How long is it possible to grow using mostly braids and paranda braids?

[jane_marie]

It's going to be awhile until I can bun due to thickness and even when I can I don't think I'll be happy or excited about doing it. I don't care for how I look with most of the buns I can do. They make me look like a conservative librarian which is fine if that's your aesthetic.

Lately, I've discovered that I really like braids and paranda braids (and braided buns to a lesser extent).

So, how long do you think it is possible for someone to grow their hair using mostly braids and a very occasional braided bun?

Thanks

[AmaryllisRed]

I think it depends on your lifestyle and your hair's resilience.
If you are not an active person and your braid is mostly just going to sit and not move around and rub on anything, I think it would be as good as a bun.
If you are an active person and your braid is swinging around and rubbing all over everything, unless your hair is super resilient, that's gonna cause damage.
For my lifestyle, hair type, and length, braids are not protective. My hair grows pretty well in my opinion and I could maybe still make it to classic length without buns. (WITH buns I would not be surprised if I could reach floor if I wanted.) But whenever I am in a braidy mood and start wearing unbunned braids, I find tons of splits.
I think the best way to figure it out for yourself is to try it. Wear braids all the time and see if they're rubbing and shredding and if you're seeing increased splits.

[Joules]

As long as your hair can grow genetics-wise. Some people grow extreme lengths whilst wearing their hair down and loose all the time. I knew a girl who had tailbone length and she wore her hair in a ponytail every day. Just remember to use gentle elastics to not damage the tassel :)

Honestly, I don't believe much in buns tbh. I mean, they definitely help, but they're not the end all be all of hair care. Not wearing buns doesn't doom you to short hair forever :idk:

[jane_marie]

I think it depends on your lifestyle and your hair's resilience.
If you are not an active person and your braid is mostly just going to sit and not move around and rub on anything, I think it would be as good as a bun.
If you are an active person and your braid is swinging around and rubbing all over everything, unless your hair is super resilient, that's gonna cause damage.
For my lifestyle, hair type, and length, braids are not protective. My hair grows pretty well in my opinion and I could maybe still make it to classic length without buns. (WITH buns I would not be surprised if I could reach floor if I wanted.) But whenever I am in a braidy mood and start wearing unbunned braids, I find tons of splits.
I think the best way to figure it out for yourself is to try it. Wear braids all the time and see if they're rubbing and shredding and if you're seeing increased splits.

Okay, I was already thinking that classic is the longest I would want it for a variety of reasons. Realistically I think that I'll start maintaining in the HL/BCL/TB region. It sounds like it might be possible for me... maybe? haha I sure hope so.

[Ylva]

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=32990&d=1534022862

This was my hair BCL~TBL before I'd ever worn it up. I wore it mostly in braids but occasionally loose or in a ponytail. So I know that I can at least grow there, but I have no further data.

[MoonRabbit]

I wore only braids from around apl to waist. Grew just fine. But I do give credit to buns for getting me this far.

[SleepyTangles]

If I remember correctly my hair had to reach my mid back before I was able to properly put it in a bun, and even at waist I often preferred braids. Wearing buns is better for protecting the ends, but if the weight is not well distributed they can put more stress on the roots.
Quite frankly, unless you work or study all day at a desk, rubbing your braid on a chair´s top rail and/or spindle... I don´t think it will make a lot of difference. And with a paranda you can have the ends tucked inside the pleats instead of hanging out.
What about wrapping the braid around your head, like a fake crown braid/milkmaid braids?

[Zesty]

It's certainly possible for some people to grow as long as they'd like without bunning. As has already been said, it depends on a lot of different factors. So you might as well give it a go if wearing a bun makes your hair not fun for you.

Personal experience: While I do like the look, for me braids are not protective. I wear them in the evening sometimes but if I wear one all day (or overnight) I get knots and tangles that I never otherwise get, even when I wear my hair loose. I might have been able to grow to this length even so, but I credit a lot of the *health* of my hair to buns.

YMMV as always.

[jane_marie]

As long as your hair can grow genetics-wise. Some people grow extreme lengths whilst wearing their hair down and loose all the time. I knew a girl who had tailbone length and she wore her hair in a ponytail every day. Just remember to use gentle elastics to not damage the tassel :)

Honestly, I don't believe much in buns tbh. I mean, they definitely help, but they're not the end all be all of hair care. Not wearing buns doesn't doom you to short hair forever :idk:

There is a high percentage of refugees in my city and due to that my uni has a very big percentage of Kurdish women. I'm not sure if it's genetics or what but a lot of them have long (waist +) gorgeous thick hair and most of them wear it down, in ponytails or in very unprotective buns like these:

https://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/messybun_thesmallthingsblog-hi-res-3.jpg

There is one of these young girls in particular that has hair that fascinates me to no end. Her hair is below knee now. I have never ever seen it bunned, only seen it braided or in a low pony a couple of times and mostly see her with it down. It's amazing...

