Anyone else feel too exposed wearing hair up?

[LilacTea]

I usually hide behind my hair a little and feel very self conscious wearing it up. But, it is finally getting long enough to try out some styles. Over time does one get used to wearing hair up? My husband likes seeing more of my face, and this partly stems from a comment in 8th grade that I look mannish with my hair back. Ridiculous, I know. Who else feels naked without their hair down?

[pepperminttea]

I used to feel like this when I first started wearing it up out of choice, not just because it was having an oily day. Now I actually prefer updos, strangely I feel more confident (not to say I feel unconfident with it down, but as if I don't have anything to hide). And there's nothing better than your hair having a really bad day, managing to tame it into something that looks nice, and getting a compliment despite it having been oily/bush-shaped braid waves when you woke up. :)

[Kathie]

Its been a couple of months with me wearing my hair up all the time. At first, I agree I did feel kind of naked. I felt cold chills on my neck etc where I usually don’t feel them.
But, one thing that did help my transition is that I have a few face framing layers. At first these were always out and about. Lately they've been tucked back with a head band. If I hadn’t of had those layers- I think I would have had a more serious freak out.

[ifyouforget]

I actually tend to be a bit the reverse- hair in my face drives me nuts, so I want it put back for that reason, and also my hair tends to be large, and leaving it down can feel too "Hello look at my hair" to me, like I'm somehow out of proportion. I think that comes partly from tending to be a very self-conscious person, and since long hair can be seen as a bit 'weird' (awesome, but not really mainstream), I often feel more comfortable with it up and and out of the way in such a way as to make the length ambigous.
On the other hand if I want to feel anonymous, I have been known to let it down to hide my face a bit, It-style :)

[lastnite]

I usually wear a ponytail when going out, and have the hair covering one shoulder so it doesn't get caught in my purse on the other shoulder. I guess having it this way keeps it off my face, but it still there in a way. Today I have a bun because it's still oily (some reason my usual shampoo didn't clean out all the oil) and it's warm, so it doesn't feel too bad... most people are wearing their up since it's hot.

Right now I'm nervous to wear it completely down since I hennaed and my hair is red-dish now, and glows orange in the sun (lol)... it'll probably catch some attention, I'm not sure if it will be good or bad! It's probably along the same lines of wearing hairsticks knowing I'm the only one wearing them.

[squiggyflop]

as the front half of my hair grows forward naturally i used to hide behind my hair all the time..
um i stopped because when my hair got longer instead of hiding me the hair made me stand out more..

[Long_hair_guy]

When I started wearing my hair up (when my hair got onto my shoulder) I felt like I was on show or something. Since it only tied up the back of my hair plus I wasn't the best person at doing my hair back then.

If I have my hair down for all time then wear it up then I get that one show feeling.

[Carolyn]

I felt that way at first. I also grew my bangs out and exposed my forehead. I used to hate exposing my neck for some reason. Hair care became more important than worrying about people seeing my face and neck. Now I sometimes feel like I'm attracting looks when I wear it down so I guess I've come full circle.

[jane53]

Hair care became more important than worrying about people seeing my face and neck.

I'm confused about the LHC belief that wearing hair up protects it.

I actually get more breakage with my hair when I wear it up. Twisting, anchoring, making sure it's tight: all can lead to breakage.

That doesn't mean I never wear my hair up. I do several times a week. But I don't do it to protect my hair.

Down-time is gentler to my hair!

[Carolyn]

I'm confused about the LHC belief that wearing hair up protects it.

I actually get more breakage with my hair when I wear it up. Twisting, anchoring, making sure it's tight: all can lead to breakage.

That doesn't mean I never wear my hair up. I do several times a week. But I don't do it to protect my hair.

Down-time is gentler to my hair!If you are wearing your hair down it's exposed to the wind, rough fabrics on upholstered chairs and in cars, seat belts, purse straps, rough sweater and coat fabrics. I get a lot less damage with gently bunning it up. I never put it up too tightly and am always careful how I insert a hair toy. When hair is down it's likely to tangle from our daily moving around. I didn't wear my hair up until it was past mid back and in the lower bra strap range. I live in a very windy area and wind is one of my hair's worst enemies.

[yogachic]

No, but having short hair, and an uncovered neck , with no possibility of having hair cover, yes, I would. Plus I'd freeze in the winter.

[Naava]

I know what the OP feels like.

When I was a teen, I never wore my hair up. For some silly reason I always felt like everyone would be looking at me and thinking how awful I look (which was silly because most of the time I just felt invisible). I have gotten much better with age, but still I need the hair around my face to feel pretty.

When I wear my hair up, I usually go for a little bit looser style and have some pieces of hair framing my face to soften the look.

[mtstorm]

I felt the same way when I first started putting my hair up. Now it doesn't bother me at all.

[Charlotte:)]

Ugh, I know! When my hair is up, I feel like eveybody is watching me! Plus I have nothing to fidget with, nothing to keep me warm in the winter, and nothing to keep my neck from burning in the sun.

[chloeishere]

I used to feel self-conscious with my hair up, and I don't now. There is hope!

Keeping my hair up is very protective for me-- it tangles very easily when down, especially now that it's fairly long. I try to wear it down when it's wet (since wet hair is so fragile), but it's up when I'm out or at work the rest of the time; wind, clothes, and moving around a lot will all cause tangling and damage. I wear it down at home fairly regularly, unless I'm working or cooking.

[Loreley]

I felt naked when I started to wear it up but I got used to it. I still like hiding myself behind my hair, though. :o

[Dragon]

I do. Cant stand wearing it up.

[Sissy]

I do, but I'm getting better about wearing it in a pony. I still need to figure out the whole bun thing and how to get a good look without feeling too exposed, self-conscious.

[MicheleClaire]

So exposed, I got sunburn. ::sigh:: I was only outside for thirty minutes! Damn my fair skin, this is why I have hair. To protect me!

[verene]

I used to feel exposed with my hair up, so I'd only do half-ups, or loose pony-tails. Now I'm used to wearing it up much of the time, so it feels odd for me to have it down.

[Flossy]

I just feel cold. I also seem to get headaches from the weight of it dragging in a ponytail. I do a lot of braids, but I prefer it down.

[Nicoliee]

I feel very uncomfortable with my hair up.

[katgib]

When I was younger, I felt WAY exposed with my hair up. That was mostly because my ears stick out like an elf. I have since embraced my inner elf and wear my hair up frequently. I got tired of caring whether or not I looked weird.

[lingxi]

Not particularly, I'm comfortable with exposing my forehead and neck...especially during summer when it gets to the 40s...but I feel a lot safer/warmer during winter when it's down.

[enfys]

Not at all. I have never been one to wear my hair loose even as a child, so I feel far more self conscious with it loose. I have a fairly long neck and quite pierced ears so I would be hiding all the good stuff!

I am a keen wearer of polo neck jumpers in winter.

[milagro]

I actually tend to be a bit the reverse- hair in my face drives me nuts, so I want it put back for that reason, and also my hair tends to be large, and leaving it down can feel too "Hello look at my hair" to me, like I'm somehow out of proportion. I think that comes partly from tending to be a very self-conscious person, and since long hair can be seen as a bit 'weird' (awesome, but not really mainstream), I often feel more comfortable with it up and and out of the way in such a way as to make the length ambigous.
On the other hand if I want to feel anonymous, I have been known to let it down to hide my face a bit, It-style :)
Second this. Besides, wearing my hair up makes me feel more put together and somehow "guarded".

[silversnow]

I tend to prefer my hair down since I really hate my ear lobes. But I unconsciously expose them anyway since I like to tuck my bangs behind my ears.

[Melisande]

I know that wearing my hair up makes me look strict, old, boring, double chinny and un-sexy. From behind my updo and hairtoy look great (I think to at least ;-) ) but from the front, I look, hrrhmm, not so good.

I use Nightblooming's tip about making my updo a bit softer - and I compensate for the strict lines with make up (eyebrows!!! good eyebrow shape and color make a face so much more structured!) and earrings. Long, dangly earrings with presence also soften and frame the face.

I often use earrings that suit my hairtoys. I know that some people feel matchy-matchy is no good look but I feel that if I "surround" my face with distinctly looking things like an earring-hairstick set, it serves like a frame.

So my tip: emphasize your eyes and eyebrows, and play with distinct strong ear jewelry.

And of course: learn good flattering updos that make you feel pretty and self confident. I feel that a flipped bun is very flattering, so is a French twist or log roll. they are more flattering from the front than cinnabun or braided bun.

Still, after five years of updo wearing, I feel that I look much better when I open my bun ;-) and I enjoy this moment of the day. So does my husband.

[MsW0se]

I usually hide behind my hair a little and feel very self conscious wearing it up. But, it is finally getting long enough to try out some styles. Over time does one get used to wearing hair up? My husband likes seeing more of my face, and this partly stems from a comment in 8th grade that I look mannish with my hair back. Ridiculous, I know. Who else feels naked without their hair down?
I totally relate to what you have said.

Personally, I used to hide in plain sight in my hair. When my hair goes up, Ive always felt exposed and had problems surrounding blushing!

This has never been helped by the fact my hair is wavy, and Ive spent years trying to achieve stick straight hair when wearing it down [oh yes. the straightener addiction].

