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View Full Version : How long is too long to wear down?



Nightshade
May 29th, 2009, 09:46 AM
When I started growing back my damaged hair to hip length I told myself I never wanted hair so long that I HAD to wear it up all the time because it was just too long to deal with down and it's a sentiment I've heard expressed by other people on occasion.

So the question is, at what length did you find that your hair was too long to comfortably wear down for mundane activities. I'm not talking so much about what one may feel is visually more appropriate (such as one feeling that hair up at work is more professional) or what your personal preference is (sort of the "my hair is mine and I don't show it off to strangers" thing), but from a physical entanglement (:lol:) standpoint, where's the cutoff for you?

Initially I thought that would be tailbone for me, but I'm about classic now, and it still isn't an issue. I wear it up at work out of personal preference, but could easily wear it down if I chose. I regularly DO wear my hair down when out shopping, walking with DH and relaxing around the house.

I would assume that most people put their hair up for safety/sanitary reasons such as: Cooking, intense cleaning (scrubbing floors), working in an environment where long hair is unsafe (such as a shop),driving in a convertible with the top down, changing the oil in your car, etc. These aren't the sorts of thing I'm talking about :)

Mundane Activities- Desk work, shopping, light cleaning (such as picking up clutter), going for a walk, knitting/reading/watching TV, browsing LHC, etc.

I haven't voted in my own poll because I don't know where that length IS for me yet. I assumed it'd be when I caught myself sitting on my own hair, but apparently you need to be longer than classic to do that.

So, if you have experienced at what length that is please vote in the poll. If you haven't gotten there yet, like me, please don't vote, but feel free to guess at where you think that might be in the thread

I'm looking forward to seeing the results!

:flowers:

ETA: I messed up the poll *facepalm* Hopefully the magic mods will have it added soon
ETAx2: Flaxen fixed it! :magic: Thank you, Flaxen!

SimplyViki
May 29th, 2009, 09:51 AM
I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm stubborn as a mule and probably will wear my hair down whenever I can even if my hair reaches my ankles! Now let's just see if I change my tune when/if I ever get there...:whistle:

ETA: Is it sad that I didn't even notice there was no poll at the top at first?

HairColoredHair
May 29th, 2009, 09:56 AM
Well... It got a little annoying whilst down at tailbone, and moreso at classic. Now I have to mind it very well to wear it down at mid-thigh... I still wear it down when my head needs it but tend to get irritated with it and put it back up if I'm cleaning or somesuch. Just sitting about or on the porch or such it's fine down still...

akka naeda
May 29th, 2009, 10:12 AM
That's awkward:) It varies depending on what I am doing.
Using your examples
When I go for a walk generally I take the dog with me. The dog is a minature dachshund and so if I try to pick her up then my hair trails all over the ground. My dog walking is done across muddy fields and woods not in a relatively clean urban area, it's been plaited for dogwalking since classic.

Shopping - I could wear it loose, but generally I don't because I only do my hair morning and night and I must walk the dog twice a day.

Knitting/embroidery - I have an unfortunate tendancy to incorporate my hair into projects, this has been the case since it was about BSL I guess, so again, it's tied back.

Watching TV, desk work, using the computer - it can be loose for that

Having said all that when my hair is plaited it now gets to thigh length, I can do all the above with my hair in a plait down my back/over my shoulder rather than pinned up on the back of my head. Is this up or down? I never know, as it seems most people think of up as being a bun or twist:).

spidermom
May 29th, 2009, 10:16 AM
My hair started to bother me when it was down at about waist length. It's light enough that it gets kind of floaty and was always getting shut into the door or car window, swinging toward the stove-top or oven, getting caught on the light switch covers when I'd walk by, and so forth. Plus it sheds all over the place. I only wear it down when I know I can watch out for it, like sitting here at the computer. I have a stick nearby so that if I get up for anything, I can whip it up and back fast.

Torrin Paige
May 29th, 2009, 10:18 AM
I'm nearing classic and it has started to get entangled in all manner of things. I stubbornly wear it down, though, even though I know I'm going to get into a fight with the car door/window/seatbelt when I go out. :P I'm aiming for knee length and I suppose that once it reaches mid-thigh, I will be like akka naeda and wear it braided a lot of the time. That way I can still enjoy the length, but it will be out of my way. Up to this point? So far so good.

Carolyn
May 29th, 2009, 10:27 AM
I'm at about 2" shy of tailbone. I'm seriously thinking of a trim due to thin ends. I wear it down at home a lot when I'm watching TV, knitting, and surfing LHC. I wear it down once in a while on non-windy days when I'm doing things like casual shopping and going to lunch. I live in a windy place so those days are few and far between. There are very few days when I could go for a walk with it down. I'm becoming more protective and private with my length. I don't really want to show it off and have just anyone see it. I don't live in a long hair friendly/approving area of the country. I think I'm seen as a weirdo with all this hair :p Actually that suits me just fine :D If my ends were thicker/denser I think I'd wear it down a lot more. It's kind of a day to day thing and a lot depends on my mood. I don't wear it down when I'm subbing as I don't feel it's appropriate at school.

mira-chan
May 29th, 2009, 10:27 AM
I'm strange in that I just don't like to wear it down. So if it can get in my face and can be put up/ tied back, it's too long to wear down.

At classic I can wear it down but I don't find a huge amount of enjoyment in it.

Melisande
May 29th, 2009, 10:48 AM
My hair is hip touching tailbone and I got used to wearing it up for teaching (looks more rrrrrrespectable), house work and errands. Desk and computer work are still good opportunities to let my hair breathe a bit, but after a while I put it back up again.

I find myself switching a lot between up and down, now that I think about it. When I have it up, I want it down, and vice versa. Hm. I'm glad you messed up the poll because I wouldn't know what to answer ;-) I guess it's more a personality thing than a length thing.

daeana
May 29th, 2009, 11:02 AM
So the question is, at what length did you find that your hair was too long to comfortably wear down for mundane activities.
so far, not yet. :D i'll start worrying if it can get caught in escalators or something...

redneckprincess
May 29th, 2009, 11:14 AM
once my hair is bsl or so I will never wear it up, I already dont like to but for a few more months its just to short to wear down like id like to. what is the point of having long hair if your only going to wear it up all the time ♥

spidermom
May 29th, 2009, 11:28 AM
once my hair is bsl or so I will never wear it up, I already dont like to but for a few more months its just to short to wear down like id like to. what is the point of having long hair if your only going to wear it up all the time ♥

Because when I have the time and attention to lavish on my hair, I enjoy it long. It's very soothing to comb or brush it, kind of a stress-relief thing. When I'm doing other things, I'm not paying attention to my hair anyway, so why have it down?

teela1978
May 29th, 2009, 11:46 AM
From my undergraduate years, I remember getting very frustrated with my hair once it hit tailbone. I think once I started sitting on it I started chopping it off... so that's where I think it gets annoying to wear down.

It's been about 10 years since I was there though. I was planning on just growing to waist, but everyone else's hair looks so lovely at longer lengths I sometimes consider longer...

misstwist
May 29th, 2009, 11:54 AM
what is the point of having long hair if your only going to wear it up all the time ♥

The ability to do jaw-dropping updos.

HairColoredHair
May 29th, 2009, 12:47 PM
The ability to do jaw-dropping updos.

And the 'secret' nature of having a very business-like hairdo and then letting it fall down... :D

enfys
May 29th, 2009, 12:49 PM
I don't like it down because it goes everywhere at any length and is itchy and irritating.

Even "loose" I still have to clip the front back.

Remind me why I have long hair?

Islandgrrl
May 29th, 2009, 12:49 PM
I think I started wearing mine up all the time when it was a little past classic specifically because it *was* to the point where it got caught in everything and was a general pain in the tush to have flying around loose. So pretty much from there to knee I only wore it down on special occasions and always had a Plan B handy.

Toof
May 29th, 2009, 12:49 PM
For me it was about as soon as I learned how to put it up--I never realized how uncomfortable it was down until then. I think that was about waist. When it's down, it's hot, it tangles, it gets in my face, it gets in the way of whatever I'm doing, it gets caught in things (especially under my purse strap), and I leave shed hairs everywhere I go. And now that it's at classic, I'm starting to sit on it! I only wear it down four or five times a year--and even that's usually just part of the day.

ajr
May 29th, 2009, 12:56 PM
My length is somewhere in the no mans land between tailbone and classic and I wear it down fairly often.

It will tangle but those are easy to work out at the end of the day, also I've never had a problem with hair in my face.
I could easily have it down for work (but choose not to since I teach the kids I teach comment on everything) I do wear it down around the house, when I go shopping, and in all honesty as long as tree branches aren't whipping in the wind I always wear it down for walks.

Also when you're running on the beach in the rain wear your hair down, it is entirely worth the tangles.


In all honesty wearing my hair down is a big part of why I love long hair. I like the weight of it and how the ends brush against my forearms as I move. If my hair was so long that wearing it down became an effort I'd have it cut.

Ursula
May 29th, 2009, 01:00 PM
once my hair is bsl or so I will never wear it up, I already dont like to but for a few more months its just to short to wear down like id like to. what is the point of having long hair if your only going to wear it up all the time ♥

Because if it is short, you can't wear it up, and what's the point of having your hair so you always have to wear it the same way, when there are dozens of "up" options. Hundreds of options "up", when you factor in the way you can vary the same style with different hairtoys!