I don't know if maybe really resistant hair is genetically common for people of that region or what but I can't help but be a bit jealous.

Thanks for commenting. :)



https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=32990&d=1534022862

This was my hair BCL~TBL before I'd ever worn it up. I wore it mostly in braids but occasionally loose or in a ponytail. So I know that I can at least grow there, but I have no further data.

Holy wow Ylva! I'm always amazed by your hair's shine. This photo gives me hope because I'm pretty sure the longest I will want my hair is TBL.

If I may ask, what braided styles do/did you usually go with? I've found a lot of ideas on pinterest that I really like but I would love to hear what has worked for you. :D


I wore only braids from around apl to waist. Grew just fine. But I do give credit to buns for getting me this far.

Cool. Are there any buns you have found that look a bit more... bohemian/soft/romantic? I would be open to attempting to learn softer looking things once it's long enough for me to deal with the thickness.


If I remember correctly my hair had to reach my mid back before I was able to properly put it in a bun, and even at waist I often preferred braids. Wearing buns is better for protecting the ends, but if the weight is not well distributed they can put more stress on the roots.
Quite frankly, unless you work or study all day at a desk, rubbing your braid on a chair´s top rail and/or spindle... I don´t think it will make a lot of difference. And with a paranda you can have the ends tucked inside the pleats instead of hanging out.
What about wrapping the braid around your head, like a fake crown braid/milkmaid braids?

I haven't tried milkmaid braids yet but I think I probably should. I particularly seem to like french braids and dutch braids. So, if I became proficient at doing things like this and this it's totally possible they would become my go-to styles.

For what it's worth I also seem to really like the look of gibson tucks and enjoy a modified french twist I do on myself.

I think I just need the buns to look softened a bit more. Though, with that in mind I'm not sure why I but I do like sock buns on me. I guess there are always outliers.

Thanks for the idea!


It's certainly possible for some people to grow as long as they'd like without bunning. As has already been said, it depends on a lot of different factors. So you might as well give it a go if wearing a bun makes your hair not fun for you.

Personal experience: While I do like the look, for me braids are not protective. I wear them in the evening sometimes but if I wear one all day (or overnight) I get knots and tangles that I never otherwise get, even when I wear my hair loose. I might have been able to grow to this length even so, but I credit a lot of the *health* of my hair to buns.

YMMV as always.

I think I'll give it a go. I have some thin satin belts that I like to fashion into a makeshift paranda so I think I'll start working out different braided styles that I like with them.

Maybe this is odd but even when I was young and my hair was longer than it is now I have never really had that many issues with tangles. I won't say I never get tangles but instances when I do are things like wearing a certain chunky necklace or riding in a speed boat/in the car with the windows down while having loose hair. With that in mind I'm hoping that braids won't suddenly start causing tangles... my hair is still pretty short though.

[Ylva]

Holy wow Ylva! I'm always amazed by your hair's shine. This photo gives me hope because I'm pretty sure the longest I will want my hair is TBL.

If I may ask, what braided styles do/did you usually go with? I've found a lot of ideas on pinterest that I really like but I would love to here what has worked for you. :D

Thank you! :) My hair is actually somewhat bleach-damaged in that photo, just not as badly as it is now. Anyway, despite that, it grew to that length just fine without updos. Looking at your stats, with your C hair I doubt you'll encounter any great issues.

I've pretty much lived in English braids most of my life, but these days since I am a little more hair-aware, I prefer braided cinnabuns for the winter since it combines the braid-ness that my hair loves so much and the bun-ness for protection. Dutch braids (usually just one) are my choice for travel or other times when I need to wear the same style for long periods of time. In the future, I'd like to do those braid-around-the-head styles but I haven't managed to learn French/Dutch braiding well enough yet and I lack the length for some of them.

OT: My text corrector addon suggests I correct 'cinnabuns' into 'cannabis' :lol: Can someone please invent the cannabun?

[doedeer]

I agree with AmaryllisRed, as long as it's not rubbing against everything I think it should be fine, also, milkmaid braids are a super cute style (they could potentially give a bit of a headache depending on the weight of your hair though). Once you reach a length where buns are a bit easier to hold, you could try taking some hair out to make it look messier and less librarian?

[jane_marie]

Looking at your stats, with your C hair I doubt you'll encounter any great issues.

Is C hair generally regarded as being more resilient?


I agree with AmaryllisRed, as long as it's not rubbing against everything I think it should be fine, also, milkmaid braids are a super cute style (they could potentially give a bit of a headache depending on the weight of your hair though). Once you reach a length where buns are a bit easier to hold, you could try taking some hair out to make it look messier and less librarian?

I don't know, maybe? I feel like there has to be a way to "soften some of those buns to fit my look but I'm not sure how in many ways I think that just adding braids might be magic for me in that regard but I'm not sure that leaving pieces out is the way to do it. There are a series of twist type things (like gibson tuck) that I like. So, there might be alternative style to buns that will work for me.

