At what length does wearing hair down start to become difficult?

[palaeoqueen]

Part of the reason I'm growing my hair is because I love how long hair looks when it's left down. I don't plan to wear my hair down all the time, a couple of times a month would be fine, maybe once a week absolute max, but it really is important to me that I *can* wear it down if I wish.

I'm only just past APL so it's not going to be an issue for a while yet but while I was pondering my ideal length I started to wonder whether my idea of an ideal length is actually realistic for what I want from my hair? My hair is very fine and wavy, it's not virgin at the moment but it will be eventually. I'm leaning towards growing to either hip or tailbone length, assuming that I can grow that long.

What is everyone else's experience? How long was too long for you to comfortably wear your hair down? What sorts of problems did you have and at what lengths? I realise the answers to these will vary depending on hair type and personal preference.

[PixieKitten]

Mine's starting to get annoying now, and it's juuust about at BSL. Especially with the changing of the seasons, I find my hair just gets everywhere. In my face, in my mouth, stuck in my earrings, catching on jacket zippers... It's just so much easier to keep it up these days. If I want it down I'll either go for a half up, or stick a headband/hat on to keep it away from my face.

[palaeoqueen]

That's sooner than I would have expected PixieKitten! If I think about it though mine does already really likes to get stuck in mouth, under bag straps, under the car seatbelt... and I suppose that's only going to get worse from now on.

[Anje]

A lot of it depends on you, what you do, etc. I work in a lab; hair longer than about shoulder needs to be tied back for safety reasons as a matter of policy. My personality is such that I usually wear it contained anyway or it'll bug me. On the other hand, if you're good about moving your hair out of the way and not catching it behind you or under straps, you can pretty easily get to at least tailbone regularly wearing it loose, maybe longer depending on its fragility. It takes rather tough hair to get much past that point without regular protective styling, though.

[Katrine]

Up to waist I was pretty comfortable with wearing it down. I could do a half up or wear it up every once in awhile, even loose when I would go for a bike ride. But it's getting too tangle prone now and the friction, even if I'm wearing a shirt that's conducive to my hair being down, makes my hair start to feel a bit dry after awhile. I can still wear my hair down but I pick and choose the days and times. It works well to wear it down most of the time on wash day but it's so much easier to just put it up and not have to worry about it the rest of the time. If my hair wasn't so fine and frail I think I could wear it down more...........

Best of luck on your long hair journey :)

[Magalo]

Some people can't handle waist-length down and some people still wear their hair down often at fingertips. Your mileage may vary! It also depend how thick it is, if it's heavy or flyaway, and if you had long hair before... I'd say APL/BSL are the most annoying lengths because they don't stay down your back if you bend over and the wind gets them in your face. When it's longer, it usually stay down your back.

[HintOfMint]

The matted nape tangles started when I was just above BSL. Basically as soon as I have enough hair to create friction against my back when I'm moving about. I still wear my hair loose often, but I try to be vigilant with S&D and careful with fingercombing.

[palaeoqueen]

My hair is very fine and flyaway and I already get those nape tangles, so annoying! I'm a scientist but of the computational variety so I pretty much sit at a computer all day every day. I don't think I'd bother wearing my hair down for work though, I suspect it'll be fragile even once all the damage is cut out so I'll save it for nicer occasions as I already do now. Oh and my hair has never been as long as it is now so I have absolutely no idea how it's going to behave! It is just starting to behave a bit more and lay down my back rather than all over the place (usually anyway, it likes to surprise me :lol:).

It's really interesting to read about everyone's different opinions and experiences :)

[Quixii]

I don't enjoy the feeling of hair in my face, and any length can cause that. But if I have the front bits tied back and the rest down, I didn't really find it troublesome until around tailbone to classic length, once I started to sit on it. Even then I didn't mind, it was just the first time I had to make sure I was aware of it.

[martyna_22]

My hair's become annoying at BSL. But it really depends on your habits and all, had I not worn it up before, I would be more comfortable with my almost-waist-length down. It also has to do with thickness, texture, etc.

[Rio040113]

I'm at Hip now and I'd say it's starting to become a little bit of a pain in the butt when I have it loose but ymmv of course :)

[Kaelee]

I start getting bothered by my hair at chin length! :laugh: It's actually easier to wear down NOW, that I can push it back and it stays back, or pull it over one shoulder and it stays there.

