Please help!! Hair.

I had my hair "layered" around my face looooong ago. I have dry brittle curly hair so I need to starighten and blow dry it everyday because I need to wear it in a ponytail for work. Curly hair in a ponytail doesn't work, so that's not an option. How can I fix these short layers around my face? They won't grow out because the hair breaks off. What do you recommend?