[Kat]

I pretty much only wear my hair in one or two braids. I don't do it for protection, just to keep it out of my way in a comfortable and practical manner (my neck does not enjoy the weight of all that hair piled on top of my head. Don't ask me why; up or down, it has to take the full weight of the hair anyway, but I can only wear it "up" for so long before I have a neck/headache). My hair got to knee length, maybe an inch or two past, before I decided that was not the length for me and decided to maintain at hip. I think it was close to terminal length at that point.

It really does depend mostly on your hair. You'll find out when you get there!

[honeybee93]

Is C hair generally regarded as being more resilient?



This. My hair cannot be braided as it thins out my ends terribly, even if I use gentle hair ties and oil the ends. And I have been told my whole life I have coarse hair. In fact, I was able to grow it to a little past waist and could have gone longer were it not for my salon disaster, and I only wore my hair loose or in ponytails (for the gym.) I do sleep with it most nights in a satin cap which made a world of difference when I first started my long hair journey.

I am beyond confused by my hair texture (fine, medium, coarse.) But hair stylists have always told me I have coarse hair. Except now that I have a routine that keeps my hair moisturized, it's buttery soft and the individual strands don't feel wiry. Lately, I've been leaning towards medium-coarse because I just can't believe after all this time that my hair is fine. When I don't stick to my routine, my hair becomes dry and weak and generally unhappy, and maybe this is where the coarseness comes from. But all of this is to say, I imagine that if I had truly coarse hair, it would be able to withstand braids. Someone please enlighten me!

[ExpectoPatronum]

I've seen plenty of people grow their hair long while wearing mostly braids. I agree that buns are not the end all be all protective style for everyone. I see no reason why you couldn't grow to classic while mainly wearing braids.

I have a lot of layers in my hair so braids look messy as a result. While the longest parts of my hair are MBL, I have shorter pieces that are shoulder length. I think once my shorter pieces are longer that I'll probably switch to wearing more braids. I was not biggest fan of the conservative look that buns give either, but I've gotten over that.

[Ylva]

Is C hair generally regarded as being more resilient?

Yes. Now I cannot say with absolute certainty that it definitely is a fact, but I think it has a strong tendency towards being more resilient than finer hair.

[jane_marie]

I've seen plenty of people grow their hair long while wearing mostly braids. I agree that buns are not the end all be all protective style for everyone. I see no reason why you couldn't grow to classic while mainly wearing braids.

I have a lot of layers in my hair so braids look messy as a result. While the longest parts of my hair are MBL, I have shorter pieces that are shoulder length. I think once my shorter pieces are longer that I'll probably switch to wearing more braids. I was not biggest fan of the conservative look that buns give either, but I've gotten over that.

I have the pokey parts from layers as well (unfortunately) but I think I'm going to try pinning them into the braids and playing with different braid placements and sections to see if I can conceal the pokey parts. Paranda seem to help with that a bit as well and I'm not against an ocassional braided bun.

For what it's worth I generally find buns on curlier hair to look more romantic than conservative.

[AmaryllisRed]

If you want buns with a softer look, what about Dutch braiding the front, going back into the bun? Or a rope braid? Or a goddess bun (basically twists in the front)? There are lots of "softer" buns if you follow hair style people on IG. That soft romantic braided updo look is everywhere.
(For some reason I can never get it to work for me! I wish I could.)
Anyway, I do think you can grow to tailbone with mostly braids if your hair seems to be pretty resilient and tangle-resistant.

[Spikey]

C hair is absolutely more resilient! It's less prone to tangling because your individual strands are heavier, which it sound like yours is. And because your strands are thicker, they're less delicate and can take more of a beating. This is probably why the kurdish women in your region you mentioned can get away with wearing it down so much, they have thick strands too. So I would say that you can probably do just fine bunning less than the average LHCer because your hair is thicker and straighter.

That being said: just because you *can* grow long without bunning, doesn't mean you should. No matter how thick your hair is, having it down loose once it gets past waist or so is damaging. Plenty of people with long hair don't ever put it up and grow it super long, and the trade off is that their ends are really badly damaged. Besides, you're at MBL right now, and wearing your hair down isn't much harder (or more damaging) than it was at APL. Once you get to hip, you'll want to have it up. Take it from a former bun-hater.

[lapushka]

I agree with Joules. There are no rules. I mean, nobody is saying you *need* to wear buns to be able to grow your hair. Hair will grow regardless. You just need to "conserve" the ends and treat them right so you don't get breakage. And braids are honestly fine as protective styles as long as you secure the tassel with a soft elastic (like those terrycloth ones).

[TreesOfEternity]

I would just try and find out. My hair is very fine, so braids always shed, look bad and give me more split ends, i wear them occasionally. I have got accoustomed to buns I guess and have learnt some updos that fit my style.

