What challenges do you face as hair gets longer?

[HappyFoo]

I realize this is probably common sense to a lot of people, but to me... well, my hair is probably at about 5-6 inches all over (I'm growing out a pixie), and want super long hair. Nothing past classic, but you get the picture. I have a hair routine figured out, I use a special scalp oil every other night and sleep with my shower cap on (which is a pain in the butt), use sulfate free shampoo and a silicone free conditioner, never use heat on my hair at all, you get the picture. Right now my hair is sooo shiny and soft, and full of body (assuming I use my favorite hair care products). I have almost no tangles at all, ever, even when I'm outside and the wind is blowing my hair around like nobody's business.

However, and I'm trying my hardest to not be extremely rude here, I'm saying this per my observation and not as an insult, I see a lot of people with really long hair on here that do everything right with less than gorgeous looking hair. Sometime's it's incredibly frizzy, sometimes dull, sometimes really dry looking, or a combination of all three. So I have to wonder, is it because hair gets increasingly unruly or hard to maintain as it gets longer? Do tangles and hair rubbing on fabric really make that much of a difference? Does natural oil not reach the ends?

Could someone give me (and other hair growers) insight to the challenges you face as hair grows really long and what impact it has on hair?

Thanks :)

[lapushka]

I have almost no tangles at all, ever, even when I'm outside and the wind is blowing my hair around like nobody's business.

Tangles are hardly ever a problem for hair that short. So rest assured, that battle is for much, *much* later. ;)


However, and I'm trying my hardest to not be extremely rude here, I'm saying this per my observation and not as an insult, I see a lot of people with really long hair on here that do everything right with less than gorgeous looking hair. Sometime's it's incredibly frizzy, sometimes dull, sometimes really dry looking, or a combination of all three. So I have to wonder, is it because hair gets increasingly unruly or hard to maintain as it gets longer? Do tangles and hair rubbing on fabric really make that much of a difference? Does natural oil not reach the ends?

You see this? You're under 25 posts. *Where* do you see this?

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

Growing your hair doesn't magically make it any more smooth, shiny or oily. Sometimes the way people's hair look is genetic: there's no default 'your hair will look this way if you treat it right'. There's also a lot of things that don't translate well in photographs: for instance, I have particularly shiny hair now that I'm using no heat, but the camera just doesn't pick up on it because my hair is so dark and my skin is so light, so it meters it out and makes the dark darker. It's also really soft, but there's no way of knowing that from a picture. I've not personally noticed any challenges from having longer hair (MBL now, shoulder to begin with). The only thing that's been a problem is people baulking at me cutting it myself, washing it in vinegar and putting oil in it. Just a hint though, whatever your intentions, if you have to pre-face it with 'I'm not trying to be rude' - then it's probably best left in your head when it comes to the internet.

[jacqueline101]

I've found as my hair grew certain lengths it's become picky about wanting to tangle. I found when it's really tangly and not wanting to obey then it's clarifying time. I helps to wear long hair braided or bunned to keep it from tangling.

[Flor]

However, and I'm trying my hardest to not be extremely rude here, I'm saying this per my observation and not as an insult, I see a lot of people with really long hair on here that do everything right with less than gorgeous looking hair. Sometime's it's incredibly frizzy, sometimes dull, sometimes really dry looking, or a combination of all three.

There's no possible way to make a statement like you did without it sounding incredibly rude and offensive. So you've just offended a lot of people that you're asking advice from. Good going!

[neko_kawaii]

However, and I'm trying my hardest to not be extremely rude here, I'm saying this per my observation and not as an insult, I see a lot of people with really long hair on here that do everything right with less than gorgeous looking hair. Sometime's it's incredibly frizzy, sometimes dull, sometimes really dry looking, or a combination of all three. So I have to wonder, is it because hair gets increasingly unruly or hard to maintain as it gets longer? Do tangles and hair rubbing on fabric really make that much of a difference? Does natural oil not reach the ends?

Could someone give me (and other hair growers) insight to the challenges you face as hair grows really long and what impact it has on hair?

Thanks :)

I make a point of posting pictures with dull, frizzy, dry, etc hair because hair is not perfect. It is real hair on a human head.

If you want perfection, you could ask Pantene how they edit their commercials.

[lapushka]

If you want perfection, you could ask Pantene how they edit their commercials.

:lol: Good one!

[HylianGirl]

Well, hair is different for everyone, some are more sensitive and can get damage more easily, others can stand a lot of it and not show. 6 inches hair is not long enough to tangle, that's why you don't worry about it, if it gets longer it will tangle, it can't be stopped, of course some people's tangle more than others. I have had my hair varying from shoulder to waist preety much all my life, and I don't find it hard at all to handle, it seems to me that people who've never had short hair think long hair is so complicated, when really it's not. I can detangle my hair super fast and wash super easy and fast as well. Honestly, it's not that hard, and I'm already closing on hip length. I always felt shorter hair can be a pain, not wanting too stay where we want and we cant bun it or anything in order to make it tidy, need to heat style and use products, with long hair you can come back from a crazy windy place and bun it in seconds and you'll look tidy.

[Tota]

The only challenge I face right now is finding my shed hair everywhere (and I do mean everywhere). It drives me crazy and my hair is only WL. Tangles, frizzines, dullness ... that's all part of life. Like someone before me said, natural hair is not perfect and that's fine. I embrace it all!

