Growing Long Hair in the Summer

[Bunnehlvr22]

How do you people who live in hot places stand long hair? I'm currently in the middle of summer in the south (US) and the AC is on the verge of dying. It's 81 degrees (F) in the house (very hot for me because I work in a 32 degree (f) cooler for a living) and my hair is too short to put up completely. It feels like a wool blanket on my shoulders and back and I'm beginning to get tempted to shave it all off. :thud::boohoo::justy:

[Angel_Abby]

This is one of the reasons I'm cutting tomorrow. It's hot- my hair is really heavy!

Plus I'm working on growing out old damaged, colored ends- so it's a win win situation. I'll be going from BSL to SL. So excited!

[RavenRose]

Use lightweight breathable scarves or bandannas to hold it up off your neck. The pic is a quite vintage style, but might work!
http://cdn.hairstylestars.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bandana-hairstyles.jpg

[lapis_lazuli]

I suppose in some regard long hair is easier for people in hot climates because you can put it up completely off your back :) It doesn't get super hot where I live (max 40° C, 104° F) so I find a side braid keeps me cool enough.

[pailin]

It's hot most of the year where I am. I mostly just put my hair up a lot. Or leave it down in the office (if I really want to), then put in a ponytail or put it up when I go to lunch (outdoors, no ac). I do see a lot of people wear their hair down still, and I don't know how they can stand it. But for me, I've had short hair here too, and find it even hotter because I can't put it up. I much prefer having it long enough to put it up. But I'm only at bsl so weight isn't a problem. I'll wait and see on longer lengths.

[Bunnehlvr22]

This is one of the reasons I'm cutting tomorrow. It's hot- my hair is really heavy!

Plus I'm working on growing out old damaged, colored ends- so it's a win win situation. I'll be going from BSL to SL. So excited!


:D SL was one of my favorite lengths. Long enough for a ponytail but short enough to flip or play with when I got sassy (Sassy/flirty personality here). I don't think the length looked well with my face structure though. :(


Use lightweight breathable scarves or bandannas to hold it up off your neck. The pic is a quite vintage style, but might work!
http://cdn.hairstylestars.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bandana-hairstyles.jpg

Never thought about that! I have quite a few bandannas. I'll have to try that.

[MeAndTheMaz]

I must just be used to it. I work outside all summer, and I don't have AC. I'm pushing APL, so maybe it's not long enough to be an issue?

[Jo Ann]

I live in West Central FL (Tampa Bay area) and, well, that's what buns, braids, ponytails and stuff are for. Oh, and showers...warm showers...and bare forearms...and cool drinks...baseball caps or some other head covering...doo-rags like RavenRose has pictured...

My hair is in that mid-back abyss area (between BSL and WL), and I just can't imagine going through a summer without barrettes, hair sticks (or chop sticks or pencils or...you get the idea), hair ties and the like!

[Nadine <3]

I just put it in a bun. For me short hair was the devil when it was hot! Can't get it out of my face and off my neck!! Now I just putt it all up and out of the way, it if I'm really hot I'll tuck an ice chip in my bun lol

[neko_kawaii]

The heat is one reason I prefer long hair. I can get it all up and off my neck, yay! The suggestion of scarves/bandana is a good one if it isn't long enough to put up.

[Unzadi]

I'm also cutting from BSL to SL soon. Getting rid of damaged ends will make hair a lot fresher. Wishing you happy new hair.

New favorite hot weather style is a peacock twist, which I think will work for both lengths.

[endlessly]

Honestly, I've just gotten used to it. We didn't have air conditioning growing up and while Minnesota isn't warm most of the year, the summers can be sweltering so I had to learn to become creative.

[Crystawni]

It's hot all year here (winter and 26C today), and I'd much prefer longer hair that can be bunned/ponied, etc., than shorter hair forever on my neck. I did find the weight and blanket on my back a bit much recently, though, so took the layers at the ends up to APL (between waist and hip total length) to lighten things up a bit (including buns and ponies). Clips like flexi 8s and smaller ficcares are also great for shorter lengths, as well as caps/scarves/bandanas mentioned, and light headbands (if you can handle the pressure they give). And nothing beats a cold shower with dripping wet hair down your back to cool you down.

[Suguru]

I lived near the equator for many years with waist-hip length hair and had no problems. You just have to wear it up. ALL the time. Even to bed. Braids don't work because the hair is still on your neck. I can understand how hair in the shoulder-chin range could be frustrating, but any hair length long enough to put in a bun should be long enough to cope with in the heat. Stay strong!

[Angel_Abby]

I'm also cutting from BSL to SL soon. Getting rid of damaged ends will make hair a lot fresher. Wishing you happy new hair.

New favorite hot weather style is a peacock twist, which I think will work for both lengths. I'm a huge lover of long hair- but nothing compares to chopping all that damage off! Good luck to you as well! I'm really excited. I think this is the last big cut I'll have to have. All natural color and no heat. Yay!

[Bunnehlvr22]

I guess I'm just out of practice with it. When my grew my hair to WL in my early teens the house I lived in at the time had no AC in 120+ heat. Don't know how I did it. Maybe I'll get used to it again.

I'm going to try wearing headwraps to get it off my neck when it gets super hot. If I can keep it off my neck and shoulders I'm pretty good in hot weather.

[Gamma Vector]

I live in a land of near-constant heat and humidity. To be honest, it's a big reason I prefer to keep my hair long. Because I can put it up in a BUN and get it OFF MY NECK! I think I would die if my hair was too short to put up comfortably. Either that, or I'd get a buzz cut.