If you don’t fancy buns give braids a try, it wont hurt.

[The-Young-Maid]

You really don't need to wear buns. I got lots of damage from wearing them because my hair is too heavy/fine and ends up pulling on individual hairs. I'll be classic length in a couple months by only wearing my hair down or in a braid. So its safe to say I'm not going back to buns. *Free the Hair*

I've been getting this vibe lately that if you don't wear your hair up you'll never be a "true longhair". Or that your hair will look terrible/damaged. Like, sorry but I've seen plenty of hair I wasn't crazy about and it was worn up all the time(my old hair included). So wear it however you want because there literally aren't any rules. Just do whatever makes you happy, I don't think there's enough of that here. Also, Normies don't even know the difference between fairytale ends and breakage so why are we so obsessed??

I *can* grow long without bunning and I *will*

[Ylva]

You really don't need to wear buns. I got lots of damage from wearing them because my hair is too heavy/fine and ends up pulling on individual hairs. I'll be classic length in a couple months by only wearing my hair down or in a braid. So its safe to say I'm not going back to buns. *Free the Hair*

I've been getting this vibe lately that if you don't wear your hair up you'll never be a "true longhair". Or that your hair will look terrible/damaged. Like, sorry but I've seen plenty of hair I wasn't crazy about and it was worn up all the time(my old hair included). So wear it however you want because there literally aren't any rules. Just do whatever makes you happy, I don't think there's enough of that here. Also, Normies don't even know the difference between fairytale ends and breakage so why are we so obsessed??

I *can* grow long without bunning and I *will*

Same, same. I guess everyone can judge my pic on the first page by themselves and maybe someone does think it looks terrible, but oh well then. A little bit of damage isn't the end of the world and hair can still be classified as healthy even if it wasn't 100% pristine. I do think that for me, buns do have their place, particularly in the winter when I need my hair to not get smacked across the face by heavy winter clothes, but I have always preferred braids. Then again, I don't aim for any superlength either, max. FTL, so I do understand that buns can be necessary for sanity at very long lengths.

[Deborah]

Buns are good at protecting your hair from shoulder straps, chair backs, rubbing on things, wind, sun, etc. So yes they do prevent damage if done properly. They don't make your hair grow any faster or longer, but you'll end up with less damage when you reach the length you like you want if you utilize them. It's entirely up to you to wear them or not. Life is full of trade offs.

[lunalocks]

I wore my hair in a pony or french braid or down until waist or hip. That's when it started getting in the way, being too long to wear down. I do think that wearing it up has made it possible for me to get it this long (knee).

[MusicalSpoons]

It's reasonably well documented across various threads that braids are very damaging for my hair, buns are not. But it's even better documented that braids are essential for many others (whether bunned or not) and some people cannot get on with buns.

On here it's a rare very-longhair (like, knee+) who can routinely not wear it bunned, for both practicality and hair health. There are also plenty of people who can't grow to (say) hip-tbl without protecting their hair as much as possible - but there are also plenty who can :shrug: The overwhelming general advice to wear it up is for people who are struggling to retain length or who are seeing lots of damage from not wearing it up. For people with established routines good for their hair, it's something that they probably can afford to test (unless they know their hair is fragile) to see how it goes. The other thing is that for many people, buns make it easy to just put it up and let it grow, not taking up brain space - but that's maybe not the goal for people who enjoy wearing their hair in other styles or even down ;)

[jane_marie]

Buns are good at protecting your hair from shoulder straps, chair backs, rubbing on things, wind, sun, etc..

People have problems with their hair being damaged by shoulder straps? That's insane. Last week I was washing my hair and I must have had a crack on the side of my nail because a hair got stuck in there and ended up breaking my nail into the center. The strand was fine but I had to stop washing to cut the rest of my nail off. I couldn't imagine shoulder straps being damaging.


You really don't need to wear buns. I got lots of damage from wearing them because my hair is too heavy/fine and ends up pulling on individual hairs. I'll be classic length in a couple months by only wearing my hair down or in a braid. So its safe to say I'm not going back to buns. *Free the Hair*

I've been getting this vibe lately that if you don't wear your hair up you'll never be a "true longhair". Or that your hair will look terrible/damaged. Like, sorry but I've seen plenty of hair I wasn't crazy about and it was worn up all the time(my old hair included). So wear it however you want because there literally aren't any rules. Just do whatever makes you happy, I don't think there's enough of that here. Also, Normies don't even know the difference between fairytale ends and breakage so why are we so obsessed??

I *can* grow long without bunning and I *will*

I have picked up on a lot of that... stigma here as well. I think it's a little odd especially when I weigh it against what I see in my day to day life as far as the women I spoke of who attend my uni. Plus, I've been past waist in the past. I still had a thick hemline, despite mostly wearing it down or occasionally wearing a messy bird's nest bun with a metal-free hair tie, and bouncing back and fourth from box black to bleach followed fantasy colors.

