Is long hair easier for you?

[squiggyflop]

i cant find a thread like this but if the mods know of one and want to merge that would be great..

for about a month now ive been thinking about asking this but i was afraid for some reason..(i kind of thought that all of you would think i was crazy). ive noticed that the longer my hair is the more time i need to devote to it and its much more expensive too.. so many here have said that longer hair was easier.. but it isnt for me.. when i had shorter hair it only took me between 1 and 3 minutes to get my hair ready in the morning.. now i have to spend 7-20 minutes getting it all detangled and looking nice.. the complements i get are nice but i would much rather be sleeping for those extra 17 minutes.. shorter hair was so much less expensive.. i spend about 12 dollars a month on shampoos and conditioners and leave ins now.. i never really needed conditioner when it was short.. infact it looked its best when it was washed without conditioner or any product added to it... now i have to double condition every time i wash it.. i could get a new haircut any time i wanted guilt free.. now i feel bad when i cut off a centimeter.. my hair only took 10 minutes to airdry when short now it takes an hour.. its such a hassle having to put my hair up before bed.. if i dont i get major tangles that take 45 minutes to get out.. i used to be able to just lay down and sleep. and now i feel like i should start going to a salon to get my hair trimmed so that only the best scissors are used on my hair.. i used to just go in the bathroom with a razor blade and a hair clip and cut my own hair short.. i loved my old razor cut with razored bangs that i used to give myself..

someone please tell me im not the only one who experiences this..
i cant beleive that im the only one who finds long to be harder than short..

so which is easier for all of you long or short... and why do you feel that way..

[yogachic]

Long hair is easier for me. I don't spend alot of time putting it up. I just throw it up into a messybun all the time.
I think short hair costs more to maintain and more time to style to get it to look decent.

[flapjack]

I can understand those reasons for short hair being easier for you to deal with. And it's probably the case for a lot of people, I'm sure.


For me, it's a matter of what I'm used to. I'm used to long hair. If I got it cut short and actually cut into a style, it would take me a long time to figure out what products to use, how to style it, etc. because I would have no idea what to do, hahaha. And I would probably feel a little naked. The shortest I had it was about bsl and it was a puff, honestly. It got poofy and had giant body waves and it was a little strange for me.



As far as tangles, I spend about a minute brushing my hair in the morning and then another minute before bed. I keep it up if there is any wind and that's about it. My hair is pretty low maintenance, it doesn't really tangle often. And when it does, I can just spot it and separate it with a finger carefully, so I don't pull out any hair. But everyone's hair is different, so you should always do what makes you the most comfortable.

[embee]

Wow, squiggy! I am just the opposite - my hair is thin and fine and flat and straight and it always looked bad because it went "stringy" in just a few minutes. And there was no way to hide when I needed a trim, because it was so straight.

Now I admit that it was extra easy to get ready in the morning, Brush and Run. It was easy to wash: Wash, Rinse, Comb, and go. But it never looked really good. :(

The other problem I had was $$. I usually could not easily afford to go get a trim, so my hair looked shaggy and unkempt most of the time.

But your hair is so different from mine - and I've had friends with lovely waving hair, and their hair *always* looked good with just Wash Rinse, Comb, and Go. I was *so* envious!

Seems to me if you find long hair a burden, you should consider a cut. Do invoke the old 2-week rule, though. 'Twould be a shame to cut in haste and then regret!

All that said, I really think it depends on the hair, and everyone is different!

[Amara]

My long hair is easier, I have several 'dos that take me only a minute or two do put in, and that's pretty much my routine! I comb my hair in the morning and at night, and that only takes a minute or two... I also don't wash my hair more than once a week or so and that's definitely a time saver... I used to wash my hair every day when it was shorter. Not being able to put it up meant I had to spend time making sure it looked ok down... now when it looks good, I leave it down, and if it doesn't, I put it up and that's that!

[AJoifulNoise]

I am sorta with you in that my hair is now more expensive. I used to just use shampoo (and not much of it, really, so it lasted). And my hair was goregous. I never used leave-ins. Never did deep treats. Never used conditioner.

