Hair "advice" that took you a long time to overcome....

[Speckla]

I remember 'Color Me Beautiful' from the late 80s/early 90s. Ugh. I got a makeover and was told to keep my hair short to make my nose appear to be smaller. Not great advice for a self-conscious 14 year old. I promptly chopped all my near APL hair into a hideous bowl cut that I kept all through HS and early 20s.

[x0h_bother]

Hair advice: that my "long" face needed a bob to even it out. Turns out bangs and side parts work better. *shudders*

[Kristin]

This guy who was kind of a "friend with benefits" in high school told me that I should never grow out my bangs because- according to him- I have a huge forehead. I didn't grow out my bangs until my early 20's as a result (long after I stopped speaking to him).

[Fractalsofhair]

That I shouldn't use a lot of conditioner. I followed that advice for a while when I was 12-13, despite the fact I couldn't detangle my hair! xD

[zenobia]

This guy who was kind of a "friend with benefits" in high school told me that I should never grow out my bangs because- according to him- I have a huge forehead. I didn't grow out my bangs until my early 20's as a result (long after I stopped speaking to him).

Kind of the same here--that I have a high forehead and should always have bangs. I had the straight-across kind for most of my life and hated them. Turns out longer, side-swept bangs work much better.

[LoveMyMutt]

Not to use conditioner because it would "weigh down" my fine hair. Perhaps that is true of people with fine, thin, straight hair -- but definitely not true of people with fine, thick wavy/curly hair. I didn't use conditioner for YEARS -- no wonder my hair was always a giant dry frizzball. Every time I tried to grow it long it drove me nuts because it looked like a haystack, so I would cut it off.

Now I CO-wash, use a rinse-out PLUS a leave-in -- and my hair is NOT weighed down in the slightest.

[lapushka]

That both thinning it out and wearing it in a pixie was the best thing for it.

[ericthegreat]

That I absolutely need to get a razored haircut with tons and tons of different layers sliced in because my hair is so thick. :nono:

And meanwhile, people with naturally thin and fine hair are using wigs and hair extensions to achieve the type of thickness I naturally have. :rollin:

[FrannyG]

That heat protectant would actually protect my hair from heat damage from curling irons or blow dryers. :o I did figure it out before joining LHC, but it was after years of damaging my hair with heat.

[spidermom]

That I had to get my hair trimmed every 6 weeks. I had to stretch out the times between trims VERY slowly because I was so afraid of what would happen if I got it trimmed less frequently.

I still believe in trimming, though. My ends love to split, and those splits love to travel up the hair shaft.

[LittleOrca]

"You should cut your hair really short, like a boy, so then you don't have to worry about brushing it as often. And you know how you hate tangles!"

Now, I have the mess I have instead of a nice blunt end, and I wont trim even, not yet at least.

:nono:

"I know you are growing out your natural color, but maybe we can find a dye that will be the same color and then you don't have to live with two-toned hair."

The dye faded and gave me gold hair and now I have two-toned hair again. I could have been BSL with virgin hair by now!

:nono:

[HotRag]

That one could not have oil in hair because it would get oily.

[IcarusBride]

I can't think of any! My mom used to tell me that blow drying was good for your hair, but I never blow-dried (was too lazy).

[Jenn of Pence]

That heat protectant would actually protect my hair from heat damage from curling irons or blow dryers. :o I did figure it out before joining LHC, but it was after years of damaging my hair with heat.

When asking a stylist about straightening some months ago (before LHC), she reiterated this (I'd already been "protecting" my hair for years before that ;)) AND she said, "it causes less damage to straighten on high heat and only go over the strands once instead of on the lowest setting and going over multiple times creating physical damage." I estimate it'll take me two or three more months to recover from the two-inch trim I had to have in April due to taking her "advice" :mad:

How can we be so silly to believe this stuff?!? ;)

[In2wishin]

That cutting it short and having it thinned would make my hair more curly. Reality is just the opposite...the longer my hair is the more the waves show.

[LoveMyMutt]

That cutting it short and having it thinned would make my hair more curly. Reality is just the opposite...the longer my hair is the more the waves show.

Oh, yes, I forgot about that one! My mother talked me into cutting off my long ringlets when I was a little girl by telling me it would be curlier when it was short. It was not, and in fact I looked like He-man.

My hair is curliest when it is past my shoulders. A fact that took me many years to realize.

[Fiferstone]

That I needed to wash my "oily" hair EVERY DAY. I did that for more years than I care to count. No wonder it was a dried out, fried mess by the time it reached BSL.

The best hair advice I ever got was from a stylist in Boston at one of those supercuts-type franchises, about 23 years ago. I had gone in to get my bog-standard shoulder length bob re-shaped, and he told me "don't ever cut it short again."

Started growing from that point on, and it's never been above my shoulders since then.

[pennylane]

That i should wash my hair every day. :confused:

I was made feel guilty because i didnt wash my hair everyday .... but i never listened . I only wash twice a week and am very happy with the results. :D

[Foxknot]

I remember one of my cousins telling me when I was younger by that if I didn't use the same shampoo and conditioner for at least a month, my hair would fall out and my scalp would get really dry. I was only about six when that happened, and, boy, was I angry when I found out he had lied to me. >:

[Kristina713]

Let's see:
-- Trimming it will make it grow faster.

-- This is an organic dye. It's actually good for your hair.

-- These new perms don't do much damage.

-- This new ceramic brush/flat iron actually smooths the hair cuticle. It's good for your hair.

-- This (expensive) shampoo will stop the dye from fading.

-- This "macadamia oil" will protect your hair (actually silicone with macadamia oil as the tenth ingredient.)

-- Some people's hair just can't grow much longer than that.

-- Highlights don't do much damage.

Yup -- I was a sucker for many many years.

[MonikaHa]

My mother told me, that I should not grow my hair long because when it is long, it is also very heavy and it will fall out.
As a result, I was often mistaken for a boy well into my teenage years. :(

[jane53]

I've ignored bad hair advice and have had long hair for most of my life, but bad hair advice remains hard to ignore.

I'm told I'll look younger if I cut my hair, but most matronly looking women I see have short hair.

I'm told I'll like my hair more short.

I'm told that my hair color will look better short.

I'm told short hair will be easier to care for. (YEESH! I see what people with short hair go through styling their hair!)

That's one reason I came to this board: to get a counter-balance to all the advice people have when they encounter someone with long hair. (Cut off and give it to locks of love! Cut it off to save the Gulf! Cut it off because you're over 30! Over 40! Over 50! Cut it off because you look like a hippie! Cut it off because you'll love all the cute styles! Cut it off, just cut it off!)

[going gray]

I've ignored bad hair advice and have had long hair for most of my life, but bad hair advice remains hard to ignore.

I'm told I'll look younger if I cut my hair, but most matronly looking women I see have short hair.

I'm told I'll like my hair more short.

I'm told that my hair color will look better short.

I'm told short hair will be easier to care for. (YEESH! I see what people with short hair go through styling their hair!)

That's one reason I came to this board: to get a counter-balance to all the advice people have when they encounter someone with long hair. (Cut off and give it to locks of love! Cut it off to save the Gulf! Cut it off because you're over 30! Over 40! Over 50! Cut it off because you look like a hippie! Cut it off because you'll love all the cute styles! Cut it off, just cut it off!)

I've basically had the same experience. The biggest one of course being I'll look much younger with a short trendy hairstyle.

[jane53]

hang in there, going grey! I'm trying to.

Notice how the short haired people our age don't look younger than the long haired people our age?

[MissMandyElizab]

My mothers BFF told me that if i grow my hair to long it could get pulled and would pull my scalp off my head i was five i made mom take me to get a hair cut that day!!!!

[MissManda]

~ Short hair is easier to care for.

No way. With all of that styling and all of those products they use, I'll stick with my long hair, thank you.

~ You will look better with a short pixie cut.

Then please explain to me why I was often mistaken for a boy... or people got confused because they didn't know which gender I was.

~ Your hair will look stringy if you let it get long.

That is strange, because my hair doesn't look stringy in the least. In fact, a lot of the people you describe as having "stringy" hair don't treat it very nicely or don't know how to take care of it properly.

~ When you get old, your hair will get stringy.

Same as above. I have seen plenty of older women on here who have very enviable hair and I hope that my hair will look like theirs when I get old. It doesn't look stringy in the least (just very loved and well-cared for).

~ You shouldn't grow long hair because you have a long face.

My face is oval, not oblong and I think it looks better with long hair. Short hair can make my face look *too* round in my opinion.

~ Only hippies have long hair. You will look like a hippie!

Then all of the beautiful Victorian women (and men) must be hippies. Ha ha.

~ You have naturally oily hair and you have to wash it every day.

My mom had it right to only wash my hair once or twice a week. Then I moved in with my grandmother and she insisted that it be washed every day. That is when it got oily. Now that I only wash twice a week, it is perfectly happy.

[Arctic_Mama]

I haven't been the victim of much bad hair advice, the worst being that I shouldn't let my hair go super long and wear it up because it will cause my hairline to recede. This advice IS based in some truth, with traction alopecia, and many women who wore tight ponytails did experience in back over the last few decades, but a looser, evenly balanced hairstyle won't cause that. So it wasn't bad advice, it just wasn't complete.

I am fully convinced mow that, even given the weight of my hair, my hairline will stay put unless I am regularly giving myself facelifts with my styles :lol:

[Quixii]

You should always brush your hair.
Once I read that curly haired people don't and shouldn't brush your hair, it didn't take me long to stop and realize I have curly hair. It took me a long time to brush my hair, growing up. Then I always did for several years. Now I don't any more.
I feel a bit like a hypocrite, because my younger sister with straight hair really needs to brush or at least comb it. Then she points at me and says "But she doesn't brush her hair!" Arg.
Anyway, I'm still much happier not brushing my hair. :)

[jane53]

Oh! Oh! Oh! I just remembered one!

You always should brush your hair 100 strokes every night. This makes your hair healthier. Now I can see it would spread your scalp's oil through your hair, but I'd think it could also damage your hair.

[Themyst]

That hair dyed lighter than my natural color was damaging, but hair dyed darker wasn't. This was from a hairdresser ...

[amaiaisabella]

That hair dyed lighter than my natural color was damaging, but hair dyed darker wasn't. This was from a hairdresser ...