AJoifulNoise
May 29th, 2009, 01:02 PM
I've discovered something interesting while I've been away from home recently. When I only have 'light work' to do or none at all, I wear my hair down most of the time. And, it isn't an epic battle of wills. It's just there and pretty and only occasionally in the way.

When I am home washing dishes, doing laundry, looking after animals, and running errands my current length is a real pain in the behind so it is always up. And, it has been so since a bit after BSL.

At 'can I call this hip-length,' I consider my hair too long to wear down daily. I am very selective about my down days. If it's down, it's down on purpose because I've decided I have the time and patience to deal with its antics.

wintersun99
May 29th, 2009, 01:03 PM
.................

Laurenji
May 29th, 2009, 01:14 PM
Mine's only APL and I don't wear it down much, unless you count "half-up" as down. I have some strange cowlicks in the front that mean it's always in my face unless I have it at least partly pinned back. I'm not too fond of hair in my eyes and my mouth all the time.

Euphony
May 29th, 2009, 01:28 PM
Hmmm normal activities - I'm at tail bone when pulled really straight, while wet, when the moon is full, the sun is setting and the birds are singing during a solar eclipse :D

For most things I'm fine with it down, though buckling it in the seat belt, shutting it in the door and having my sunglasses so tangled up in my hair I need help - aren't things I envisioned. But I am a clutz under normal circumstances.

Now last night I was forced to put it up because I shut it in not one, not two, but three drawers trying to find my birth certificate for my drive to Canada. Of course once I put my hair up, I found the birth certificate in the next drawer I opened :rolleyes:

Periwinkle
May 29th, 2009, 01:47 PM
Any length at all. I've always disliked having it down, probably because my mum made me tie it up every day when I started preschool and so I got into the habit young ;) Hair in my face, on my shoulders, on my neck etc. always seems to get in the way and drives me up the wall.

Calista
May 29th, 2009, 02:07 PM
Shoulder. (which is too short to submit, or so the site tells me ;) )

dragonfrog
May 29th, 2009, 02:09 PM
My hair is currently at hip length, and I find it easier to wear down now than when it was shorter. Between shoulder length and BSL my hair would often creep from my back onto my shoulders, and from there attack my face and get stuck in my chapstick. It didn't help that I had mild layers and growing-out bangs. Now that my hair is longer, though (even my bangs are at APL) it seems to stay behind me better and get in my way less when it is down.
I generally only wear my hair down at home, and usually only for part of the day. Most of the activities (computer, reading, knitting, light cleaning) I can do with either my hair up or down, it just depends on how I was wearing it previously. I have recently rediscovered the scrunchie ponytail as a nice way to wear my hair semi-down when in public (I don't wear my hair completely down in public for a variety of reasons, mostly comfort/convenience).
As I am considering growing my hair past classic, I enjoy hearing all of your replies.

freznow
May 29th, 2009, 02:18 PM
Ho hum. On the one hand, there's the "anything that can get in front of my eyes can get in the way", which leads into "At a certain length, it just all stays back behind me and is actually less in the way," and, finally, "As long as I take the nanoseconds to lift my hair up before I sit down at my desk, there's no way anything would get in the way. Maybe floor length if I'm walking."

The only two on your list I'd debate about are light cleaning and yarn work. I wouldn't have my hair down when I'm working with yarn, any sheds get tangled in it, not really dependent on length, though. Light cleaning that involves bending over can get bothersome, but if I'm puttering I don't want to be all hot and sweaty so it'd be up anyways.

Though I haven't gotten anywhere beyond fingertip yet, I only see it being a problem past knee or more.

Belisama
May 29th, 2009, 02:25 PM
I would have to go with probably between shoulders and BSL for too long to wear down for me. If I am sitting watching TV and not moving, then I will let my hair down. But if any movement is required, even as little as decluttering my house, hair has to be up or it is all over the place and in the way and immediately forms a dozen little pixie knots. As Nightshade loves to point out, spider silk is bulky compared to the fineness of my strands.

BranwenWolf
May 29th, 2009, 02:45 PM
Due to headaches and thick hair that falls out of buns, I wear mine down whenever possible. I'm at tailbone right now but was at classic before.

I only put it up for job interviews. For riding and ranch stuff I usually have it in one or two braids. For cleaning and eating and such I just have it back in a low ponytail- I've got short side strands that fall in my face a lot.

Carrie Ingalls
May 29th, 2009, 02:54 PM
I started wearing my hair up when I was about 10 years old. I didn’t wear it up all the time (mostly just for church or is I was getting dressed up or wanted it more put of the way. It was probably about hip-to-tailbone ish (I’m still figuring out the lengths used around here). I started wearing it up more and more because of how much easier it was to keep it out of my face and off my neck. Also getting it caught in a Kitchen Aid stand mixer was a huge motivator to keep it more contained.


As for more recently, I wear my hair down if I’m letting it dry (my Buff has made that much more comfortable, out of face/somewhat off neck). I do enjoy the occasional updo drop…:)

fishwich
May 29th, 2009, 02:59 PM
Classic length starts to be a bit of a hassle for me. Gets shut in car doors, snagged on seatbelts, tucked into pants, on one memorable occasion almost got shut in the oven door.

I still leave it down sometimes but that oven thing scared me. No more cooking with loose hair, ever.

Cinnamon Hair
May 29th, 2009, 03:00 PM
Mundane Activities- Desk work, shopping, light cleaning (such as picking up clutter), going for a walk, knitting/reading/watching TV, browsing LHC, etc.

This is tough for me to answer because I like to do some of those things with my hair down but not all. Example: shopping. No way, I don't want to be in a crowd where people try to slip past me and end up tangled in my hair. This could happen at say, the grocery store. People get too close. They already bump into my purse, I don't need them bumping into my hair too. Also I don't want to bend down to get something from the bottom shelf and have to hold my hair. Or try on clothes and have to pull my hair through each shirt and drag it out of each pair of pants while precariously balancing on the tops of my shoes so my feet don't touch the nasty dressing room floor. Plus I get so hot (and usually frustrated) in dressing rooms anyway; hair would make that worse. Not happening.

However, I do wear my hair down when washing clothes, changing the bed covers, scooping cat litter, emptying/loading the dishwasher, watching tv, using the computer, or doing other things around the house.

I always have it down when I first get out of bed since wearing a sleep cap around the house is not my style :) So it stays down for whatever, until I get in the shower. When I sit down I either swing to one side so my hair will be beside me if my hands are full, or if I have a free hand I will fold it several times around one hand then pile it behind me when I sit down.

Nightshade
May 29th, 2009, 03:15 PM
Yay! The poll is all fixed!

zift
May 29th, 2009, 03:46 PM
I didn't vote because I haven't reached knee+ and thigh length was still not too long to wear down for me. But if the question was how long is too long to wear hair up than I would have answered classic because after that my hair gets too heavy on my scalp.

Amoretti
May 29th, 2009, 03:53 PM
My hair is so fine and floaty that TB was the absolute cut off for me. It was getting into everything, even during mundane activities. Since then I've been wearing it up 100% of the time.

LittleOrca
May 29th, 2009, 09:36 PM
I think that I'd wear my hair down a lot no matter what its length, but when I would realllllllllly start keeping it up would be when it got to calves. I would at the very least braid it back. I keep it up now when I do chores or its hot, but I love it down, its so soft and feels almost like a security blanket... lol

longhairedfairy
May 29th, 2009, 09:42 PM
Oh, bugger. I voted without reading all the instructions (so sorry!). I think anything that would drag on the floor would be too long to wear down.

ETA: Now that I've totally screwed up the statistics by being lazy and not paying attention (again, so sorry!) I wonder if the mods are able to take out one "calves+" vote?

Renbirde
May 29th, 2009, 10:07 PM
I was at TB a while ago, and wore my hair down every now and then. I tried not to-- the ends were damaged, making it tangle really easily. Now it's at hip, and almost no trouble to wear down, since I lopped off the worst of the damage. :)

I'll check back in when I get to knee, shall I?

ReddishRocks
May 29th, 2009, 10:08 PM
I didn't respond to the poll, but last time I was below BSL, I found it difficult. I was also in high school and very busy, LOL! My hair was damaged too, so I'm sure that contributed to it being a little unmanageable.

Like your original question indicated, I think a lot of it has to do with lifestyle. As a school teacher, I think my hair-down-prohibitive length will be different than if I was still in radio... not because the little hair-related actions are different, but because I have less time and luxury to execute them. For example, putting on a coat takes some finesse, right? When you've got 25 nine-year-olds anxious for recess, the action takes on new urgency. ;)

At home, I'm starting to find my ends dragging in the dog water when I try to pick up his whole dish setup. :D Maybe with another 5 inches, that will change though! (Hence why I didn't vote... ;) )

julya
May 29th, 2009, 10:16 PM
My hair tends to get tangled, so BSL is about my limit for wearing down daily.

