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OhSuzi
December 12th, 2016, 05:58 AM
This is a website for long hair - generally most people are coming on here to discuss hair care techniques, how to deal with the obstacles long hair, methods for growing it out, appreciating the loveliness of it and the exciting styles you can do etc.

I joined because I've never really had long hair and I thought it was about time I went for it!
So I've found great support on people pushing through the awkward mullet stage and have discovered things I'd never even considered before like that long hair might need to be put up in protective styles otherwise it gets trapped in doors & arm pits and gets sat on etc!

Having never had long hair myself (just about beyond shoulder length was about the longest) I have had a Devil May Care attitude to my hair - chop it, shave it, bleach it, grow it, dye it, crimp it perm it, let my pal chop it any old way she fancies, go the hairdressers and enjoy the experience, grow it, chop it again.
I have been guilty of considering people with longer hair to be 'a bit precious' about it and over dramatic about hair cuts.
From hip to waist, that's no biggy - its still long.
Until I came on here I hadn't ever really thought about the fact that's possibly 6 inches - maybe a year or mores worth of hair growth just gone.
Most of you who have spent several years of your life taking extremely good care of your hair, you're not likely to shave it all off on a whim. You made a commitment to look after it, it’s a part of you, an extension of who you are and your hair deserves to be treated with respect.

So I guess if you're up for a supershort hair cut this isn't necessarily the optimum place to look for a discussion on it.
And I can now understand better for people having possibly spent many years with uber long hair, or from experiences of chopping not liking it and spending 5 years growing it back, why you would encourage others to proceed a chop with caution - to try a few inches to really think about what they’re doing and that they might regret it – to be aware of the maintenance and how easily you can get bored of a hairstyle etc.

Depending on a person’s reasons for chopping hair this might be the right advice and definitely something they should be aware of.
But for those who’ve already made that decision to go short and are looking for support rather than just dire warnings - I thought I’d throw in my 2 cents worth, the other side, as someone who’s enjoyed being a medium / shorty all her life.

I have had a few relatively bigish chops in my life, one from just beyond should to a half inch tight boy crop – that’s about a foot of hair at least – 2 years growth.
I did not regret it at all, I loved my crop – I loved the lightness, the weight of all that hair that hid my face all gone. You could see all the features of my face more clearly, the hair was extremely healthy. It was clearly a noticeable drastic change, I had lots of compliments it felt great.

Oh but short hair maintenance is constant – firstly yep you’d prob need to get it cut every 2-3 months to maintain it.
But most people who don’t have mega long hair consider regular haircuts the norm, there is no fear from the hair dressers, if you’re already short they cant accidentally chop off 6 inches – even if they did mess it up – it’s so short any weirdness would grow out in a few weeks.
There’s no drying time, minimal washing time. You could prob get away without washing it.

Oh it’s great for a while and then you get bored of it – I think well yeah, I get bored of my hair every month whatever length /colour it is – I want to change it. But being a medium to shorty meant being able to change it up on a whim.
When I fancied a change I bleached it sandy blond, white blonde, pink then dyed it back to brown – It never got very damaged because it grew out quickly.
And no you can’t easily go from a crop to 6 foot tresses, but it looks great as a tight crop, great as a soft grown out crop a month later, cute as a floppy fringe pixie cut, bowl cut, ear length bob.

Hair growth rate never bothered me before, because I enjoyed every style I had, I wasn’t trying to grow it long, so I’d forget about my hair and all of a sudden it’d be a chin length bob.

Yep there are times during the shortyness I wished I had mega long mermaid hair, but I also wished I had red head curly crop when I’d just cut it into a blonde bob, I wished it was a straight jet black lob with a betty fringe if I’d just grown all the hair dye & the fringe out. Whenever I see a style that looks gorgeous I covet it! And I’d either get over it or get it done.

The only time I have been truly bored of my hair is now. I decided to grow out completely virgin hair from short to long with no cuts. Previously I have had such great haircuts from hairdressers, that the hair continued to have a shape and style for instance going naturally from a pixie to an asymmetric bob, to a lob, with very little effort.
Typically I had such bad luck with the last experience with a hairdresser I had not used before – I have ended up with a multiple layered cut that has not grown out particularly successfully.
Whilst I promised myself not to dye it til I’d reached my length goal – I guess I could still chop it into more exciting styles on my journey, but I have chosen to put up with bad hair temporarily now so that it will reach my goal length quicker.