[lapushka]

I'm only just past APL so it's not going to be an issue for a while yet but while I was pondering my ideal length I started to wonder whether my idea of an ideal length is actually realistic for what I want from my hair? My hair is very fine and wavy, it's not virgin at the moment but it will be eventually. I'm leaning towards growing to either hip or tailbone length, assuming that I can grow that long.

What is everyone else's experience? How long was too long for you to comfortably wear your hair down? What sorts of problems did you have and at what lengths? I realise the answers to these will vary depending on hair type and personal preference.

My hair's F and wavy too. It was almost TBL (within an inch) before, at its longest, and then I went back to hip, and then to waist, then had it layered again. I used to always wear it layered, but then grew it out. Anyway, you'll see while you grow, that's half the fun of it. All these things you'll discover as you go. Hip and TBL is not out of reach, even though you're a F, wavy girl. Trust me on that! I do wear my hair up 6 days out of 7 (except on wash day), this since APL, yes, since APL! I don't know. It's just easier that way.

[makeminea99]

My hair's at hip at the moment, and I usually wear it down for the first 2 days after washing, unless it's a very windy or rainy day. However I will put it up quickly to run my little boys' bath, cooking the tea, etc as I don't want it dunked in the bath/saucepan/etc! :) Having said that, I do think it's rather cool to wear it up most of the time, then when you do wear it down or even in a long braid people are usually surprised by how long your hair is! I had this at my dance class the other day: I normally wear my hair in a Figure 8 with some sturdy claw clips for the class, but last week I thought I'd French braid it - I was curious to see if I'd clonk myself with the end of the braid (I didn't!). One of my classmates remarked, 'ooh, I didn't realize your hair was THAT long!' And yes, I did feel a certain amount of girlish glee at her remark. I know, I'm shallow . . . ;)

[trolleypup]

YMMV indeed! I would say it was more annoying down from mid-back to classic than longer.

I regularly wear my down for periods of less than an hour to several hours...I like the feel and appearance of it down. So...at work, almost always up, when I walk away from work, pull the stick and down it comes...then it goes back up when needed. If I am going out for dinner or the like, usually down. Yes, it gets tangled, but feeling the breeze in my hair is worth it.

My long hair reflexes are pretty good, so mostly I avoid catching on things or stepping/sitting on it. And, coarse and tough, so it is also heavy enough not to blow all over the place.

[Madora]

Part of the reason I'm growing my hair is because I love how long hair looks when it's left down. I don't plan to wear my hair down all the time, a couple of times a month would be fine, maybe once a week absolute max, but it really is important to me that I *can* wear it down if I wish.

What is everyone else's experience? How long was too long for you to comfortably wear your hair down? What sorts of problems did you have and at what lengths? I realise the answers to these will vary depending on hair type and personal preference.

For me, it became problematic at mid back...mainly because of the tangles.

I rarely wore it down, even in my younger days, because it was constantly getting in the way when left loose. Hairbands didn't work. I had a head of very thick hair and tangles were my bete noir.

Now that I've reached 50+ inches, I never wear it down, but do enjoy brushing it and braiding it. I love the look of ultra long hair flowing free and lovely...but on others.

[Marbid]

Oh this is something that depends on hair habits more than anything else in my opinion. I for example, don't mind wearing my hair down at all. (My longest length was classic when I was 12, I never wore my hair up)

I don't mind the hair on my face. I rather like it. Always like seeing my hair at the corners of my eyes. I'm usually very aware of where my hair is at, so I don't get it caught in things. Very rarely does my hair get caught in anything (and it is usually some one else's fault)

But well, I've worn my hair down regardless of it's length, all my life. I only started wearing it up since discovering the LHC. And the damage friction against clothing and what not causes.

I suggest you let your hair grow to the point you are comfortable with it. Or you can work on some hair habits to wear your hair down at longer lengths. Such as pulling your hair over your shoulder automatically when sitting down if your hair is classic. In the same category as smoothing down your skirt/dress when sitting down/fixing your long sleeves when you're washing your hands (you don't wash your hands with your long sleeves full length, they'll get wet, It's common sense, you also don't put your purse on your shoulder on top of your hair, it will get caught. ) Those sorts of automatic little every day habits develop on their own if you wear your hair down often. But seeing as that wont be the case, either have your hair at a length where you don't have to care about it, or work on some hair safety habits.