Now I use a rather large glob of conditioner a day. Which means I go through about a bottle of conditioner a week. That's about 12 dollars a month just for my regular conditioner. My hair also loves some of the more expensive conditioners, so that's about an extra $5-6 a month (I only use them once a week).

In all honesty, for me that's not too bad. My hair now takes less time to fuss with. Instead of blowdrying for a half hour, I can put it up with a ficcare and off I go. I trade $20 a month* for nice long hair that takes less time.

*-I am not counting hair toys in this figure because I don't buy them as often as I used to. And, I always put my money to some obesession. Right now, it's my hair accessories.

[flapjack]

Sorry about the double post... I don't know why that happened, hahaha.


Board magic!

Duplicate post has vanished! :magic: ~ harpgal

[Carolyn]

I find long much much easier. I don't have to wash every day like I did when it was shoulder length. I wash every 2-3 days so wash time is cut more than half. I don't blow dry or curl it now. That saves about a half hour each wash day. I can do other things while I air dry and before I was blow drying. I don't have to sweat out the horrible stress of salon cuts. My hair goes up in a bun or braid in maybe 2 minutes versus about 15 minutes of fussing with it to look right. And it never looked that good. I had so many bad hair days. Now I have a bad hair day maybe once every couple of years. I agree it's a PITA to braid it at night and I don't bother too often. Detangling takes maybe a minute in the morning. Long hair has made my life so much easier and I think I look a lot better with long hair...not that I care what anyone thinks :p I wonder if it will get easier for you when it's a few inches longer?

[FrannyG]

Squiggy, I understand what you're saying. For the most part, it is easier for me with longer hair. Although my hair is not long by LHC standards, it is long for me, especially before my cut, when it was getting quite close to waist.

I will say this, though. If you're experiencing a lot of tangles, perhaps it is time for a trim. I know that being a part of LHC makes it difficult for some people to trim even when they know they'd do better with a trim. I'm not saying that that's what's going on in your case, but I do know that when I've cut my hair for health and aesthetic reasons twice in the past year, I felt as though I may have been "letting down" the community. Then I realized that it's my hair, and I had to be happy with its condition and my hemline. I didn't owe an explanation to anyone else.

I don't really know if this is in any way part of your problem with your hair right now, but perhaps it's food for thought.

I hope you figure out what's best for you, dear Squiggy. :flowers:

[Fillette]

I believe it depends on your hair type and what you like as an individual.
Once you figure out the products and routine that work for you, long hair should not require too much time to take care of. I have curly hair and the longer it gets, the easier it becomes for me to take care of it. The lenght of the hair weights it down a little bit. I have to also point out that my hair is not as long as yours... so maybe this is not very helpful to you.
Long hair can also be a lot easier to style than short hair. You do not have to wear it down all the time. Puting your hair up should not take more than a few minutes.
You have to ultimately decide what is good for you. If you like your hair better when it is short, you should keep it short. Or maybe you can maintain your hair at its current lenght and not let it get any longer. I think your hair should make you happy. It should not create extra hassles in your life. Whatever your preference, there is no right or wrong answer.
That's my humble 2 cents. :-)

[julya]

My hair takes forever to detangle in the morning, even after a night with my braid under my buff. I guess about 30 minutes. I only wet it about once a week, so the long drying time isn't a huge issue for me. I think if I were to cut back to BSL or so I would spend a lot less time on my hair. It would still be long enough to do a basic bun, but not so long that getting tangles out would be a big problem.

I love my long hair anyway, even though it takes more time. I'm not planning to cut anytime soon.

[Juliet's Silk]

Hm. What's "short" for you?

My 2 cents:
My hair used to be about chin length for all my teenage years - always long enough that I could ponytail it, never longer than my shoulderblades. That's my "short" hair, which in the eye of society is more medium to long, but here you go.
My routine was letting it loose on DD1, on DD2 I had to ponytail or bun it because of the greasies; I washed in the evening of DD2. I never really styled my hair, in the morning I would brush it (10 sec) and then either go about my business or throw it in an updo (another minute). The problem with this approach was that when I wore my hair lose... it didn't look good. It wasn't "styled" and it looked like it. The body wave I have was stubborn, the left side would wave outwards, the right side would wave inwards and it was just generally unruly. I don't think it looked good.