I know that just past waist isn't that long here on LHC but it's hard for me to believe that given my personal experience with my hair and what I see in many women around me that the only way to have long healthy beautiful hair is to wear it up.

This is likely a very unpopular thought here but since I don't like wearing buns I don't see what the point for me to grow out my hair only to wear it up would be. I think if I had to wear my hair up in a bun everyday I would probably just cut all of my hair off. I don't want to grow my hair out any longer than I can manage to keep healthy and somewhat hassle-free without needing constant buns. That's just me though. :shrug:


Same, same. I guess everyone can judge my pic on the first page by themselves and maybe someone does think it looks terrible, but oh well then. A little bit of damage isn't the end of the world and hair can still be classified as healthy even if it wasn't 100% pristine. I do think that for me, buns do have their place, particularly in the winter when I need my hair to not get smacked across the face by heavy winter clothes, but I have always preferred braids. Then again, I don't aim for any superlength either, max. FTL, so I do understand that buns can be necessary for sanity at very long lengths.

I can certainly understand the usefulness for winter as well as how it would be helpful for people with extremely long hair. I think it's a bit bizzare how this forum... to me at least has an underlying tone of judgement about the very idea of choosing braids over buns though. I think that it might come from a general inability for people to think outside of their personal frame of reference. I understand that bunning is the best way to protect hair the most but it's not the only way to get hair long. If you look back at historical photos there are plenty of Native American people with very long hair from tribes that did not typically wear buns. This thread inspired me to start looking into that since I seem to have inherited my great grandmother's native hair type.

[neko_kawaii]

I get the shoulder strap of my bag caught in my hair any time my hair is down. Even when I carefully maneuver my hair away from the bag some stray floaty hair manages to get under that darn strap. *sigh*

[jane_marie]

It's reasonably well documented across various threads that braids are very damaging for my hair, buns are not. But it's even better documented that braids are essential for many others (whether bunned or not) and some people cannot get on with buns.

On here it's a rare very-longhair (like, knee+) who can routinely not wear it bunned, for both practicality and hair health. There are also plenty of people who can't grow to (say) hip-tbl without protecting their hair as much as possible - but there are also plenty who can :shrug: The overwhelming general advice to wear it up is for people who are struggling to retain length or who are seeing lots of damage from not wearing it up. For people with established routines good for their hair, it's something that they probably can afford to test (unless they know their hair is fragile) to see how it goes. The other thing is that for many people, buns make it easy to just put it up and let it grow, not taking up brain space - but that's maybe not the goal for people who enjoy wearing their hair in other styles or even down ;)

Thanks so much for this reply. :)

Like I mentioned in my response to Ylva I can certainly understand why buns can be useful for people who are aiming for super long hairs. It makes a lot of sense as far as that goes.

Personally, I have pretty much decided that I only want to get to TBL. So, the purpose of this post was to figure out if that is possible. I think that given my hair history it just might be possible for me though there is no way for me to know without testing it out. So, I think that's what I'm going to do. As luck would have it, my hair tends to grow pretty quickly. So, more micro trimming might be something I am willing to deal with to live move or less bun free while growing it out.

I appreciate your response... especially how balanced it was. I think it's nice that although you are pro-bun you expressed that not everyone's hair type is the same or that your experience does not necessarily reflect of everyone.

[neko_kawaii]

People have problems with their hair being damaged by shoulder straps? That's insane. Last week I was washing my hair and I must have had a crack on the side of my nail because a hair got stuck in there and ended up breaking my nail into the center. The strand was fine but I had to stop washing to cut the rest of my nail off. I couldn't imagine shoulder straps being damaging.



I have picked up on a lot of that... stigma here as well. I think it's a little odd especially when I weigh it against what I see in my day to day life as far as the women I spoke of who attend my uni. Plus, I've been past waist in the past. I still had a thick hemline, despite mostly wearing it down or occasionally wearing a messy bird's nest bun with a metal-free hair tie, and bouncing back and fourth from box black to bleach followed fantasy colors.

I know that just past waist isn't that long here on LHC but it's hard for me to believe that given my personal experience with my hair and what I see in many women around me that the only way to have long healthy beautiful hair is to wear it up.

This is likely a very unpopular thought here but since I don't like wearing buns I don't see what the point for me to grow out my hair only to wear it up would be. I think if I had to wear my hair up in a bun everyday I would probably just cut all of my hair off. I don't want to grow my hair out any longer than I can manage to keep healthy and somewhat hassle-free without needing constant buns. That's just me though. :shrug:



I can certainly understand the usefulness for winter as well as how it would be helpful for people with extremely long hair. I think it's a bit bizzare how this forum... to me at least has an underlying tone of judgement about the very idea of choosing braids over buns though. I think that it might come from a general inability for people to think outside of their personal frame of reference. I understand that bunning is the best way to protect hair the most but it's not the only way to get hair long. If you look back at historical photos there are plenty of Native American people with very long hair from tribes that did not typically wear buns. This thread inspired me to start looking into that since I seem to have inherited my great grandmother's native hair type.