I think this came from the appearance of darker hair- it's much easier to see broken/split/frayed ends on lighter hair, so by dying it darker, voila! Healthy hair once more. Only not so much.

The worst I ever had done as a result of advice was these really bad highlights. I'd had them done before a shade or so lighter than my hair, and they turned out lovely, but my stylist "friend" forgot about me in the chair and I ended up with white streaks she refused to put toner over. I dyed my hair on my own after that, but it took a LONG time to grow out those damaged strands.

[abbatabba1137]

"You have to bleach your hair before you add the blue, but dont worry, the color conditions the hair back to it's normal state."

Sure, the blue turned out bright, but I ended up loosing eighteen inches of my once virgin hair! Wont do that again...

[Rennire]

That I had to blow dry it straight all the time because curly hair looked too unruly. (A big fluffy poof on my head is so much more flattering!:rolleyes:)

[deviantkitten]

!- Frequent trimming for "healthy" hair. I hardly EVER trim. Last microtrim was about 3 months ago, and I probably don't need another one for a few months, thanks to oiling!
2- In order to get volume, I have to blowdry and use mousse, volumizing products, hairspray, etc. ACK. I have only blowdried my hair a few times in my entire life. As soon as that hoi air hits it, my hair tangles, snarls, not to mention the damage! And the end result is oily roots and bangs, even on the cool setting. And then I had all this product in my hair which made my hair feel coated in grossness
3. That I need to get inches and inches taken off because of damage. Ok, yes, I have breakage and some splits, but I am growing out fine hair with tons of bleach/colour, and my hair honestly has never looked better! It is a heck of allot thicker at the ends than it ever used to be, and as long as I keep the decision to grow out my colour, yeah, I am gonna have some damage! I made the mistake of cutting off 5+inches when I visited my FIL and MIL. MIL is a hairdressser, and I let her cut my hair ONCE. Told her I wanted a trim, she said oh no I am gonna take about 5 inches off, and before I could protest SNIP. Most hairdressers have told me this, and I used to believe them, but I have learned that if *I* am gonna grow my hair long and dye free, there is gonna be a little damage to the ends.
I have learned that I need to listen to my hair, go with my gut, and take control of my hair care needs myself. Oiling and microtrimming have saved my hair

[christine1989]

People always said that my hair was too dark and it "needed red hilights". I never take that to heart but it never gets any les annoying.

[KnittingDragon]

I have always gotten the whole schlock about short hair. The only time I followed that advice was once when I was so sick and my hair was falling out till my ponytail was 1/3 its original size. I shortened it and hated it. After that the reason I kept cutting my hair, (Ok, Buzzing it) Was because I hated that 1/2 way point of growing it out.

[Danelliia]

I'm sure I've had tons of bad advice, but I never paid any attention. The one thing I can think of was when I cut my hair short one time, just above my shoulders (I do that often), the hairdresser added in A LOT of layers so that it would curl or be wavy-er. I hated it and it didn't help my hair at all.

[emma907]

The worst advice I've ever gotten was the same thing im always told when i go to a hairdresser... I don't offten get my hair cut, about once a year (which im not going to do anymore) and i ALWAYS get told

"You need to get your hair cut every 4-6 weeks, shall i make you another appointment"

Even if i told them that im trying to grow my hair....

Now i just trim my hair myself, or do the odd S&D. :|

[Purdy Bear]

Here some I can remember:

Cut it short, you'll look trendy and it will be easy to cope with - nope it wasnt, it just stuck out at all angles and I had to wash it daily.

You need to cut every six weeks to grow it.

You have split ends you need to get it trimmed.

This concoction wont make your hair grow - my first dermatologist who put the said concoction down the drain, I think it was the forunner of monoxidil. I have yet to find anything that worked as well as that, the chemist who made it for me died so I cant even ask what was in it.

To be trendy and to fit in, you need a hair cut - I hate being trendy.

Heat styling doesnt damage your hair if you use the right conditioners etc.

You must brush your hair 100 times a day, and also use a brush not a comb.


Looseing my hair to Alopecia pretty much got rid of all these. Since being on LHC, Iv found out tones of good advice, and Im on my second hair journal, I only started on here this March.

[serious]

" Henna is bad for hair, if you use it, you're going to lose most of your hair "

my hairdresser, ten years ago

[metal_sugar]

I used to have really oily hair. And always thought (thank you commercials and hairdressers of my past) you had to use a hampoo for oily hair and wash it every day, stripping my hair. Gah! I cringe when I think about it now.

Giving my scalp some moisture, getting rid of SLS and washing less frequently has saved my hair (and my scalp.)

[FrannyG]

When asking a stylist about straightening some months ago (before LHC), she reiterated this (I'd already been "protecting" my hair for years before that ;)) AND she said, "it causes less damage to straighten on high heat and only go over the strands once instead of on the lowest setting and going over multiple times creating physical damage." I estimate it'll take me two or three more months to recover from the two-inch trim I had to have in April due to taking her "advice" :mad:

How can we be so silly to believe this stuff?!? ;)

We believed it because we wanted to believe it. :)

[HotRag]

One dermatologist said to me that no hormone inbalance of any kind would make hair fall.

She laughed at my idea of that. She also said dandruff would never cause hair loss, and gave me a broshure that said "hormone inbalances are most common in hair loss [...] dandruff can in some cases cause mild hair loss".

I did not read it until I got home :'( Otherwise I hade gone "#¤%

It was hard to overcome, but I did not believe her. Hard to overcome that MD with specialists extra education in hair and skin, can say such things.

[emmabovary]

When I was a little kiddie, the woman my mom left me with while she worked nights made me brush my hair a 100 strokes every morning. That created a lovely poufy, frizzy mess! I didn't believe her, but she made me.

In recent years the only bad advice I've been given has been layers. "You need layers because your hair is curly and it will get a triangle shape if you dont' get layers!" Yeah right, or it will look as a triangle when I DO get layers. When I don't have them I get nice ringlets that weigh it down. Never ever is anyone talking me into layers again!

[Night_Kitten]

When I just started growing, I went to some lecture given by a hairtylist in some beauty event, an the stylist said that to prevent damage to long hair one should avoid doing updoes and alway leave it down... And I actually believed it! :doh:
Thanks to him my braid looks like a thinning hairy catterpillar, and I have breakage all the way down the length...

[Milui Elenath]

Your hair probably won't be able to get past waist because its so fine. And the similar your hair probably won't grow any more than it has.

As a result I had waist length hair for nigh on 10 years. I was so convinced it couldn't grow longer I kept trimming to keep the ends healthy.

With advice like that I wonder how I even got to waist. I always wanted classic and now thanks to LHC I am about 1 and 1/2 inches away.

[TrudieCat]

People always said that my hair was too dark and it "needed red hilights". I never take that to heart but it never gets any les annoying.

People were always telling me to add highlights to my dark ash blonde hair. Stylists, friends, co-workers... I heard things like "it'll brighten up your face," and "it'll look more natural," (huh?) and "it'll give you a sun-kissed beachy look."

I put a brighter blonde streak in for fun a couple months ago, and it's fine, but I will not be sad when it grows out. I don't look brighter or more sun-kissed, I just look - shocker! - like I dyed my hair.

[Siava]

That I shouldn't use a lot of conditioner. I followed that advice for a while when I was 12-13, despite the fact I couldn't detangle my hair! xD

I got that one as well from my mother. She always said, "You only need the size of a quarter! Quit using so much conditioner!" Uh, I had waist length hair vs. her boy cut style. Stupid conditioner caused so many battles. :lol:

[myotislucifugus]

My hair was too thin to grow.
My hair was baby fine.

It's not. It's average thickness, and while I'd like a thicker hemline, it is doable with trims.

[breezefaerie]

Don't use henna on your hair - you will destroy it!
* Henna has made my hair so much stronger and my scalp doesn't break out as it did with commercial dyes.

Short hair will make you look younger
*Does the EXACT opposite and ages me about ten years.

With your fine, this hair you need to keep it short.
*My fine thin hair looks much worse when short.

[Jammy]

wooo I sure have been misled by people I believed:

Sitting in the sun with lemon juice wont damage hair

Dying hair dark improves the condition

PPD damage is a myth

$99 shampoo would make you look like a pantene commercial

your hair should literally be "squeeking" clean after you wash, oils are a bad sign

[XcaliburGirl]

Fairytale ends are straggly and unhealthy. I like them!

[joiekimochi]

That Asian girls should never keep their hair long, un-layered, straight and black all at once, or else they will look like village farm girls from the rice fields of China. If hair is to be long, un-layered and straight, it has to be peroxide-lightened to a light brown shade. If it has to be long, straight and black, it has to be layered the life out of it to look "hip" and "urban". If it is to be long, un-layered and black, it has to be permed so that its curly or wavy. If it is to be...you get the drift.

It took me until this year (since my first perm and chemical hair lightening at 16) to realize that my own natural texture and color is beautiful and perhaps even rare, amongst Asians, for its fineness and straightness, as well as the deep blue-blackness of it, and it's not something to be hidden with peroxided permed curls that look awful anyway.

[Katrina]

That I was too old to have long hair in my 20's. I was told so by my Mom. Long hair was supposed to be seen only on teenage girls and young women under 25. My hair was APL or BSL back then. Now I'm 33 with longer hair than ever before. Mom doesn't say anything about it anymore and I appreciate that :D

[Caldonia Sun]

Mom's advice:

"Why don't you get a pixie, it will be so cool for the summer." Nope. Nothing is cooler than a knot/bun at the nape.

"Women need to keep their hair short when they reach 30."


As a side note, my mom is gone now, but she would be horrified if she saw my long silver hair.

[senorasunny]

~ Definitely the bit about needing to trim every six weeks. No thanks!

~ I got a perm that didn't completely take (only the top 2 inches of my hair curled), and the salon assured me that it wouldn't be too damaging to re-perm it 2 days later. To make matters worse, when the stylist wrapped the rollers the second time, the elastic part laid in such a way that I ended up with a ton of broken hair (literally short clumps around the top of my head). I vowed that day never to do anything chemical to my hair again.

[Amraann]

I have mentioned my friend who always thinks it needs to be cut. (I do not listen to her)
I think she believes that anyone over 30 should not have long hair or she does not like fairy ends.
(maybe both?)

My mother who was a hairdresser insisted that you should brush 100 strokes a night.
My Grandmother (also a hairdresser) believed that all little girls should have Shirley Temple hair!
Luckily my father felt that girls should have long hair so that notion rubbed off on me not my grandmothers.

[Rivanariko]

You need to wash your hair every day or it's dirty (got over this one pretty quickly)

My mother and I have always bemoaned having hair that "doesn't grow" and "can't get really long". Since I stopped brushing (only finger-comb) and started stretching washes and micro-trimming myself instead of cutting once a year, my hair grew 6". I'm still not sure if my mom really believes me...

[growing2shine]

Well, my best friend convinced me to dye my hair BLACK and, and that the dye would be good for my hair. I'm still recovering... And it's sooo tuff. My hair was so healthy, shiny and pretty long(almost waist), and now it's just dry, wired looking hay!!!

Then there is the; your hair is too fine and I DON'T think that you CAN grow long hair, anyway long hair is TOO hard to maintain.

And; the more you brush your hair the healthier it will get.

[JenniferNoel]

A couple years ago I was told not to use a lot of conditioner. Boy, has that changed since LHC... Ha!

And the best story yet is the one where people said how much healthier flat-ironed hair looks when it's layered and damaged. That was three years ago.

[BattahZ]

Lather, rinse, repeat, anyone? LOL.

Getting my hair thinned out, both with thinning shears and with razor cuts - that was bad, and just encouraged volume from frizz instead of volume from lots of hair (plus stringy ends as it grew out).

Various notions about my face being too small to have really big hair (read: long hair). Though I've had hair at varying lengths throughout my life, from waist to above the shoulder, and I look better by far with long hair.

[Laurenji]

"Your dandruff will get better if you wash your hair at least once a day."

The more I wash it, the worse it gets. The only thing besides T-gel that's worked is long periods of stretching washes, CO, and maybe a few AVC rinses here and there.

[HildeMV]

Cut a lot of it off so it'll be long!

[luckyduck]

I was told to wash my hair alternating between 3 different shampoos to control my seborrhea, itchy oily scalp. Keep it very clean they would say. Since I started here at LHC, I began to c-cow-c, and I can go days without my scalp itching, and without that gunky build up! Unbelievable! I only wash at most 2x weekly, and OIL (I still can't believe it!) the ends every morning before I put it up.

[Charlotte:)]

Hairstylists always told me my face was too long for long hair, but then I realized they just say that stuff so you will pay them for a haircut. I think anybody can look beautiful with long hair and that society's perception of "beauty" is a little corrupt.

[going gray]

Hairstylists always told me my face was too long for long hair, but then I realized they just say that stuff so you will pay them for a haircut. I think anybody can look beautiful with long hair and that society's perception of "beauty" is a little corrupt.

Hello Charlotte, welcome to LHC. Yes I was always told the same thing, I too have a long face. Many hairstylists simply want you to wear the trendy style of the moment. Took me a long time to realize none of those "in" styles suit me or my hair texture.

[little_cherry]

I've been told that I'd look hideous with bangs...I still don't have them and no one has told me otherwise.

If you have some time, please check out my album and confirm/deny the bangs theory...I'm so curious!


That I absolutely need to get a razored haircut with tons and tons of different layers sliced in because my hair is so thick. :nono:

And meanwhile, people with naturally thin and fine hair are using wigs and hair extensions to achieve the type of thickness I naturally have. :rollin:
Same here! My hair was razored and layered for 8 years! :p

[Cheeks1206]

I guess the main thing that took me years to overcome is brushing! My mom has stick-straight hair, I have curly hair. She has no idea how to care for curly hair, ergo I had no idea how to care for curly hair. I brushed my hair with a big, fat paddle brush until my senior year of high school, and even then I didn't know about styling or anything. It's be a sloooow process, but I finally LOVE my curly hair.

[Milui Elenath]

I got that one as well from my mother. She always said, "You only need the size of a quarter! Quit using so much conditioner!" Uh, I had waist length hair vs. her boy cut style. Stupid conditioner caused so many battles. :lol:

I had a friend who insisted this too, (except being Australia we said 10cents) I used to stare and stare at the conditioner in my hand and think how on earth can I cover my hair with that? I always used more but it never stopped me wondering and for some reason it never occurred to me that her hair was chin length while mine was waist. :confused:

[OperaTeacherMom]

Gems from my mom:

"Make sure you shampoo twice, the first time gets all the oils off, the second one is the one that really gets your hair clean." Might be true for her fine, stick straight hair, but for my 3a curls? Not so much. Shampoo even once=FRIZZ! I quit using shampoo entirely about 3 weeks ago, haven't looked back :)

"You should brush your hair after it dries, or it will look messy". Again, works for the straighties, not so much for curlilocks over here. Thankfully this one I figured out mid-high school, still wish it had been earlier though.

From other people:

"Your hair looks better straightened, you should do that all the time".

[beez1717]

I for many years thought that using johnson and johnson's baby poo was going to make it so that my eyes didn't get like all stingy from the poo. too bad it ruined my scalp and caused dandruff!!! I guess I didn't learn for a long time until I switched off of it and my dandruff solved itself. I guess I didn't learn even from my hair dresser saying that it was bad for my scalp.

[beez1717]

oh and I forgot to say: I can't believe that mom thinks that stripping my hair by washing it twice with whatever poo is at hand is a good idea. she says it looks nice, but she doesn't really know much. It may look nice NOW, but when I did the double wash with whatever poo she gave me, my scalp acted up and my hair was always dry ahd lifeless. Too bad my hair was too short to notice. When my hair got longer people would say how crappy my hair looked and that was from the poo I realized. Ugh.

[kristymarie87]

Hmm....that i can have a blunt straight-across fringe.

I have two major colwlicks on either side of my fringe.....just looked very uneven and people thought i had cut it myself.

In fact when i gave myself straight across fringe, it came out fine as i had it longer and cut it dry!

[chotee]

that using herbs is not any better and henna is actually bad
keep changing shampoo
never oil too much
wash rarely

i thought while these dont suit me it might be ok for some

[Purdy Bear]

Remembered another one:

Oh low lights will bring out the red in your hair, and look gorgeious - they were so low I couldnt see them, and Id paid quite a lot of money to get it done. Said hairdresser also wanted me to do it again, a few months down the line. This one didnt fall for that one again.

[muffins]

That my new straightener would make my hair very healthy and seal my cuticles. I believed it when I first used it as I was 13, and continued to use it everyday. My hair didn't turn out so good...

[Liss]

That my hair looks its best at APL because it's too fine and thin to grow long.


Fairytale ends are straggly and unhealthy. I like them!

I have to admit that it took a lot of browsing through TLHC threads on fairytale ends to develop an admiration for them. I know that is simply because I'd spent my entire life listening to people telling me that only blunt cuts were healthy and pretty!

[young&reckless]

Henna always turns hair fire red, like red red, not matter what.

Oh ,guess you can mix it with cassia to get a copper color, oh wait yeah you can.

Should of henna'd years ago

[Calypso]

Don't grow your hair long, it won't suit your long face.
I suppose it's true that short hair would probably suit my face shape well, but as long as I have a fringe, long hair looks fine with my face shape.
Also, people have told me that henna will ruin my hair. :/

[ccaswick]

I always laugh when a stylist tells a client (especially a young first timer) that they look cute with shorter hair. Think about it from a financial standpoint -- let's say you are a stylist -- do you want that client coming in often -- or not?

Simple as that -- same with perms, coloring, etc., the more they can sell you and the oftener, the $$$$$$$$$$$ in their pocket.

They can be good when you need one; but it can also be a ball-and-chain.

[Igraine]

I for many years thought that using johnson and johnson's baby poo was going to make it so that my eyes didn't get like all stingy from the poo. too bad it ruined my scalp and caused dandruff!!! I guess I didn't learn for a long time until I switched off of it and my dandruff solved itself. I guess I didn't learn even from my hair dresser saying that it was bad for my scalp.

Sorry but I can't stop giggling... :bounce:

[Pumpkin]

I fell for the "long hair on people over 30 makes them look old" and "You need a 'power' cut, so you can advance in the work place". So, at 31 I fell for both (stupid! stupid!) and cut my BSL hair into a short, above the shoulder bob. Well, apparently, that wasn't good enough...so, I went for the pixie cut!! Woo Hoo...not so much... I wore that until I started growing in September of '08. My experience with those gems of advice? I look younger and more feminine with long hair, and having short hair did not 'advance' my career. With age, does come wisdom.

[Charlotte:)]

I never really understood the whole "power cut" thing. Personally I think that long hair makes someone look more powerful :)

[MissManda]

This is one of the more recent ones. I haven't fallen for it, but it just bugs me!

CO and CWC don't really get your hair clean enough. Two shampoos will.

I know CO/CWC don't work for everyone, but they most certainly work for me and I have a feeling that the person who gave this advice would benefit from them. XD

Admittedly, I do occasionally shampoo twice. It doesn't seem to bother my hair or scalp too much, actually. I just try not to do it too often.

[mellie89]

"You're tall and thin. Long hair will just make you look taller and thinner." Mmmmkay.

"Your hair is so fine. A shoulder length, layered cut would make it look so much thicker."

[Igor]

“Because lemon juice is natural, it will be a healthier way for your hair to bring out the blonde than with something artificial”

Right…

/Points to starting length

[beez1717]

Having short hair is easier to manage....

HA!

[beez1717]

Having short hair is easier to manage....

HA!

wait, I forgot to say: NO it isn't. you still have your scalp to worry about. with long hair you get to see how healthy your hair is which is a bonus. Also a bonus is the fact that you get to brush your hair, which I think is super fun!!!

[3azza]

Oh, i have a bunch of these funny advices, there you go:
1. Little girls should not grow their hair very long because it prevents their body to grow in height as the hair will take all the nutrients.
2. I should cut my hair short because it's thick and curly and this will save me time, which is totally the opposite. I find it easier to handle longer hair.
3. I should dye it blond or red because dark curly hair is not as nice.
4. Olive oil and other natural oil masks are bad for hair and they "burn" it and i should use a store bought mask instead.
5. Henna is bad for hair and causes it to dry and split and break.
6. You should cut the hair of todlers and infants as much as you can so that they gain thickness. If you don't they will grow thinner and fewer hairs.
7. Conditioner causes hair loss.

[AbigailR84]

"You're tall and thin. Long hair will just make you look taller and thinner." Mmmmkay.

Oh wow. Definitely not! I've known two people that had beautiful virgin waist-length hair. Both chopped it off into a bob and instantly looked a lot thinner. Not necessarily taller, but thinner for sure. Not an improvement in any way.

[AbigailR84]

I'm told I'll look younger if I cut my hair, but most matronly looking women I see have short hair.
Yes!! How do people not get that?



I'm told short hair will be easier to care for. (YEESH! I see what people with short hair go through styling their hair!)
Agreed! What's easier: blowdying, styling, and hair spraying, or letting your hair dry naturally and leaving it down or pulling it back in a ponytail or bun? Long hair can be more comfortable in hot weather, too, because you don't have to have all those little hairs around your face.



That's one reason I came to this board: to get a counter-balance to all the advice people have when they encounter someone with long hair. (Cut off and give it to locks of love! Cut it off to save the Gulf! Cut it off because you're over 30! Over 40! Over 50! Cut it off because you look like a hippie! Cut it off because you'll love all the cute styles! Cut it off, just cut it off!)
There really is a battle against long hair. Women with shorter hair don't want other women to have long hair. But just look at all the images of goddesses, heroines and sex icons and tell me what's more attractive...I'm not sure, but I think men prefer longer hair. ;)

[az_sweetie01]

That I shouldn't grow my hair longer than waist because it's too thin and fine and I should have layers for "movement".

....I STILL struggle with this "advice."

[gypsychild]

Oh! Oh! Oh! I just remembered one!

You always should brush your hair 100 strokes every night. This makes your hair healthier. Now I can see it would spread your scalp's oil through your hair, but I'd think it could also damage your hair.

I got this one as well. Since it was administered with a crappy plastic brush and not a boar-bristle brush, I'd call it bad advice. With my length now, I can get away with just running my fingers through my hair. One of my promises for growing out was to stop brushing entirely, except for some BB strokes every now and then.

[cobblersmaid]

Brushes are good for your hair.

I started using a wide toothed comb in college, because my hair would still be too wet to brush in the AM. After awhile I sorta stopped brushing, and then I found LHC and realized that it was perfectly fine to do so!!!

[alabaster]

-semi permanent dye wont damage your hair
-you should keep your hair short and thin it out because it is so thick
-you look prettier with a pixie cut
-trimming your hair every month will make it grow faster
-your hair needs lots of protein (it took me forever to figure this one out- my hair hates protein and will get dry, brittle and break off if i use it)

[hanne jensen]

Because your hair is thick you should have layers to give movement to your hair. Yeah-it cost me 2 years at chin length and now 7 centimeters!

You should always have short hair, it suits your face.

Your hair is bushy, it should be thinned. It's taken me several years to grow out that damage!

You should get highlights, it would make you look so much younger. Not on my head!

If you wash your hair every day it will grow faster.

[LaFlor]

The one that got me was people saying that my natural color was boring, and since it isn't and official color it doesn't count... like I didn't have a hair color. I thought I needed to either be platinum blonde or chocolate brown to actually qualify as having a hair color. Neither one suited me as well as my natural color though... who would have thought?

[freckles]

Oh, i have a bunch of these funny advices, there you go:
1. Little girls should not grow their hair very long because it prevents their body to grow in height as the hair will take all the nutrients.

:ohmy: this is my favourite so far!

[KellieKay]

that I needed a perm because my hair was to flat.

[ohiofritty]

Once when getting a trim:

"You shouldn't use conditioner"

:confused:

[Athena's Owl]

The biggest ones:

"Your hair needs to be straight. If you don't straighten your hair, You don't care about your appearance. You don't look as pretty. You don't look professional. Straight hair is what you have to have. It's more attractive and just better than curly hair. It doesn't matter what you do or what you try, your natural hair is never, ever attractive."

"Your hair type (and when I say that, I mean your *race* because your hair type has been marketed and portrayed as incredibly different from all other hair on the planet and it has everything to do with who your daddy was) will never get longer than shoulder length while straightened anyway. Trying to have long hair like you did when you were a little girl is a big waste of time because it's impossible."

"Oh everyone who DOES have curly hair past shoulder length with "your hair type?" That's a weave. That's the only way it's possible. And the ones with "your hair type" with straight hair? That's also a weave. Because again, the only way it's possible."

Actually I'm posting here because I'm mad at soemthing that happened yesterday. I think I'll post seperately about that.

[Drarra]

That straight hair isn't pretty and has to be permed so the damage makes it "look better."

I with I had more volume at the scalp, but I love how shiny, soft and smooth my straight hair is. It never felt as nice when it was permed.

[C_Bookworm]

That hair should always feel squeaky clean. I would shampoo twice a day. Poor hair.

[burns_erin]

For me the only one I ever bought into was teenagers can't have grey hair and that i was weird because I did. Probably why i still can't just let it grow out natural, but at least I eventually did find henna. I will admit I did feel better though when I found other people here admitting to grey hair in their teens.

[Yozhik]

I didn't realize until I came here (so many years of damaged hair! :() that you weren't supposed to pile all of your hair on your head when you wash it! AND that it needs to squeak to be clean! Oh my damaged ends :cry:

[MotherConfessor]

"Brush your hair! Your head looks like a mop!"

Of course it looks like a mop - I just brushed it for you!

"This miracle product will mend your split ends!"

Lies! Vicious, slanderous half truths! I kept not trimming off my doll hair like split ends because I figured I did not need to because this miracle product would cure them. Rawr.

[elliebean184]

I was told my thick curly hair needed layers all along the top, for volume.
But...... it was BIG and curly already! GAAAAAH!
So, I started middle school (at a new school!) with a mullet. That's pretty much all they wrote in the yearbook about me.

[MissManda]

"Short women shouldn't grow their hair long because it will make them look like little girls."

Well, I do look younger than I actually am (by about 5-6 years), but I don't really care. I will look like a wood elf or a faerie! And to be quite honest, short hair makes me look even smaller and shorter.

[thriftesfai]

There are products out there to mend split ends.

Heat protectant sprays will fully protect your hair from heat damage. Oh, how I wish this was true :(

Conditioner will cause your hair to fall out. LOL, looking back at this, I realize how dumb it was.

This is an awesome thread, some of the advice is ridiculous!

[aksown]

6. You should cut the hair of todlers and infants as much as you can so that they gain thickness. If you don't they will grow thinner and fewer hairs. WHAT!!!! The girl that I babysit had her first haircut at nearly five years old and it was thick and healthy and tailbone length. :steam:wail: Needless to say, I was crushed when she called and told me her mom cut it to a chin-length bob. I bribed her with a case, yes a CASE, of Reeses not to cut it. She ate all of them and then got the cut, sneaky kid.
The only advice I had a hard time getting over was the old "if you cut it, it will grow". I still find myself staring at my ends thinking, just a little trim and it'll start shooting out of my head.

[countryhopper]

I used to tease my hair (both as a bob and at shoulder length) since I didn't like my flat, straight hair. Oh, and I used hot rollers EVERY DAY, even if I was just going to put it up in a clip anyway. I think I also did this to make my nose look smaller.

Maybe this wasn't "advice" given verbally by others, but it was more...observed. Everyone around me, it seemed, groomed the life out of their hair.

[BritishBraider]

I was once told that a fringe would really suit me. I then got it stuck in the top of my glasses and pulled half of it out (ow!) never again!

[asiajewel]

Someone told me that my hair will never grow as long as I want it to be.
And people always tell me that I look alot better with straight hair, and i should straighten it all the time and not have it curly :confused:
But whatever:cheese:

[HintOfMint]

"conditioner is a useless product, it just makes your hair dirty again." Technically one's hair isn't as clean as it is immediately after a shampoo, but that doesn't make it a bad product. Thank god for conditioner, actually.

On the flip side, some good advice that took me too long to take: "don't wash your hair every day." and "use coconut oil as a deep treatment."

[sibiryachka]

My scalp became very oily when I hit puberty. My mother hated it, and insisted that I wash it every day - she even used it as a bribe: "If you wash your hair every day for 6 months, you can get your ears pierced" (when I was 12). By the time I'd earned my pierced ears, my scalp had become accustomed to daily washing, and was uncontrollably oily. That lasted until my mid-20s, when I finally sucked it up for about a month to live with the crazy greasies while adjusting to washing every other day.

[rachelily]

I was once told that a fringe would really suit me. I then got it stuck in the top of my glasses and pulled half of it out (ow!) never again!

OH that used to happen to me back when I had glasses, it would get caught in the hinges and you take them off and owwww I hated that so much!

[Lamb]

Fine hair should not be worn long. In fact, it can't grow long. It will just break off by itself. Or it will look thin, ratty, and stringy.
:hmm:

[YesitsReal]

I used to tease my hair (both as a bob and at shoulder length) since I didn't like my flat, straight hair. Oh, and I used hot rollers EVERY DAY, even if I was just going to put it up in a clip anyway. I think I also did this to make my nose look smaller.


Have you ever noticed that most of the beauty advice given to us is about making something smaller or de-emphasizing something? "Wear this dress; it'll make your waist look smaller! Wear these jeans; the pockets will make your butt look smaller! Wear these kinds of tops; they'll de-emphasize a larger chest! Get your hair cut this way; it'll balance your face out." It's like it's all about augmenting something that's wrong with you. There's nothing wrong with you that needs to be fixed by making your body/face/hair conform to somebody's standard!

Getting off the soapbox now. :o

That being said, the worst hair advice I ever received was from my sister (a stylist). She told me I should blow-dry, flat-iron, gel, and spray my hair every day to make it look good. However, I think that it was because she was a stylist, and it made her look good. I should have stopped listening to her tell me I looked like crap years ago.

[Holly9192]

I need Highlights because my dark hair washes me out.

layers and thinning with a razor...gave me split ends!

my head gets itchy because i put every in the kitchen on my head instead of just shampoo and conditioner. -my dad :rolleyes: lol

[SharkDisco]

That I was too old to have long hair in my 20's. I was told so by my Mom. Long hair was supposed to be seen only on teenage girls and young women under 25. My hair was APL or BSL back then. Now I'm 33 with longer hair than ever before. Mom doesn't say anything about it anymore and I appreciate that :D

My mom used to tell me this, too! As a result, when I was 24 I had my almost waist-length hair cut close to my shoulders (as an added touch, my stylist decided to give me bangs). It instantly aged me about ten years, and the bangs looked RIDICULOUS! I'd rather look like a young woman with unfashionably long hair than like a haggard hausfrau with fashionably ugly short hair ; )

[MandyBeth]

That the metal ties did no damage while the no metal ties did damage when they broke in my hair.

[Arielle8960]

That hair is pretty when it is either straight or curly, but not wavy. So if you have wavy hair you either need a perm or a straightener. I'm still struggling with this one.

Fortunately I have overcome "trim every six weeks" and "layers will make your thin hair look fuller", which is why I've escaped having short, even thinner-looking hair!

[redkdawg]

I've ignored bad hair advice and have had long hair for most of my life, but bad hair advice remains hard to ignore.

I'm told I'll look younger if I cut my hair, but most matronly looking women I see have short hair.

I'm told I'll like my hair more short.

I'm told that my hair color will look better short.

I'm told short hair will be easier to care for. (YEESH! I see what people with short hair go through styling their hair!)

That's one reason I came to this board: to get a counter-balance to all the advice people have when they encounter someone with long hair. (Cut off and give it to locks of love! Cut it off to save the Gulf! Cut it off because you're over 30! Over 40! Over 50! Cut it off because you look like a hippie! Cut it off because you'll love all the cute styles! Cut it off, just cut it off!)

I hear a lot of the same stuff - mostly the "no woman over 40 should have long hair" bit. <eye rolls>

[luxepiggy]

I've always completely disregarded bad hair "advice," thankfully, but there was one that really threw me for a loop and *almost* got me . . . the very FIRST CHAPTER of the book "how not to look old" is titled "Nothing Ages You Like Too-Long Hair That's Parted Down the Middle"

d'oh . . . (>(oo)<)

[MandyBeth]

Newer one is to not let DF touch my hair since he has locs longer than my hair. He gives the best massages and adores my hair as it's not like his. Mine, all mine and I do not share!

[Centaur]

I have been told so many things about my hair, it is a wonder I have any self-esteem left at all.

I have been told I need to straighten my hair, perm my hair, color my hair, put highlights in my hair, CUT MY HAIR. I have been encouraged to use a blow fryer and brush to straighten my hair and then use a curling iron to curl my hair. WTF!:confused:

I have been told I can't put conditioner on my scalp, that I can't use a moisturizing conditioner, that deep moisture treatments will make my hair greasy, that I can't keep the same hair style for more than a year, that I can't part my hair down the middle, that I need bangs, that I need shorter bangs, that I need thicker bangs, that long hair makes my hair look thinner, etc etc etc.

The bad hair advice I used to take was using a blow fryer and heat appliances (although I never did this very often - at the very most years ago I used it once per week at most), as well as not conditioning and moisturizing my hair enough. Guess what, Mom? I use OIL on my hair now! And I LIKE it!:cool::p :lol:

[Maddy25]

Whenever my hair started to get long my Grandma would tell me it had no style and looked blah...I always caved and cut it :(

[Centaur]

Whenever my hair started to get long my Grandma would tell me it had no style and looked blah...I always caved and cut it :(

I totally identify with you on this, as my mother and former friend were the worst about getting on me about this. I never have really cared about being in style, don't have any interest in looking "cute" and am a dance to the beat of my own drummer type of person, so the most I would cave to the pressure would be to make small changes, like cut a few inches off or put in a little bit of long layers, or a little shaping around the sides of my face. But, at the same time, I really did feel sadness and frustration from the peer and family pressure.

[Qwerty Uiop]

That I *had* to get a trim every six weeks and that a "trim" involved hacking off seven or eight inches of "ugly split ends" to "make it look like I had more hair" and did I want to make an appointment for my next trim after I paid the bill?

:(

[Yamainu]

That razor cuts and layers would make my thin hair look fuller. It wasn't until coming here that I even realized that my hair isn't near as thin as I always thought! Less hair = less volume... imagine that!!!

That I had to get highlights to keep my hair blonde instead of letting darken naturally as I age (I had a bit of an identity crisis when I realized I wasn't blonde anymore... one I should have had back in high school, where identity crises belong :) ). Now I get to live with two toned hair that means my hair always looks dirty.

That shoulder length hair would make me look "thinner" - it doesn't, as it's a big mass of hair right in front of your face. A nice updo takes POUNDS off.

That my straight hair was some sort of personality defect - and that I should fry/perm/curl my hair every day to look good. Luckily, my inherent laziness kept me away from this one.

[Chiara]

With your fine hair you need to keep it short.


How many times have I heard that? But my hair grows fast, and a short cut means I need to get it re-shaped every 6 weeks. Much easier to have longer hair with bangs which I can trim myself every 10 days...


no woman over 40 should have long hair
I am looking forward to being a rebel with my long hair :) Since joining LHC and actually paying attention, I've noticed many women over 40 looking very elegant with long hair (and short hair too). It's not as though only those with 'the right hair' look good!

[Aleria]

Don't brush your hair when it's wet.
I still don't brush, but I comb in the shower with a wide-toothed comb, and my waves look way better because of it.

[Qwerty Uiop]

"You must brush your hair a hundred strokes before bed every night"

[MissManda]

This has to be one of the strangest ones:

"Henna is really good for your hair (better for you than chemical dye) because it makes it very silky, shiny, and stronger. Just make sure you don't do it a lot or your hair will break off like it does with chemical dye."

How about that...

[Danaus plexippu]

"You have such thick hair...you must thin it to prevent headaches."

"You are too old for hair past your shoulders."

"Now that you have a baby, you need to get rid of all that hair...you won't have time for it."

From the "color-me-beautiful" thing, "You have a cool skin tone and can never wear: gold, brown, orange or yellow." If those colors are so bad on me, why on earth did God give me golden hair, eyes and freckles over pinkinsh skin?

BTW, I've had my hair short, long, brown, red, blonde...I wear my hair for me!

[enjay]

This is all ringing bells with me - all the things about thin and fine hair have been said to me at some point. Possibly why I have horrible layered shoulder length hair at my age. Not for much longer though mwahahahaha.......

[Lianna]

I didn't like to cut bangs straight across because I have a chubby face. I used to do it but feel bad about it. Today I cut it like this and love it/don't care if people think I look bad.

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=11431669

[cubedcoley]

At 17-years-old I was getting my high school senior pictures done. At one point, the photographer removed the camera from his face, looked at me with severe scrutiny and proclaimed: "Did you know your right eye is much smaller than your left?" I think it took me a good 10 years to avoid being self-conscious whenever anybody took photos of me.

Oh, yeah, "Long hair in women over 30 looks ridiculous" by ALL the women in my family form the time I was, oh, about 8 years old! Thus, my hair was shorn by 21 years. Luckily, I got tired of all the haircuts and money-spending! Solution? Grow hair out, at least a little bit! Wow, that felt really good to get off of my chest!!!!

[pineconejg]

You should have a body wave perm.

My mom did the perm and it burned my hair off in two places and burned my skin.

[LaurelSpring]

Mine was also the need to trim every 6-8 weeks. I got really freaked out at first. I was so used to getting those trims. I dont know what I thought would happen if I didnt. I guess I somehow had some fear that my hair would instantly split up the shaft or that it would not grow at all because I was told I had to trim it so it would grow. :brickwall

[MandyBeth]

Oh and a perm would look good and would relax out in a few months. Didn't look bad, was better than heat. But never relaxed at all. 9 mths later I burned all my hair off.

[Autumnberry]

The advice I received was to cut in layers and straigten it to make it look as bouncy as straight, medium to coarse hair. Uhhh, no......

[Centaur]

Oh! I just thought of one more bit of "advice" given to me. Long hair doesn't look professional in the workplace.:rolleyes:

[.:Alma:.]

I was told over and over that razor cutted layers would give volume and "life" to my straight fine hair...

[alwayssmiling]

My HD told me years ago that flat ironing is good for the hair as it seals in the moisture....It took me years to work out why my hair was getting shorter on its own.

[jeanniet]

At 17-years-old I was getting my high school senior pictures done. At one point, the photographer removed the camera from his face, looked at me with severe scrutiny and proclaimed: "Did you know your right eye is much smaller than your left?" I think it took me a good 10 years to avoid being self-conscious whenever anybody took photos of me.

Oh, yeah, "Long hair in women over 30 looks ridiculous" by ALL the women in my family form the time I was, oh, about 8 years old! Thus, my hair was shorn by 21 years. Luckily, I got tired of all the haircuts and money-spending! Solution? Grow hair out, at least a little bit! Wow, that felt really good to get off of my chest!!!!
No one has a perfectly symmetrical face, so that was a really mean thing to say to you. If you take a piece of paper and use it to cover up one side of a portrait (I mean of anyone, not you) and then the other, you'll see that often there's a pretty dramatic difference between sides. It just doesn't look strange when you put the whole thing together. A photographer would probably notice differences more because he stares at faces all the time, but honestly, what a crappy thing to say!

[Cupofmilk]

The reason I got my hair cut off in December was beacuse I finally gave in to my mother's advice that long hair was extremely ageing and fattening. I would look much younger thinnwe and healthier with short hair.
Now I have short hair I look older, fatter and am very cheesed off.

[LouLaLa]

I have been told so many things about my hair, it is a wonder I have any self-esteem left at all.

I have been told I need to straighten my hair, perm my hair, color my hair, put highlights in my hair, CUT MY HAIR. I have been encouraged to use a blow fryer and brush to straighten my hair and then use a curling iron to curl my hair. WTF!:confused:

I have been told I can't put conditioner on my scalp, that I can't use a moisturizing conditioner, that deep moisture treatments will make my hair greasy, that I can't keep the same hair style for more than a year, that I can't part my hair down the middle, that I need bangs, that I need shorter bangs, that I need thicker bangs, that long hair makes my hair look thinner, etc etc etc.

The bad hair advice I used to take was using a blow fryer and heat appliances (although I never did this very often - at the very most years ago I used it once per week at most), as well as not conditioning and moisturizing my hair enough. Guess what, Mom? I use OIL on my hair now! And I LIKE it!:cool::p :lol:


I would LOL if you tried to do all of this at once :p

I used to always be told by people that fine hair didnt look good long, you can only brush long hair with a paddle brush (???) you need to have 2 inches off with each trim and just the usual silly things!

I think alot of peoples advice comes for jealousy!

[Kome]

That I needed to shampoo my hair EVERY day, despite it always being frizzy and poofy. Also, using a brush! I didn't learn until recently that I needed to use a comb and have been for a year now. My hair is so much happier. I learned a couple of years ago that my hair type only needed shampoo'd once or twice a week and that I really just needed water only or conditioner. Wala! Sometimes I never have any frizzy or poof at all now, especially next day. :)

[Peggy E.]

That it was easy to "self-trim." Even with the greatest systems in the world, I ended up taking off almost 8" in my desire to get it "even." :o(

I've finally regained the length I lost - never again!

[luxepiggy]

just remembered another one - only tall people can have long hair (>(oo)<)`

[MandyBeth]

Peggy, that's why I am way too chicken to trim my hair! Tho have a DF who is ok with trims if I whine first.

[beez1717]

The WORST advice that society gives EVER and I think you are going to agree is: Guys are not supposed to have long hair, and that LONG for a guy is like APL or something. NO APL is still SHORT. classic can be considered LONG and so can WAIST but APL is NOT long. And, more guys should have long hair. They'd look good with it and would actually compliment their looks.

[LadyJennifer]

That I don't need conditioner (my mom), thankfully, I was smart enough to know better. She just ragged me on it though.

That my hair needed a trim every 6 weeks or 2 months at MOST.
I wondered why my hair did not seem to grow past hip. Apparently my stylist chopped off all my growth! (I never paid much attention to how much she chopped, I trusted she'd only cut what needed to be cut). Turns out my hair only splits when it's been damaged by heat. I haven't trimmed in almost 8 months and my ends look great! I think I'll keep trims to once a year:)

[Centaur]

just remembered another one - only tall people can have long hair (>(oo)<)`

Oh, that is another big one! I am short, so, yeah - I have been told that a lot - that short people can't have long hair, because it makes me "look shorter.":confused::rolleyes:

[Igraine]

The WORST advice that society gives EVER and I think you are going to agree is: Guys are not supposed to have long hair, and that LONG for a guy is like APL or something. NO APL is still SHORT. classic can be considered LONG and so can WAIST but APL is NOT long. And, more guys should have long hair. They'd look good with it and would actually compliment their looks.

ITA. This is not a personal advice I received but I shudder at the people who display skepticism with respect to long-haired men. (going beyond plain aesthetic preference). I too think that unless nature does not plan that a man has his hair on for long, he is often more complimented by longer locks.

[Seagreen]

*smiles*.....

The one about the Brazilian Blowfry...

"It will make you hair more manageable, silky, soft, you'll never look back... noooo, there aren't any chemicals in it, it's just protein, the extra hot straightening irons are not damaging, they're pushing the protein into the hair shaft, it's good for it... that burning smell is just the protein ... you'll never look back"

... how I look back now... :cool:

Wiser, stronger :D

[triumphator!]

At 17-years-old I was getting my high school senior pictures done. At one point, the photographer removed the camera from his face, looked at me with severe scrutiny and proclaimed: "Did you know your right eye is much smaller than your left?" I think it took me a good 10 years to avoid being self-conscious whenever anybody took photos of me.

One of my bottom eyelids always closes a tiny bit more than the other when I am smiling with my eyes. I have literally trained myself to self-correct this, since people make fun of it so much.

[luxepiggy]

Oh, that is another big one! I am short, so, yeah - I have been told that a lot - that short people can't have long hair, because it makes me "look shorter.":confused::rolleyes:

I prefer to adhere to the philosophy that being short makes my hair "look longer" :cheese:

[luxepiggy]

One of my bottom eyelids always closes a tiny bit more than the other when I am smiling with my eyes. I have literally trained myself to self-correct this, since people make fun of it so much.

my eyes are just completely unmatched - my left eye looks like the one in "f", and my right eye looks like the one in "a"! :confused:
http://www.asianeyelid.com/images/eyes_8_exhibit.jpg

[Ludde]

To cut because I looked ugly and plain in waistlong hair. Twice. Comfort is somehow these advisors are the ones most regretting I now no longer have "waistlong straight beautiful hair".

[Qwerty Uiop]

The WORST advice that society gives EVER and I think you are going to agree is: Guys are not supposed to have long hair, and that LONG for a guy is like APL or something. NO APL is still SHORT. classic can be considered LONG and so can WAIST but APL is NOT long. And, more guys should have long hair. They'd look good with it and would actually compliment their looks.

Absolutely. I've never found short hair attractive on men, but all the "rules" about not being able to use the hair toys and tricks women take for granted to get past awkward stages probably has something to do with why they don't.

ElderSon was told that he should cut his hair so people would stop mistaking him for a girl. When he was 8, he seemed to understand that it would take years to grow back his beautiful waist length easy-to-manage locks and that regular trims would be necessary (and sometimes he would have to pay for them with his allowance or Christmas/birthday money from grandparents) so I agreed.

The first day out in public with his "boy's standard" haircut, a nice old lady complimented him on being such a beautiful, polite, and well-mannered "little lady" and then said to me in a stage whisper, "Too bad about her hair, but it will grow back."

Unfortunately, once he got past puberty and his once delicate facial features became unmistakably male and lifting weights and other athletic activities gave him a body that nobody could possibly consider "feminine", EVERY time he decided to grow his hair back it got to the stage where I or his sister would grab some clips or bobby pins or headbands and couldn't get past it getting in his eyes and looking messy so he cut it short again.

[Djinmonet]

~"You have to brush you hair for it to look neat and tidy. A comb isn't enough."

First time I gave up on the mess that produced, and just used a wide tooth comb, same people were commenting on how nice it was, now that it was finally 'brushed'. :rolleyes: I thought about it, and about my friends who actually have curly hair.

Started proselytizing a 'no brush religion'. I carried cheap, filed-smooth wide combs, and the first hint of "I hate this frizzy mess" I'd suddenly produce a comb, saying "Here, try this after your shower instead! It could bring you peace, happiness and joy!" lol Now I'm drug pushing oils, and assorted rinses... of course.


~"You should have your hair in a cute short haircut due to your active lifestyle, or you can't have nice hair. It will get destroyed."

Every hair tragedy that has befallen me over my lifetime, was not ever once due to an active lifestyle. Pretty much illness is the real enemy in my book.


~"Grey hair will not grow long, it's too fragile."

This one was the worst for me. Having only seen short-haired older ladies all my life, I believed this for so long. My first carefully watched grey hair that made it all the way to the end of my seat was a BIG moment for me a few years ago. I announced this triumphant fact to everyone I knew. I do think my insanity was confirmed to them at the same time.:p
Being on this board truely makes me smile when I see the avatars and sigs of so many ladies who obviously don't have this restriction. I think to myself 'I want that one day! And that...oooo that!'


~"You know you can't have your hair long when your an adult, it drains the color from your face and your face will be white. Pale faces are no longer fashionable."

Has to be one of the funniest things ever said to me. I think I was 9 at the time, and the lady giving this wisdom was at least 80. I looked at her short, permed hair, and thought, is this really how they got women of your time to cut their hair off??? I don't recall what I said, hopefully I was tactful, and not too candid.

[KnittingDragon]

My mother has waist length straight hair. She is in her mid 40's. The whole Long hair = looking old is a crock! How do I know. She was mistaken for my daughter! I am in my 20's!!!

Yipes!!! LOL!

[MandyBeth]

Oh, ripping a brush thru to get rid of tangles. My hair will easily detangle and not break if I use a comb, but I had to throw out every brush to stop with the yanking one thru a knot. And the comb is faster!

[Soraine]

That cutting layers in my hair will make my hair look better...That took 4 years and going to try to fix up. The horror, especially when my layers flip outwards and looked like a fishtail which I didn't ask for. They're almost gone now.

[constantki]

Wash your hair everyday!!

[swivelhop]

"Long thick hair needs layers or it will be flat." --Nothing flat about my hair.
"Long thick hair needs layers or it will too big." --So it is big...
Translation: "Long thick hair needs layers so you have to pay more to salons."

I found that "Color Me Beautiful" book as a young kid. The entire book OFFENDED ME! The notion of telling someone what to do with thier hair and makup and what colors and styles to wear. WHAT!?!?! I thought everyone wore what they LIKED.

[Bene]

Can't say I've been given any hair advice that I believed and needed to overcome. My brain sort of filters these things into two categories:

1) Advice that people give because they've heard it somewhere from a source they trust, and take it at face value, without bothering to fully understand what it does or how it works.

2) Advice that actually makes sense and is useful for me.



I've heard a lot of the advice people have mentioned in this thread, I just never practiced them because they didn't make any sense to me. Like cutting to make hair grow, or dyeing hair makes it healthier, or about how beneficial razor trimming is. Just never made any sense on closer examination. My hair has always been a million times healthier than relatives or friends who had inadvertently damaged their hair because of well-meaning advice or from commercials.




And, somewhat off topic (but still on topic, I swear)


I love watching commercials. But, I'm unconsciously aware that they are trying to sell a product. And their strategy is to use whatever fad or trend is most popular at the time. I'm noticing lately that there are more commercials for shampoos that are sulfate-free. It's quite possible that the companies are responding to some concerns people are expressing about "chemicals". I tend to be somewhat critical when people complain about how companies are trying to push their product on people, mainly because those companies are responding to the needs or wants of their possible clients. If the current trend is to fear those evil sulfates, then someone in the big companies is pushing to make products without those evil sulfates, and making sure they're advertising their products as having absolutely no evil sulfates. And when people who don't even know what sulfates are, see a commercial where it's specifically mentioned that there are no evil sulfates in their shampoo, they think "Wait, if the commercial says there are not sulfates in this, then there must have been some study somewhere that indicates how bad sulfates are, so sulfates must be really really bad" and off they go telling people about how bad sulfates are.

I've noticed that current trend is for people to go all natural or organic. A few years from now, someone will be talking about which hair advice they had to overcome, and mention some things that they've learned here.

[charalito]

I was told over and over that razor cutted layers would give volume and "life" to my straight fine hair...

I'm still growing out those stupid layers. Even when I asked the stylist not to do that to my hair, he still did what he wanted.

I used to believe that the razor cut was healthier than scissor cut... only now I realize that's why I couldn't get past BSL without terrible split ends

[Uhlizubeth]

"Your fine hair is too flat, you need mousse, hairspray, back combing and a curling iron to make it look presentable"
"Your hair is too fine to look good long, keep it above your arm pits"
"Only use a quarter sized ammount of conditioner on your hair: less is more"
I've heard all of these a lot, but the only one I've ever followed was the second one until recently

[Mischamiu]

I should blow dry my hair for it to have less "volume", my super prodamage hair is left with super dry ends...

[Lady Neeva]

"If you grow your hair long, it will sap you of nutrients and prevents you from growing (in height)."
This statement took me some time to "overcome" for lack of a good proof to repel.

[pepperminttea]

"Your hair is so tangly, you should brush it more."

I wish so much someone had told me wearing it up (in something other than a ponytail) prevents tangles. I had so much brushing damage; I kept getting to MBL, realising the extent of the damage, and having it all lopped off again.


"Your hair's thick, it needs layers."

No, no it doesn't. And it actually tangles a little less without them.


And any advice about making my face look less round. God forbid I actually like the shape of my face.

[spookyghost]

That I couldnt grow out my bangs because of my big nose! I did get rid of that hd, after 18 years, and I no longer have bangs:D

[sunshine-locks]

The WORST advice that society gives EVER and I think you are going to agree is: Guys are not supposed to have long hair, and that LONG for a guy is like APL or something. NO APL is still SHORT. classic can be considered LONG and so can WAIST but APL is NOT long. And, more guys should have long hair. They'd look good with it and would actually compliment their looks.

Actually, I think length might be relative. I have an extra long neck and shoulders, so on me, APL looks long :P Also, even the hair I have now (brushing the shoulders) feels long because I've been growing out a pixie cut.

[Dandelion6]

My mom to my younger self: Get it cut short for the summer. It'll grow back!

Yeah right. Takes two years to grow back:(

[sunshine-locks]

The main ones I got - "Don't use conditioner, it'll weigh down your thin hair."
"Wash it every day or it will look greasy and limp."
and.. "Don't let it get too long or it will look straggly and dead" -.-

I don't even use shampoo unless I get something nasty in it, I load it with conditioner at the ends because it's weak there and it does fine, and I had my hair at BSL when I was younger.

It looked good, not straggly at all!

[Correa]

Having layers in my hair. I thought hairdressers where professional people and should know more about haircare than me!

I still don't get the idea behind layers, I should want the end of my hair to look thin? I still don't know a lot about haircare, but I wouldn't trust a hairdresser as far as I could throw them.

[SerinaDaith]

Oh gosh you guys some people just do not have a clue!
I have been told that box dye makes your hair healthy.
Oil is bad, no matter how many sources I can pull up that prove otherwise.
Shorter hair is easier (okay my 1/4 inch cut was easy as heck but not flattering on my round face and anything up to my current just brushing shoulder is a frizzy mass of white girl pouf).
Brushing wet will make it grow faster because while it is wet it will stretch.
Hair likes heat so do as much blowfrying and then straighten so it will be sleek (blowfryer = humidity = more white girl pouf).
Pull your hair or tie weights in it to make it grow faster.

[Ginger Kitteh]

Ah, the many, many gems I have received over the years...

My family always told me that me that my hair would not grow past my shoulders because it was fine, and that I should always keep it in a bob. Finally when I was 13 I decided to grow it out from a bob, and grow it out I did until it was waist length. I think I gave some girls hope because a lot of people assume if you have long hair you must have always had it because you can't grow out your hair past a certain age! (Another bit of "advice").

Also, that no one could naturally form dreadlocks but Black people -_-. Just take a quick browse on Youtube, my friend...*sighs*

[Embrace1913]

The worst advice I ever got was from my older cousin who told me when I was 12 that because I'm half black, I have "negro hair" that can withstand anything. This lead to years of relaxing, blowdrying, hair coloring, etc which eventually caused my hair to melt off by the time i was 18. . . how wrong she was. . . and I was dumb for believing her. If anything the opposite is true. Black hair is delicate and fragile and needs to be treated like fine silk in order to grow long. I had to learn the hard way. . .

[amanda_the_tall]

"you can't grow your hair but maybe 3 inches longer, or it'll look bad"
"adding layers will add more volume"
nope. nope.

[bunnylake]

My mom used to tell me that if I wear my hair in a tight pony tail it would grow faster.

[Simone_Fatale]

"Long hair would look terrible on you."

Well, ***** you! I'm gorgeous with long hair.

[Amorice]

Let's see....

- You have oily skin, which explains your oily scalp, so you have to shampoo daily. And make sure to shampoo ALL of it, but only condition the last few inches. You don't want to make it oily again.

- Don't detangle with your fingers, it'll get oily, which is bad. Just use a brush. And yank.

- Long hair is difficult to take care of (see above)

- Up-dos hurt your scalp and pull out your hair. Leave it down.

- Its just a semi-permanent red dye, it won't damage your hair! There's even a conditioner in the box!

- The 'steam' means its locking in moisture :|

[DancingQueen]

That I should get straight bangs to cover my huge forehead (as a few others I can see). Combined with my very square face and curly hair... lats just say I looked similar to a horse. Turned out face-framing layers and different parts is much better.

[bratz81]

wow, some crazy advice here!

I've had a few as well:
a) short hair is easier to manage (not when I have to blowdry and use product therefore wash everyday)

b) you need layers to give your hair volume and movement. They made it look thinner and tangle more.

c) there's no point in you having long hair unless you wear it down everyday so people can see it.

d) you need it trimmed every 6 weeks so it will grow faster. Every 6 weeks is fine if I'm maintaining a length but not if I'm trying to actually grow it!

[loveisdivine]

That ginger/auburn hair is horrible and something to be made fun of.It took me years to actually enjoy my red hair, and now its fading. I wish I could have been confident with it when it was at its most beautiful.

[alwayssmiling]

Mine is (believe it or not) flat irons seal moisture into hair making it stronger! (HD advice when they first became popular). So off I went merrily straightening away. Within six months I had chunks of hair breaking away, HD told me it was my brand of Flat iron, I needed something more expensive (chop, chop to shoulder length). Bought the expensive recommended brand and the expensive products and carried on straightening. A few months later my hair started to look like a child had been cutting chunks out of my hair on the left side (chop, chop to chin length). Its was only then that I conceded that heat straightening at 230 degrees is not going to seal moisture in. Silly me.

[palaeoqueen]

Like many others here I spent many years believing that my fine hair wouldn't grow much past my shoulders, also that because it was "fine and flat"* it wouldn't suit my face shape anyway. Let's hope that at the grand old age of 32 I can prove them wrong!

*It isn't flat, it's wavy, poofy and huge. It only looked flat because I believed I had badly behaved straight hair and battled with it every day with the hair dryer and (once they were invented) the straightneres. So yes it looked flat because I'd artificially removed every last bit of volume. Naturally straight hair doesn't look like that.

[minxe]

Lots of girls I went to school with told me I needed to straighten my hair, and that I looked so much better with it. I'm still growing out that damage. And hairdressers kept telling me I needed to thin out my hair. Now I have tons of hairs all at different lengths and it looks frizzy all of the time :(

[IndigoOptimist]

I keep getting told that I shouldn't braid my hair so much (I only do it to sleep in) by my boyfriends mum. She says it puts pressure on your roots making your hair strain and fall out. It's annoying me because my braids are very loose, and since using them for sleeping I've noticed a MASSIVE difference in split ends, but she is adamant that it's ruining my hair :/
Same goes putting my hair up with sticks and forks too :/

[AnnaB]

my mum told me my natural hair colour makes me look old!
so for years i tried to get it lighter. Now my hair is dead from all the damage. And even now I am worried how I will look with my natural colour.

[cobden 28]

I've had two pieces of absolutely useless advice that I believed in at the time.....


in 1999, just before I was due to be away from work for 3 months due to surgery and was trying to grow out my fringe, the hairdresser I went to for a trim told me that because I was growing out a fringe that this automatically meant I wanted layers put into the sides of my hair. She then went ahead and cut lots of short layers down the left side of my hair without waiting to see whether this was what I wanted, which I DID NOT. I had to wait a good 18 months before all these horrible layers grew out and I was able to tie my fringe back off my face in a topknot; had the hairdresser just trimmed my fringe and not put layers in, I'd have been able to tie my fringe back much earlier.
secondly, my husband says that if I go outside on a cold day in winter without drying my hair first I'll catch a cold. I don't posess a hairdryer and always let my hair dry naturally - plus I towel-dry my hair thoroughly and don't catch cold as my husband thinks I would!

[Dandelion6]

Mine is (believe it or not) flat irons seal moisture into hair making it stronger! (HD advice when they first became popular). So off I went merrily straightening away. Within six months I had chunks of hair breaking away, HD told me it was my brand of Flat iron, I needed something more expensive (chop, chop to shoulder length). Bought the expensive recommended brand and the expensive products and carried on straightening. A few months later my hair started to look like a child had been cutting chunks out of my hair on the left side (chop, chop to chin length). Its was only then that I conceded that heat straightening at 230 degrees is not going to seal moisture in. Silly me.

Oh wow! I am sorry you went through this. Thank goodness you discovered LHC;)

[RitaPG]

In my early teens I read that short hair makes you look thinner. In my early twenties I've read that long hair slims you down.
I've come to the conclusion that neither was true. The only thing that really made me look slim, was losing the fat :p

That fine hair can't grow.

Also, that oily hair needs to be washed everyday. I don't have oily hair but my sister does, and she used to wash it everyday, but most shampoos for oily hair are so harsh that I could see her hair thinning and her scalp showing more and more. A few years ago I bought her SLS free shampoo formulated for oily hair, and told her to just let herself go and wash every other day, and her ponytail thickness nearly doubled!

[EndlessSunshine]

Believing I should use tons of cones and blow dry.....nope that was bad! So now I embrace my curlies.

[pocketfulla]

That I need high, short layers because my hair is too thick not to have them. Sometimes I really wonder why I pay these people who make me spend years of growing-out.