Nowadays I do take a bit more time for my hair in the morning, I guess 5 minutes depending on my mood and how much time I have. Sometimes, when I don't feel like it, I don't even detangle my hair in the morning, just throw it up in a log roll with a Ficcare. No one knows, it doesn't look tangled or unstyled. People who don't know that this is the style I wear everyday would think I gave much thought to my updo. If I have more time, I pick a matching hairtoy and do a more fancier style (and I detangle beforehand, but that only takes about 20secs).

In comparison to the past, now I save much time and money because I have to wash less, but I don't think this has necessarily to do with the length - if I would cut my hair, my washing routine would stay the same I think.

In conclusion I wouldn't say that long hair is easier or takes less time - it's just as easy and takes the same amount of time; but it looks much better long :lol:

If I were you, I would write down all the problems you have with your length and see if it's really a problem with the length itself. For example: Why don't you use a sleepcap? I use one, so I only need a couple of seconds to get my hair ready for bed - just coil the hair up, put the cap on, ready. That would save you much time in the evening.
Why do you feel bad because you cut a centimeter? You could try and change your attitude towards trimming or length, so that you wouldn't need to feel guilty.
It's all a matter of attitude :)

[strawberryfine]

I am having some of the same problems. I don't want to cut but am considering a 3" trim to even the hemline. Hope your problems get better, too.
sf

[lora410]

It has it's up and downs for me. Now that I am just about bsl I find I HAVE to do something with it at night to help with tangles. I adopted a new method of putting a scruchie and the base of my neck and maybe one or two further down the length. There so soft I don't feel them. It helps ALOT and I could finger comb it in 2 seconds. I am also getting headaches wearing it up and struggling with new dos to accommodate the new growth. However when it was short I had to blow dry it and use a round brush for the layers I have. At SL my hair would look god awful just air dried. When i think of cutting i remember how it took a yr from shoulder to BSl and personally I don't want to have to re-grow again. You on the other hand grow so fast it wouldn't matter to much if you cut; because you would be back to long super fast.

[cobblersmaid]

I can't really answer, since my hair has never been 'short'. It has been BSL, and even that was about 6-7 years ago. I have found myself wondering lately, if short would be easier. Not seriously, because it would not be me. I am guessing there are drawbacks to both.

[MemSahib]

Long hair is easier in that it takes less time to toss it up and go than it did to curl the bob under. (Perfectly straight hair will NOT curl under your chin, no matter what, without help from a curling iron.) So long hair is easier to fix. My hair has always been slow to dry, even when short, but at this length it becomes a real commitment to shampoo and then wait a minimum of three hours for dry or damp/dry hair. As far as attractiveness goes, my face looks better under a bob than it does under long hair or a bun, but (shrugs) it's going to be long anyway. I would say there are advantages and disadvantages either way. — Do you want long hair or not? Then accept whatever tradeoffs come for you.

[noelgirl]

That's an interesting question, and one that I think falls in YMMV territory. My hair is much easier when it's longer, but I think that that's down to its particular texture and thickness. It gets poufy when it's too freshly washed, but greasy/stringy if I've gone too long without a wash. But I find that the longer it gets, the more time my hair spends when it's neither of those two things. The length adds weight so that it's less poufy, and then when oil starts to build up, there's more hair so it takes longer to get saturated. Plus, if it really doesn't feel like behaving, there's always the old standby bun.

On the other hand, I haven't had my hair shorter than shoulders since I was a very small child, so I really don't have a basis for comparison. My routine, if you can call it that, probably was easier back then, but I'm not sure that it would work so well now! My best guess is that I would have to wash it more often, and some heat styling would probably be involved to have any semblance of a "style." That's me and my crazy hair, though - only you can answer for yourself.

[angelthadiva]

I find people thinking long hair is more maintenance/expensive than what I do...

That said, I wash every other day doing a CWC...I only "wash" the scalp area, so I only use about the size of a nickle or dime and dillute...I use way more condish, but I don't think I use a lot.

Granted the days I wash, my hair takes longer to "do" than on a non-wash day, but it seriously only takes a few minutes to detangle and put up for me...This morning, it seriously took me less than 5 minutes from start to finish...My hair is longer than yours, maybe that's why...

I do remember having a bob, and if I didn't dry it just right, it looked really funky...The shorter hairstyles (from my memory) seemed to take much longer to "do" and I was washing everyday, so that was using more product...

[GlennaGirl]

Tons easier for me, but I have "easy" hair as far as just throwing it into a bun or whatever. It's slippery but it's so straight that I don't have to handle it a lot to get it up into "something".

Actual 'dos are harder for me because of that straightness. So it works against me for more "up-to-date" styles. Even bangs don't behave for me. I think my hair works much better long and fairly un-layered.

[Saranne772]

Personally I have never known anything except long hair! Ive always been long since it grew. When I was 9 my mother cut it back to APL but other than that its been loooooong :D

[AngelicBrunette]

in short, NO.

When I had short hair (a tiny bit above shoulder length). I could wash it in 5 minutes or less, didn't really have to condition unless I felt like it.. it barely tangled. All I had to do was wash for the 5 minutes and quickly run my hand through it and I was done. OR, I would put in two small pigtails (it was too short for a ponytail at the time). SUPER easy. Only problem was I hated the look of it :P :rolleyes:

Now, it takes forever to detangle, it gets really tangly after being up for a few days at a time. I lose tons of hair when I detangle which is another hassle because I have to have some type of a surface to pile all the hair on because it's much too many to just let fall to the floor. So before every shower I have to do a big detangle like that. That takes the longest. Then the shampooing is pretty quick.. but then I have to condition, which takes another few minutes to seperate the sections and then get it all worked in, etc. I then put it up in a towel for awhile. THEN I have to kind of detangle again when I take it down. and if I want to put it up when it's wet, it takes a long time because it's hard for the hair to go up properly if it's not dry (bumps and chunks sticking out,etc.)

also, same about for bed time- used to just go to bed, now have to make sure it's up. If it happens to loosen or fall down during the night it wakes me and I have to fix it. Last few nights I have been woken up at least 2-3 times by it. :rolleyes:

I am actually going to do a trim now, but it seems a lot of the tangling occurs further up as a result of the updos, so this will make no difference in re: to that. Maybe I need to start slathering my entire head in conditioner *shrug* I usually focus on ears down and do a little swipe of the rest but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try.



To summarize, I find it 1000X harder than short hair, and find it a bit funny when people suggest different. If you have a high maintenance style, then maybe, but if you treat your short hair as you treat your long (no heat styling, put it into 'updos' or down) then it is CLEARLY short hair which is easier. I like the look of long hair better though, and I would never want to go as short as shoulders again, but I will probably eventually go back to waist/bsl again. (I went to waist a year or two ago and hated it though.., so this makes me very cautious.)

[ReadingRenee]

I was thinking the same way a couple of days ago as I carefully combed through all the tangles and it took a while.

I don't really know the answer. I had a pixie for years and years and it did require product but no blow drying. I always had a sparkly barette in there somewhere and called it good.

It DOES take a little longer to fix my hair because I have more of it now. I think once I get used to having longer hair again it will not take as long. I need more practice with different kinds of buns and braids. I feel like I have more options with longer hair. I can choose a quick easy updo or I can decide on a longer more intricate hairstyle like double dutch braids or something like that.

Any kind of bob for me though is more maintenance. That requires blow drying and styling to look decent because my hair is unevenly wavy. So unless I want to go back to a pixie, long hair is easier for me right now. :)

As for price.... hmmmm I use more conditioner but I use less product so I think the price equals out for me. Actually I don't use any product except coconut oil and aloe vera gel.

[Islandgrrl]

Hi Squiggs....

For me, long hair is much, much easier and less expensive.

When my hair was short, I had to spend time drying styling, curling etc for it to look nice. Mininum 20-30 minutes. I had to spend money on products: shampoo, conditioner, mousse, gel, spray. And I had to wash it daily or I ended up with flat hair on one side and sticky up hair on the other side. Not a pretty sight. Oh, and not to mention the money I had to spend on having it frequently cut so I didn't look like a total blender-head.