[chen bao jun]

It gets better and better for me, the longer my hair gets, so far. Honestly.

I assume you did not MEAN to offend with your comment about the hair in poor condition that you see on here (I have foot in mouth itis sometimes too) and I am sure you are going to get plenty more flack for it, so I want to say that this question is not meant as flack, it's a sincere question. WHERE are you seeing all this terrible hair on LHC? Are we on the same forum? I see the most beautiful hair here and people's posts when they show how much their hair has changed are amazing and inspiring. What have you seen that is so different? Curious, really.

[Firefox7275]

Not sure where you get the idea that all healthy hair is naturally shiny and frizz free. Do you watch a lot of television advertisements? TWO THIRDS of the world's population has wavy or curly hair, 55% of those of European origin.

Wavy and curly hair does not behave like straight hair: it does not reflect light the same due to the angles of the kinks and curls, it does not lie neatly side by side when combed but rather tends to pouf out, and tangles easily. Also different coloured hair reflects light differently, grey tends to do so poorly for example.

Unless you can touch and view close up someone's hair you have no idea if it is dry or damaged. Unless you ask about their routine you have no idea if they use silicones (confer faux shine and smoothness) or not.

I came to NC with poufy unmanageable 'straight' hair that was, in my case, damaged and breaking tho it still had silicone induced fake shine. Almost three years later and with Curly Girl techniques I have defined waves and ringlets with some shine, if I wide tooth comb it out I instantly have huge hair that looks dull, 'dry' and frizzy yet still feels super soft and suffers neither splits nor breaks Think fabulous Diana Ross in the Chain Reaction video: it is the nature of the beast.

[Sterlyn]

I personally appreciate the pics members post that don't look as if they came straight from a hair product infommercial, real hair has good days and bad days. I can't say I have a leg to stand on as I only post pics of my hair when it's having a good or even a great day. There are days that my hair gets an insane amount of frizz and pouf going, add some static and it resembles a silver frizzy cloud attached to my head (which was much worse when it was shorter) definitely different, not necessarily attractive. If I overdo it with the oil/butter to control the frizz, then I have stringy, straggly looking ends, also not a great look. I've known people IRL that just seem to have great hair, almost all the time, I can only sigh inwardly and move forward to make the best of my fine, wavy, and at times moody hair. Most people don't have perfect hair, some are battling back from major hair issues, and since it is hair, changes are not instant. Some people have curly/wavy hair and a certain amount of frizz is just the way we roll.

Attractive hair comes in many different textures, thickness's and lengths, and there are literally hundreds of examples of it here. I am not sure what your are referring to with your statement about seeing "a lot" of frizzy, dull dry hair here, cause that's not what I see.

[Magalo]

Longer hair is older and therefore more damaged (even if you take great care of it!) and drier. Your mane is only a year old, classic length hair is 6-7+ years old. That's a HUGE difference.

And I agree about the straight/wavy/curly hair talk. IRL a lot of people flat iron their hair to make it straight, which reflects more light and look more "healthy". Most of us here enjoy our natural texture, and if it's wavy or curly, isn't as shiny as pin straight hair. Maybe that's why you think it looks dry.

[cranberrymoonz]

Hmmm, I'm not offended. Seem to be the only one:P

I get where you're coming from. When my hair was short, it always behaved perfectly. No tangles, no damage. Now that it gets longer, it tangles a lot, and it is harder to prevent damage. Hair ages and loses it's proteins. It'll be dry at the ends, because the natural oils usually don't reach past ear length. Nothing dramatic, though. But yeah, the real challenges are for later.

[Madora]

So I have to wonder, is it because hair gets increasingly unruly or hard to maintain as it gets longer? Do tangles and hair rubbing on fabric really make that much of a difference? Does natural oil not reach the ends?

Could someone give me (and other hair growers) insight to the challenges you face as hair grows really long and what impact it has on hair?

Thanks :)

Hair only gets "increasingly unruly" if you let it. There are many solutions to help keep your hair in line, plus various methods of detangling to keep it tidy. No one in their right mind lets their hair become unruly...unless they don't care what it looks like.

Tangles and rubbing on fabric really DO make a difference...if you want to grow to longer lengths. Why damage hair you're trying to grow longer? A little bit of precaution is well worth the eventual results.

As far as challenges to growing long hair: the most obvious would be genetics. Next would be the willingness to take the steps to protect it at all times by wearing it up, using gentle products, treating it gently, brushing and combing every day, daily detangling, the shampooing and conditioning, air drying. Another challenge is learning to style your hair in a variety of ways. If you don't have a variety of styles to choose from, your hair can become boring and the urge to cut rears its ugly head. Beautiful long hair does not happen overnight. You must have patience when dealing with it...not to mention being the brunt (sometimes) of unkind remarks from others. Very long hair is not something everyone likes. If you're willing to commit yourself to a long hair regimen, then more power to you.

Lastly, from a personal outlook, really long hair can be a challenge when it is longer than your fingers, though many ladies and gents have beautiful hair here and are adept at caring for it.

You have a long way to go on your hair quest. As time passes, you'll begin to appreciate what others have experienced on the road to beautiful long hair. It is not just a process of being able to grow...it's all a matter of how well you care for it.

