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I would definitely recommend NOT cutting when you are stressed.
What I did before the big chop was determine what hairstyles
I could not do if I cut it. Did those styles for a few days and
then decided. If I still wanted to be able to style it in that
manner, determined how short I could cut it and still
have the flexibility of those styles.
I eventually decided that life is too short to spend
so much time focused on "hair"!! I had it cut
relatively short (no more than 3" long) it a style
that worked for me. After I did that I wished
I had taken that step years earlier. What a
waste of time - wish I had those hours back.
When I was a kid, we always had short hair and I hated it. I always wanted long hair-down to my waist long. Unfortunately, I don't think my hair grows that long. It gets to about half-way down my back and that is as long as it will ever get. And for some reason, whenever my hair got a certain length, I would go to sol ans where someone would cut a lot off. (I had one more say that I had just beautiful hair but yet she kept cutting and cutting. I only asked for a half a inch to an inch off. I'm sorry but 6 inches does not a half inch to a inch make. ) I keep it trimmed when the ends get bad. I finally found someone who will only cut off what needs to be cut to keep it healthy but she is out due to medical issues and the last time I went to get my hair done, her fill-in cut off a few inches. She said that it wouldn't be noticeable. I noticed it.
I have often thought about cutting it for a change but I just can't do it. I know it will grow back if I do but it has taken me so long for it this long. I have no idea how long it would take to grow back.
I had long hair as a teenager, whacked it all off in college. Lather, rinse, repeat every 10 years or so. I think I want long hair, grow it, and then realize that I can't stand long hair and whack it off again.
Every time, I went from mid-back length to chin length or shorter. No regrets.
Hopefully I won't make that mistake again! Long hair is a pain in the drain, literally and figuratively.
Similar here. I had varying medium/long lengths in h.s., cut short my senior year, grew it back out to chin-length/medium during college, then cut short my senior year of college to look more professional in preparation for the working world.
I have curly hair that gets giant and frizzy and shapeless as it grows out. I spent most of college with it pulled back in a ponytail. It would probably take at least an hour every morning to get it looking acceptable now. With short hair, I wash it in the morning, take about 5 minutes to style, and off we go, and even on "bad hair days" it looks decent. I've gotten waaaaayyyy more compliments on my short hair - many from complete strangers - than I ever got when my hair was longer.
Similar here. I had varying medium/long lengths in h.s., cut short my senior year, grew it back out to chin-length/medium during college, then cut short my senior year of college to look more professional in preparation for the working world.
I have curly hair that gets giant and frizzy and shapeless as it grows out. I spent most of college with it pulled back in a ponytail. It would probably take at least an hour every morning to get it looking acceptable now. With short hair, I wash it in the morning, take about 5 minutes to style, and off we go, and even on "bad hair days" it looks decent. I've gotten waaaaayyyy more compliments on my short hair - many from complete strangers - than I ever got when my hair was longer.
Same here, on all points.
I used to have very long hair, down past the middle of my back, till I was in my mid thirties. Like you, basically I wore it back somehow - in a ponytail, or a bun, or pulled back around my face and loose in the back. There was no simply letting it go unfettered! I would look like Rosanne Rosannadanna!
When I got it cut, I did it in stages, first shoulder length, then chin length (which I HATED) and so about four days later I ran back and said, "Just chop it all off!" I've had basically a pixie cut, in various styles and sometimes shorter, sometimes longer on the top, for the past 20 years, and I LOVE it. I will never, ever, ever go back to long hair.
About five years ago I did decide to try to let it grow out, since the texture had changed and it seemed calmer and easier to manage. That was a false sense of security there, I found out, as I let it grow out. Finally, after a year, I couldn't stand it any longer and cut it very short again. My husband then said, "Thank goodness. I am not one to try to make you wear your hair a certain way, but I feel like I finally got my wife back!"
People ask for my hairdresser's name and number all the time. At least once a month, some random stranger asks for her information. Maybe they're calling her to tell her that some fool is walking around looking like a maniac and telling everyone she did it to me. But I think that what's actually happened is that she's picked up quite a few new customers through my referrals.
Whenever my hair gets really long, I cut it off in stages. Don't just trim it, take 4-6 inches off. Wait another month or two, and then take more off. Don't do it all at once or else you might regret it, but taking smaller parts off, it'll grow back faster if you regret it. I'm heading to chop mine about 6 inches this afternoon.