Now that it's long again, I can literally roll out of bed, fingercomb my hair, stuff it up on my head, get dressed, brush teeth and be out the door in five minutes. I really mean five minutes. I did it this morning. AND I look presentable. Even nice.

I wash my hair whenever I feel like it - every few days or daily when it needs, but I don't have to use shampoo every time because I don't have a ton of product in my hair to wash out. I alternate between Shampoo Only, SC, CO and WO - whatever feels right on a given day. I damp bun and leave it alone. I use less shampoo. The oil I use in my hair is a little bottle of neem oil that will last me longer than a year. I spend, on average, ZERO dollars in a year for haircuts.

Now that I reflect upon it, even with everything I've learned here at LHC, I still pretty much practice benign neglect - I'm just more careful about it than I used to be.

[Les]

I find long hair easier than short. On me short hair always seemed to get off-kilter and require readjustment. My long hair stays where I put it and doesn't demand constant futzing. I used to have more problems with tangles - when I didn't take care of my hair as well. Since I've gotten on the CWC bandwagon and started oiling, combing through almost never hits any major snags and only takes a minute or two.

[squiggyflop]

Hm. What's "short" for you?


If I were you, I would write down all the problems you have with your length and see if it's really a problem with the length itself. For example: Why don't you use a sleepcap? I use one, so I only need a couple of seconds to get my hair ready for bed - just coil the hair up, put the cap on, ready. That would save you much time in the evening.
Why do you feel bad because you cut a centimeter? You could try and change your attitude towards trimming or length, so that you wouldn't need to feel guilty.
It's all a matter of attitude :)
actually i have been using a piece of satin as a sleepytime bun cover for a while and it seems to have no effect.. it makes me think of when i was little and just reparting my hair would cause tangles.. hairdressers would get so confused at how i had no splits but my hair would tangle 1 minute after they just finished coming it out.. i remember one telling me that i had hair that wanted to be fabric.. she had just reparted my hair (which was short and free of split ends or dye damage) and got confused that my hair had matted itself together in less than a minute.. apparently she had never seen anything like it..
i feel guilty when i trim because i worked so hard to get that centimeter and i feel like im betraying my self or something...

short for me is anywhere between pixy and shoulder..


I find long much much easier. I don't have to wash every day like I did when it was shoulder length. I wash every 2-3 days so wash time is cut more than half. I don't blow dry or curl it now. That saves about a half hour each wash day. I can do other things while I air dry and before I was blow drying. I don't have to sweat out the horrible stress of salon cuts. My hair goes up in a bun or braid in maybe 2 minutes versus about 15 minutes of fussing with it to look right. And it never looked that good. I wonder if it will get easier for you when it's a few inches longer?
what confuses me is everyone seems to have to fuss with short hair to make it look right.. i never had to fuss with mine.. especially when it was between chin and shoulder length. it looked good no matter what i did to it at that length... i would comb it while wet and leave the house.. i never bothered blow drying it.. it would just dry in 10 minutes anyway so why blowdry..
i understand what you mean about salon cuts.. my father made me get my hair cut at a salon once and it was awful.. but that is the only time i felt stressed going into a salon... i certainly never curled it..


Long hair is easier for me. I don't spend alot of time putting it up. I just throw it up into a messybun all the time.
I think short hair costs more to maintain and more time to style to get it to look decent.
if i put my hair into a messy bun it takes over an hour to detangle..it sort of fuses together into one bunshaped knot..
i take it you are talking about it costing more because of the price of salon visits.. i never really cared about the prices of salons because i can cut my own hair for free and do a good job.. and i only had to spend 15 minutes cuttling my hair every 4 months or so..


Wow, squiggy! I am just the opposite - my hair is thin and fine and flat and straight and it always looked bad because it went "stringy" in just a few minutes. And there was no way to hide when I needed a trim, because it was so straight.

Now I admit that it was extra easy to get ready in the morning, Brush and Run. It was easy to wash: Wash, Rinse, Comb, and go. But it never looked really good. :(

The other problem I had was $$. I usually could not easily afford to go get a trim, so my hair looked shaggy and unkempt most of the time.