[cathair]

I make a point of posting pictures with dull, frizzy, dry, etc hair because hair is not perfect. It is real hair on a human head.

If you want perfection, you could ask Pantene how they edit their commercials.

Sometimes I really wish there was a like button on here, or a thanks button. Couldn't agree with this more and try to do the same.

If growing long hair was easy, there wouldn't need to be a forum for it ;)

I'm not really offended, exactly, I know my hair's flaws. It's very, very thin at the ends. It tangles loads more than when it was short, yet it can't be brushed and get away with it like when it was short. I need to put it up to protect the ends, but I am developing a thin spot on my scalp from putting it up. It's a very tricky balancing act for me.

I also think that dull looking hair depends hugely on the lighting conditions. If I take a picture of my hair in day light it looks completely matte. Take one with flash and it looks very shiny, that's why I usually take one with flash and one without.

[woodswanderer]

I can't be the only one wondering what the OP's hair looks like. Mine sure is hard to capture accurately in a photo...especially outdoors.

[heartgoesboom]

But yours look shiny and pretty already!
I can't be the only one wondering what the OP's hair looks like. Mine sure is hard to capture accurately in a photo...especially outdoors.

[schnibbles]

I can't be the only one wondering what the OP's hair looks like.
I am wondering too! I would love to see it.. the first thing I did when I joined here was upload a pic for my avatar and now I have some hair photos in my gallery. It helps, on a forum like this one, for others to see what kind of hair you're working with. Although it's difficult to tell in a picture, it's better than nothing. While my hair isn't perfect, I do believe that it's pretty healthy at the present time... and I have nothing to hide. If someone doesn't like my hair that's perfectly fine. They are entitled to their opinion, I'm not offended at all. But the phrase "judge lest ye be judged" does come to mind regarding some of the OP's comments... :)
I think the reason this is such a great hair forum is because the majority of people here really know hair. They know what the difference is between actual healthy, real hair and the Hollywood definition of "healthy long hair."
Back to the title topic, I personally don't face any challenges as my hair grows longer. It's as long right now as it ever was, and it's also probably the healthiest it's ever been. When you learn what your hair needs to be happy, instead of damaging it all the time to get it to look good, life is pretty easy. :shrug:

[SleepyTangles]

I guess some hair just looks better than others (by "western" standards, at least). And some hair definitively grows better than others - its less prone to split, thicker, stronger, faster growing, etc...
And some hair, well, is simply "moodier" than others. Mine belongs to this cathegory: one day it looks gorgeous, then the day after it's a disaster.
Surprisingly enough is that everyone always blame the lenght for its "bad" days. The culprits may vary: the weather, the way I let it dry, a new product I'm trying, how much time I let it down in the wind... Nothing, everything I hear is:
"You should really cut it, its not healthy to keep it so long!"
"It will look better an inch or two shorter, I think"
Mind you, my hair has hardly a split, and my braid is almost all the same thickness (my hemline is U shaped, so my tassel is really long)! But no-one ever notice it, its just not pretty=not healthy.
Then, the next day, when it looks beautiful, people stare and wonder what kind of high-maintenance routine I must have to achieve it, while its just a mix of care and luck.

IDK, maybe more the people are used to use heath-styling, less they understand "bad hair days". What is frizz when you can beat it into submission with a flat-iron on 200°?
But I've tried the difference, and I can say there's no game to me: healthy wins polished 3 to 0. My opinion, of course :flower:.

My hair is not "naturally" easy to grow out: its fine, easy to damage, prone to tangle, just average in its amount, and it can switch from flat to poodley in a second. So, this comes with a lot of challenges.
I've found a routine that with minimum stress can make my hair happy and nice, but harboring realistic expectations on it is really helpful: it has the right to have its bad days, as me myself:).
The challenges I'm facing right now are:
a) The scarcity of updos/protective styles that work with my hair lenght (too long for most youtube tutorials, too short for most lhc buns). Wearing the same buns lead to pulling always the same hair strands, so if I am not careful I'll end up with a lot of flyaways and broken hairs in those strands; I've found that sleeping in a satin bonnet helps a lot with that, though, so I'm optimist!
b) The volume. My hair has the ability to puff itself into thrice its widt, so I usually bun it while wet to get beautiful/neat bun waves. Now, as it gets longer, I think this technique reduce the volume too much, so I'll need to work on that.
c) Splits and tangles, but this is a classic :o!

[Granger Mane]

My biggest challenge is tangles. At any length they're a problem, but deff get worse as my hair grows. Wearing it up at night or outside or when it's best out of the way, coconut oil, combing bottom to top with a wide-toothed comb have helped a great deal. But I need to comb twice a day, and I forgot to last night. Today's knots aren't terrible but worse than they have been lately.

My hair's wavy. Always has been. I don't mind and work with, not against my waves. But many don't share this view point - they call wavy/curly hair, no matter what state: ugly, frizzy, witchy, dirty, unkempt, wild. I've been told many times I should use a flat iron to straigten mine out. Except for my bangs, I never do anymore - too damaging, and I find it makes hair look dry and stringy (I think natural, well-cared-for straight hair is gorgeous). Many conventional hair products/procedures (straigtheners, curler, relaxers, bleaches, chemical dye, high-heat blowdryers, sulfate shampoos, etc) are quite damaging for most, yet held as the standards of beauty. But I'll keep my wild, frizzy, witchy, wild hair if the alternative is trying to make it took like a shampoo ad.