Dementia1013
May 29th, 2009, 10:18 PM
That's an interesting question.. I was recently wondering this same thing. Right now I'm not too terribly far from tailbone and my goal is knees so I can accomplish some of the beautiful styles I've seen on here.

Right now it's not much of a problem, of course I wear it up most of the time, but when I do leave it down it can sometimes get into trouble. Car doors/windows, my mom's dining room chair attacked me the other day, sitting on it stuff like that. I especially get annoyed when I have it down and it starts to rain or the wind picks up. I live in Washington afterall and the weather can get random causing some record breaking bad hair days.... lol.

I think when I reach knees I will very seldom wear it down.

kwaniesiam
May 29th, 2009, 11:01 PM
I would imagine somewhere around classic length +, because I'm clumsy and would end up sitting on it and getting it caught everywhere :rolleyes: I do love the idea of having a braid that long though, and I don't usually wear my hair down so I'm going to have to wait and see :D

windinherhair
May 29th, 2009, 11:23 PM
It is hard to say since I haven't experienced the longest length.

I went ahead and voted "calves" since it is the longest. I personally don't think hair could ever be too long to wear down. It may just depend on what that person was doing on that day! :) I think long hair is beautiful and should be shown.

Edit: Of course I think that updo's are just fine! I wear them often myself. I wanted to make my point clear. :) I think long hair is beautiful and should be shown, but I don't mean it has to be every day. I just think someone with the longest hair should feel like they could wear it down...

hazelnut
May 29th, 2009, 11:25 PM
I would assume that hair would start to get a bit annoying once you're able to get it stuck in your jeans/zipper.:) I would actually like to experience this, oddly enough. But, anyways, my hair isn't terribly annoying now because I'm not quite close to APL yet. My goal length is tailbone and with hair as curly as mine, I imagine that I'm going to be ticked off at my hair a lot.:D But, I'll also enjoy it as well.

Themyst
May 29th, 2009, 11:28 PM
It started becoming inconvenient around waist length. Scooping litter, loading the dishwasher - my hair is pretty light so it just flies forward when I bend down in the slightest manner. And when I have to keep whipping it back all day long, it starts looking ratty. I've been trying to keep damage at bay and so I don't want to be combing it all day long. I normally wear it up in a quick bun secured with two big hair clips. I wear it down when I go shopping or anytime I know I won't be bending over or performing a variety of tasks.

GoddesJourney
May 29th, 2009, 11:36 PM
I'm thinking tailbone will be the length for me. I just don't know if it will be worth it after that. At tailbone, I don't have to worry about sitting on it.

Gothic Lolita
May 30th, 2009, 05:44 AM
I voted Classic, since that's for me the point I'd want it up. I already wear my TB length up most of the time but I think it would bother me to always watch out thta I'm not sitting on my hair. If I get that long, I'd maintain my styling as I do it now: wear it up daily and only let it down for special occassion or to please my BF :)

tiamimi
May 30th, 2009, 06:38 AM
For me it's long enough for my nephew to yank as he walks by which is an unknown length. Before I did my big chop two years ago I was at between waist and tailbone and I usually wore my hair down. That is unless I was cooking or had nursery at church. Babies and loose long hair don't mix too well. My hair does have weight to it so it didn't float all over the place which helped.

Speckla
May 30th, 2009, 07:23 AM
I voted APL but really shoulder is the point where I need to start wearing my hair up. I work in an office and spending most of the day sitting at a desk. My hair kept getting caught on my chair and rubbing all day before I cut it. I think this may have had something to do with the condition of my ends.

Anje
May 30th, 2009, 08:07 AM
At tailbone (I've been maintaining for a while now, for thickness), I find mine is still perfectly comfortable to wear down for quiet, mundane activities. If I'm being active, it's going to be contained so it doesn't tangle, get in the way, or get quite so hot. In the lab, I feel I need to keep it contained anywhere but at my desk, because I don't want to risk it falling into a bacterial culture or bunsen burner, though I know a scientist with fingertip-length who often wears hers loose, so personal preference may have something to do with it.

All that said, for me it has been a basic requirement that my hair be at minimum long enough to ponytail, since I chopped it in 2004. I cannot stand to have my hair loose all the time at any length where it can fall in my face. Therefore, I probably would never manage to grow out from pixie if I tried so short a style.

EdG
May 30th, 2009, 09:25 AM
I voted calves because my wispy ends stop at my calves and I wear my hair down all the time. It works as long as the weather is good (no wind or rain). :)
Ed

morguebabe
May 30th, 2009, 09:44 AM
I find now that i can sit on my hair if I'm home it's down, because I hate moving from couch to chairs and sitting on it, but I'm out just walking it's down.

AJoifulNoise
May 30th, 2009, 10:01 AM
You know, I was thinking about this some more. Yes, it became too long for me to wear it down most of the time at midback. But, even when my hair was way shorter than that I always wore it in a pony tail. As soon as my hair was long enough to put up, I'd put it up. I am a very no-fuss kinda person.

SimplyLonghair
May 30th, 2009, 11:23 AM
Hmmm normal activities - I'm at tail bone when pulled really straight, while wet, when the moon is full, the sun is setting and the birds are singing during a solar eclipse :rollin:


Now last night I was forced to put it up because I shut it in not one, not two, but three drawers trying to find my birth certificate for my drive to Canada. Of course once I put my hair up, I found the birth certificate in the next drawer I opened :rolleyes:
Does this mean that your hair has magical properties?:rolleyes:

Oh, bugger. I voted without reading all the instructions (so sorry!). I think anything that would drag on the floor would be too long to wear down.

ETA: Now that I've totally screwed up the statistics by being lazy and not paying attention (again, so sorry!) I wonder if the mods are able to take out one "calves+" vote?
Well I did the same, lol. I have tailbone and wear it down as much as possible. So it will be the same at longer. I did the same when I was at classic. I love the feel of my hair on my body. :shrug: That is just me. It makes the hassle worth it.:D

Duchess of Erat
May 30th, 2009, 11:28 AM
Actually my hair is now long enough to be loose again (I'm between hip and tb at the moment), it stays behind my shoulders quite well now and I like the feel of it...

wackyredtangles
May 30th, 2009, 11:35 AM
I'm only at waist, and for me its not really the length, but the amount of time. Yesterday I went shopping, and decided that I would wear my hair down. After an hour or two it started to bug me, and I wanted it back up. That seems to be how I feel about my hair at any length, from shoulder to waist. I can usually deal with half up for a long period of time, but I seem to have misplaced all my barrettes. *sighs* I go through more hair pins, elastics, and barrettes than should be possible for any one person.

wheatfree
May 30th, 2009, 12:40 PM
I had tailbone length hair before I cut it, & I kept it up most of the time. I can't say it was too long for down, but:

1. It's hot as blazes here in the US. South East in the summer. Long hair is hot & gets sweaty where it lies against your skin.

2. Summer temps are actually 3/4 of the year here. We joke about our "two weeks of winter."

3. Ceiling fans blow hair around. It doesn't get really tangled that way, but it tickles the backs of my arms constantly.

Lady Godiva
May 30th, 2009, 03:47 PM
So the question is, at what length did you find that your hair was too long to comfortably wear down for mundane activities.

...

Mundane Activities- Desk work, shopping, light cleaning (such as picking up clutter), going for a walk, knitting/reading/watching TV, browsing LHC, etc.
I voted for knee length, based on my experience.

All the things that you mentioned are manageable at mid-thigh length, but bending over to pick up stuff/straighten a room gets difficult at knee length, especially if you're doing these things regularly, like picking up after little kids several times per day. Going on a walk, desk work, reading, watching TV, and sitting at a computer are easy at knee length, providing you lay your hair on/over your lap. Shopping, like perusing the mall, flea markets, or grocery shopping, start getting dicey at knee length, too. Minor quick stops, like stopping by the bank or CVS en route home from work (where you wore your hair down), can be done fairly easily with knee length hair.

So, yeah, generally those things start getting harder to do with knee length hair left down all or most of the time.

Blue Willow
May 30th, 2009, 04:33 PM
My hair has just reached tailbone length again. I wear it down at home frenquently, but when I go out I usually braid it or now put it in a simple updo..Every once in a great while when I go dancing I'll wear it down but its usually on a whim.

AprilElf
May 30th, 2009, 07:39 PM
I'm not at the point yet where it's too long to wear down. (Heading towards classic.)

But I do differentiate between freshly washed hair that has clumpy waves/curls which stay behind my shoulders quite well --and the rest of the time when it's all 'phoofy' when down.
From second day hair onwards, it gets too much in the way to wear down.

flapjack
May 31st, 2009, 04:27 AM
Recently, I've been starting to have a few annoyances because I'm not sitting on it, yet... but when I sit down, it touches the chair/sofa/bed/etc. Sometimes, if the material is fluffy, like on the couch or my bed, my tush will sink a little and then my hair will get caught.


So I dunno! It depends, hahaha. Some things bother me, other things don't. Sitting in the car with it down is also getting annoying because I try to move it to the side so it doesn't get smooshed between my back and the seat... but then the hair hangs and gets all over my arm, or gets in the cupholder. Bah. Haha.