So I guess if you’ve always had long hair and you love it and you’re just curious about short hair – be warned that if you absolutely hate it – it will take a while to get back to where you were.
If you're more a dip you toe in the sea, cautious person, trim a little at a time – see how you like it – you can instantly chop off more you can’t instantly get it all back.
But if you’re an all or nothing kinda person, you’ve seen a style you really fancy, you dream about lopping off a big chunk and freeing yourself from weight and maintenance and split ends just go for it. Experimenting with your hair is fun and liberating seeing what different styles you can have, find a new look that suits who you are!

Hair is an extension of you and your self expression, but it doesn’t solely define you and generally it always grows back – so don’t panic!

lapushka
December 12th, 2016, 06:04 AM
This is a website for long hair - generally most people are coming on here to discuss hair care techniques, how to deal with the obstacles long hair, methods for growing it out, appreciating the loveliness of it and the exciting styles you can do etc.

I joined because I've never really had long hair and I thought it was about time I went for it!
So I've found great support on people pushing through the awkward mullet stage and have discovered things I'd never even considered before like that long hair might need to be put up in protective styles otherwise it gets trapped in doors & arm pits and gets sat on etc!

Having never had long hair myself (just about beyond shoulder length was about the longest) I have had a Devil May Care attitude to my hair - chop it, shave it, bleach it, grow it, dye it, crimp it perm it, let my pal chop it any old way she fancies, go the hairdressers and enjoy the experience, grow it, chop it again.
I have been guilty of considering people with longer hair to be 'a bit precious' about it and over dramatic about hair cuts.
From hip to waist, that's no biggy - its still long.
Until I came on here I hadn't ever really thought about the fact that's possibly 6 inches - maybe a year or mores worth of hair growth just gone.
Most of you who have spent several years of your life taking extremely good care of your hair, you're not likely to shave it all off on a whim. You made a commitment to look after it, it’s a part of you, an extension of who you are and your hair deserves to be treated with respect.

So I guess if you're up for a supershort hair cut this isn't necessarily the optimum place to look for a discussion on it.
And I can now understand better for people having possibly spent many years with uber long hair, or from experiences of chopping not liking it and spending 5 years growing it back, why you would encourage others to proceed a chop with caution - to try a few inches to really think about what they’re doing and that they might regret it – to be aware of the maintenance and how easily you can get bored of a hairstyle etc.

Depending on a person’s reasons for chopping hair this might be the right advice and definitely something they should be aware of.
But for those who’ve already made that decision to go short and are looking for support rather than just dire warnings - I thought I’d throw in my 2 cents worth, the other side, as someone who’s enjoyed being a medium / shorty all her life.

I have had a few relatively bigish chops in my life, one from just beyond should to a half inch tight boy crop – that’s about a foot of hair at least – 2 years growth.
I did not regret it at all, I loved my crop – I loved the lightness, the weight of all that hair that hid my face all gone. You could see all the features of my face more clearly, the hair was extremely healthy. It was clearly a noticeable drastic change, I had lots of compliments it felt great.

Oh but short hair maintenance is constant – firstly yep you’d prob need to get it cut every 2-3 months to maintain it.
But most people who don’t have mega long hair consider regular haircuts the norm, there is no fear from the hair dressers, if you’re already short they cant accidentally chop off 6 inches – even if they did mess it up – it’s so short any weirdness would grow out in a few weeks.
There’s no drying time, minimal washing time. You could prob get away without washing it.

Oh it’s great for a while and then you get bored of it – I think well yeah, I get bored of my hair every month whatever length /colour it is – I want to change it. But being a medium to shorty meant being able to change it up on a whim.
When I fancied a change I bleached it sandy blond, white blonde, pink then dyed it back to brown – It never got very damaged because it grew out quickly.
And no you can’t easily go from a crop to 6 foot tresses, but it looks great as a tight crop, great as a soft grown out crop a month later, cute as a floppy fringe pixie cut, bowl cut, ear length bob.

Hair growth rate never bothered me before, because I enjoyed every style I had, I wasn’t trying to grow it long, so I’d forget about my hair and all of a sudden it’d be a chin length bob.