[HintOfMint]

I don't think the OP meant offense and at first glance it's very much a "hey forum, you know how much you care about what's growing out of your head? Well, it still looks terrible, wassupwitdat?" But I think it's actually a disconnect between seeing styled hair everywhere and then seeing healthy, unstyled hair not looking very much like that, and a bit of foot-in-mouth-syndrome.

Here's the deal: frizz and fluff can come from brushed out waves (me!) or wavy/curly hair that has simply moved around a bit and had the pattern broken up a bit. My hair is relatively healthy, but my ends can fluff out at times because my wave pattern has been broken up and so my ends are poking in every which direction. Unless I take some oil or product and make my ends clump together again, I can sometimes look like I need a good 4-5 inch trim.
Tangles happen at longer lengths and there's no real way to prevent them entirely except by wearing hair up all the time.
Also, hair does get drier at longer lengths and it takes more intensive treatments to keep it looking and feeling nice. It's old hair, my ends are at least 5 years old at this point.

So there you have it, long hair can be healthy but still look imperfect or unkempt, and long hair can be high maintenance in its own way due to its age.

[tigereye]

I have to agree with lapushka. At less than 25 posts, the OP cannot view images in posts or albums, only the avatars (and possibly signatures) many of which might not frequently change and might no longer accurately reflect a persons current hair.

Plus the difference between styled or natural hair or brushed waves.

[Ravenkitten]

It's not rude, they are valid questions. Can I ask, what would you classify as being good long hair?
Keep in mind celebrities have extensions in, or have a lot of work done to create different illusions.

But, for me, I've tried a lot of times throughout my lifetime to grow my hair, currently, it's the longest it's ever been and the healthiest, (although when I had my hair super short, of course it was healthy as I would have trims frequently). The issues I have had in the past are split ends, knots, weird v shape, uneven lengths (trying to grow out layers), annoying split ends at the nape of my neck.

Currently, my hair is one even length, have my hair trimmed twice a year, use organic shampoos, wear my hair up, recently started to henna my hair (for a few white hairs I have), use organic coconut oil on my ends,wash my hair everyday as I workout, don't use heat on my hair, brush my hair twice a day. And I don't have any issues with my hair at all!

[hairpleasegrow]

maybe youre used to seeing pictures in magazines and commercials that have been airbrushed and manipulated or have extensions .....im new here too the hair ive seen so far has been seriously awesome ....

make sure you note the hair type of the people in their profile next to their post when you are looking at pictures, that way you have a better comparison for your own hair.

[Cheyne]

Well, OP, it's seems you may have offended some folks here. I am not offended, but I do want to say that if you are comparing the hair that models and celebrities have in photos or movies to the posters on LHC, you are comparing apples to oranges and it's not fair.

Models, actresses and celebs in print and motion pictures are not good role models for body, face or hair image. The person that you see in that glossy picture does not exist without teams of professional tailors, make-up and hair stylists. Celebs spend hours getting to the point where photos are taken (or a movie is filmed). In still photos, air brushing is then done to make the picture "perfect".

Real people have pimples, stretch marks, odd bulges and frizzy hair. That's life. Speaking of hair, many celebs wear very well fitting wigs (Tina Turner and the late Whitney Houston) and most people don't suspect.

I believe that Jamie Lee Curtis wrote a book or lengthy article about Hollywood and the way it deceives the public. Ms. Curtis allowed her hair to go it's natural grey several years ago as she quit buying into the "perfection" that is required of actors.

[SoulOfTheSea]

There are several things that frustrated me when my hair was at hip length that made me cut back to waist length. The longer it gets the more difficult it is to wear down; my hair tangles, falls out, frizzes out, gets caught on things. The worst is washing it when it was that long- I had to use so much conditioner, and I hated having to wait so long for my hair to air dry, especially in the fall and winter.

Those were just my difficulties, and everyone has their own! My hair is just a bit past waist length and I love it at this length.

[browneyedsusan]

My hair photos (siggies) ARE crazy. I can't take pictures myself. They just don't come out, so my family takes them for me. When someone is available, my hair is usually dirty, in an updo, freshly hennaed, been pincurled... Every one if my siggies is a jacked up hair mess, but most people get that and we give each other a break with the photography. (Check out the fabulous neck angle and hair texture for Miss December below. I think it's actually clean though!) My hair didn't tangle either until it got to about APL, and still doesn't tangle very often--probably because I wear it up almost constantly. The ends sometimes get kinked from updos, but I only have a handful of splits--mechanical damage from little accent braid hair ties, I think-- and snip them off when I see them.

I don't have any special challenges now, and my hair's never been this long--admittedly still short by LHC standards. It does catch on stuff more, and gets caught under my purse strap, and I imagine this "catching stuff" will escalate as it gets longer if I wear it down. I also anticipate more splits because the ends get banged up more. FWIW, I don't use heat, sleep with it up, and wear it up 90% of the time.

Hope that helps.

[oktobergoud]

I make a point of posting pictures with dull, frizzy, dry, etc hair because hair is not perfect. It is real hair on a human head.

If you want perfection, you could ask Pantene how they edit their commercials.