I agree with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VanillaChocolate
Well long hair is a chore. But shorter hair, especially being black would be even more work. because if not done just right, it's gonna look like an ugly afro.
Now, I would love to just shave my head and never worry about hair. BUT I keep it long, and trying to grow it out because I don't have the looks to pull off short hair, or shaved head, then dating would be even harder when I would look like a huge mess.
So I keep it long strictly for vanity. But I hate doing maintenance on it.
I like natural black hair. I think it looks awesome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatwomanofV
When I was a kid, we always had short hair and I hated it. I always wanted long hair-down to my waist long. Unfortunately, I don't think my hair grows that long. It gets to about half-way down my back and that is as long as it will ever get. And for some reason, whenever my hair got a certain length, I would go to sol ans where someone would cut a lot off. (I had one more say that I had just beautiful hair but yet she kept cutting and cutting. I only asked for a half a inch to an inch off. I'm sorry but 6 inches does not a half inch to a inch make. ) I keep it trimmed when the ends get bad. I finally found someone who will only cut off what needs to be cut to keep it healthy but she is out due to medical issues and the last time I went to get my hair done, her fill-in cut off a few inches. She said that it wouldn't be noticeable. I noticed it.
Cat
They always want to cut if off! They tell you how pretty it is, and then say, "I can't wait to get my hands on that. You'll love this style." Or you tell them to just trim an inch or two, and, like you said, they take off four or five.
OP, I often hear people say how hard it is to maintain long hair, but my hair is fine and straight. All I have to do is wash it, maybe lightly condition/detangle it, and let it dry. My problem is trying to do anything with it. It won't hold a curl, most accessories just slide right out of it, lol. If I want to do something different, I have to either perm/body wave it or use tons of product, which most likely still won't work. So... I'll leave it long and straight.
During the "long hair" era of the late 1960's I was one of the last to grow my hair even slightly longer. I finally gave in to that in 1969. I cut my hair way back in either 1971 or 1972, being one of the first to go back to a sane hair length. I was never much for visible rebellion.
I can tell you this: I cut my long ass hair off (mid back) to above my shoulders in Jan. I REGRET IT. My hair looks so stupid that I only wear it in a ponytail. I'm considering spending 1k on extensions to get my long hair back. The good thing is it's already grown to a little bit past my shoulders so another year I'll be back to where I was.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
4,640 posts, read 11,936,007 times
Reputation: 9885
Quote:
Originally Posted by himain
I can tell you this: I cut my long ass hair off (mid back) to above my shoulders in Jan. I REGRET IT. My hair looks so stupid that I only wear it in a ponytail. I'm considering spending 1k on extensions to get my long hair back. The good thing is it's already grown to a little bit past my shoulders so another year I'll be back to where I was.
Oh, no. That is terrible. Is there anything you can do to make it better? Maybe change the color or add some curl, or add some light layers?
I have flip-flopped between chin length and mid-back since I was old enough to be able to choose a hairstyle. I grow it out, get sick of it, cut it off, miss it being long and grow it back, rinse and repeat.
I'm on the cusp of cutting it again right now, even though I'm certain that the bob trend is in its last moment. I see all these women with really cute bobs and it makes me want one again. I also forget how much hassle it is to really blow dry it out nicely (it shows more in short hair) and how young it makes me look to have my hair like that (not in a good way!). But then there is the really bad balayage job that would be gone if I cut it...
The deciding factor for me about when my hair is too long is when it only looks good in a bun or a ponytail. At that point it is a waste of time keeping it that long. I trim it myself at home since it's all one length, so I don't have to worry about a stylist taking too much off.
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And for some reason, whenever my hair got a certain length, I would go to sol ans where someone would cut a lot off. (I had one more say that I had just beautiful hair but yet she kept cutting and cutting. I only asked for a half a inch to an inch off. I'm sorry but 6 inches does not a half inch to a inch make. 
) I keep it trimmed when the ends get bad. I finally found someone who will only cut off what needs to be cut to keep it healthy but she is out due to medical issues and the last time I went to get my hair done, her fill-in cut off a few inches. She said that it wouldn't be noticeable. I noticed it. 
But I think that what's actually happened is that she's picked up quite a few new customers through my referrals.
