Recommendation for lowest-maintenance haircut?

[Anonymous]

My hair is long (about 3 inches past shoulders) and is extremely damaged from wearing it an a ponytail everyday for the last 3 years. It's the best style that works for me because I am a working mom with 1 kid already, and expecting one more. I wash my hair at night since I have to get both DD and myself ready in the AM, and put it in a ponytail in the AM.

What's an extremely low-maintenance cut where I could shower in the PM, sleep on my hair and it would stlll look in the AM? That's literally my only criteria. My hair is straight, somewhat thick, but is flat and lacks lustre and volume (prob. b/c I do wash it every day and stick it in the ponytail). I prefer to shower in the PM to get a little more sleep in the AM.

I don't want a super-short pixie cut b/c I don't think that would be flattering to my face (I think that style looks best if you're much older or if you have super-fine features a la Halle Barry or Natalie Portman), but am otherwise open to ideas.

[Anonymous]

I don't think I know enough about hair to make an actual suggestion, but I'm in a similar boat--I wash my hair only every third or fourth day (it just doesn't produce that much oil) and refuse to blow it dry or use product.

What I did was finally take the plunge and go to an expensive salon--Trim in Adams Morgan, $70--and leveled with the stylist (Erin). I explained my haircare routine, and said I was also trying to grow out a disaster haircut from 9 months ago, and we talked it over and agreed on a style that would fit my life. That was a few days ago, and I'm pretty pleased with the results--no combing necessary!

[Anonymous]

The shorter the hair, the more the maintanence.