This! My hair will never be perfect looking and will always look dry and frizzy, no matter what I do, but I've just accepted that :)

Everyone is different and so is their hair! And there's a big difference in styled and unstyled hair, I believe! I could make my hair very smooth and perfect looking, but that would harm and damage it so I won't :)

[Skade]

There's no possible way to make a statement like you did without it sounding incredibly rude and offensive. So you've just offended a lot of people that you're asking advice from. Good going!

It all depends on how you as a reader perceive the text. I don´t feel offended. I can understand where she´s coming from, don´t really think it´s a strange question. Maybe a tad brutal honesty about peoples hair, but hey I like that :) She didn´t call any names so I think its OK.
My biggest concern growing long is the tangles, white dots from hell and split ends..


I make a point of posting pictures with dull, frizzy, dry, etc hair because hair is not perfect. It is real hair on a human head.

If you want perfection, you could ask Pantene how they edit their commercials.

^^ As Neko says. This is what I like about LHC, it´s real hair, not commercials.

[spidermom]

I think surface frizz becomes more noticeable as hair gets longer. The weight of the long hairs pulls them flat to the crown, but the shorter hairs don't have much weight on them, so they fluff out all over.

My ends dry out as my hair gets longer, and the tangling gets much, much worse. Also the hairs on the surface are exposed to everything and get weathered-looking below about BSL unless one is careful to always put hair up and protect it from the sun. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't because I like the feel of sun on my head and face.

[Capybara]

I agree with spidermom about surface frizz. The canopy of my hair is definitely more frizzy than the rest of my hair.

I also have much, much more static when my hair is longer. I am currently maintaining at waist because I didn't want to deal with another staticky winter!

Fortunately, the challenges that I have faced are fewer than those that I experienced when my hair was shorter :) I much prefer long hair on myself.

[heidi w.]

Hair as it gets longer becomes EASIER to take care of because as time goes on you get to know what works for you, and what's best for you.

I know my routine down cold. It works really well for me, so this time around of growing out will be a lot easier. Just that I have a long time to wait. I cut all of my length off because it got in a knot that would NOT come out.

So, just be patient, grow it as long as you can, enjoy it, and detangle it with a wide tooth comb. Not a lot to do really.
heidi w.

[0xalis]

Just some advice, if you have to start a sentence with something along the lines of "not trying to be rude BUT..." just don't say it, or change the way you are saying it.
I'm not offended, but you sure did offend some people! Not a good way to start out on a forum.

All you need to do is start looking at healthy hair more, and you will begin to understand what truly healthy hair looks like. :)
Shiny and slick can still be riddled with split ends and breakage.

[winship2]

Want to add another check to the "Not offended" column. I interpreted the post as saying, "Look, even you guys who are super knowledgeable and careful have heads of hair that have features I'm guessing you'd rather they didn't. So what do YOU find stands between you and the hair you might be aiming for?


Good question! I have WL well-cared for, moisturized hair that just seems more tangly than I thought it would be. Wish I knew why!

[Hatsune Miku]

It's an honest question. I'm not offended. Honestly, I've recently noticed the past few years that some people are simply born with strong, silky, shiny hair. I'm not one of them. My hair is actually pretty weak, but I've managed to grow it to my tailbone. Although I have about a million fly-aways.

Anyway, to answer your question I would say the biggest challenge is my hair hitting/rubbing/catching on different objects when I wear it down. I wear it down a lot more often than I should (though I plan on stopping that). Another challenge would probably be the fact that nobody supports me in my long hair journey. Nobody except the lovely members of the community, that is ;)

[ravenreed]

OP- the easiest answer is that sometimes you can do everything right and still not have the hair you want. So then you have a choice, keep growing and accept your hair as it is, or give up and go back to shorter hair and styling.

As for what has gotten more challenging- The biggest problem and one that just inspired a small chop is pain from updos and braids. If I have to redo an updo five or more times before it stops pulling and hurting, I am more likely to give up and wear it down, damage or not. Washing takes a lot longer, as does drying. I don't even want to talk about what a pain it is to dye.

[kidari]

Personally, I've found that the longer your hair gets the longer it takes to wash and air dry. You need to spend more time making sure your rinse everything out thoroughly. The ends also tend to get more dry and delicate, but that's when stretching washes really comes in. Not only does it help with the delicate dry ends but hair care instantly became easier since you are washing it less. When it comes to hair care you really need to know your hair and carefully experiment while keeping an open mind until you find the magic routine and products that work for your hair while being easy, time and cost effective. Not everything natural is always best and not everything conventional is evil either, you've got to keep an open mind and find what works for you. If you are putting straight vinegar on your hair and washing constantly with baking soda and putting lemon juice on it and going out in the sun, most likely the end result is not going to be a pretty one. Genetics play a role. Not just for texture and shine but also length. Also, styled hair usually looks "prettier" or "healthier" but styled hair doesn't always mean heat and "bad" products used on it to achieve. Simple braid waves can achieve a gorgeous result and make the hair appear healthier or prettier to most who see that as opposed to the exact same head of hair air dried on wash day with no oils or serums or leave ins applied to it.

[askan]

My hair's still quite short, but I suspect one challenge I will meet is having to trim even if it feels like cutting months of progress off! My hair growns kind of slowly, but I want my ends as thick as possible and easy to comb so for me it's better to take it slowly and make sure my ends are ok, especially since I've dyed them several times. This has taken me years to really learn! I guess tangles will be worse too - but I look forward to be able to do more buns and braids.

