Softimage Xsi: hair question.. please help me out...

I am a little bit out of my water with the hair in xsi.... Everytime i try to make a groom for a character, It shows a little bit like an afro look in the end.... In maya there was a technique that made it posible to use surfaces or splines as guides for how the hair is gonna fall on the head.... Is that possible in xsi??? I also have a problem with the dymanics.... I use them and then aplly gravity and the hair operator does not react to gravity at all.. What could be the prob??? I am using version 2 of xsi.... Thanks in advance guys.....