Ive recently made it a xmas / new years resolution to stop the blow drying and using heat tools. Im sick of the damage and sick of getting out of bed an hour earlier than needed! Ive also realised when I wear it up, I can stop washing it everyday!

Ive started braiding over xmas and using hair toys. The braiding is making my waves come to life and the updo's Ive found on LHC are really attractive.

My hair is much happier that Ive come out of denial - and Im very, VERY lucky that its not badly damaged after what Ive put it through.

With me, I think really its nothing to do with hair, its a self esteem issue. Ive not cracked the blushing and Ive got a lot of hair care to learn - but im getting stuck in.

[LovelyL]

This reminds me of Violet from the Incredibles

hiding behind her hair (http://www.the-leaping-lamp.com/images/incredibles-violet-character.jpg)

in her super suit (http://www.q8ieng.net/renders/albums/Incredibles/film-the_incredibles-violet-68777.jpg)

I hope you'll learn to not need to hide :grouphug:

[turquoisebud]

I did feel a bit funny the first time I wore it up at church. But now I think I would feel funny wearing it down. I never liked having to toss all my hair back and keep my bangs out of the way. :) I also like to pull a few little hairs out to sort of frame a bit. Keep trying to like it up and learn new styles. :o

[Hile]

For years I only wore my hair down because I needed it to cover my ears. It started when a friend of mine once stated I had such tiny ears and in a second all the rest of my friends had gathered around me to see the freaky ears. From that day on I couldn’t wear my hair up even if I was home!

Now I’m known for changing my hairdo every thirty minutes. I won’t ever be satisfied: when it’s down it gets in my face, when it’s up I’ll freeze and when it’s in a half-up I fear it looks thin… The only time when I hide behind my hair is when I have to speak in front of an audience, that’s something I can’t imagine doing while having my hair up!

[Braidy]

I suppose it has something to do with my ballet background but I actually like the way up do's bring out your neck line and your face. I like my hair nice and tight which means up.

[Vercelli]

I am not a very self-confident person so I don't like the way I look either way though I find it more practical wearing my hair up. When I wear my hair down, which I don't do that often, I almost feel like a different person. Also, due to the fact that I rarely wear it down, colleagues and friends tend to comment openly once I wear it down, which I find kind of embarassing even when the comments are intended to be friendly.:o

[TheObscure]

I usually hide behind my hair a little and feel very self conscious wearing it up. But, it is finally getting long enough to try out some styles. Over time does one get used to wearing hair up? My husband likes seeing more of my face, and this partly stems from a comment in 8th grade that I look mannish with my hair back. Ridiculous, I know. Who else feels naked without their hair down?

I can totally relate. For the past 3-4 years I've worn my hair down because I feel like it hides my profile (which I think is really unfeminine, I dont have defined cheek bones and my nose is very long and straight and harsh looking to me... I can thank a former friend for that complex...). I've also never been talented at doing lovely, intricate, or classy, up dos and got frustrated.

But since joining LHC, I've started getting better at up dos, and generally feel better about them when I know what Ive done is pretty.

I also like adding some statement earrings when my hair is back now as they're no longer obscured by my hair and they can add some extra oomph if I feel flat :)

[Sammich]

I usually hide behind my hair a little and feel very self conscious wearing it up. But, it is finally getting long enough to try out some styles. Over time does one get used to wearing hair up? My husband likes seeing more of my face, and this partly stems from a comment in 8th grade that I look mannish with my hair back. Ridiculous, I know. Who else feels naked without their hair down?

I feel exactly like this also because of comments on my face when I was in high school. Ugh. Children are so cruel.
I can't wear my hair up unless I wear a hefty amount of makeup. :p

[reverie24]

I hated wearing my hair up and didn't do it for years but once I decided to commit to growing long, healthy hair I've been wearing it up every day. My boyfriend had never seen it up and the first time it was he complimented my neck which made me feel better. I think I have big ears that stick out a bit (my brother used to make fun of me when I was younger, giving me lifelong ear insecurity!) but after a week or so I got used to it and feel fine.

I think it just takes a little while to get used to it, plus I have side bangs and pull some pieces out so it's not all completely back :)

[Anywhere]

I used to be like this. I felt I looked ugly with my hair up and I was hiding a mole on the back of my neck that for some reason I was very self-conscious about. Eventually I wore it up. I found out the mole isn't even very noticible, it just feels that way when I touch it.

Hair is up most of the time now though.

ETA: I don't care if I look "mannish". People always told me I looked exactly like my older brother my whole childhood. So I grew my hair out. I have a flat chest so.. I guess I'm forever "manly". whatever. :p

[Amarth]

I just feel cold. ):

[Naphthylamine]

I feel that way too :undecided
I feel like I have ridiculously big ears, and a too small head; and also the cold :(