I agree that hair health doesn't necessarily translate in photos! I think it's good to keep in mind that haircare is a long and slooow journey with lots of experimenting - lots of people are growing out damage or dye, we all have different starting points, goals, potential and oppinions on beauty and health. You can't know what other people's hair's "personal best" is :)

[Yozhik]

There are several things that frustrated me when my hair was at hip length that made me cut back to waist length. The longer it gets the more difficult it is to wear down; my hair tangles, falls out, frizzes out, gets caught on things. The worst is washing it when it was that long- I had to use so much conditioner, and I hated having to wait so long for my hair to air dry, especially in the fall and winter.

Those were just my difficulties, and everyone has their own! My hair is just a bit past waist length and I love it at this length.

Ooh, I didn't realize you had cut your hair, too! The same happened to me - I got to Hip+ (BCL when wet) and I just wasn't happy with its condition and fairytaling any more. So I cut back to BSL+ and am now at waist, and I am enjoying it so much more now with blunter ends. :)

Also, I agree with spidermom concerning long hair being frizzier and drier, yet at the same time causing the hair on the crown to lose volume...this is why when I cut back, I gave myself some ffls (face framing layers) so that I have more volume around my face again. ^_^

My biggest challenge is one already mentioned - sometimes I'll have wonderful hair days, followed by horrible hair days, and since I don't heat style and I stretch my washes, if I do something wrong in my routine (over oiling, irritating scalp, over-clarifying), I have to live with it for the next 3-4 days. :(

[Mayflower]

Lol, I knew when I was reading the OP's question that she would be stepping on some toes here! It's an honest question and I can understand that when you're only used to "mainstream" hair care and hair that's coated in silicones, heat styled and/or dyed into submission, let alone ultra thick hair extensions, it's a bit of a shock to see what real hair looks like.

I actually like frizz, and I even brush out my waves sometimes because I like the poofy look. People are always surprised to find out that's it's soft to touch. Also, fine hair generally tends to shine a lot more and is way smoother than the average M/C hairs, which can look 'rougher'.

[summerseason]

Hair has different problems at different lengths. Mine didn't start liking to tangle until I was at bsl. I am at almost hip and I find the ends do get a little dry, but I just have to use a little oil on them and they feel better. Long hair is trickier for me to take care of than short hair, but it is worth it. I can't use heat or brushes on it anymore, but having good hair days most days makes up for that! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway.

[Marika]

I think OP's expectations on long hair are unrealistic. Skin damages over time, so does hair and everything else in human body. Personally, I don't think there's no such thing as "100 % damage-free, shiny, always gorgeous" classic length hair. No matter how much you baby it. But it doesn't mean your hair is ugly. You'll see when you get there. Good luck growing!:flower:

[woolyleprechaun]

Well, I don't think I've ever come across a picture here that isn't beautiful- even the 'help me! Why does my hair look like this?!' post pictures have their own honest charm, IMHO.
Anyway, back to topic. My hair will never be 'perfect' and I'm happy with that. My Granddad is Hispanic, and I have seriously coarse, fuzzy, dark and wiry hair below top-of-ear level, and fine, frizz prone fair hair everywhere else from my other genes, I guess. Tangles will always be a big issue for me because of this, especially past bsl. I don't wear my hair down as a rule, and focus on nice updos and pretty hair toys. I suppose you could say my biggest challenge is accepting my eccentric texture and avoiding stagnation with braid experiments.

[Chiquita Banana]

Lol. This thread certainly had me laughing. I really don't think the OP meant to offend... but she did. Certainly there could have been a better way to ask the same question. Anyhow, I'm not offended, but I am still laughing. :)

I think that long hair is beautiful if it is healthy. We are all going to struggle with finding out what works for our particular hair type in dealing with dryness, frizz, shine, etc. Plus add in changes in weather or stress levels or hormones and then things might need to be adjusted. I don't want Pantene hair - don't think most of us do. Because even though that hair looks healthy to some, it is not healthy. It is over-processed and yuck. And probably airbrushed onto magazine models. No thank you. I'll take what God has given me, work with it to the best of my ability, and be happy with it.

[meteor]

Interesting topic. I find shorter hair and longer hair have opposite challenges.
With shorter hair, I really had to "do something" (style, bleach, etc) for it to stand out. I had to have many tools and products and be pretty precise with styling techniques. Also, my hair looked differently on different days at shorter length (e.g. shrinkage, humidity, wave pattern would change the look).
With longer hair, I can just unbraid my hair in the morning, and I'm ready to go. There is more predictability about how my hair will look and behave every day. Somehow minimalist handling also keeps hair in better shape and brings more compliments. Long hair is ridiculously easy to "glam up". And you can do more with it in terms of intricate styles, if you are into that.


Shorter hair presented no issues with "ends": no dry ends, no split ends, no variation in color from root to end. Shorter hair is a lot more forgiving to any chemical, heat, mechanical damage - you end up trimming it off soon, anyway, so no need to be overprotective about your ends. Shorter haired people can experiment with dramatic permanent color or texture changes more. By comparison, longer-haired folks need to consider long-term consequences of such changes for years down the road!