Cindi Eponabri
May 31st, 2009, 05:06 AM
I didn't vote because I feel just the opposite. I'm waiting for it to get long enough to wear down and make an impact. It's at tailbone length right now and that just doesn't seem long enough for me. I do wear it down about 1/3 of the time, but one of the reasons I like long hair is the ability to wear it up off of my face and neck. My hair grows to fast to keep it short... I would need to get trims about every 2 or 3 weeks. I also like being able to try different things with my hair which is hard to do with short (at least for me). I want my hair to be long enough so someone will say, "wow, your hair really is long"... Yup and I worked hard to get it there...

dearladydisdain
May 31st, 2009, 12:09 PM
With my hair, tailbone is when it starts getting annoying. At classic, it's all over. :silly: euuughhh.

Ursula
May 31st, 2009, 12:20 PM
A lot can depend on how good you are at putting your hair up quickly. Pre-LHC, most of the updos I knew took time, and I only had hairpins, not sticks, so if I was wearing my hair up for the day, it had to go up in the morning and stay up. Unless I was quite sure that I wouldn't be doing anything that would need my hair up, it would go up, beause wearing it down and putting it up when I needed it up wasn't really an option.

Now that I know more updos, and more fast updos, I tend to bounce between having my hair up and having it down several times a day. I can pull out one or two sticks and let my hair down if I'm going to be sitting and watching tv, or whatever, and I can twist it up in a moment if I'm going to be doing a task where I want it up.

I tend to wear my hair up for desk work, as it tends to fall forward over my shoulders and into my face when I lean forwards. Going for walks, it depends on the weather, but it is quite windy around here most of the time, so that pushes towards having it up. For "couch" activities like tv or reading, it's more likely to be down.

gmdiaz
May 31st, 2009, 12:45 PM
Heading towards classic. . .I am starting to be more careful of hair tumbling over my shoulder and hitting the burning hot oven door, for example and I do get it caught in things as a swoosh by with my fast walking pace.

But it's exactly as Ursula says, my hair goes up into updos in a snap and down again when I am watching tv or working at the computer. . .up and down as needed for the task.

I like to wear my hair up at work or at least into a half-up but at home I like to wear my hair down.

So, so far, no real problems with wearing it down.

Nanni
May 31st, 2009, 03:54 PM
I think the hair is too long to wear down when you can't sit down without messing it up. So I believe that classic may be a bit of a hazzard.

Shermie Girl
May 31st, 2009, 04:47 PM
I chose APL. My hair isn't quite APL and it is almost always up. In a ponytail or a simple updo. I just don't like my thick, heavy hair lying on my neck and shoulders, making me feel hot, flying all over the place, obscuring my vision and getting in the way. Once it is long enough to get back or up, it gets contained. :D

RocketDog
May 31st, 2009, 05:14 PM
When my hair was waist/hip length I rarely wore it down because I was a busy high school student and never had time to keep it in check - between marching band, my veterinary internship, working at a restaurant and taking care of my pets I had no time to baby it! My hair is very fine and tangles easily even when properly maintained, and it gets so hot on my neck even at APL that I can't imagine doing much more than just hanging around watching tv or surfing the 'net with it down at longer lengths.

RavennaNight
May 31st, 2009, 05:20 PM
I am at waist, and nothing is bothering me yet. So I haven't voted. I am noticing for household chores, another coupla inches (4-5) and it will interfere. Especially with the cat box:disgust:. We will see, though, because I am tall... (5'10")

Ndnlady
May 31st, 2009, 05:29 PM
I voted tb just because at that point it can get caught in more places (even the office chair) if you are not paying attention.:rolleyes:

Coriander
May 31st, 2009, 06:22 PM
I only wear my hair down if the BF and I are going out, or if there is a special occasion. It tends to get in the way and get in my face, which annoys me.

Also, if I'm particularly active that day, having my hair down results in tons of tangles which results in a lot of cursing later that evening. :D

UncommonTart
May 31st, 2009, 08:04 PM
I'm right at classic length, and I love wearing my hair down. I don't feel able to nearly as often as I'd like, though. I wear it up for all of the things on your first list. I wear it up when I'm cleaning up in the kitchen, as my apartment has a small galley kitchen- if I'm at the sink, my hair is perilously close to the stove, and vise versa. I wear it up when I'm playing with Finnegan, my budgie, since she loves to play in it, but she does not love getting her feet tangled in it, as she so often does. The full on budgie hissy fit is somewhat amusing but not worth it. I wear it up a great deal in the summer; as someone else has mentioned, summer in the southeastern US is a long, hot, steamy affair. (Plus, the humidity here turns me into a poofy, frizzy, wreck.) I wear it up for work, but since I work in a restaurant that seems to fall under the safety and sanitation heading. I wear it up for dance/bicycle riding/any other excercise type activity since it just gets too darn hot otherwise.

Other than all of that, I wear it down pretty much any chance I get, including all of the "mundane" activities on your list. I even do my needle work with it down, unless I'm doing lace. I tend to hunch over a bit when I'm doing my fine work and it does get in the way then. The same applies for embroidery, though. Ooh, yes, and of course the sewing machine. Nothing has happened yet, but that's just a scary thought, isn't it?

Peter
May 31st, 2009, 08:54 PM
Well I'm not even at waist yet so I didn't vote. So far I haven't had any major problems with wearing it down. I have a somewhat silly question for everyone though -- do you tuck your hair behind your ears to keep it behind your shoulders and down your back? Even at my length, having any hair in front of my shoulders and around my face gets in the way, so I was wondering.

Nightshade
June 1st, 2009, 07:32 AM
Wow, the results are really surprising to me! I was expecting more of a bell curve :)

nicolezoie
June 1st, 2009, 07:37 AM
In my case it was somewhere between fingertip and knee where I had to start wearing it up all the time, but it wasn't until past knees where I was essentially forced to. I voted fingertip only because that is when my habits noticeably changed.

At lower-calf length it's up ALL the time except when it's air drying, and since I have a desk job, once or twice a month I will wear it down and loose for the whole way that it takes to completely dry.

Ursula
June 1st, 2009, 09:37 AM
Wow, the results are really surprising to me! I was expecting more of a bell curve :)

I'm not sure if the results are actually the answer to the question you were asking - for information on wearing hair down during ordinary activities based on actual experience with hair at various lengths. There seems to be an element in the voting of people with shorter hair saying they will always wear their hair down, even at the longest lengths, and voting accordingly, but doing so based on anticipation rather than experience. So the longest lengths may be skewed by this factor. (There are 23 votes for "calves +" but I don't think we have that many members with actual experience of that length. Certainly not enough members to get that many votes based on actual experience with such a low total vote rate.)

Also, I'd expect the results to be intermittent, rather than a smooth curve. Based on my experience to date, very short hair is fine loose (short enough that it doesn't fall in your face) then it becomes needed to wear it up, until it is long enough to be held back by the shoulders/back, then it can be worn loose again through around tailbone, then it became awkward to be loose again at around classic, when it was long enough to sit on the ends (or have the ends get in the way when using the toilet!) but not long enough to be held out of the way to the side by the edge of a chair. It might well become convenient to wear loose again once it is long enough to be held out of the way passively in that situation.

rhysiana
June 1st, 2009, 10:07 AM
I had to vote "midback," but I want to emphasize that this is only because my individual hairs are fine and tend to wander and tangle if I don't have them at least minimally restrained. However, even just a low ponytail is enough restraint, usually, so it's not really that I have to wear my hair up-up, just not completely free. And I do wear it down when I want.

Then again, I've never had the desire to do everything in my daily life with my hair down anyway. I like braids!

Nightshade
June 1st, 2009, 10:26 AM
I'm not sure if the results are actually the answer to the question you were asking - for information on wearing hair down during ordinary activities based on actual experience with hair at various lengths. There seems to be an element in the voting of people with shorter hair saying they will always wear their hair down, even at the longest lengths, and voting accordingly, but doing so based on anticipation rather than experience. So the longest lengths may be skewed by this factor. (There are 23 votes for "calves +" but I don't think we have that many members with actual experience of that length. Certainly not enough members to get that many votes based on actual experience with such a low total vote rate.)

Ah damn, silly me for assuming people were following the directions! :lol:

Ursula
June 1st, 2009, 10:37 AM
Ah damn, silly me for assuming people were following the directions! :lol:

I tend to set up polls so that names are listed with results, for that very reason. I can discount votes where what I know about the person doesn't fit with the poll rules. Particularly for things like the "Long-Term LHC" polls I did a while back, where people not following the rules would mess up the entire premise of the poll.

Spike
June 1st, 2009, 10:43 AM
Hmm . . . I've never had hair so long I could not wear it down. Hopefully, that will change with better care. ;) I would have to say when the entanglement factor outweighs the enjoyment factor. Kind of like buing a new car--when you're laying out a car payment in repairs every three months, it's time to get a new vehicle.

(My first and somewhat bratty impulse was to answer "When you start TRIPPING over it." :p)

rach
June 1st, 2009, 11:13 AM
can't really see there would be a limit on how long you can't wear it down. you'd just keep it up/aside for safety and practicality reasons in this busy world.
i guess you just adapt as you hair gets longer and what hazards are around at which length.

personally i have my hair up most the time and i let it down to relax in the evenings for either practicality, or in the past being horrified on the amount of tangles which occurs over the day which i why usually i don't wear it down.

longhairedfairy
June 1st, 2009, 03:21 PM
Ah damn, silly me for assuming people were following the directions! :lol:

People like me who didn't pay attention even when they know better? :o

vamq
June 1st, 2009, 04:06 PM
Hmm..