If I had to wear my hair down I would probably cut it all off.

There are various motivations behind "wear it up". I, and I am not alone in this, wear my hair up the majority of the time because I greatly dislike the feeling of having it on my neck or in my face, or generally having any of the fine floaty hairs flying all over the place. Tickling the back of my arms. . . *shudder* I've had SUPER short hair cuts many times in my life because of this. BUT, there isn't much I can do with super short cuts in terms of styling it. Braids are possible but extremely challenging on those lengths. Ornaments are limited to tiny clips and headbands. I was always relieved when my hair was finally long enough to braid again.

So, combine not LIKING it down with all the style options that LHC introduced me to, and you get mostly pictures of me wearing it up.

I've never had an issue with growing my hair past the usual problematic markers such as MBL or waist length, but then before LHC I simply wore it in a braid all the time to keep it out of my way. (My mother has classic length hair which she almost always wears braided.) Which brings me to the second reason why people may be wearing their hair up: they stalled at one of those markers or they were not happy with the quality of their hair and felt that it needed extra protection.

My son's hair is MBL with a blunt hemline. His hair looks great. However, because he wears it loose all the time (except when I remember to braid it for him at night) the last few inches are really rough to the touch. Hes a kid and he is hard on his hair. Someday if that bothers him he can decide to change his habits, cut it shorter so it isn't caught on everything all the time, or not let it bother him.

Some people can wear their hair down all the time and grow hair that pleases them. Some have to modify their habits to grow the hair that pleases them. Some have short terminals and no behavior modifications will change that.

The advice to treat your hair like old lace is aimed at those people who are unhappy with the quality of their hair as a guideline for behavior modifications that might help. No guarantees though.

If YOU are happy, be happy! If you come across an issue, there are plenty of experienced heads to help you troubleshoot.

I see most of the new member applications. The vast majority come saying they are here because something about their hair is bothering them and they are looking for advice. Others are here because pampering their hair is their hobby and they want to discuss deep treatments and masks, or are interested in herbs, or all about the henna, or. . .so many different reasons.

Me, I'm here for the styles.

And the fun thing? All of that is here! Pick the threads that interest you, ignore the ones that don't. (I don't think I've ever cracked open the epic henna thread - did that once as a teen, hated the smell and it didn't change the color of my brown hair.)

How long is it possible to grow using mostly braids and paranda braids? That really depends on your individual hair: you can grown as long as your genes and environment will allow.

[jane_marie]

I get the shoulder strap of my bag caught in my hair any time my hair is down. Even when I carefully maneuver my hair away from the bag some stray floaty hair manages to get under that darn strap. *sigh*

Oh! is that what was meant by "shoulder straps"? That makes sense.

I assumed that she meant tank top straps. whoops.

[jane_marie]

If I had to wear my hair down I would probably cut it all off.

There are various motivations behind "wear it up". I, and I am not alone in this, wear my hair up the majority of the time because I greatly dislike the feeling of having it on my neck or in my face, or generally having any of the fine floaty hairs flying all over the place. Tickling the back of my arms. . . *shudder* I've had SUPER short hair cuts many times in my life because of this. BUT, there isn't much I can do with super short cuts in terms of styling it. Braids are possible but extremely challenging on those lengths. Ornaments are limited to tiny clips and headbands. I was always relieved when my hair was finally long enough to braid again.

So, combine not LIKING it down with all the style options that LHC introduced me to, and you get mostly pictures of me wearing it up.

I've never had an issue with growing my hair past the usual problematic markers such as MBL or waist length, but then before LHC I simply wore it in a braid all the time to keep it out of my way. (My mother has classic length hair which she almost always wears braided.) Which brings me to the second reason why people may be wearing their hair up: they stalled at one of those markers or they were not happy with the quality of their hair and felt that it needed extra protection.

My son's hair is MBL with a blunt hemline. His hair looks great. However, because he wears it loose all the time (except when I remember to braid it for him at night) the last few inches are really rough to the touch. Hes a kid and he is hard on his hair. Someday if that bothers him he can decide to change his habits, cut it shorter so it isn't caught on everything all the time, or not let it bother him.

Some people can wear their hair down all the time and grow hair that pleases them. Some have to modify their habits to grow the hair that pleases them. Some have short terminals and no behavior modifications will change that.

The advice to treat your hair like old lace is aimed at those people who are unhappy with the quality of their hair as a guideline for behavior modifications that might help. No guarantees though.

If YOU are happy, be happy! If you come across an issue, there are plenty of experienced heads to help you troubleshoot.

I see most of the new member applications. The vast majority come saying they are here because something about their hair is bothering them and they are looking for advice. Others are here because pampering their hair is their hobby and they want to discuss deep treatments and masks, or are interested in herbs, or all about the henna, or. . .so many different reasons.