Long hair behaves like an assessory that is not part of your body (even thou it is part of your body). Like jewelry or a scarf. Things that can get caught in places and are not always right next to your body obeying your every command because you can't feel it the way you feel your skin, and you can't move it the way you move your hand. It helps to think of long hair this way, and it's version of taking it off, is an up do (or bald).

[vindo]

My hair never bothered me down, my longest was thigh length. In my experience one learns how to move and handle the long hair throughout the day. I wore my hair down at least once a week.

[summergreen]

Around hip length was when my hair started getting in the way/caught in stuff generally, but bag straps were a problem long before that, my hair loves to snake underneath them no matter how careful I am. The best thing about updos for me is not having to worry about bags and jacket zips :)

[arcane]

My hair seems to grow in and out of annoying. Around APL it was annoying down, BSL it was fine down. At waist it was/is annoying again, but when it was a few inches past it just laid better. It has to do with my wave/curl pattern. Generally though, even when I wear my hair down I have to pin back the front pieces or I will have hair in my face all day long, and that bothers me no matter what the length.

[restless]

Id actually say that now, at hip lenght, it starts to get on my nerves a little. It has a tendency to get all over the place and no matter how careful I am it keeps getting stuck on things (like a locker the other day, just as I was standing there talking to a cute guy...).

So yeah, hip lenght has been a bit trouble some so far but still I really want to wear it down at least a couple of times a week because whats the point in having long hair if I cant enjoy it (and generally I dont enjoy having my hair up, I dont feel pretty that way)? Maybe it gets better when its longer and heavier so it stays behind me better.

[NymphSpirit]

Hip for me. I couldn't handle getting my stupid hair stuck EVERYWHERE. I was in a club once and it got stuck between two people D: At that point it was always in a headache inducing bun. It'd take a whole day and some more to dry and ages to detangle, and like I'm not a patient person I'd end up ripping through the tangles e_e wasn't convenient at all. I hated it so much I seriously considered going for a men's short back and sides and never grow any longer than chin lol. I ended up chopping back to bsl after some heavy convincing from my mother and friends and now I'm back to growing. I hope this time I'll be able to deal with it and get to a solid bcl before planning on ripping my scalp off :meditate:

[NymphSpirit]

Id actually say that now, at hip lenght, it starts to get on my nerves a little. It has a tendency to get all over the place and no matter how careful I am it keeps getting stuck on things (like a locker the other day, just as I was standing there talking to a cute guy...).

So yeah, hip lenght has been a bit trouble some so far but still I really want to wear it down at least a couple of times a week because whats the point in having long hair if I cant enjoy it (and generally I dont enjoy having my hair up, I dont feel pretty that way)? Maybe it gets better when its longer and heavier so it stays behind me better.

I identify with every little thing you wrote :cheer:

[restless]

I identify with every little thing you wrote :cheer:

:hifive:

For all that I love my hair and dont consider cutting it (despite it being completely reckless), I can totally see why you decided to go shorter for a while.

[Flor]

Mine's a APL and I enjoy wearing it down. It does get in the way, so I have to be more careful about shoulder straps and such. I usually pin the face framing layers on top though (I've never been able to grow those layers long enough because of ponytail damage, but hopefully now it'll be different). Mine can go either nearly curly or slightly wavy (depends on how I dry it) and I prefer to wear it down in its curliest shape (less tangles and flyaways).

The most tricky situation for me is when SO puts his arm around my shoulder and ends up immobilizing my head :D

[Panth]

About classic was when I started to get annoyed. Basically, when my hair is not only long enough for me to sit on, but long enough that if someone sits next to you on the sofa then they sit on it too. Oh, and it gets stuck down the back of the sofa. *gah*

Of course, being an F means that my hair is floaty and slippery and no matter how long it becomes it doesn't necessarily stay put from its own weight.

[ladyfey]

Depends on your lifestyle. Long ago, before I had kids, if I had the day off from work and wasn't cleaning, bathing dog, washing car but just hanging out reading and maybe running a few errands - I always left it down and it was knee length. It was fine, probably got a few more tangles but no big deal. Now, with the kids, it has to be up always and it is ankle length now.

[NuclearApple]

I never had problems wearing it down until waist,it gets knotty and messy and cotton-ball-like,anyway it depends on your hair type and the products you use,to maintain it in good condition you should brush it or comb it every 2-3 hours but no one has time or remembers of it,so brush/comb it very very well before you go out and the problem should be solved :)

[littlemonster]

Mine is very flyaway, total pain to be fully down at any length, I also have natural face framing layers which I'm seeing how long they'll grow with TLC, they used to be played with a lot, forced stretched back into styles, they're actually the least problem when undyed as they ringlet. I just find my hair gets in the way day to day, less since changing to CO and part way to CG.