I'm between waistlength and hiplength, and I hardly ever wear my hair down, because it annoys me. When it's down, I get it between doors, and when I do my everyday things, it's just hair everywhere. And that's the inside-the-house part. When I'm outside, m hair is always up, because there's mostly a lot of wind here, so my hair is in my face, stuck in my coat (or other people's clothes...) and it gets all tangly...so I'd say just before waistlength is where it gets annoying.

What I did find out, while my hair gets longer, wearing it down feels a bit better then before. I don't know why, but the tangles are less lately (?) and it's just on my back, instead of everywhere. So I'm wondering what happens when I reach hiplength and beyond..

Beatnik Guy
June 1st, 2009, 04:12 PM
I have a somewhat silly question for everyone though -- do you tuck your hair behind your ears to keep it behind your shoulders and down your back? Even at my length, having any hair in front of my shoulders and around my face gets in the way, so I was wondering.
This problem will mostly go away when your hair gets longer.

I can't answer the OPs question though; my hair gets in the way if it's loose, but it's not too long to be down in a ponytail (and is in long term stall mode for growth).

Moonstruck
June 1st, 2009, 07:02 PM
My hair got to classic, and I still felt like it wasn't really long enough to warrant wearing up. Granted, I HATED putting it up, period, so that may have been the issue. However, it was never particularly damaged/split-endy, so... yeah.

I think if my hair got down near my knees and interfered with running, motion in general, catching in car doors, etc... then I might consider cutting it back a bit, instead of putting it up. =P

masterofmidgets
June 1st, 2009, 08:38 PM
My hair is (almost!) hip length, and I wear it down about one day out of three. I have to pay a little more attention to what I'm doing to make sure it doesn't get tangled or caught in things, but it feels so good to wear it down that I don't really mind. If I do get it to a length where I feel like I can't comfortably wear it down except at home, I'll probably trim it back again to something a little shorter. I don't know how long that would be though!

Indigo Girl
June 1st, 2009, 11:19 PM
I voted for waist; I'm currently at hip.

Even with seemingly mundane tasks, my hair tends to get caught, smashed, and mashed in every possible way. Because it's so incredibly fine, it tends to fly everywhere, and even being down for a short while will cause a multitude of tangles. For me, waist is when it started getting to be a pain when down.

I only leave it down to dry; I DO like the feel of it on my arms and back, but due to the relentless tangles, I now always keep it up.

Unnamed
June 1st, 2009, 11:36 PM
My hair is close to knee length, and for mundane tasks (that were listed) hair completely loose/down is fine. Cooking, washing dishes, exercise bike, light cleaning (windows, sweeping), basic crafting (crochet, sewing by hand or machine, beading, etc), and etc are also fine. If I'm putting something in/out of the oven it's pretty easy to tuck hair down the back of my shirt so that it stays behind me and away from the hot oven.

Vacuuming, heavy cleaning, around/working on machinery, etc. it is up. Around fans on floor/boxes (as if walking past down a hall) it is gathered up and lifted, but not actually put up.

I did land on the floor after stepping on hair while picking something off a box around the 49-50" mark, but I learned pretty quick after that, and picking things up hasn't been an issue since. Actually, I just moved an A/C up our steep stairs (lifting it up one step at a time without help) with loose hair a few days ago, and it was not in the way. :oops:

I also fairly regularly wear a pony (which I still consider 'loose' even though it's not completely unrestrained) mainly if going somewhere--like shopping. And probably walking, at least when it's on the windy side (which it often is here).

But, yeah, at 'knee' (or, well, that rough length) for me seems just fine. I do at times move it out of the way or move differently, though; but it's more just keeping aware of where hair is and where the longest hairs are.

I guess I should vote 'calf+', maybe, since mine's more or less at knee(ish) right now? Haven't yet, though.


It might well become convenient to wear loose again once it is long enough to be held out of the way passively in that situation.

That's what happened with me. Right around mid-thigh (45-46" on me) it started magically not getting sat on and staying out of the way on its own and actually stays where it gets put when it doesn't go on its own. So it actually got 'easier' after having gotten harder around tailbone/2-3" above classic when it started to get sat on all the time. I wear it loose a lot more now (with 6-7" more length) than I did then (although I didn't absolutely have to have it up then, either).

Quixii
June 2nd, 2009, 03:23 PM
I've worn my hair in a pony tail since I was old enough to know what a pony tail is, pretty much. Because of this, I'm uncomfortable with my hair down, and, unlike my mom, who gets headaches if she has her hair up too long - I get headaches if it's down too long.
However, I can wear it down. I think once it gets to the point of sitting on it I'll be more hesitant.

Chromis
June 2nd, 2009, 07:03 PM
I didn't vote because I have not yet found a length that I cannot wear down. Although I normally wear it up, it's more out of laziness or needing to look professional. Mine is long enough to sit on, but really it is quite easy to sweep it out of the way or move it and getting longer reminds me to do so. It was a little harder at the length someone described where it only intermittently gets caught under you on plush seats.

Ursula
June 3rd, 2009, 07:51 AM
I wonder how much thickness and wave/curl pattern have to do with this?

Beatnik Guy mentioned that as hair gets longer, the "tuck behind the ears" issue becomes less because the shoulders hold the hair back. However, I've found my hair is wide enough, if it is in a puffy mood, that it almost forms a cape or shawl and wraps around my shoulders. However, I suspect that if my hair was straight, it would fall straight down my back rather than puffing out to the sides, or if it was thinner, it wouldn't fall so wide.

carinkla
June 3rd, 2009, 10:21 AM
mm lets see. I have classic on the way to fingertip . cleaning I wear it up
shopping depends on what kind of shopping. Just fun shopping I can wear it down but groceries or clothes shopping not. Restaurant...buffet up just us at an table I can wear it down. Theater I can wear it down, in car I can wear it down also. But one has to keep in mind that I have learned were the problems could be and have little tricks to prevent those..(gettin in the cast I hold it in pony tail because it could come between door or gear box. Then I "instal' it in places were it lays safe (I am only passenger) I the teather I 'intstall' it at the side were my husband sits so the person on the other side wil not sit on it or lay an elbow or something on it so I cant move ;) )

winter_star
June 4th, 2009, 04:16 AM
I'd say Tailbone would be the limit for me. Once it starts getting longer i'd imagine you would start to sit on it! My hair is only waist length now and already gets in the way of things, especially at work but I always wear it down anyway.

hellkitty
June 4th, 2009, 03:11 PM
I think I am a hair klutz compared to y'all. As soon as I can ponytail it, it goes up. Otherwise it gets in my face, in my mouth when I eat, under my purse strap or backpack strap (ooooouuuch!), caught in car doors, pinned by cats, up my nose, stuck on things I walk by, in the litterbox when I clean it (double eeeewww!), etc.

I wear it down to dry it, and even then, slightly damp, braided it gets.


HK

zen_oven
June 4th, 2009, 03:49 PM
I said tailbone. Anything above that I'd feel comfortable wearing down. Tailbone or longer I'd be worried about sitting on it and breaking it/causing nasty splits.

JamieLeigh
June 13th, 2009, 02:08 AM
I will say that as a mom of five, my hair has always been too long to wear down for my daily activities involving babies and young children. It really gets in the way a lot.

Beatnik Guy
June 13th, 2009, 05:55 AM
Beatnik Guy mentioned that as hair gets longer, the "tuck behind the ears" issue becomes less because the shoulders hold the hair back. However, I've found my hair is wide enough, if it is in a puffy mood, that it almost forms a cape or shawl and wraps around my shoulders.
Yes, I am also familiar with the spilling round the sides phenomenon. 8)

Shell
June 13th, 2009, 07:57 AM
My hair was in the way more at BSL than it was at a few inches past classic (that's my max length). When I cut it back to waist, I also noticed that it was in the way, but now that I'm at tailbone again (yay!), it's behaving. So, longer is better (but we already knew that :wink:).

I mostly can and do wear it down for anything, except for those intense activities mentioned by Nightshade. I like it down.

No vote for me, at least not yet.

Marika
June 13th, 2009, 08:18 AM
I voted hip. I'm around that length and my hair is really starting to bother me if I wear it down all day. I do still wear it down every day when I'm home doing nothing (and when sleeping) but I prefer keeping it up when I'm outside or at work because it gets in the way too much. And the tangles are just too much to handle! The joys of having very fine hair...

Alun
June 13th, 2009, 10:50 AM
What instructions. There were instructions? Unless the poll itself says something like 'please read the instructions', then you're out of luck, I'm afraid.

I mostly wear my hair loose at waist. I can't believe that as many as 8% said that was too long to wear down.

Renbirde
June 17th, 2009, 03:55 AM
Around waist, I couldn't wear it down because it tangled and got into everything. Now, it's close to TB, and I can wear it down much more easily. It stays behind my shoulders (more or less) and doesn't tangle as much.

