I spent the younger half of my life with very long, thick hair (I keep it short now). There's no avoiding that awkward phase, you just have to stick it out. Keep your scalp stimulated, make sure your hair isn't dry or splitting, and other than that you can try tight braids? Wish this was more helpful ^^; liking your appearance is important - but your appearance is subjective. I know it's easier said than done, but don't worry so much about your hair looking awkward. I've gone bald before and then had to prompt people into noticing so

Maybe asking a hairdresser might help?

I don't have thick hair, but I am growing it out, so I've been looking a lot for advice on that recently. Generally, people say you have get your hair cut a few times during the first year(s). Not only to stay presentable, but also to help your hair grow in the right shape to reach the desired length. So it might sound counterintuitive to have it cut, but maybe it could help.

Also, I do know the hair at the sides of your head gets relatovely long in the early phase, so maybe that pushes the rest upwards. Cutting the sides back a bit might be an easy fix.

I was in the same boat but also know I sweat A LOT if the hair on the side of my head gets long. I was overdue for a haircut while on vacation and got just the sides and back cut. Since it was really hot outside I was taking several showers a day but started skipping shampoo. After that I would not use shampoo, just used my fingers to totally scrub my scalp.

TL;DR- I stopped using shampoo.