My shorter hair needed to be washed more frequently and I somehow needed to apply more leave-in products more frequently, plus gels, hairsprays, and all the styling stuff. Longer hair is easier in that respect, but detangling is definitely challenge number 1! But since you can wash longer hair less frequently, you also have to detangle less frequently.

In summary, short hair and long hair are different animals, the treatment is different, and both options have pluses and minuses.

Happy growing! :)

[Scarlet_Celt]

The only real challenge that I find with my long hair is keeping it adequately moisturised in winter months, and finding ways to fight the discomfort of heat and humidity in the summer. Other than that, as several others have mentioned, long hair is really low maintenance!

[QMacrocarpa]

My hair would still be frizzy and "matte-finish" if it were short. That may not be OP's preferred look, but it's the nature of my hair. Luckily, I'm not here to decorate OP's world! :D

[Scarlet_Celt]

I can't be the only one wondering what the OP's hair looks like. Mine sure is hard to capture accurately in a photo...especially outdoors.

I agree with heartgoesboom - your looks very pretty, and I just love the braid waves! :)

[HappyFoo]

It gets better and better for me, the longer my hair gets, so far. Honestly.

I assume you did not MEAN to offend with your comment about the hair in poor condition that you see on here (I have foot in mouth itis sometimes too) and I am sure you are going to get plenty more flack for it, so I want to say that this question is not meant as flack, it's a sincere question. WHERE are you seeing all this terrible hair on LHC? Are we on the same forum? I see the most beautiful hair here and people's posts when they show how much their hair has changed are amazing and inspiring. What have you seen that is so different? Curious, really.

I feel like I'm just not the type to be offended very easily at all... as in, ever. It was an honest question, not meant to be taken personally. I see tons of gorgeous hair on LHC, I mean tons, and frankly I feel like if I answer your question I'm gonna get even more flack. This is the first time I've been to this thread since I posted it, it's a busy life lol, so I'm looking forward to seeing just how much more flack I get. :shrug:

[HappyFoo]

Ok, just read all the replies... I did get some very helpful tips, and I think quite a few people were spot on when they said I just wasn't used to seeing "real" hair. I walk around a building all day every day seeing girls with hair so shiny it blinds you (straightened hair). I always thought if hair looked pretty, it had to be healthy. When I saw the glossy haired girls I thought they must have used some special product to keep it from breaking off. I am going to go out on a limb here again and say that a big part of it may just be my own personal tastes. Like asking a guy, blonde or brunette?

I wasn't naming anybody in particular, and I do find it silly that people are going out of their way to "get back at me" so to speak. Thank you for all your witty, sarcastic responses, and for your consideration that I am new here and have only ever seen hair that has been styled with heat and silicones. I would also like to thank you for the comments I saw about not having hair to suit my personal tastes. My dears, if you are allowed hair that doesn't suit my idealistic image of a pantene commercial, I am allowed statements that don't suit your idealistic image of being completely innocent and 100% offense-free. And that is that.

(Waiting to see how much more hurt feelings I can stir up... I apologize, but when I say something offensive that is not purposefully offensive, I find it quite low to be purposefully mean in return instead of just politely correcting me.) Also, to all the curious ones, I will post pictures once I reach that 25 post mark... Two more to go after this one.

I really do appreciate how a lot of people just politely corrected me and filled me in on some basic hair knowledge I was missing. I am sorry for anybody I offended. I do have a case of brutal honesty when I see things, and so do most of the people I know, offense isn't a thing for us, lol. So more tangles and drier ends seems to be the main thing I'm getting from what I'm seeing, thanks for all the advice :D

[Islandgrrl]

Not offended. I think your questions are legitimate, even if the wording of your statements was less than optimum.

The challenges I face as my hair gains length are few, but significant. Hair that is longer than your reach presents unique challenges that dont exist at shorter lengths. It can be difficult to manage. Tangles are public enemy number one, as far as I'm concerned. Next comes dryness, which can be challenging to combat. Then I have to consider that, at mid thigh, my hair is too long to wear down. What to do with it while sleeping is another concern.

To combat tangles, I detangle every day. Sometimes more than once a day. I use my fingers, mostly. Tangles cause damage. I'm not a fan of damage :) Dryness, especially toward the ends, is also an issue. I use some Panacea hair salve on the ends after I wash. I also use the most moisturizing, gentle products I can find. Oddly, as I get older, my hair seems less dry. Counterintuitive, but whatever. I wear my hair up every single day. Every. Single. Day. The ends are tucked in and protected. What to do while sleeping? I haven't quite conquered that one yet. I bought a sleep cap that has not yet arrived. Right now I loosely bun on top of my head and I use a satin pillowcase.

As far as seeing pictures here that you consider less than beautiful, all I can say is that everyone here is on their own hair journey. Some of us come here with badly damaged hair and learn how to care for it so that we end up with glorious, enviable manes. Some of us come with already fabulous long hair, some with short hair and a dream. Some of us go through devastating sheds for variety of reasons and are slowly nursing our hair back to health. Not every picture you see here may depict what you consider a perfect head of hair. But we all, I hope, support each other in their journey.

[Sharysa]

Definitely echoing all of the "Not used to real hair" comments. As well as the "could have worded it better, but it was definitely an honest question." So here's my long, long, LONG answer to said question.

