Living with thick Hair

Maybe some of you have been able to tell from my photos, but if you didn't know I have really thick hair. Really really really thick. It's thick and wavy, and even though I wished my hair was different when I was younger, now I wouldn't change it for anything. So for all of you thick hair ladies, here are a few things that I've learned from living with thick hair:

Layer it! I've found that layers definitely have helped me make my hair appear lighter (sometimes thick hair can really look like it weighs you down!). They also frame the face and give your whole look more depth.

Don't keep it too long! I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but I always wanted to keep my hair really long. My sisters still do and it looks gorgeous on them. Me, though? With thicker hair, it is much harder to take care of hair that's really long, or really short. I keep it right in the middle, below the shoulders and it's the perfect length for me. I still get a bit of length, but it's way easier to take care of.

If you blow dry, straighten it afterwards! Maybe it's just me, but when I just blow it dry, it poofs out about a foot! Sometimes if I don't have time to straighten it goes up in a bun or pony tail, but when I do have the time, it looks pretty good straight!

Don't over brush! One of the best things I picked up from a hair stylist is not relying too much on a brush. I use my fingers a lot of the time. Sometimes a brush can add to the poof, so I brush enough, but not too much. Your hands can do the trick!

and here's my real confession, this is about all of the "maintenance" my hair gets! I wash it with $1 shampoo and condition it, but that's it. There's no product or special anything that goes into it. Could I add more to my routine? Probably, but for now, this low maintenance works for me. Any tips from one hair routine to another? What's your hair like?

image found here