Me, I'm here for the styles.

And the fun thing? All of that is here! Pick the threads that interest you, ignore the ones that don't. (I don't think I've ever cracked open the epic henna thread - did that once as a teen, hated the smell and it didn't change the color of my brown hair.)

How long is it possible to grow using mostly braids and paranda braids? That really depends on your individual hair: you can grown as long as your genes and environment will allow.

Thank you for such a lovely concise response. I truly appreciate you. You seem like a very thoughtful person and as such you give kind well thought out responses.

I think part of the problem that has been brewing for me is more than just not liking the look of buns. I also enjoy the tactile experience that you don't like about wearing your hair down. I want to feel it against me, I like it in my face and I find it generally comforting. Not only have I not found a non braided bun that I like aesthetically on me I also just love my hair down. Braids seem like a good in between to me I guess. I want to feel my hair but I don't want it to get ripped off by the backs of chairs.

Hopefully, I can grow to TBL with mostly braids and parandas. If not I guess I will just maintain a bit longer.

[Spikey]

You really don't need to wear buns. I got lots of damage from wearing them because my hair is too heavy/fine and ends up pulling on individual hairs. I'll be classic length in a couple months by only wearing my hair down or in a braid. So its safe to say I'm not going back to buns. *Free the Hair*

I've been getting this vibe lately that if you don't wear your hair up you'll never be a "true longhair". Or that your hair will look terrible/damaged. Like, sorry but I've seen plenty of hair I wasn't crazy about and it was worn up all the time(my old hair included). So wear it however you want because there literally aren't any rules. Just do whatever makes you happy, I don't think there's enough of that here. Also, Normies don't even know the difference between fairytale ends and breakage so why are we so obsessed??

I *can* grow long without bunning and I *will*

If this is directed at me, I'm sorry I came off that way!! I didn't mean to sound discouraging to people who don't bun. My hair is fine and curly, so if I wear my hair down loose for more than a day or two, it will literally start to mat. Maybe that just gives me a "stricter" view of haircare, because if I didn't wear buns, I would never get anywhere at all :shrug: Clearly there are people like Ylva who can wear their down daily and still have gorgeous hair, and if you can too, or you care about other things more, it's your own hair to enjoy as you wish.

[Ylva]

Clearly there are people like Ylva who can wear their down daily and still have gorgeous hair

:flower:


I think part of the problem that has been brewing for me is more than just not liking the look of buns. I also enjoy the tactile experience that you don't like about wearing your hair down. I want to feel it against me, I like it in my face and I find it generally comforting. Not only have I not found a non braided bun that I like aesthetically on me I also just love my hair down. Braids seem like a good in between to me I guess. I want to feel my hair but I don't want it to get ripped off by the backs of chairs.

Hopefully, I can grow to TBL with mostly braids and parandas. If not I guess I will just maintain a bit longer.

This is an interesting observation and I can definitely relate to it! I see hair as an important extension of the human body that plays a critical role in self-expression on many levels of which most are very primitive. That's why I don't feel emotionally comfortable with my hair in a bun (even though I sometimes choose to wear it that way), it feels like I've muted one part of myself. I'm not saying that one cannot express themselves through buns because there certainly are many wonderful styles full of character and whatnot, but at this point of my life, I do not feel a particularly strong connection to them.

[honeybee93]

:flower:



This is an interesting observation and I can definitely relate to it! I see hair as an important extension of the human body that plays a critical role in self-expression on many levels of which most are very primitive. That's why I don't feel emotionally comfortable with my hair in a bun (even though I sometimes choose to wear it that way), it feels like I've muted one part of myself. I'm not saying that one cannot express themselves through buns because there certainly are many wonderful styles full of character and whatnot, but at this point of my life, I do not feel a particularly strong connection to them.

Very well-said. I love what you said here: "I've muted one part of myself." This is something I feel, too!

Jane_marie, I hope you are not feeling discouraged. And I hope you find what works for you! From what I've observed on LHC, there is no definitive answer. It seems a lot of individuals can grow their hair long wearing braids exclusively while others find it damaging. Here is a thread you may be interested in (sorry, I just have one thread to share but I am working from home but cannot spend too long on here!) : "Braids versus buns - For daily wear (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=111816)".

Branching off of what neko_kawaii shared (which was a very lovely, thoughtful post as Jane_marie said), I would like to add I've stuck around LHC as a lurker and a member despite knowing I am an exception from the norm here. People visit and join LHC for a myriad of reasons. My hair is by no means "healthy" or even probably "beautiful" by LHC standards, but it looks and feels pretty/nice to the "non-LHC eye" or so I've been told, and it's retaining length and not growing slowly by any means. If my hair was worse off, I would practice more caution and follow more LHC guidelines, as I did when I first joined and was able to nurse my hair back to normal in many ways. Now I am just enjoying the effects of that and doing my thing. :) I hope you stay on LHC and are able to comfortably continue asking questions and sharing your experiences. :heartbeat

[MoonRabbit]

Cool. Are there any buns you have found that look a bit more... bohemian/soft/romantic? I would be open to attempting to learn softer looking things once it's long enough for me to deal with the thickness.