I'm a Filipino-American whose hair is black and borderline-wavy. It's not the shiny blue-black color that Stereotypical Asians(TM) have; it's a very textured matte-black that lot of Asians call "soft black" hair. It's not shiny (or at least not AS shiny as the blue-black kind of hair), but it's clearly not the same as dull/greasy/dirty hair.

This means my hair can't be photographed easily without a professional-level camera in good lighting. Yes, I had an actual photoshoot with one of my photographer friends, and that's one of the very few instances that I managed to get good shots of my hair. I was really surprised to find out that my hair has so much texture without being shiny, because I'm used to seeing my hair either as a shapeless vortex or a bunch of weird gray/white tones.

Hence, most of my pictures are on good or normal days. Good days are after I've just washed and oiled it, gotten good braid-waves, and found a spot with good lighting to make sure my hair doesn't turn into a vortex or have the dreaded white tones. Normal days are when it's not frizzy and I can find good lighting.

And really, most of the time my hair is WAY too much trouble when it's down. With a four-inch ponytail of coarse hair, almost-waves that love to tangle every five minutes, frizz whenever it's too hot/dry/cold/wet out, and a length that hovers between waist when wavy and hip when mostly straight, I just wrangle it into a braid or two and leave it alone most of the time.

Keep in mind, my hair is ridiculously healthy. It just refuses to pay attention to that and acts like a high-maintenance diva, hence the constant frizz, tangling/breakage, and inability to be photographed unless the stars align. I can't leave my hair loose when I sleep anymore, or when I'm doing anything that involves moving a lot--not only because my hair tangles, but because everything covered by my hair (meaning about half my body, since I'm short) will overheat and get sweaty. Or when it's windy, rainy, or humid outside, because then it puffs up.

But as for why I didn't just chop and go back to a pixie, I like taking care of my hair and playing with styles. I also like that my hair is natural both in color and texture, because you know how a lot of Westerners think that anything that's not perfectly styled/cut/gelled is weird? It's even worse for Asians. 90% of the Asian-American girls I know have hair that's pin-straight, dyed or highlighted, and layered. Media pressure is elevated into society and family pressure to have "good" hair that fits in with everyone else's, and even my mom said that my natural hair texture is "messy" and I should get a perm so I don't have to spend so much effort into making it look nice. I like my natural hair, I like taking care of it, and I like having it long enough to experiment with medieval/fantasy styles that most people can't.

[DancingQueen]

Well, when you have surly/curly hair, frizz is just a part of it, it is impossible to avoid completely. But by using the right routines and products, it is possible to cut it down significantly. I think it is mostly a question about experimenting, and finding your preference.
Personally, I prefer frizz-free hair on me, since I feel good looking enough, but nowhere near gorgeous enough to rock the frizzy style. I do like volume, though. But as someone said, lots of people like the fairytale ends and frizz factor, as human hair is not perfect. Personally, I also like it as well-kempt as possible (meaning a thick hemline and very little frizz), but that is not everyones preference. On this forum, I think you have to look long to find hair, that looks bad. :)

[MissBubble]

The only challenge is the dry and frizz hair after washing it. It also looks bad the day after. It drives me crazy. And I dont want to use heat and conventional styling products to get rid of it.
But I have found so many good tips here and I have seen progress although I am still experimenting with my routine trying to find the most suitable one my hair.
I believe that whatever the problem, there is a solution for every hair.

[SleepyTangles]

I get your feelings OP, but be patient: vanity may have its part, but many of us - and senior members expecially, being on the forum for more time - deal with a good share of trolls, or even worse.
Many little things, apparently innocent, can make someone wary: I myself I've wondered for a moment if you were deliberately stirring the moods, then re-read your post and decided you sounded quite honest and friendly :o.
Don't be put off, most beautiful things have a bumpy start :flower:.

[DweamGoiL]

Ok, just read all the replies... I did get some very helpful tips, and I think quite a few people were spot on when they said I just wasn't used to seeing "real" hair. I walk around a building all day every day seeing girls with hair so shiny it blinds you (straightened hair). I always thought if hair looked pretty, it had to be healthy. When I saw the glossy haired girls I thought they must have used some special product to keep it from breaking off. I am going to go out on a limb here again and say that a big part of it may just be my own personal tastes. Like asking a guy, blonde or brunette?

I wasn't naming anybody in particular, and I do find it silly that people are going out of their way to "get back at me" so to speak. Thank you for all your witty, sarcastic responses, and for your consideration that I am new here and have only ever seen hair that has been styled with heat and silicones. I would also like to thank you for the comments I saw about not having hair to suit my personal tastes. My dears, if you are allowed hair that doesn't suit my idealistic image of a pantene commercial, I am allowed statements that don't suit your idealistic image of being completely innocent and 100% offense-free. And that is that.

(Waiting to see how much more hurt feelings I can stir up... I apologize, but when I say something offensive that is not purposefully offensive, I find it quite low to be purposefully mean in return instead of just politely correcting me.) Also, to all the curious ones, I will post pictures once I reach that 25 post mark... Two more to go after this one.

I really do appreciate how a lot of people just politely corrected me and filled me in on some basic hair knowledge I was missing. I am sorry for anybody I offended. I do have a case of brutal honesty when I see things, and so do most of the people I know, offense isn't a thing for us, lol. So more tangles and drier ends seems to be the main thing I'm getting from what I'm seeing, thanks for all the advice :D

Oooh, I like your brutally honest feistyness :toast: