Headaches

[lacereza]

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[embee]

Headaches are a real bummer. Hope the trim takes care of that. Some folks have this problem.

Fortunately I do not - unless I wear my hair *up* - like in a topknot on top of my head. Then I get a "hair-ache" and it is *nasty* and stays for a long time, even after I take the topknot down.

[VikingJarl]

Same with me Embee. That's why I leave mine down 99% of the time. However I have had it in a braid the last couple of days after reading about how leaving it down does so much damage:-(

[heidihug]

lacereza, I do not have this problem, but my DH's cousin told me years ago that she cut her longer than BSL hair because it was too heavy, and gave her headaches. She just could not believe that I don't get them with "all that hair". She didn't understand as she has very very thick and curly hair, and, well, I don't!

It's my understanding that there are exercises you can do to help with headaches caused by long hair. The headaches originate in the neck, evidently, so perhaps you could talk to someone at a gym, or a physical therapist who could give you suggestions to strengthen those muscles. I know that when I have a headache, a good neck and back massage really help to alleviate it, too.

[Zombiekins]

All the time, Lacereza! It will only get worse as you grow longer, but your neck muscles should strengthen a bit to cope with the new weight and shifting. Buns situated too high tend to stress my neck and shoulders (plus that lovely headache), buns in general pull at my scalp, and braids are a nice way to distribute the weight if you don't fudge up the beginning and have a few strands pulling more than the rest. But then you have to contend with it swinging around and rubbing against your clothes, zippers, chairs, etc... and fraying. Good luck on finding other styles that don't aggravate your neck! :)

[goodenough]

I get a headache--not from weight, but from a high, unsecured pony, or from changing my part. Just awful!!! I have a very sensitive scalp, but only on top, so I have my sides a bit shorter than the back, and I part on the side and do styles from the nape. I think you just have to find what works for you. I have 5" cir., so I'm sure that doesn't help either.

You say in your signature that you are growing out your v--maybe just trim that off and see what works? I'm planning a cut in the fall to get the rest of my layers out and the bottom of the v cut off. I am looking forward to easier updos after that, since I have to wear my hair up for work.

[Angellen]

I almost always do updos below the crown of my head for this reason. I have a lot of hair, and it definitely pulls. An upside down french braid might put it high enough for you, if you're still looking for updos...

[dancingbarefoot]

I don't get them if I wear my hair out or in a loose or low pony or in the evening when I put it in a topknot right on top of my head, but any bun on the back of my head makes it hurt!

Your hair weighs the same up as it does when it's loose. :wink: It's got to be a difference in tension on your scalp. Try styles that really balance the load, like a Chinese bun. :twocents:

[spidermom]

I do get headaches but it never occurred to me to blame my hair. I attribute them to tension. Or dehydration, as drinking a cup of water will often alleviate them. Sometimes my up-do becomes uncomfortable for one reason or another. So I will let it down or re-do it a different way.

Best wishes; I hope you work this out to your satisfaction.

[Curlsgirl]

I get them a lot especially lately. For me, french braids are best, done not too tight. I think it is because it distributes the weight of the hair on my scalp so as not to stress any one point too much. I can't wear ponytails usually anywhere on my head and updos held by Flexi-8s seem to be the next most comfortable. Halfups also are a good option for at least keeping my hair out of my face. Also varying updos and where you fasten the hair toy is a good idea along with scritching at least once a day to keep the sebum distributed as that can cause scalp soreness too.

[Irishred]

Like Spidermom, I get regular headaches from sinuses (severe grass allergies), tension or just not drinking. A glass of water or the appropriate meds usually takes care of it.

I do get them from my hair. When I get hair headaches it is usually every 2 to 4 inches of growth. I notice several days to a week of mild headaches and excessive neck tension. I can't get my hair to stay in any style (ends just flip out all the time). Updos make my neck and usually my scalp hurt.

My solution when I realize it is more of a hair thing than regular is to maintain a length for a while. I have trimmed back before like 1-2 inches and then did monthly trims that let it only grow a little (1/2 in growth = 1/4 inch trim). Maintaining allows your muscles to adjust to the new weight. I am actually nearing a point that I think I may need to maintain for a while, trying to wait it out.

lacereza,
you are at 33ish now? And you are trying to grow out the V shape and layers you have? Now might be a great time to maintain a length. Trim back LESS than you think you want to, maybe 1 inch now. If you are still having trouble, next month trim off another inch. You can keep going like that or get to a point that you don't have probelms and then only trim new growth until you are ready to start growing again.

Longer hair requires containment for the most part. Wearing if down and loose is then a treat rather than a daily thing. Getting used to doing updos and the weight in areas of the scalp can be testing. To me it is worth it.

Be happy with your hair :)

[Nynaeve]

My hair isn't even long by LHC standards, but I'm getting headaches constantly and I'm sure that it's from the weight of it... I don't get them if I wear my hair out or in a loose or low pony or in the evening when I put it in a topknot right on top of my head, but any bun on the back of my head makes it hurt! It's not the tightness, I'm quite gentle, it's the weight of it pulling my head and neck into a slightly different position to normal. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm over it, I'm going to have a good couple of inches cut so I can wear it out and ponytailed more (now it's too long, it rubs against clothes and gets ratty)

Boo hoo!

There was a length at which I couldn't do hairstyles in the right ways to balance them/not have them pulling oddly. That caused headaches sometimes. :(
Hope you get past that soon!

I get headaches from sinuses too. I also get migranes a lot.

[jesamyn]

I'm very headache-prone, but I too get headaches that I can specifically pinpoint to being related to hairstyle. Within minutes of taking down my hair, they begin easing, even when my hair is not long enough to be weight-related. Braids don't cause the issue, just anything where my hair is up on the back of my head. Like others have suggested, I think it's scalp tension rather than true 'weight'. I also think it's a combination of elements in my case: scalp tension, sitting at a PC all day, and so on. (I take Claritin nightly to keep from having sinus issues.)

My headaches seem to come later in the day, probably because that's when scalp + PC are getting to me. One thing I do (depending on what variety of 'up' my hair is in) is take it down, massage my scalp for about 10 min, then put it back up. This really helps me along until I'm home and change to a comfy-but-less-attractive style and get away from the PC for a bit (until I start checking for new posts here).

[connie]

I know exactly what you mean, I would get hair headaches too. I found what helped me was splitting the hair into two sections, an upper & a lower...so two buns or two ponys on top of another. I would wind them around each others bases & pin. It looked like one big flat bun. Sometimes I would braid first. With the the ponys, sometimes I would twist them around each other to make a rope braid pony, that kept my ponytail from tangling. I also used to do the top one into a figure 8 bun, then wrap the lower on around that.
Something about the 2 sectioned starting point seemed to help.

[Stagecoach]

Your hair weighs the same up as it does when it's loose. :wink: It's got to be a difference in tension on your scalp. Try styles that really balance the load, like a Chinese bun. :twocents:

I really want to second this. Take a look around... many of us have more hair than you, but with the right styles, we manage to be headache free.

[jojo]

high buns and french/dutch braids give me terrible headaches, try a bun as low down as you can, a braided bun which is low helps me too

[lacereza]

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[angelthadiva]

I kind of get what you mean...I know for me if I don't have my hair at the right tension or the right height I will get a headache too...I guess for me, I've found that "sweet spot" where I *always* put a bun or an updo...If I deviate from that spot (ie go higher) I will get an awful headache...That said, a poster a while back asked about high ponytails, I hadn't tried one myself in a long time, so I did...Within a few minutes my head was pounding...

I'd suggest maybe a looser style, like an English braid, or a loose French...Your hair would be secure, but not too tight, or balled up in the back. HTH