But your hair is so different from mine - and I've had friends with lovely waving hair, and their hair *always* looked good with just Wash Rinse, Comb, and Go. I was *so* envious!

Seems to me if you find long hair a burden, you should consider a cut. Do invoke the old 2-week rule, though. 'Twould be a shame to cut in haste and then regret!

All that said, I really think it depends on the hair, and everyone is different!
hhhhmm.. interesting.. so the reason i could wash rinse comb and go is because my hair is wavy.. i wonder if its also because i would purposefully have a razored cut that no one could tell when i needed a trim because it looked intentional
i dont intend to cut im just a little put off that all those promises of easy long hair have gone out the window for me..


I will say this, though. If you're experiencing a lot of tangles, perhaps it is time for a trim. I know that being a part of LHC makes it difficult for some people to trim even when they know they'd do better with a trim. I'm not saying that that's what's going on in your case, but I do know that when I've cut my hair for health and aesthetic reasons twice in the past year, I felt as though I may have been "letting down" the community. Then I realized that it's my hair, and I had to be happy with its condition and my hemline. I didn't owe an explanation to anyone else.

I don't really know if this is in any way part of your problem with your hair right now, but perhaps it's food for thought.

I hope you figure out what's best for you, dear Squiggy. :flowers:
um i just had a 2 inch trim last month.. my hair tangles up higher there arent many tangles at the ends.. i get tangles right next to the root sometimes.. i dont think i need annother trim just yet.. i just have naturally tangly hair.. no matter what i do.. it even gets tangled when i braid or bun it.. if i put my hair in a bun for even less than 2 minutes when i let it down i have major tangles.. its like the hair hates changing direction or something.. i can comb every tangle out of my hair but the moment i try to comb it backwards to put it in a bun the tangles return full force.... im starting to think my hair is just weird

[lora410]

You said you hair tangles easily right? My hair at a certain length would do that horribly;like within 2 seconds of detangling ( I used to use pantene at that time). Have you tried different oils or deep treatments? I have some raw Shea, mango butter, coconut,and almond oil if you would like to try some I can ship them to you (no cost). I dint use them all that often. That way instead of pouring money into different oils you may find a sample of one works amazing and can just invest in one.I just figure instead of them laying around maybe they can help someone. mango butter is REALLY moisturizing. send me a pm if interested

[prosperina]

Maybe once more of your hair is virgin hair with henna on it, you won't have those problems? Henna does thicken the hair a bit...and you did say you have some hair dye damage... I don't know. :confused: Do you recall your hair changing any after you went through puberty? Some people's hair does. If your hair hasn't changed yet, maybe it will thicken up once you get into your twenties? I used to have super tangly hair from the ages of 12-17. My hair was off and on shoulder length to waist and I had HORRIBLE tangles. Now, I have very few.

[morgwn]

The only time that I found short hair to be easier was when I had VERY short hair. My pixie cut was typical-boy-short. Then I still had to use many products to get the frizz into a management state but it would take 30 seconds. And I had to get my hair cut constantly and was messing around with colouring back then. So I think I actually spent more then than I do now.

If I'm in a rush now, I just stick my hair into a bun, hold it up with a stick or two or my Ficcare and spray some aloe gel mixed with water from my spray bottle onto my hair. That tames my frizzies and flyaways. I wash my hair MUCH less now than I used to. When I had short hair I had to wash it daily b/c otherwise it looked greasy (probably b/c there was nowhere for the serum to go to, really). I now wash my hair every 3-4 days and most of the time just do a CO treatment.

I do agree that to each their own, however, and you have to do whatever is the easiest/best for yourself. I think it depends mostly on how you treat your hair and how much you fuss over it, squiggy. :)

[getoffmyskittle]

squiggy, I haven't read the whole thread, but I can definitely see where you're coming from in terms of combing time, especially if your hair was wash-and-go when it was shorter. That's just a tradeoff, I think. My hair detangles pretty easily and I usually wear it up so I don't really have that problem unless I want to do a fancier style, but I understand that.

My real concern with what you're talking about is the money. I know what you mean about things being too expensive to maintain! It's not really possible for me to have to consistently spend a lot of money on something like my hair. Can I ask what products you are using and why you go through them so fast?