Go figure.

3azza
June 17th, 2009, 04:38 AM
since i've reached waist length and i prefer to keep my hair up or braided. I only wear it down when i'm going out somwhere, usually indoors.

Jezzie
June 17th, 2009, 05:05 AM
What instructions. There were instructions? Unless the poll itself says something like 'please read the instructions', then you're out of luck, I'm afraid.

I mostly wear my hair loose at waist. I can't believe that as many as 8% said that was too long to wear down.

Sorry I also didn't realise there were instructions. I said calf (my longest has been waist) because even at waist I didn't notice my hair was that long or that it got in the way. So I can't imagine at tailbone or classic it would bother me. It's only now I look back at photos of myself that I go wow my hair was long then!

HappyHair87
June 17th, 2009, 06:45 PM
Oops...i voted Classic.....i didn't read the first post before i voted...please warn a girl b4 hand! :giggle:

I jus imagined myself with classic length hair and then i remember seeing this woman with classic hair the other day and how gross it looked dangling in her butt crack!!! Yuck!:disgust:

Fractalsofhair
June 17th, 2009, 07:50 PM
I said waist because I think it could interfere with day to day life at that length, along with damage. However, I don't think any length, above the floor, is too long to wear loose occasionally out on the town, and even longer than one's height can be let down for photos!

Renbirde
June 18th, 2009, 01:52 PM
I jus imagined myself with classic length hair and then i remember seeing this woman with classic hair the other day and how gross it looked dangling in her butt crack!!! Yuck!:disgust:
Um... pants? :rolleyes: A skirt would take care of the problem too. :p

vindo
June 18th, 2009, 10:45 PM
I think I could handle it until knee length so I voted calf+.

Knee is where I can still pick it up comfortably when I bend down.

My hair is classic length now and wearing it down is pretty easy.

I do have to move it out of the way when I sit but thats about it. Otherwise there is not much difference to shorter lengths.

And who voted APL??? O_O

vindo
June 18th, 2009, 10:48 PM
I jus imagined myself with classic length hair and then i remember seeing this woman with classic hair the other day and how gross it looked dangling in her butt crack!!! Yuck!:disgust:

Must have been some wide crack...:eyebrows: Grand Canyon type of butt...(mine usually just rests on top of it)
But hey, some people actually think the butt is an erotic part of the body ^^..

zombi
June 18th, 2009, 11:05 PM
While I have not ever reached classic, that's what I chose because at waist I still wore my hair down, but I remember cutting it off because I thought it would be too much hassle if it got longer for me.

I attribute this to the MASSIVE AMOUNTS of tangling my hair does when it's down and my complete inability to keep my hands out of it when it's down. :o

Braidmaid
June 19th, 2009, 08:45 AM
I thoroughly love wearing my hair down, and I'm willing to put up with the challenges it presents. The longest my hair has been was waistlength, and my favorite way to wear it, even then, was down.

Debra83
June 19th, 2009, 08:52 AM
oops, sorry, I voted before reading your first post. I voted calves+ only because there was no choice for no length is too long to wear down! That's mho anyway. (my greatgrandma had hair way past her bum.)

Gingevere
June 19th, 2009, 09:08 AM
I voted BSL. Just in the past few months, I've started to notice that my hair's getting in the way significantly more than it used to.

Still, I do wear it own quite a lot. I just love the feeling. :D

rovylern
June 19th, 2009, 09:03 PM
I voted Calves+, simply because I think it would tickle me too much while I was walking if my hair was that long. Who knows, though; if I'm ever lucky enough to make it that far, maybe I'll have grown used to ticklish legs and I won't mind wearing it down sometimes.

shaybabe8604
June 19th, 2009, 09:45 PM
I voted arm pit length because when my hair reached that length before I always put it up because I love lip gloss and it always stuck to my lips no matter how simple an activity I was doing. At that point I was relaxing my hair. I don't know how my preference will change with my natural hair texture...

WavyGirl
June 20th, 2009, 03:01 AM
I'm strange in that I just don't like to wear it down. So if it can get in my face and can be put up/ tied back, it's too long to wear down.

At classic I can wear it down but I don't find a huge amount of enjoyment in it.

Mira-chan you're not that strange! Or else I am too. The only time mine doesn't go up is when it's in a pixie. Any longer than than and I can make some sort of updo out of it or at least a headband to push it back from my face. Day to day I prefer it up. That's not because I can't manage it down, but because it feels more comfortable to me that way. It certainly wasn't getting caught in anything when it was above my shoulders, but I still clipped or ponied it daily. Also, it looks messy fast and that annoys me.


Mundane Activities- Desk work, shopping, light cleaning (such as picking up clutter), going for a walk, knitting/reading/watching TV, browsing LHC, etc.

When I'm in the mood (read, want to show it off ;)) I will wear it down, but that only happens a few times a year. It's a curly bsl/straightened waist at the moment. I already have to think about where it is more when I'm doing all of those mundane tasks you mention, but when I've already made the descision to wear it down, I'm very aware of it anyway. It's still doable. I think that I will always be ready to wear it down when the mood takes me, but that just doesn't happen often. So for me the length where I can't would be floor length. I'd start tripping over it for sure.

Eolan
June 20th, 2009, 05:05 AM
I can't vote, because until now it's been the other way around for me. The longer my hair gets, the more comfortable it is to have it loose. I think this has to do with the fact that I go bananas when I get my hair in my face. Now that I'm somewhere between BSL and midback, it stays put on my back more easy. When it was around that annoying lenght when its to short to put up deacently yet long enough to blow in your face all the time, I almost went crazy. I'll have to get back to you when my hair is really long. Hope it'll be soon! =)

swanns
June 20th, 2009, 05:40 AM
My hair tangles very easily, so when I wear it down it turns into a big ball of puff in no time, which is why I never wear it down for more than a few minutes these days. It's weird becasue I used to wear it down all the time. I didn't vote for anything because for me it's got more to do with the thickness and quality of my hair rather than the lenght.

Fiferstone
June 20th, 2009, 10:14 AM
I didn't vote, I'm currently at waist and creeping toward tailbone.* For me it's not so much length, but rather a combination of things: condition of my hair (is it clean?), the weather, and the planned activities. Mucking out the garage/barn/house/chores, I'm likely to braid it to keep it out of the way.* At work I either wear it down (freshly washed) or up (ponytail, cinnamon bun, chinese bun, are typical go-tos for me),* I go 3 days between washings, so days 2 and 3 are going to be up days for me because I don't like having "less than clean" hair down.* Weather-wise, if its raining it's instant halo frizz, so I'll wear it up.* In hot weather I want it off my neck, so an updo is going to be my default. I'm trying to vary the updos to avoid breakage induced by always having a ponytail in the same place.* I'm also finding that wearing more updos has meant that I have less damage on the ends, which is definitely a good thing.*

ericthegreat
June 20th, 2009, 11:27 PM
I don't think any length is too long to wear down, unless you are among the exceedingly rare 0.0000000001 % of people who have floor length hair or longer. I very often wear my hair out. I get TONS of heads that turn my way when I walk! Some are haters that I'm sure are jealous that I had the patience to grow my hair so long, but others are true admirers who actually come up and tell me how lovely my hair is and what wonderful condition its in.

Rentlle
July 12th, 2009, 11:02 AM
hmmm, I love my hair hanging loose, and love to see it with other hair to :)
so I would say knee.. I can't imagine that's handy to wear down :)

Brianna
July 12th, 2009, 11:22 AM
I accidentally voted before I read that I shouldn't have. :o I voted knee, because I imagine that would be too long for me - up until classic or so I think I'd be able to wear it down at least occasionally, but beyond that I expect it would just get tangled in my legs. So I'm not going beyond classic. :)

Niphredil
July 12th, 2009, 11:34 AM
I don't know really. I have been past hip and I did wear it down then. I just don't like having my hair in my face constantly so I usually have something with my to put it up (hairties, ficcare or something like that). I don't think there will be any length that I would consider too long to manage, as long as I can easily put it out of my way one way or another. It also largely depends on the sort of activities and weather (hot, windy outside etc).

Sooo, I haven't voted.

Tovah
July 12th, 2009, 11:50 AM
I can only reminisce about when mine was below BSL and started getting caught in things-like peoples buttons when I passed them on the street on windy days and when it would catch on fire when I leaned over a table to take orders when I waited on tables. I can't say this time when I would think it would be too long, I dream of the day I need to decided that.

daisy
July 12th, 2009, 11:56 AM
I voted tailbone. My hair is at tailbone now, and I have to wear it up all the time. I'm dealing with a baby, though. With babies, if it's longer than pixie, it's too long to be down for me. If it's too short they grab it when you hold them. At my length, it falls forward when I change her diaper. So, I cant even do two braids, the hair has to be behind me. Single braids or updos are all I can do. Even single braids are a problem if I want to wear her in my moby wrap.

If I didn't have a baby, I think classic would be the problem point for me. My friend has classic length, almost fingertip now. She wears it down all the time. She has to wrap it around her neck when she goes to the bathroom. It gets caught in her car door, and seatbelt. And if she bends down to pick something up, her hair hits the floor.

marzipanthecat
July 12th, 2009, 12:20 PM
I leave my hair down a lot of the time (you can see from my picture how long it is) and most of the time it's fine. Not a problem.

