think that would be perfect for her. Thank you for the detailed talk. I like the new look of your site and your hair looks really pretty by the way.
Thanks Bushra! You might want to think about it for your daughter then; it’s helped me alot!
Wow, Erica! You have a lot of hair even with the undercut 🙂 It looks great!
Tell me about it! The struggle! Thank you 😘
Your haircut is so cute! I’ve been thinking of doing something like this to mine. I really like your hair up like that, too!
Oh thanks Michelle! I’ve really enjoyed wearing it this way; before I just wore it quite long cause I didn’t know what else to do with it. But I’m so glad I decided to make a change. I actually don’t wear my hair up that often & never have; I prefer half-up, half-down usually.
Beautiful hair! Love the cut on you. 😍
Thank you 😘
Is the undercut a lot of maintenance?
Not a lot in my opinion, but it may depend for different people. I usually don’t touch it for a couple of months, and then whenever I get a refresh on my cut I just ask my stylist to buzz it again. You could totally do it yourself at home if you want to keep it really short, but I kinda like when it grows out a little bit. All personal preference.
I think i wil layer my hair
If you have thick hair, it will help a lot!
Oh wow, your hair really is so thick!! What a great idea to do the undercut to make it lighter.
It is! You can imagine the struggles! 😆 The undercut has been great though in helping. Thanks so much for reading!
It looks very good on you! The undercut is a really nice trick to cut hair bulk. I never did it on the back, but maybe I should have tried it instead of doing sidecuts a few good years back 😂
Thanks so much! I’m finally happy with my hair after years of not knowing what to do with it. The undercut has definitely helped! Oh, you shaved the sides of your head? That’s awesome! I’m way too scared to do that!
I feel you… 😄 mine already suffered a lot so now I just let it be 😂 the only annoying thing about sidecuts is maintenance or when the hair grows and then there’s different length of hair 🙈🙈🙈
True. I’ve heard that when you want to grow them out, it’s annoying & awkward. I figure since mine isn’t easily seen, it won’t be too much of a problem (hopefully!).