I have fine, relatively straight hair.  (I'm Caucasian, not Oriental or African American.)  I've been growing it for about five years, during which time I have not been to a hairdresser.  At all. I discovered that hairdressers just did not want me to grow my hair--they wanted styles with lots of upkeep to make me go to the salon a lot.  No matter how often I explained that I was growing my hair, they cut the heck out of it.  For years.  

My hair is now down to what home sewers call the "bust point." It has become fairly uneven and has split ends. I want to get a new hairstyle--and  then continue avoiding hairdressers as much as possible so I can keep growing it.

My constraints:

I'm willing to have _some_  trimmed to fix the ends and get a real style, but I don't want a massive cut.  I really want to grow out my hair.

I want a perm, for two reasons.

First, I want to add volume to my hair. It is of average thickness, but looks thin and flat because it is so fine and soft.  Also, I have a small head, and a hairstyle with volume looks best on me.

Second, I love curls.  So I don't just want a "body" perm.

I had a tight-curl perm in the 80s and it was great.  What kind of a perm is "in" now--if any is?  Large curls tend to fall out, but if I go for smaller ones how small should they be?  Or is some kind of crimped look in--can you do that with a perm?

Another constraint--I don't want to spend tons of time on my hair other than washing, brushing, and putting on conditioner.  I've never learned to use curlers.  I put my hair up for special occasions, but I don't want to do it all the time.  I hate blow drying, and anyway it dries out my hair too much.

I use level 2 (semipermanent) dye to cover gray.  I have used this for years, even with perms, and my hair always stayed in good shape. Right now it's in great shape, aside from the ends needing to be trimmed.

I love historic and vintage clothes but I also want a look (by which I mean a cut and perm) that is OK for everyday, normal modern wear.  After all, I can always put it up when I want a more vintage look.

I want to have pictures of appropriate styles, and figure out what I want, before I go to a hairdresser. Can anyone recommend any cuts and perms that would work for me, in a book or on the web or in a magazine?  

Lastly, give me some reassurance that I can get a style that works for me!  Hairdressers always insisted that if I had fine hair it had to be short.  BTW, I look awful in short hair, I've tried it.

If anyone wants a tip, one thing I learned is that you should never get  your hair cut and permed by the same person. The longer it is the more work it is to perm, so someone who will do the perm themselves cuts a lot more off.

Thanks for any info,

Fran
http://www.lavoltapress.com

Welcome!  I know what you mean about wanting to add volume!  My hair is very fine and thin and in desparate need of volume when it gets past my shoulders.  I used to be a perm addict but now I have colour treated hair so I quit perming it.  Also, if I want long hair, I can't perm it.  My hair gets damaged so easily.  Have you tried things like rag curls or braiding your hair at night to put some curls and waves in it?  

I haven't tried rag curls or braids yet but they sound like good ideas.  What method would you recommend for rag curls?  Do you roll the curls up in a tube over the rag, or around in a ring?  Although I guess the latter would require a bobby pin rather than a rag.

How many braids do you do?  

Do you have to do the curls or braids super-neat, evenly divided on the head, or not?  One of my problems is that I'm not "good with hair."  I'm sure I could do them if they don't have to be precisely divided on the head, but I'd need a lot of practice to divide them perfectly.

Do you think for long hair it is necessary to have a salon trim it, or would it be OK if I just got my husband to trim the ends?  He knows nothing about hair but is very good at following directions.  And we could buy the right scissors.

Thanks very much,

Fran
http://www.lavoltapress.com

Honestly, I haven't tried rag curls-but some of the other around here have.  I HAVE tried the Goody soft pillow rollers and the wrap snap and go- the kind you can get in Walmart or Kmart- and I get good results with those. My hair isn't long enought to do a decent braid, how long is yours?  I think a french braid would give good results, if you know how to do one (i don't)because it would give waves from the top of the head.  Or two braids. When my hair gets longer (its about 2" from bra-strap) I will probably braid more.  Maybe some others have some suggestions?  As far as trimming your own hair it is possible- I don't do it myself, but when my hair gets longer, I will probably.  

Check out the thread about rag curls in the 'straight hair' forum.  It is the 2nd one from the top.  (OT, anyone know how to put a link to it?)

I have finally gotten some groove for rag curls, I hold the rag and the section of hair close to my scalp, then start wrapping the hair around the rag.  I usually have to have the end of the rag held in my mouth, because I haven't figured out any other way to secure it.  Once I'm done wrapping the end of the hair I wrap the whole thing closer to my scalp and tie the ends together.  

Sock curls are the same thing, but give me bigger curls which I like, and I think are easier than rag curls.  

For braiding waves, I think that either a french/dutch braid or a classic (2 braids) work quite well.  Best thing about it is that I can just fix my hair in a braid in the morning, go to work, leave the braid in when I go to bed, and the next day I have great waves that I get a ton of compliments on.   The braids don't have to be even to get good results, but my waves don't last as long if I only braid before bed, so I usually try for mostly even since I'll be going out in the braid also.  I will usually wrap the ends of my braids in the wrap, snap and go curlers at night so that they are curled also.  

Here's the link to the Rag Curls thread.

I do rag curls and braids all the time.  They give my hair more body and the appearance of being thicker.  If your hair doesn't hold curl well, I'd suggest rolling for braiding when your hair is damp.  As Valerie mentions, I too, wrap the ends of my braid around a soft roller so that it curls as well.  (If you braid to the very ends and your hair is thin, I find that the hair gets more kinky than wavy - not the look I want).