I have a friend who used to have knee-length hair (and she's 5 feet 9 inches tall) and she left it down most of the time. No problem for her either. (I was so envious of it! - and she chose to get it cut short because she was simply fed up with it. She never regretted it, so good for her!)

Seeing as I'm aiming for ankle length hair myself, I'll let you know (well, if I ever get there!) if it needs to be up all the time!

I suspect some of us simply have hair that isn't as mobile and strangulating as others!

Cherry_Sprinkle
July 12th, 2009, 12:25 PM
I keep mine up most of the time now.. I voted waist length because I am finding if its down I have to take care not to catch it in car doors and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen so I don't wear it down for that either.. but I love the feel of it caressing my back and arms.. so usually its up unless I am going out somewhere special.

nowxisxforever
July 12th, 2009, 02:31 PM
For mundane activities...midback/waist is when I started wearing mine up.

I CAN wear it down now at Classic, but I generally don't want to. I'll let it be down while I'm on the computer though sometimes.

Fiferstone
July 12th, 2009, 02:41 PM
I voted calves+, but I hope that there really isn't a length where it's too daunting to wear it down occasionally. I love long gorgeous hair down, in all its glory, as well as in a clever updo, hiding in plain sight.

Amara
July 12th, 2009, 03:43 PM
For being around the house, working, etc, I've liked to keep it up since it was just below BSL, so I voted BSL. However, mine is almost tailbone now and as long as I'm not doing something involving bending or moving around a ton, I wear it down.

eternallyverdan
July 12th, 2009, 04:04 PM
Personally I wear mine down about 1/3 of the time. As a life-long longhair I guess I'm just used to keeping it out of the way while I'm doing stuff, whether it's cleaning up, going to the bathroom (I just fold it up in my shirt), or shopping. It also helps that at this length (mid-thigh) I can put it in a bun without hairtoys if it annoys me too much, which I often do.

nowxisxforever
July 12th, 2009, 04:08 PM
Personally I wear mine down about 1/3 of the time. As a life-long longhair I guess I'm just used to keeping it out of the way while I'm doing stuff, whether it's cleaning up, going to the bathroom (I just fold it up in my shirt), or shopping. It also helps that at this length (mid-thigh) I can put it in a bun without hairtoys if it annoys me too much, which I often do.

I tie mine in a knot for the restroom! Perhaps that could be another poll... Hehe!

GoddesJourney
July 12th, 2009, 05:48 PM
I said midback only because that's where I'm at now and it has to be braided if I'm going to go do something active like play with my dog at the beach. It's also a lot easier to put clothes on when my hair is up somehow. Part of this is because the bottom several inches are damaged and therefore tangle. When my hair is healthy, it does not tangle so hopefully, one day, I will be able to have it down at TB length and not have it bother me.

NickalNack
July 12th, 2009, 07:07 PM
I remember when I used to wear crochet braids, I hated wearing the tbl hair down the most after a while because no matter what I did it would always be touching my face and getting in the way of my vision, and the hair was too thick and heavy to put up. I get the feeling natural 3c-4a hair would be a much different experience though, since it's lighter and fluffier (and prettier :D).

may1em
July 13th, 2009, 11:24 PM
Personally, I wouldn't wear hair down if I could sit on it.

I'm a bit past waist right now, and I'm shooting for either hip or tailbone at some point, though I may cut back to where I am now after experiencing those lengths.

If my hair becomes too long to wear down without getting myself all tangled in it, I will probably cut back. Part of me thinks it would be awesome to go beyond tailbone, but I have visions of that threshold dividing manageable (for me) to unmanageable (for me). Iliac is probably my ideal length, but I want to see how I look and feel at slightly longer lengths too.

Samara Morgan
July 16th, 2009, 08:11 AM
Hmmm this is an interesting poll indeedy :agree: I suppose I stopped wearing my hair down back when my hair was at classic length. I still wore it down at certain times but I was quite scared to wear it down in public lol :rolleyes: I'm around tailbone at the moment and I'm a bit more confident at wearing it down but I can't wait till it gets to classic again :)

fisher2
July 16th, 2009, 08:35 AM
i wear my hair down quite a bit but i wear it in a ponytail more pften now so im saying bsl-midback

Isa-belle
July 16th, 2009, 09:15 AM
And the 'secret' nature of having a very business-like hairdo and then letting it fall down... :D
Couldn't agree more:cheese:

GeoJ
July 16th, 2009, 10:33 AM
Well, I am just passing classic and I do occasionally wear my hair down when I go out (so it's down outdoors only a few times per year). That is just my personal preference for keeping my hair up and out of the way (plus my waves get messed up after doing anything with my hair, like updos or combing). It is down at home more often (but still not as often as I keep it up).

I did not vote because I have not yet (if ever) reached the longer lengths listed in the poll. :)

Stagecoach
July 16th, 2009, 12:08 PM
I voted mid-back as I've never been able to clean with my hair down since that length.

Now that I'm a knee length, I 'can' wear it down for sitting, walking, even shopping but I don't freqently simply because it DOES take thought!

Firegarnet
July 16th, 2009, 02:07 PM
I didn't vote because at classic, I still enjoy my hair down. This is rather recent though since before I went WO my hair tangled almost instantly and I hated detangling so it was nearly always up. Now it doesn't tangle nearly as much and I love feeling it around my arms and back. I would imagine I would not like it down much if it was long enough to 'sweep' the floor as I walked though. But since I'm not there yet, I don't know for sure :):p

Heidi_234
July 18th, 2009, 02:47 PM
I'm not there yet - but I shoot for tailbone/classic as I assume it's the longest length that I'll be able to wear down (as I'm one of the people who don't see a point in long hair if you can't enjoy it worn down). Also, curl shrinkage plays a role here, I might be able to actually grow my hair beyond classic but not sit on it when it is naturally curly. :)
Next year we'll know :yumm:

82exoticbeauty
July 26th, 2009, 04:29 PM
I'd say tailbone, but I will also say classic because when I sit on the sofa, bathroom, sit next with my brother and sister (which they say "Your hair is too long and in the way!"), going shopping in public with classic length while the winds kept blowing in front of the face! Unless I put it up a bit, and I still love long hair even it does get in the way!

Nae
November 17th, 2009, 10:23 AM
Between shoulder length and BSL my hair would often creep from my back onto my shoulders, and from there attack my face and get stuck in my chapstick.

This is quite possibly the funniest thing I have heard (read) all day. And that is saying something, since my husband had comedy central on all morning. :cheer:It is only funny because it is SO true and it is one of the things that annoyed me the most when my hair was longer. (Before I went insane and decide Pixie was for me.) :rolleyes:

Rahenna
November 18th, 2009, 08:15 AM
I'm at tailbone and I'd say it's pretty darn annoying for sleeping because I get tangled up if I roll over too much! But for everything else, I haven't had any trouble. :)

Henrietta
August 13th, 2010, 04:28 PM
I think fingertip. When the hair is as long as your hands it's hard to handle it and it can get caught easily in doors, chairs...

Loreley
August 14th, 2010, 06:16 AM
Mine is between classic and fingertip and wearing it down is a bit uncomfontable. It's OK when I'm going for a walk or travelling, though. I think knee is too long to wear down regulary.

JulietCapulet
August 14th, 2010, 06:44 AM
Honestly no length is too long unless it's hitting the floor in my opinion.

jane53
August 14th, 2010, 07:18 AM
This is one of those topics that leads me to consider cutting my hair. (Nooooo! The topic doesn't make me mad. It just makes me think.)

My hair has been hip length to tailbone--usually hip length--since I was 12 or 13, which means it's been long for 44 years.

I usually wore it in a ponytail, but I learned some updos and have been wearing it up frequently this summer.

And if I'm going to wear it up a lot, why don't I just get it cut?

That's my question.

Dolly
August 14th, 2010, 07:30 AM
I usually wore it in a ponytail, but I learned some updos and have been wearing it up frequently this summer.

And if I'm going to wear it up a lot, why don't I just get it cut?

That's my question.


I have been wearing mine up more than usual this summer because it has been so dang hot! But, I think along those same lines....if I can't enjoy wearing it down, what's the point of growing it long? Thus, why I wear mine down 90% of the time.

I don't want to sit on my hair or have it in my way or in other people's way.....I probably won't ever try to grow beyond tailbone because when it starts to be a hindrance to wear it down, I will cut it to a more manageable length.

But to each his/her own! What may be a hindrance to me may not be an issue for someone else.....

jane53
August 14th, 2010, 07:53 AM
Hip length works for me. At tailbone length, it starts to get annoying down.

rusika1
August 14th, 2010, 09:22 AM
I voted fingertips.

I think part of it depends on the hair. Mine is fine and tangles VERY easily, so it's almost always either up or braided or both. Plus I hate the feeling of having my loose hair 'trapped' against my body; sitting or lying on it makes me feel almost panicky. I have no idea how so many of you on here sleep with your hair loose!

Akka Naeda is right, the activity you're engaged in matters too. Once you start creeping towards mid thigh, anything that involves bending or stooping is probably going to result on your hair dragging on the ground.