Also, about the tangling, are you a -cone user? If you're not, you may want to try it. Cone shampoos are easier to find, are generally more moisturizing unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks, and tend make my hair MUCH easier to detangle.

[Caldonia Sun]

Overall, shorter hair (chin to shoulder length) is the easiest for me. Shorter and I need styling mousse, gel, spray, which I don't want to use. Longer and it just tangles, gets stringy and doesn't stay in updos and braided styles very well. It's fine and very slippery. Hair toys tended to fall out and I had to redo often. Also, most updos were uncomfortable within a few hours and I needed to let my hair loose. Maybe if it was very long it would be easier, but even at APL, it was a lot of trouble for me, so back to shoulder length for me.

[rhubarbarin]

It's an individual choice and you should do what makes you happy.

Longer hair is easier for me, 100%. Longer meaning past shoulder, to the point where it's easy to put it all up. Anything shorter than that took so much more effort to make it look nice, and when I was having a bad hair day, there was no way to hide it.. plus sleeping on it ruined it, I had to wet it down every morning. Now it lasts overnight, it takes me 30 seconds to do an updo and have it safe all day, I don't have to worry about hair in my eyes, I don't have to wash very often.. plus I love the way it looks, up and down, as it gets longer.

Also since I found LHC, my hair is healthier, so I can use a lot less product, and I'm saving money even though I buy more expensive products.

A lot of this might have to do with the fact that my hair is puffy/curly/wavy.. maybe straight hairs find shorter locks easier than I did. As it is though, I spent more time looking like a poodle than I am comfortable with..

ETA: My hair doesn't tangle at all.. as far as I know (I never see or feel any knots or rat's nests). I never brush or comb, and I don't detangle unless my hair is wet and conditioned. If my hair tangled maybe I would feel differently about the issue.

[heidihug]

Good advice above.

I was always jealous of girls who could wash and go with their hair of any length. I had to get up 1.5 hours before the bus got to my house each morning when I was in high school, because I would have to shower/wash my shoulder-length hair, then blow dry it, then gel it, then curl it, then style it, then hair spray the heck out of it. And if it was raining outside, it just deflated immediately to a straight scraggly mess, anyway.

Now, I get up 20 minutes before I leave for work, and at least 15 of those minutes are devoted to getting dressed, brushing my teeth, putting on makeup and packing a lunch. If I had curly hair, I think perhaps I would not have long hair, or as long of hair as I do now. A big part of the appeal of my long straight hair, is even if it is not finger-combed, I can just put it up in a quick bun, give my fringe 2 seconds of curl with the iron, and go.

I spend a lot less on hair product now than I did when my hair was BSL and up, too, as I only wash twice a week now, and then just use a small amount of shampoo. I cut it myself, I color it myself. The only thing I buy more of now is conditioner and hair toys, but I'm pretty frugal that way, too.

[sapphire-o]

It's more work for sure. Definitely not easier, but that's because my haircare with short hair was as simple as possible. :) When I had shorter hair my routine was wash, condition, dry naturally. Combing or brushing was entirely optional. I never touched a hairdryer or used any treatment or styling products. My hair always looked shiny and nice. It's so easy to take care of virgin hair. Actually my only additional step now is vinegar rinse and detangling (which doesn't take more than 20 seconds). Still simple and easy.

[squiggyflop]

You said you hair tangles easily right? My hair at a certain length would do that horribly;like within 2 seconds of detangling ( I used to use pantene at that time). Have you tried different oils or deep treatments? I have some raw Shea, mango butter, coconut,and almond oil if you would like to try some I can ship them to you (no cost). I dint use them all that often. That way instead of pouring money into different oils you may find a sample of one works amazing and can just invest in one.I just figure instead of them laying around maybe they can help someone. mango butter is REALLY moisturizing. send me a pm if interested

thanks anyway.. its really sweet of you but im pretty sure i have all the oils and butters you meantioned.. my hair hates just about every oil except camellia (it loves camellia for the first day or 2 after henna) i want to try avacado oil as a hot oil treatment because my hair seemed to like my avacado mush mixture..