Yep there are times during the shortyness I wished I had mega long mermaid hair, but I also wished I had red head curly crop when I’d just cut it into a blonde bob, I wished it was a straight jet black lob with a betty fringe if I’d just grown all the hair dye & the fringe out. Whenever I see a style that looks gorgeous I covet it! And I’d either get over it or get it done.

The only time I have been truly bored of my hair is now. I decided to grow out completely virgin hair from short to long with no cuts. Previously I have had such great haircuts from hairdressers, that the hair continued to have a shape and style for instance going naturally from a pixie to an asymmetric bob, to a lob, with very little effort.
Typically I had such bad luck with the last experience with a hairdresser I had not used before – I have ended up with a multiple layered cut that has not grown out particularly successfully.
Whilst I promised myself not to dye it til I’d reached my length goal – I guess I could still chop it into more exciting styles on my journey, but I have chosen to put up with bad hair temporarily now so that it will reach my goal length quicker.

So I guess if you’ve always had long hair and you love it and you’re just curious about short hair – be warned that if you absolutely hate it – it will take a while to get back to where you were.
If you're more a dip you toe in the sea, cautious person, trim a little at a time – see how you like it – you can instantly chop off more you can’t instantly get it all back.
But if you’re an all or nothing kinda person, you’ve seen a style you really fancy, you dream about lopping off a big chunk and freeing yourself from weight and maintenance and split ends just go for it. Experimenting with your hair is fun and liberating seeing what different styles you can have, find a new look that suits who you are!

Hair is an extension of you and your self expression, but it doesn’t solely define you and generally it always grows back – so don’t panic!

That's why we have something called the 2-week rule on here!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=139091

ReadingRenee
December 12th, 2016, 06:56 AM
I have definitely had the hair experiences you describe ohsuzi for most of my teens and twenties. And it is glorious and liberating. I loved being able to change my hair on a whim and just not worry about it. Of course I had plenty of oops that actually looked terrible experiences but I was never bored, it grew out quickly and going to the hair dresser was fun.

However, I have discovered a new kind of fun in growing my hair out. I really enjoy my hair now being something I take care of and nurture, something I pamper and cherish. I have not really ever done that before with any part of myself and it feels good. I like not being careless with my hair now. It is definitely a whole new way of thinking. I sometimes do miss the more carefree attitude I had toward my hair. (I had been known to cut my hair in the school bathroom on a whim) but I know that if I do get tired of long hair and growing it out that I can always go back to it.

lithostoic
December 12th, 2016, 07:28 AM
Double post.

lithostoic
December 12th, 2016, 07:32 AM
Thank you for your words. If you're still looking to grow long(er), try a layered hairstyle! I bet it'd look great. I love layers on wurly hair and if done right it requires no styling c: But of course you can if you want to!

I've never had very short hair, my shortest aside from when I was a baby was a shoulder length bob in first grade. My dad hated it, because it made me look older :P

When I was a teenager I had the scene kid hairstyle, thick fringe, layered, the rest long. It required a lot of hairspray, flat ironing, and blow drying in the first few months I had it. After that it pretty much styled itself right out of the shower, so I'd slap on a beanie and sleep on it wet. I was also an avid hair color-er and never had the same one for more than a couple months.

spidermom
December 12th, 2016, 09:07 AM
Since I am newly short (medium length actually - collarbone at longest), I am thinking about all the things I can now do that I couldn't do before - use my heated curlers, blow-dry whenever I feel like it, wash it as often as it needs. The ends won't get bad because I'll be getting them trimmed off every 8-12 weeks. I had been growing/maintaining long hair for 15 years, so this is almost like a new experience for me. I have, of course, had short hair before, but it was such a long time ago.

hanne jensen
December 12th, 2016, 10:53 AM
All my life I've been a long hair at heart, but could never have long hair. I didn't know how to treat my hair before I joined up here. My hair would get to a longish APL and be so damaged that all the growth broke off and it would look worse and worse. Chop, cry, grow, repeat. Imagine my joy when I realized that I'm on my way to hip!

turtlelover
December 12th, 2016, 11:09 AM
Since I am newly short (medium length actually - collarbone at longest), I am thinking about all the things I can now do that I couldn't do before - use my heated curlers, blow-dry whenever I feel like it, wash it as often as it needs. The ends won't get bad because I'll be getting them trimmed off every 8-12 weeks. I had been growing/maintaining long hair for 15 years, so this is almost like a new experience for me. I have, of course, had short hair before, but it was such a long time ago.

