A guide to Sticky-Uppy Hair

Why do some areas of hair stick up? Why do some parts just go however they want to go and not where you want them to go? Why do some areas split or stick out or plaster themselves against your head?

Growth patterns are of great significance. Every hair emerges from your sweet head pointing in a direction. Some grow sideways, hugging your scalp, others stand straight up. Larger groups form swirls, crowns, double crowns, cowlicks and tsunamis. All over you head there are patterns.

A large part of you trying to get your hair to do what you want it to do is directing and redirecting growth patterns. Spray some water on the stick-uppy crown, put some mousse in the areas that want to lay flat, try to get your bangs not to split, it’s growth patterns your dealing with. One of the reasons most styling tools and goo were ever invented was to counteract undesired growth patterns, so these patterns play significant role in what your hair will or won’t do.

A very significant factor in how much of an effect growth patterns have is the fineness or coarseness of your hair. Coarse hair is stiff and somewhat inflexible, so whichever direction the growth pattern points it, it will go, whereas finer hair, being more flexible, can more easily bend around in a different direction. The length of the hair also plays a significant role, longer hair isn’t often affected much by growth patterns because it has the weight and the length to make them more or less irrelevant.

To say the haircut affects your ability to deal with growth patterns is at least an understatement. A skilled, experienced hairstylist is very aware of the patterns and works with them, utilizing certain ones while minimizing the affects of others. They can also often find ways to use the ones you used to have trouble with in a way that is helpful.

A very common way of controlling errant growth patterns is with styling goo, elaborate blow drying and hair spray, but if the cut is right you won’t need much or any of that. There’s nothing wrong with using various products and techniques to redirect unhelpful growth patterns but if the haircut has taken them into consideration you’ll have a much easier time of it and have much less to do.

So why am I telling you all this? A little understanding goes along way. If, for instance, you have coarse, shorter hair and wild growth patterns you may be baffled and frustrated, not knowing what’s going on, why your hair has such a mind of its own. Same if you have bangs that are forever doing crazy things or hair that grows flat against your head on the top and just won’t lift up. Each head of hair has a particular personality and if you and your hair are going to be happy, everything about that personality must be considered, respected and cooperated with. That starts with the haircut.