my long hair drove me crazy, help

[kayeburth]

so here's the deal - I have a pixie now, it looks fine, just not 'me', so I decided I better stick to the long hair look. problem is, long hair is too much for me - tangles all the time, is uncomfortable to sleep with (and live with...), needs some effort caring for it.
pixie is literally zero effort (even stopped trimming it now that I am growing it out, and it looks freakin awesome!! I don't style, don't bother with anything at all except washing it relatively regularly...), and yet I don't know who this person in the mirror is.
I used to have pretty long hair, I look at those pictures now and wonder how was I able to just not notice it back then and how did I get to this point where I absolutely cannot stand the feel of it?... (yet I look so much better with long hair and I definitely want to look like that person again)
any advice?

[arelrios]

Don't have much advice for you. Just wanted to mention that I am also thinking of getting a pixie. The freedom that offers is sooooo great (I had a pixie during my college years + and it was awesome)

Good thing about hair is that you can always grow it longer.... so, maybe now that you are starting over you can have the lengths (CB, BSL, Waist, etc) for a little longer and see if you can find a happy medium where you can have long hair and not having so much trouble with it.

Happy growing :)

[FireFromWithin]

Perhaps if you grow out completely virgin hair with LHC standard care it won't get so hard to manage. No heat, regular oilings and stretching washes with products your hair likes as it gets longer. If that doesn't sound like something you want to do you could always get a wig for the days you absolutely must have long hair and just have a pixy the rest of the time.

[MsPharaohMoan]

Well, long hair does take dedication… Especially when growing out a pixie! I know lots of people experience a mullet once their hair gets neck length and get really frustrated over this. If youg et past awkward lengths though, long hair can be a joy! And hey, maybe you don't want hair down to your butt because you don't think you can manage it… So make a hair goal that is realistic to you! And keep learning - maybe try things that will give your hair slip so detangling is easier? Be warned though of the phenomena of LHC members finding their hair goals get longer the more they spend time on the forum… :deal:

[Carolyn]

Once you get your short hair grown out to a length where you can put in some kind of an updo, things will be as easy or maybe even easier than a pixie. You won't have to wash daily or heat style when you can put it up and forget it. The great thing is you will have lovely long hair and if you want to fuss with it when you have time you can. Plus you won't have to trim it often. Read the boards and you will find tons of suggestions on sleeping with long hair and dealing with on a daily basis and being comfortable.

[kayeburth]

so, maybe now that you are starting over you can have the lengths (CB, BSL, Waist, etc) for a little longer and see if you can find a happy medium where you can have long hair and not having so much trouble with it.

Happy growing :)
thanks ♥ I did actually have cb and bsl before, very difficult to manage for me, unfortunately. but looks fantastic... ♥

[kayeburth]

Perhaps if you grow out completely virgin hair with LHC standard care it won't get so hard to manage. No heat, regular oilings and stretching washes with products your hair likes as it gets longer.
hm, that's a good idea, I did not use heat and did not wash often before but never oiled much, maybe I should try doing that

[kayeburth]

Well, long hair does take dedication… Especially when growing out a pixie! I know lots of people experience a mullet once their hair gets neck length and get really frustrated over this. If youg et past awkward lengths though, long hair can be a joy! And hey, maybe you don't want hair down to your butt because you don't think you can manage it
I want it down to my butt! it just won't grow that far, my terminal length is somewhere between bsl and waist(( as for growing out - my hair's curly, so that's not going to be a problem, I actually had most of the in-between short haircuts before I cut it into a pixie, they all looked fine. problem is, I really love long hair ♥

[kayeburth]

you will find tons of suggestions on sleeping with long hair and dealing with on a daily basis and being comfortable.

I actually tried some of the methods mentioned here, some even worked, I just got tired of doing that every night, so basically just gave up and it tangled a lot and I cut it shorter and shorter

[RapunzelKat]

Maybe you'd be happier with something in between - perhaps a long bob (long enough to go in a ponytail), or something around APL with layers. Might feel more "you" and still be easy to manage. :) Either way, sounds like it's time to start growing and discover what you like! Easy to go back to the pixie if you ever want to.

I hope you find a length that makes you happy! :flower:

[fiðrildi]

I think it's a question of getting used to long hair, again. Some years back, I used to wear my hair in a bun for almost a year... when I stopped wearing buns, it felt so odd and extremely uncomfortable to have long hair "again", and I had to deal with this feeling for some weeks, even.

Think that when you grow your hair longer, you can wear buns and braids as often as you want, so you would still have almost the same freedom that a pixie gives you. Just like Carolyn said, you can find lots of suggestions on sleeping with long hair, for instance.
Don't panic, you'll manage to find a way to deal with tangles and possible inconveniences during your growth journey :)

[Anje]

As soon as it gets long enough, start wearing it up! Put it in braids, make ponytails with lots of elastics down the length, wad it into a bun, french twist it, etc. The more you contain your hair, the less it will drive you crazy and the less wear and tear it will acquire, making it easier to grow long in good shape.

[mz_butterfly]

Some people just like short hair, there isn't anything wrong with that. You can still have healthy hair, even if you want to keep it short. Do what makes you feel best. :)

[Firefox7275]

Curly hair is not supposed to be tangle free, it is the nature of the beast. Up dos day and/ or night reduce this substantially, as does plenty of conditioner (rinse out, lkeave in, intensive) and certain oils.