[BrightEyes]

That fine hair should never be long. I believed it until I came here and saw all the heads of beautiful fine long hair. Now I know that any type of hair can be grown long and look beautiful if it is cared for. And if the person with the hair has the patience needed to grow it.

[Danyelly]

I colored my hair back to my natural color early this year, and when a picture was posted on facebook, a jerk ex of mine ranted about how much better I looked as a blonde, that to keep it only blonde, and it didn't matter what my girlfriends told me they where only 'saying what I wanted to hear.' Did I mention he was a narcissistic jerk? Like, certifiably so. And yet, it manages to still haunt me.

[Redhead Rebel]

My Grandmother used to be a hair desser, she used to tell me that if i don't trim my hair often it won't grow.

She also told me that my coloured hair (which is the same as hers) will never grow past shoulder length as she could never grow hers past that.

I proved both those wrong :)

[HylianGirl]

Those stupid layers advices...


"Your hair is too thin, cut layers to make it thicker"

"Your hair is too thick, cut layers to make it lighter"

So, layers are magical and do whatever your hair need? I neve got that...


And whenever I go to a hairtylist and ask for a blunt cut, they always say that it won't look good and put some layers on it even when I tell them not to. Needles to say I don't go to hair salons anymore, I cut my own hair.


I also heard the Brazilian Blowfry one... Dear people, if something changes the texture of your hair, it is impossible that it is just a bunch of vitamins and proteins, vitamins and proteins don't do that! If your texture changed like that, there was a product in it that made it change!


And I agree with beez1717, men look great with long hair! Saying that long hair is exclusively femine is nonsense.

[DinaAG]

mom always cut my hair when i was a girl and teenager now its hardly shoulder length :( u need 2 trim it monthly-pull it tight in a ponytail-let it down and leave it that way!-dont use oils..-and z worst was from my doctors:use dandruff shampoo which only dried my hair and didnt fix anything! guess what solved that problem? vinegar rinses and thats it as its only a ph dis-balance,,

[Asprettyasme]

#error

#An error occurred.

[angelgypsy]

Ugh. so many...

When I was 11 my waist long hair started to go through a major shed and new thicker hair started coming in. My mother wanted it cut short so that it would be "shaped" and I wouldn't have bushy short hair with wispy long strands. Seemed to make sense so I consented. I was mistaken more than once for a boy. :rolleyes:

A couple of years later, I spent every day swimming at the public pool near my grandma's house, where we stayed for the summer. My hair had grown out to just past my shoulders, with a few trims here and there. I wanted a perm, and my grandma consented to let me get one, and even though it was supposed to just be a body wave, it came out very curly and frizzy because they left it on longer to "break through" the chlorine coating my hair. Actually in the end I did like it, as I've always wished my straight hair were curly.

A couple of years ago, I had a "friend" (no longer a friend!) who went to school to become a stylist. In exchange for helping him out (way more than he deserved) he did my hair for free. He razor cut layers into my hair. He also did some other things and gave me some of the same cockamaimie advice I've seen here. He was such a *pardon my french* dick. Pulling my hair too hard then acting like it was somehow MY fault it hurt. always bitching about how much hair I had when he was doing ANYTHING to it, even after he said many times how wonderful my hair was. Guh. I was glad to get rid of him!

I've been growing out the color and perm he did (perm was again my fault) and for a while I tried to go natural and let my natural color/silver grow out. then an ex boyfriend insisted I color it. Since he had a tendency to yank silvers out of my head, I figured I might as well before he yanked me bald! Eventually dumped that loser and went back to growing the natural again.

Now I have it hennaed a lovely red and I think I will keep the henna for a while until more silver takes over then I will go completely renegray!:twisted:

[MissPetite2010]

hair advice i got was, "your hair looks better shorter, because it looks like you have no neck!" lmao And apparently longer hair hides what neck i have? :D That quote was from my mom a few yrs back. She's used to my length now, and doesn't say much.

[Rufflebutt]

My mother used to tell me that I should wash my hair every day. Blegh! No wonder my hair was so straw-like.

[Turnstyle]

"If you grow it's a hassle and it always gets in your face." - my mom. Whose hair never was longer than her shoulder. So whenever mine got past my shoulder I cut it. Now I ignore whatever she says in that aspect.

[Arden]

I dont know if this is nessisarily advice persay but the majority of my life people have been treating my hair "stright" ....funny thing is about half the stylests I ever went to would complain about how much hair just sucked up moister and held it... and that it was "so hard" to blow dry because it took forever...

I later discovered I was a wavey. My hair grabbed moister because it was longing for it... it was SO hard to blowfry because they where round brushing the snot out of it trying to make it lay down....

Does this look like bone stright hair to you?

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj558/Marcie_Coleman/Hair&#37;20Typing%206-28-2012/ht4e.jpg

[AutumnLocks]

I guess the worst advice I ever got was that I "needed" a perm to give my hair body. The last time I had one was a spiral in the mid 80's. I keep a picture of myself with that perm to remind me to NEVER do that again! I have very nice long straight hair and I like it that way too.

[Arden]

I guess the worst advice I ever got was that I "needed" a perm to give my hair body. The last time I had one was a spiral in the mid 80's. I keep a picture of myself with that perm to remind me to NEVER do that again! I have very nice long straight hair and I like it that way too.

Kind of like the hair dress ther other day who told me I "just need a good round brushing" LOL



In all fairness my hair doesnt look "bad" round brushed... but it pulls out all my waves and makes my hair look "greasy" by day two

[AutumnLocks]

*smiles*.....

The one about the Brazilian Blowfry...

"It will make you hair more manageable, silky, soft, you'll never look back... noooo, there aren't any chemicals in it, it's just protein, the extra hot straightening irons are not damaging, they're pushing the protein into the hair shaft, it's good for it... that burning smell is just the protein ... you'll never look back"

... how I look back now... :cool:

Wiser, stronger :D

I've never even heard of that kind of a blow out until recently. Glad I never tried it! Thanks for the warning! Just one more Brasilian thing for me to avoid along with the Brasialian bikini wax...:tmi:

[AutumnLocks]

That ginger/auburn hair is horrible and something to be made fun of.It took me years to actually enjoy my red hair, and now its fading. I wish I could have been confident with it when it was at its most beautiful.

When I was a little girl I had the most beautiful light red hair. Then I started school and found that it gave the other kids something to tease me about. I wanted so badly to have long dark hair and dark eyes and skin to go with it.
After I got into my 20's I learned to love my red hair and spent lots of money on keeping it that color. I agree with you I wish I could have been more confident with it when it was at it's most beautiful. Mine has faded as well. It still has lovely red tones but it is darker and I have silver coming in at the temples. So, to all those who teased me and said nasty things to me because I have red hair ......:poop: You only wish you have hair as nice as the rest of us red haired beauties!

[ARG]

Every since I started growing hair (I was one of those poor babies that was bald until I was 3), my mother insisted my hair stay short due to my "delicate" features and my hair being so fine. Even as I got older peer pressure from friends ("You look do much better with short hair!") caused me to keep it at chin length for most of my high school days. Funnily enough both my sisters are just as "delicate" as myself and people love them with long hair. Guess I should have stuck to my guns all those years and just grew it out, instead of waiting around for Mr. Right to encourage me to do it on my own.

[HylianGirl]

When I was a little girl I had the most beautiful light red hair. Then I started school and found that it gave the other kids something to tease me about. I wanted so badly to have long dark hair and dark eyes and skin to go with it.
After I got into my 20's I learned to love my red hair and spent lots of money on keeping it that color. I agree with you I wish I could have been more confident with it when it was at it's most beautiful. Mine has faded as well. It still has lovely red tones but it is darker and I have silver coming in at the temples. So, to all those who teased me and said nasty things to me because I have red hair ......:poop: You only wish you have hair as nice as the rest of us red haired beauties!

I've always thought red hair is gorgeous, and where I come from it's a very unsual color, most people with red hair around here use those drugstore box dye that have a very artificial shade, natural red is rare. Only after I discovered the internet I learned that people can get teased because of that, and I never understood why, it's so gorgeous! They were probably jealous =)

[MaryO]

My mom and sister are always on me to cut my hair as it will "make me look younger"!
I'm 28 and really don't think I need to look younger yet. :mad: (And I'm not sure that they're right!!
The horrible result was me hacking off my own SL hair and then had to have it cut really short!:scissors:
Soooo never listening to them again! :lala:

[thirstylocks]

That my long face needed layers to balance it out ---layers made it seem even longer..

[Peggy E.]

I should have known better, but I thought I could do it - all the previous experience to the contrary was completely ignored.....

It was a do-it-yourself trimming system. Seemed easy enough - lots of people here swore by it, people who are, obviously far more competent than am I, which is pretty much everybody.

Just wanted to trim off the very tips, having only to take off so little, after all. Well, 8" later and still not even, I was able to finally pull myself back to my senses and stop while I still had some hair left!

My hair is now in desperate need of trimming. I am housebound and have finally grown back the 8" I "trimmed" off, but I can't do it and I can't get to where someone else can, either.

Stuck. Happily I wear my hair up all the time, but don't want it splitting up to the roots. Blast it all, anyway!

[ouseljay]

That I absolutely had to brush every morning, root to end, or it would turn into a tangled, matted mess. Turns out the brushing was contributing to the tangles.

Oh, and that blonde hair never grows all that long anyway, so don't bother trying too hard. Oddly enough, at the same time as getting told that if I got it trimmed every 4-6 weeks it would grow longer. (Er, not when the stylist trims off 2+ inches every time.)

[jacqueline101]

My favorite was a small built woman shouldn't have long hair makes you look scrawny.

[angelgypsy]

"If you grow it's a hassle and it always gets in your face." - my mom. Whose hair never was longer than her shoulder. So whenever mine got past my shoulder I cut it. Now I ignore whatever she says in that aspect.

Yeah my mom is like that too, she had long hair when she was young and in the early years of marriage. Then she got a short cut, like a feminine version of a boy's cut, not quite as short as that. She's kept it that way all her life since. She has been dyeing it brown since the silver started coming in. I think its actually almost all silver now, I wish she would let it grow out natural but I know she won't. I'll just hope my hair turns silver like hers in a few years.