[Hairkay]

In the tropics we would use plaits/braids, some ponytails and updos. My hair was BSL and I'd have it in two so it would be brushing my shoulders but off my neck. With my type of hair even if I had it done up in one plait there'd only be a little time when the hair brushed my neck since it curled outward from my body. We were fine with air conditioning when out shopping but didn't have it at home or school nor did anyone in our family like the idea of air conditioning in a residential setting.

[Fericera]

A ponytail with a scrunchie shouldn't cause too much damage. Also there's the peacock twist with claw clips, and you could try twin French braids.

[lapushka]

Long hair is your friend in a lot of heat, at least you can pull it up and out of your face, bun it. Short hair just *sticks* to you and can't be put up, or you'd have to shave it off, which kind of equals bunning it. It's hair in the pixie and intermediate stages that really suffers from heat!

[meteor]

How do you people who live in hot places stand long hair? I'm currently in the middle of summer in the south (US) and the AC is on the verge of dying. It's 81 degrees (F) in the house (very hot for me because I work in a 32 degree (f) cooler for a living) and my hair is too short to put up completely. It feels like a wool blanket on my shoulders and back and I'm beginning to get tempted to shave it all off. :thud::boohoo::justy:

3 Words, my friend: Put. It. Up! :D There is no better long-lasting solution for keeping cool in hot summer.
If your hair is too short for buns, braids and ponytails and you don't know how to French/Dutch braid, then try this: take some hair from hairline/top section and ponytail it, take this ponytail and add the remaining hair and ponytail that together, too. This sectioning allows even the thickest and very short hair to be off your neck. It looks like this (http://www.hairpediaclub.com/wp-content/uploads/French-Twist-Ponytail.jpg), it's sort of like a "French Ponytail" technique, more details here: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-French-Ponytail
You can also make 2 or more mini-buns. This sectioning of hair will actually make your scalp feel even lighter and breezier.

(Before the LHC, I had no idea how to put hair up, so I would routinely chop off my length... and it still felt too hot. Once you learn how to put hair up effectively, there is never a need to chop it all off.)

Also, don't forget to always use sunscreen on scalp partings (skin cancer on scalp is pretty common and doesn't just occur on thinning scalps), and I really recommend wearing hats/scarves/UV buffs to avoid sun damage on hair - both your skin and hair will thank you for it. :flower:

[vpatt]

I just bought my daughter a uv Buff. Can you really wear them in the summer without cooking your head? They look so neat to me......not sure how they would look on me. I just gave the buff to my daughter day before yesterday so no feedback yet.

[meteor]

^ Oh yes, you can, Vpatt! :thumbsup: I find with hats and buffs, it's all about habit. Once I got used to wearing a hat in the sun (it took me a while, they do feel hot at first), I feel kind of naked without it now! :lol: They are great protection! :D

[MsBubbles]

I live in GA and my hair length is somewhere between waist and hip. I have baby fine, lightweight flyaway hair. So that is one occasion that I am glad for my hair type! (And that's probably it).

[Carolyn]

I haven't had hair that was too short to put up since I was 14 and that was way back in the last millennium. If you hair is long enough to lay on your shoulders and neck, it is long enough for a pony stub or a peacock twist updo. There is truly no need to shave it off. That might solve the immediate problem very temporarily but then as it grows out you will have a whole set of new issues. Rock a short pony tail for now and it will be much better next summer. I like to take a shower in the morning and put my hair up damp. This makes me feel a bit cooler. Long sweaty hair put up in a pony or bun always looks better than short sweaty hair IMO.

[embee]

I hate short hairs getting stuck on my face and neck in the heat and humidity. Long hair, no bangs, was the answer for me. A bun or topknot was *so* cool and no sticky tickly pieces. :)

[Velvetbyrd]

I love my snood for this reason. I have collarbone length hair and I work in a 90 degree kitchen.
I'm a cook so I'm over stove tops and in ovens all day. It's a lifesaver.

[mindwiped]

Velvetbyrd-which snood do you use? I'm attempting to crochet a summer weight one, because the one I bought is made from Afghan weight yarn, and is way too hot.

For me braids, buns, and high ponytails. I'm in the Midwest, so we have the high temps along with the super high humidity (so white girl poof hair). I also do the cheat pony/bun where you only pull through half your length on the last loop of the pony tail

[vpatt]

^ Oh yes, you can, Vpatt! :thumbsup: I find with hats and buffs, it's all about habit. Once I got used to wearing a hat in the sun (it took me a while, they do feel hot at first), I feel kind of naked without it now! :lol: They are great protection! :D

Thanks Meteor, I have a straw hat that I kind of like....bought it when visiting the beach. But I don't really go out that much. But I am thinking of beginning a walking regimen.....I'm also a knitter so winter hats won't be a problem. I like the look of the buffs.....maybe I will get one for myself. I guess they would work year round.

[meteor]

Thanks Meteor, I have a straw hat that I kind of like....bought it when visiting the beach. But I don't really go out that much. But I am thinking of beginning a walking regimen.....I'm also a knitter so winter hats won't be a problem. I like the look of the buffs.....maybe I will get one for myself. I guess they would work year round.

Awesome! :thumbsup: And since you are crafty, I'd recommend lining winter hats with some silk or other silky smooth material. :flower: It really helps avoid static, excessive dryness and tangling. ;)

[Unzadi]

I'm a huge lover of long hair- but nothing compares to chopping all that damage off! Good luck to you as well! I'm really excited. I think this is the last big cut I'll have to have. All natural color and no heat. Yay!

Same here. Love long hair, but want the damage gone. Glad you're enjoying the new, healthy hair.