[lapushka]

It took me 2 decades to grow past BSL again. I had classic length as a 10, 11 year-old, then got it all cut off. Since then it has never gotten past BSL length. I was in my thirties when I grew it back out. And I managed to get it past BSL length, mostly due to the care tips on this forum. It's different when you know how to wash and condition so you don't get tangles. My hair is actually tangle-free due to WCC and CWC is awesome as a method as well, as is CO-washing. Though not all methods are for everybody. You have to pick and choose. But at least *try*. You won't know until you do.

[kayeburth]

Curly hair is not supposed to be tangle free
thanks for the reality check ))))))))))


Three years Curly Girl, just past BSL stretched but itching to trim.
don't (unless you really, really need to and it's very, very little)! I know how this sounds (I've been there myself with people telling me not to cut), but seriously, I'm on a mission telling people that curly hair is beautiful long. just. look. at this: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/416794140488632705/

[Madora]

so here's the deal - I have a pixie now, it looks fine, just not 'me', so I decided I better stick to the long hair look. problem is, long hair is too much for me - tangles all the time, is uncomfortable to sleep with (and live with...), needs some effort caring for it.
pixie is literally zero effort (even stopped trimming it now that I am growing it out, and it looks freakin awesome!! I don't style, don't bother with anything at all except washing it relatively regularly...), and yet I don't know who this person in the mirror is.
I used to have pretty long hair, I look at those pictures now and wonder how was I able to just not notice it back then and how did I get to this point where I absolutely cannot stand the feel of it?... (yet I look so much better with long hair and I definitely want to look like that person again)
any advice?

If you want to have beautiful, healthy long hair, you're going to have to be committed to achieving it. That means:

detangling it gently...every time...with a wide tooth comb
avoiding harsh chemicals/dyes/hot curlers/irons/teasing/backcombing/
putting it up nightly (when your hair is long enough)
eating properly to help promote growth
shampooing and conditioning and rinsing gently

Long hair takes work, plain and simple. And if you want waist length or longer, you need to take extra steps to protect those delicate ends...like wearing updos and avoiding ponytails like the plague.

If you can, S and D every week (use sharp scissors)

Wear a silk sleeping cap to protect your ends at night

Try scalp massage (in the bent at the waist position) to help encourage circulation among your follicles

Above all, HAVE PATIENCE...tons of it! Don't be forever gazing in the mirror, waiting for signs of growth. You'll drive yourself nuts! If you haven't learned to braid already, start practicing with yarn hanks.

Good luck!

[xsampa]

Also, remember that once hair gets past BSL, it'll be less time-consuming because you can space out washing times because the greater surface area means hair won't become greasy so quickly.

[lapushka]

Also, remember that once hair gets past BSL, it'll be less time-consuming because you can space out washing times because the greater surface area means hair won't become greasy so quickly.

True, because of the length the oils need to travel down, somehow it becomes less greasy with length!

[kayeburth]

True, because of the length the oils need to travel down, somehow it becomes less greasy with length!

yeah, this was my experience! when I cut it, it got greasy pretty fast at first cause my scalp thought my hair needed more oils. now it's back to normal (but how would my scalp know how much oil my hair needs?... any way, it adjusted, so that's lucky)

[kayeburth]

If you want to have beautiful, healthy long hair, you're going to have to be committed to achieving it. That means:

detangling it gently...every time...with a wide tooth comb
avoiding harsh chemicals/dyes/hot curlers/irons/teasing/backcombing/
putting it up nightly (when your hair is long enough)
eating properly to help promote growth
shampooing and conditioning and rinsing gently

Long hair takes work, plain and simple. And if you want waist length or longer, you need to take extra steps to protect those delicate ends...like wearing updos and avoiding ponytails like the plague.

If you can, S and D every week (use sharp scissors)

Wear a silk sleeping cap to protect your ends at night

Try scalp massage (in the bent at the waist position) to help encourage circulation among your follicles

Above all, HAVE PATIENCE...tons of it! Don't be forever gazing in the mirror, waiting for signs of growth. You'll drive yourself nuts! If you haven't learned to braid already, start practicing with yarn hanks.

Good luck!

it's funny that I did most of what you listed with my hair and it still got on my nerves big time so I cut it. it's just that the only incentive to have long hair for me is the way it looks and I just don't know how to motivate myself otherwise. I don't understand why I hate it so much.......... ((( it's not like it was that bad, I hardly ever used heat or teased it and it was in fairly good condition, just that curly hair does indeed tangle easily as many of you guys have pointed out here in the replies..

[kayeburth]

Some people just like short hair, there isn't anything wrong with that. You can still have healthy hair, even if you want to keep it short. Do what makes you feel best. :)

nah, I think I need long hair. if only I hated the feel and experience of it less.............. it looks so me and yet it feels so disgusting. :( and short hair feels amazing but looks like a different person. kinda like Scarlett Johansson sorta style with long hair and Miley Cyrus with short hair. and I definitely feel Scarlett Johansson's style more than that of Miley Cyrus, just not me........

[Entangled]

My hair drove me crazy until I learned updos. I still don't like wearing it down, but now I have the skills to DO something about it, which really helped me enjoy BSL+ hair.

[Chromis]

Braiding at night and wearing it up during the day pretty much eliminated tangles for me! I used to hate how tangled my hair always was even just at BSL.

Plus wearing it up keeps it out of my face (so annoying) and lets me do cool looking updos with even cooler looking forks and sticks and such. I find co-coordinating my hair toys to my outfit is really fun.