Also, would you consider hair restrained at the nape to be 'down', or does it have to be completely loose to qualify? Because my TB length coworker often wears her hair in a low pony, and to me, that's still 'down'.

tinti
August 14th, 2010, 05:12 PM
Now I have never had hair longer than bsl before, but I would guess classic or knee lenght.

sibiryachka
August 15th, 2010, 06:01 PM
I think for me it might be about classic, but that's mostly because classic is about where I think I would start to feel like it was... well, maybe not too long, but at the limit of what I want to deal with. The very idea of having to think about whether or not I'm sitting on my own hair every time I sit down exhausts me.
It's encouraging to see that the OP still finds it manageable to wear down at that length, though. I never really gave the topic much thought, but now that I have, I'm pretty sure I'd hate feeling like I couldn't let Miss Hair have her freedom once in a while. That would probably motivate me to maintain at a slightly shorter length!

christine1989
August 15th, 2010, 06:19 PM
It really depends on your hair type but for me I would not wear it down if it were past hip.

ibleedlipstick
August 15th, 2010, 07:29 PM
I think that it depends on the activity and where you are located. I mean, if you live in a warm area, you may want it up more for everyday, base activities.

Prettyeyes23
August 16th, 2010, 03:38 PM
I said anything past mid-back, because then it just gets knotty and is a mess the next day.

Eniratak
August 16th, 2010, 03:48 PM
I put calves+, but I don't think having hair that long is even too long to wear down. I'd say when it gets to floor length, then one might consider wearing it up, but that's really it.

Venefica
August 18th, 2010, 06:56 PM
I do not think that there is a set length. But I know that the last months, my hair is waist length now I hardly ever wear it loose expect when dressing up, it get everywhere, into the food I eat, wrapped around door handles, everywhere. Also I am overweight and at this length my hair get trapped between my love handles and that is just plain annoying. I usually braid my hair or wear it in a ponytail. However others might wear their hair long at any length, it depend on personal preference, also, loose hanging hair always looks beautiful.

-j-
August 19th, 2010, 05:28 AM
Shoulder. (which is too short to submit, or so the site tells me ;) )

I agree.
I have only shoulder length, and I can´t wear it down. It just keeps coming to my face. No matter how I tug it behind ears, it doesn´t stay there at all.

Braidmaid
August 19th, 2010, 08:00 AM
As I approach classic, I still enjoy wearing my hair down. If it is windy, I usually wear a braid. I'm not really sure when it will be too long to wear down; I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Laululintu
August 19th, 2010, 09:02 AM
I voted for waist, even though I personally reached that mark somewhere between waist and hip length. At that length my hair started to catch on door handles and I once even pulled out a few hairs by accident when it caught on a piece of splintered wood on a door in the flat I lived in at the time.

Having said that, it gets really annoying when it's long enough to touch the floor when I'm in the shower (when I bend over to scrub my legs, for example), or long enough for me to sit on by accident. My hair is a few inches short of that at the moment. That usually happens to be the point when I decide a bigger trim or mini-chop is in order.

Xi
August 19th, 2010, 12:43 PM
I didn't vote. At TBL+, I'm comfortable with my hair down in ordinary activities. I didn't learn how to put it up until finding the LHC, and have always had hair about this length. Perhaps one becomes accustomed to managing hair over the years? I can't remember ever shutting it in car doors, catching it in purse straps, or sitting on the ends. I think over time you grow an extra hand that automatically sweeps it out of the way without you having to think.:p Also, as Ursula suggested, perhaps my texture makes it easier (thinnish, straightish, F/M).

Nifty poll! :)

LaurelSpring
August 19th, 2010, 06:50 PM
I goofed and took the poll before I read the whole post so I shouldnt have voted. :oops:

I guessed that knee length would probably be too long. I am only at waist now and I wear my down more now than I did at BSL. Now that it is getting somewhat more remarkable I have some ego involved in showing it off. I imagine that this may wear off after awhile and I will be back to more updos but it will also probably depend on the environment and my mood. Its really hard to project right now. Hopefully I will at least make it to classic and see what happens then.

frodolaughs
August 19th, 2010, 06:58 PM
I can't vote in this poll because I just don't know yet (but I'll let you know when I get there...)
My hair is now tailbone+ I occasionally wear it down, but one of the things I love about having long hair is the ability to wear it up. I have so many updo options now, and when my hair is up it's out of my face and out of my way. The only other hairstyle which lets me get my hair 'out of sight and out of mind' to this extent was my pixie, and that gave me NO options at all...

Alun
August 20th, 2010, 11:49 AM
I agree.
I have only shoulder length, and I can´t wear it down. It just keeps coming to my face. No matter how I tug it behind ears, it doesn´t stay there at all.
So what you mean is, your hair is too short to wear down?

Alun
August 20th, 2010, 11:51 AM
I didn't vote. At TBL+, I'm comfortable with my hair down in ordinary activities. I didn't learn how to put it up until finding the LHC, and have always had hair about this length. Perhaps one becomes accustomed to managing hair over the years? I can't remember ever shutting it in car doors, catching it in purse straps, or sitting on the ends. I think over time you grow an extra hand that automatically sweeps it out of the way without you having to think.:p Also, as Ursula suggested, perhaps my texture makes it easier (thinnish, straightish, F/M).

Nifty poll! :)

I'm convinced you are right, even though my own hair is only waist length and probably won't grow much longer than that.

Heidi_234
August 20th, 2010, 12:03 PM
So what you mean is, your hair is too short to wear down?
Not long enough to go behind the ears and constantly in one's face? Awkward stages are awkward. :)

XcaliburGirl
August 20th, 2010, 12:33 PM
I voted APL, but really, I hate having my hair down at any length. I've tried taking it down, but it just starts to annoy me and up it goes again.

Shoulder an shorter it got in my face. As it get's longer, it gets in the way of my arms and still gets in my face, though half-ups are OK. It frizzes and I have to pay attention to what it's doing, while in a bun it stays put. Sometimes it's too hot and itchy to wear down. And forget windy days.

Frankly, I have no idea how anyone can do it. I probably need a wear hair down challenge so I can get used to it.

MandyBeth
August 20th, 2010, 02:21 PM
Heh. Shoulder, because it's not short enough to NOT get in my face, but it's not long enough to stay back on it's own. Grow hair, grow!

Lilacs
August 21st, 2010, 09:57 PM
At tailbone I haven't reached it yet; I don't find my hair getting in the way when it's down, I just flip it this way or that! However, I have found that it does get uncomfortably hotwearing my hair down and on my neck when I'm doing some things, so if I'm going to do chores or something else that irritates me (:D) I will try to put it up so it doesn't make me quite so sweaty :)

Dragon
September 13th, 2010, 03:22 AM
haven't gotten there yet. Will be able to say oneday.

Pacific
September 16th, 2010, 02:15 PM
My hair is now between hip and tailbone and I find it a bit uncomfortable for wearing it down.

Amber_Maiden
January 17th, 2012, 05:35 PM
Probably calves plus. Too close to the ground, dogs, shrubs...

maborosi
January 17th, 2012, 06:15 PM
It really depends on the situation.

In general, I'll wear my hair down around the house, but when I go out, up it goes. It tends to get blown by the wind and will sometimes find itself caught in interesting places.

~maborosi~

darklyndsea
January 18th, 2012, 12:45 AM
For my hair, if it's long enough to go into a ponytail, it's too long to be loose.

auburntressed
January 18th, 2012, 12:55 AM
For my hair, if it's long enough to go into a ponytail, it's too long to be loose.I share this sentiment in regard to my own hair.

Sometimes when I am sitting at work, I will take my hair down and let it hang loose for a while. But I am sitting in an office chair, and it isn't getting jostled around. I don't wear my hair loose as a style, and I can't remember the last time I did. Probably not since my Freshman year of high school.

Ishje
January 18th, 2012, 01:03 AM
I went for classic, not that my hair has reached classic yet, but I get knots in my hair quite fast, so whenever I wear it down it is hard to detangle afterwards.
I think that might get more difficult when I grow any longer than classic.

katsrevenge
January 18th, 2012, 01:32 AM
When I hit waist+ I started getting yanked in chairs and car doors. So I picked that. Anything other then lazy lounging is up time.

blondie9912
January 18th, 2012, 06:24 AM
I vote (though I wouldn't REALLY be ale to know since I haven't reached it) tailbone. It really depends on the hair, however. I have a friend with thick, straight TB hair who wears it down often (non-LHC-er :p) but it is heavy enough that it doesn't float around and get caught in everything. Another one of my friends is at waist, but her hair flies everywhere, even without any wind.

nala89
February 3rd, 2012, 11:55 AM
I think hair is too long to wear down somewhere below knee or calves. At some point your hair will reach the floor while your sitting on a chair and I think at that point you should top wearing it down. The thought of my hair sweeping on the floor would really bother me but I think in generell as long as the person with the long her herself/himself isn't bothered then it should be fine.

PsycheOrigami
February 3rd, 2012, 01:04 PM
On my body, once hair touches my neck I want it up. I don't like the feeling, or the possibility of hair flying around in the breeze, and I have an odd paranoia about things getting stuck in loose hair.