Sometimes change is good. I enjoyed short hair for awhile, though now I'm over it. I just never 100 percent feel like "me" with short hair. I would love to try out hip or tailbone length hair, but if it gets to be too much to handle, I can see myself going back to BSL where it is now, which feels long, but not all consuming and can be worn down, styled, etc., without too much damage happening. I think super long hair CAN in some cases just be too much to handle, but you never know until you try. I'm comfortable at BSL, though I think I'd like it more if it weren't for my messy layers mucking up my braids and updos! Anyhow, I'm glad you are enjoying your new hair. I was honestly kind of afraid that you wouldn't, because you seemed pretty devoted to long hair for a lot of years!

pili
December 12th, 2016, 11:46 AM
Very well said, OhSuzi.

I've been pixie short to midback length all my life. I'm on my hair growth journey now because I'm living out a dream I've had since childhood. But all those other lengths (and colors!) sure were fun. It's not for me anymore, though. I'm really looking forward to finally trying all the braids and buns I drool over on LHC.

Unofficial_Rose
December 12th, 2016, 12:03 PM
Since I am newly short (medium length actually - collarbone at longest), I am thinking about all the things I can now do that I couldn't do before - use my heated curlers, blow-dry whenever I feel like it, wash it as often as it needs. The ends won't get bad because I'll be getting them trimmed off every 8-12 weeks. I had been growing/maintaining long hair for 15 years, so this is almost like a new experience for me. I have, of course, had short hair before, but it was such a long time ago.

Wait, what???!! You have short hair?

spidermom
December 12th, 2016, 12:06 PM
Wait, what???!! You have short hair?

Sure do:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/spidermom/media/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg.html)

I badly needed a change after 15 years of growing/maintaining long hair. I'm starting a new career as a medical assistant, and I want to look vibrant as I go out on interviews, not grandmotherly or school marmy in my bun.

turtlelover
December 12th, 2016, 12:15 PM
Sure do:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/spidermom/media/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg.html)

I badly needed a change after 15 years of growing/maintaining long hair. I'm starting a new career as a medical assistant, and I want to look vibrant as I go out on interviews, not grandmotherly or school marmy in my bun.

I am not one that thinks well done updos look either of those two things, but there is an old saying that perception is reality, so if you were feeling that way, I can understand wanting a change. I really do think the new cut is flattering on your face shape.

Unofficial_Rose
December 12th, 2016, 12:36 PM
Sure do:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/spidermom/media/7abf722e-da45-4342-adf2-56931c66f769_zps9wq8lxpv.jpg.html)

I badly needed a change after 15 years of growing/maintaining long hair. I'm starting a new career as a medical assistant, and I want to look vibrant as I go out on interviews, not grandmotherly or school marmy in my bun.

Well, you look lovely, even though your long hair was one of my favourite LHC inspirations! Good luck in your new career. :D

Mine is back to bob length. Despite being on here for years, I barely got to APL, since I am so fond of changing the colour.

spidermom
December 12th, 2016, 02:19 PM
turtlelover, I think it might be an age-related thing. There are a lot of things contributing to me looking like a tired old grandmother - the lines on my face, sagging at the jawline, lines on my neck, being overweight (I AM working to reverse that), the fact that I AM a grandmother, though not necessarily tired. For me at my age, I feel that a bun or any style that goes severely back and up contributes to an impression of age and "set in her ways". Since there is such a thing as hiring bias based on age, I want to do all I can to bring other adjectives to mind other than "grandmotherly, aged, tired, old-fashioned, stern, unyielding". I want to look vibrant, modern, in tune with the times and the styles. I don't want anybody's first impression of me to be "she's eligible for social security", although I am. Plus 15 years is a long time, and I am more than ready for a change.

hannabiss
December 13th, 2016, 07:45 PM
Spidermom I think your hair is lovely and so are you. Very beautiful picture! I love the cut and style.