Sticking With It

[Tehillim408]

The other day, I *almost* drove to the hair salon to chop off most of my length (gasp!). I know, right? I'm happy to say that I successfully resisted the urge, as I always regret cutting it!

What do you tell yourself or what do you do when you are tempted to deviate from your goal of growing long locks?

[MotherofJames]

My thing is color! I always want to switch my color and have a hard time resisting the urge not to color my hair anymore, which I did for years and boy did it damage it! But everytime I see someone with a pretty color, I go "okay i want that!" but then it never comes out the same. this time, Im not dying my hair for a long long long time and im using a gray stain pen for my gray hairs :)

[lapushka]

I started a similar thread awhile ago, about cutting doubts. Here it is:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=133970

Always occurs for me close to wash day. :lol:

[Nadine <3]

Usually if I feel like cutting my hair it means it's not looking or feeling the way I'd like and it's frustrating me. I usually either clarify and do a DT. This ALWAYS makes my hair super soft and lovely. Or I stick my hair in a bun and throw a beanie over the top so it's out of the way and protected, but I can't see it or play with it.

[cat11]

I never feel this way, my heavy curly/wavy hair (wavy now that its longer... was curly) behaves so much better the longer it gets. Buuuuuut a long time ago growing out bangs in the past I would think about whether in the end I wanted bangs again or not bangs, aesthetically. So even if they were a pain to grow out, I'd realize cutting them would only get them further from what I wanted most. Don't accept a compromise because you're too lazy to get what you want!! Cutting your hair short isn't permanent. But if you keep cutting it back when it gets to the akward stages (for me, shoulder to APL) than it will be.

Like Nadine said throwing it up if you can helps too. Peacock twists are good for short hair. And clipping the front back in tiny "cornrows" with teeny tiny claw clips (like 7 to 11 clips) is good too. Headbands are your friend to keep hair out of your face, or styles that act as a headband.

[SparkleToes]

I get that way with short hair like "oh that's so cute I want that" I.e. Julianne hough and short haired Lauren Conrad, but I know it wouldn't look as cute or the same on me. I also think short hair is more work styling wise. I'm like MotherofJames though my main thing is color it s really hard for me because I have a sallys within walking distance of my house. I know that my hair couldn't take any color right now , the color absolutely would fry it. I've gotten antsy about microtrimming but I can hold off on that until next month :smile: just think about your journey thus far how long it's taken your hair to get to where it is and how close you are to your goal. Only like 6" go you :disco:

[Seeshami]

When I start to doubt myself. Generally after my mom says something peculiar about my hair i think about itand ask my hubs Muffin what he thinks. And he just tells me to keep growing.

[Eastbound&Down]

My husband is a big reason why I haven't broken down and chopped it off because I've worked so hard on my hair for the last 2 years he doesn't want me to undo all my progress.
I almost cut back into a bob earlier in the summer and he about had a heart attack lol said he doesn't want me to go anywhere shorter than SL. Since SL is the bane of my existence, I decided to just leave it as is and I'm so glad I did, I would be miserable back at shoulder.
I do a weekly pamper day to keep myself invested in my hair and keep my head in the game for the long haul.

[spidermom]

I remind myself that I've had short to medium length hair and back again for most of my life already. It's time to do long.

[restless]

Whenever I see a cute, short hairstyle I tell myself it probably wont look like that on me without tons of styling and I try to remember the awful stage shoulder--> APL and how every day is a bad hair day there. A deep treatment with lots of oil(s) always makes me feel better about my hair in general and reduces any thoughts of going short again.

[Amenahh]

I'm in that awful stage shoulder --> APL.
I need a lot of patience! Sometimes, cutting it back to bob is tempting, especially as it suited me.

My trick for sticking with growing my hair is to come here on LHC and look at pictures of long hair! So many great pictures here, I just want my hair to grow :)

[Nique1202]

I realized fairly recently that the urge to chop back, whether it's to get rid of my layers or to stop having so much trouble with certain styles or my hair looking greasy or whatever, is mostly rooted in my being unsatisfied with just my length and not with the style/cut itself. I was continually unhappy with my hair short, cutting it into all sorts of different lengths and styles and shapes, never realizing that I was unhappy because I wouldn't let it get long enough to start to feel happy with it.

Now when I get frustrated and want to take the scissors to it, I try to remind myself that no, it's really not that bad right now, and if I cut it back it will only be worse because I'll lose what few styles I already have now. Being stuck with just five styles, and maybe fewer, for another two or three years will definitely NOT help my frustration level, especially not with my slippery mess.

[AutobotsAttack]

I haven't really had the urge to cut my hair just yet, although I sometimes get the urge to "heat train" my hair to get my fluffyness to act right but then I think heat is just gonna cause a disaster even more, so I just cowashing or deep condition a bit more than I usually do and then bam. My hair is cooperating again.

[Inga-Marjukka]

I've long been tempted to ruin my long hair progress by getting a one-side buzz cut, and then when the growth gets unbearable, get a bob. I know I would love it and then regret it, but at least a bob would be less work... :shrug:

[vpatt]

So far I have not been tempted to cut or even do a big trim. My hair seems to be in good shape and I just want it to grow.

[Horrorpops]

Normally I want to trim if I am not happy with my hair quality or bored. So like pps have suggested I try to deep condition and pamper my hair if its looking dry and gross, and I try to experiment with more styles and things if I am just bored and that does the trick.

To be honest though I dyed and cut my hair so much previously I really don't get the urge to go back to short or crazily dyed hair. I love how healthy my hair is - and how much fun longer hair is to braid and style. :o I guess I just focus on what I like about my hair -if I wasn't happy with long hair anymore I think I'd just cut it etc. But thats me :p

I think figuring out why I'd want to cut it helps me work out if I should or not.

[hanne jensen]

When I'm tempted to cut my hair I put it up in a braided bun and leave it there for a few days. I then wander over to the Knee Length and Beyond thread and look at the pictures. The urge to cut kind of disappears...

I also took a vow to not chop my hair for 10 years. Dusting is allowed, but anything over an inch is considered a chop.

[Fericera]

At this point I've tried enough things (pixie, bob, bangs, undercut, sun-in hair lightening etc.) to know that the style I want will probably not be what I end up with.

Whenever I see an inspirational picture nowadays, I look beyond the hair at the styling the person has going on. Usually half of what makes it look so good in the picture is their clothes, makeup, and lighting. Often they have a different face shape or nose than me. Also there's the knowledge that most "styles" require daily washing, curling, straightening, teasing, hair spraying, and god forbid you step outside or the wind will destroy your hour of work. It's just not worth the fuss for me.

I do still get tempted. My latest desire to have black hair, but I know that I'd tire of the maintenance and then have years to grow out the color, so I'm sticking with all natural and long. That's what fits my personality I've discovered. :)

[Sarahm]

When I'm tempted to cut my hair I put it up in a braided bun and leave it there for a few days. I then wander over to the Knee Length and Beyond thread and look at the pictures. The urge to cut kind of disappears...

I also took a vow to not chop my hair for 10 years. Dusting is allowed, but anything over an inch is considered a chop.

Oh, me too! LHC pictures are definitely helpful!