I don't really care for the completely slick back everything in its place types of buns on myself either. When I wear buns I I always wear them high up so you can see them from the front. My favorite is a simple knot bun since you can fluff this bun up real nice. Any variation on a sock bun is also good. I also always slightly tug the roots up to get volume and pull out my baby hairs around my forehead and ears to get a soft framing.

[BerrySara]

I don't really care for the completely slick back everything in its place types of buns on myself either. When I wear buns I I always wear them high up so you can see them from the front. My favorite is a simple knot bun since you can fluff this bun up real nice. Any variation on a sock bun is also good. I also always slightly tug the roots up to get volume and pull out my baby hairs around my forehead and ears to get a soft framing.

That sounds lovely! Those are great tips. I personally love high buns and also prefer to see the bun from the front. I can imagine with your kind of length and added volume to the roots that would look really romantic and soft!

[jane_marie]

Branching off of what neko_kawaii shared (which was a very lovely, thoughtful post as Jane_marie said), I would like to add I've stuck around LHC as a lurker and a member despite knowing I am an exception from the norm here. People visit and join LHC for a myriad of reasons. My hair is by no means "healthy" or even probably "beautiful" by LHC standards, but it looks and feels pretty/nice to the "non-LHC eye" or so I've been told, and it's retaining length and not growing slowly by any means. If my hair was worse off, I would practice more caution and follow more LHC guidelines, as I did when I first joined and was able to nurse my hair back to normal in many ways. Now I am just enjoying the effects of that and doing my thing. :) I hope you stay on LHC and are able to comfortably continue asking questions and sharing your experiences. :heartbeat

Thanks so much for that link!

I'm by no means thinking about leaving LHC but I do think I'm going to mostly do braids, and wear my hair loose for awhile. I'm conflicted on things. I really like having long hair because I like having it down. Since I'm not going for extreme lengths maybe that'll be okay if not I think I would much rather have it stay the length it's at instead of getting to my goal of TB and being bound to wearing it up all of the time.

[jane_marie]

I don't really care for the completely slick back everything in its place types of buns on myself either. When I wear buns I I always wear them high up so you can see them from the front. My favorite is a simple knot bun since you can fluff this bun up real nice. Any variation on a sock bun is also good. I also always slightly tug the roots up to get volume and pull out my baby hairs around my forehead and ears to get a soft framing.

Thanks for the tips! These might work for me because I do tend to like buns more when they are more messy and when they have a more top of the head placement like a sock bun. I'll play around with these ideas a bit . (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

[MusicalSpoons]

Thanks so much for this reply. :)

Like I mentioned in my response to Ylva I can certainly understand why buns can be useful for people who are aiming for super long hairs. It makes a lot of sense as far as that goes.

Personally, I have pretty much decided that I only want to get to TBL. So, the purpose of this post was to figure out if that is possible. I think that given my hair history it just might be possible for me though there is no way for me to know without testing it out. So, I think that's what I'm going to do. As luck would have it, my hair tends to grow pretty quickly. So, more micro trimming might be something I am willing to deal with to live move or less bun free while growing it out.

I appreciate your response... especially how balanced it was. I think it's nice that although you are pro-bun you expressed that not everyone's hair type is the same or that your experience does not necessarily reflect of everyone.

You're welcome :) I'm glad I had the chance to readjust and rebalance my own viewpoint thanks to this thread, because my own experience was that I had to chop off all my growth every year because it was so raggedy, cycling between hip and TBL before I discovered non-damaging buns. I used to wear it in a cinnabun held with an elastic, or a braid (secured with an elastic) or a ponytail (not often, I didn't realise it was damaging but hair just got everywhere). So I am very much pro-bun and I will always recommend it to start with, but I truly appreciate the reminder from this thread particularly that we are all different - and that not everyone is going for the longest lengths!

neko's comment reminded me of an aspect that I'd forgotten, the need to have it out of my face. I've always been that way, to the point that I would pull out my wispy hairs when they bothered me too much. That's the main reason it was mostly bunned then (albeit inadvertently destroying my ends) so again, quite a fundamental difference in the hair experience. If I couldn't keep my hair up I don't know what I'd do with myself; I've never wanted short hair so I wouldn't chop it off, but it would genuinely send me crazy (I have had major MH problems in the past so I don't say that lightly). I guess for me it's almost a case of, well I'm keeping it contained all the time anyway so it might as well grow! Stealth longhair :grin:

Ylva that's a really interesting point about expression - it's not something I would *ever* have thought of so thank you for sharing.