I think my hair was less annoying down at waist+ as it had more weight as a whole and stayed out the way easier.

[labailaora]

My hair is fine and fragile, so BSL was basically it for me - I've reached tailbone a couple of times before cutting back to mid-back/waist (... the most recent of which was like 2 hours ago), and I *never* wore my hair down at tailbone except for dance performances. I can stand to wear it down occasionally at waist or BSL, but even then I prefer to keep it up and away from danger!

[XcaliburGirl]

I've been wearing mine up since I could do a pony-stub with strands falling out. :shrug:

[In|{girl]

I actually never had a problem wearing my hair down until it was a little below tailbone. With tailbone length hair I had no problem, beside ocasionally getting it caught in nails on chairs, wearing it down. With classic it's become quite difficult as I sometimes sit on it and get it caught much easier.

[woodswanderer]

I would vote at hip....although I still wear my hair down probably 2/3 to 3/4 of the time at tailbone.

[Lightningfury]

I was forced to keep it at BSL and APL for years and can decisively say that I hate and despise that length. Never stays over your shoulder, never stays in it's braid, flies around your face, in your eyes; so very very frustrating, BUT there is hope. Once your hair is longer it tends to not blow around as much because it's heavier. Once my hair got to mid back I stopped having much trouble with it at all. It's only now that it's reaching for mid-thigh that it's becoming troublesome again but that mostly in more of a move before I sit kind of way.

Having had my hair every length from less than an inch to 48in at last measurement I prefer my hair to be at least tail bone length. Despite what everyone around me might say long hair really is so much less work than short hair.

Also I love wearing my hair down, for days on end even though it's bad for it. Longer is so much better.

[firegypsy]

it must really depend on hair type and personal preference. there is no length at which my hair is easy down. It's difficult in general and it drives me insane. I grow because I love long hair but I never, ever wear it down out of the house. I wish I could!

[jacqueline101]

Mine reached the annoying stage at apl. As you guessed it reached that length in the summer. Everytime my hair was down the ends would cling to my sweaty arm pits. I know gross and annoying. My brief moment with bsl getting the tip ends would get caught when I'd put on my bra.

[Enrapture]

APL to BSL. It's in the middle so a little bit hard to work with.

[kmoc123]

Hmmm...the only thing that really bothers me is getting it caught in the car window or door. I have learned to adjust around it. I love my hair and will continue to grow grow grow! (45 inches today!!)

[TheVegan6]

My hair started to be annoying now, when I can and often sit on it. It was always annoying, pixie it sticks up straight, chin it's always in your eyes, shoulder it pokes you, APL it is plain annoying, BSL-hip it gets stuck in your armpit, TBL it gets stuck in places I won't say, Classic it gets sat on, thigh I imagine it would get stuck between your legs, as well as knee and calf and ankle, floor would drag everywhere AND you would step on it, and beyond it would get caught in everything imaginable, I think.

[VJG]

I wear my hair down most of the time and it is past my waist. I expect to continue being comfortable wearing it down as it grows longer, since I simply move it in front of a shoulder if I'm sitting or wearing a back pack. I know everyone here says wearing it up is better for it, but I just don't enjoy putting it up all of the time.

[VJG]

I start getting bothered by my hair at chin length! :laugh: It's actually easier to wear down NOW, that I can push it back and it stays back, or pull it over one shoulder and it stays there.

I agree. I did not like wearing my hair down until it was close to elbow length. Longer stays better out of the way.

[Misty'sMess]

Mines classic and I hate wearing it down. It gets caught in everything, especially when I pat my dogs (for some reason they like to stand on it). I only ever wear it down when it's wet, and I only wash once every six days. I think that might have something to do with habit, if I practiced wearing my hair down I'm sure I'd learn to enjoy it.

[0xalis]

When I was young and actually had long hair, I always wore it down. I rarely wore it up or in a style and even when i did it was out by the end of the day ;)
Now my hair is between collarbone and APL and while I LOVE how it looks I HATE wearing it down because I'm so paranoid about damaging it :/
Once my hair gets longer I plan on just braiding it. I'm sick of updos, especially with how freaking difficult they are to do with this hair length!