Maybe once more of your hair is virgin hair with henna on it, you won't have those problems? Henna does thicken the hair a bit...and you did say you have some hair dye damage... I don't know. :confused: Do you recall your hair changing any after you went through puberty? Some people's hair does. If your hair hasn't changed yet, maybe it will thicken up once you get into your twenties? I used to have super tangly hair from the ages of 12-17. My hair was off and on shoulder length to waist and I had HORRIBLE tangles. Now, I have very few.
my hair was baby fine and completely straight.. 1a maybe.. then puberty happened and my hair became F-M and became wavy.. well my canopy turned wavy but my underside to my hair is about 1b and my temple hair is 1a.. perhaps the wavy hairs and the traight hairs arent getting along..
i do have some dye damage.. which gives me hope that when all the bleach is trimmed out my hair will be easier.... :D

it was so strange seeing my hair go from straight to wavy.. i had thought when i was a achild that i got my dads hair (pin straight) but now im pretty sure i hover around my mothers texture.. and she certainly is wavy..

[Chromis]

My hair is world's easier long than short! I have the sort of cowlicks that could put any gap-toothed bright-eyed seven year old little boy to shame when it's too short! Once my hair is around BSL, the weight of it tames them. With short hair I have to use massive amounts of gel to not have people tell me I look like Harry Potter all day and not only is it time-consuming, it felt gross!

I find as it grows, it gets easier and easier to manage, though I'm sure there's some point of diminishing return there lol! At nearly classic, it now is easier to put up and if I choose to wear it down, it behaves better, staying behind my elbows most of the time.

[MoonCreature]

Yes, for me long hair is ten times easier and much less time-consuming. I've had chin-lengt and shoulder length hair 5-6 years ago and it was a pain in the.... It had to be washed every 2-3 days or I looked like I had poured a bottle of oil in my hair, it wouldn't be styled into any style (if I teased it, it was straight half an hour later.. If I put spray in it, it just looked matted etc).
There wasn't an updo that worked for it and it was everywhere, in my mouth, in my eyes etc.

The blessing for me with long hair is updos. It takes me about 30-60 seconds to get my hair in an updo, and I often do this while reading my mail on the morning or even when running to the buss. I don't need to detangle in the morning, even if I like doing it. It takes about a minute or two (I sleep with a braid or high bun). The hair is up all day, it may come down and be put in a different updo but that's it. In the eavning I comb it through, mist and oil it and put it in a bun/braid. This takes about 2-5 minutes.

I wash my hair every 4-5 days now, more often if I want to, and I CO. The conditioner I use for washing costs 0,95 euros, and I use about a bottle in 3-4 weeks. For my ends I buy co that cost 3-8 euros a bottle, they last over a month. For oiling I've used plain cooking oil, coconut oil and now I bought jojoba and shea-butter. I'd say the amount of oil I use costs about 1 euro/month.

So in conclusion:
Short hair - never looked good, used more expensive products (a BIG bottle of tigi-oatmeal and honey schampo costs about 20 euros and lasted 2 months, + co for maybe 15 euros a month), spent a lot more time on it.

Long hair - always looks good (yes I dare say so), spend about 5-10 euros a month on products and 5-10 minutes a day on caring for it.

And now I feel lazy when I'm having such an easy time with my hair.... :o I hope you find a routine that would make it easier for you! Have you tried CO? For me it was a solution to a lot of problems.

[Riot Crrl]

But how much did you used to spend on cuts, and how much time did you spend at the salon?

I hate the salon and my hair looks way better with some weight pulling it down, or else it's one big mass of cowlicks. So longer is easier for me.

[spidermom]

Well, it's not as easy as this:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/SHORT.jpg
Or even this:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/spidermom/LONGERSTILL.jpg

Nope...I guess it's not. These were truly wash and go styles. No fuss.

But I like my long hair anyway. Or at least today I do.

[jesamyn]

Ultimately, it's your hair and you should have it the way you are happiest and most comfortable with it. That being said, longer hair is easier for me. I just toss it up in a messy bun, twist, or Dutch braid, and I'm done. Shorter hair requires hot rollers on me to make it 'behave' unless I have an artfully messy look, which I haven't been able to make work right since I moved here. I also spend more money on styling products.

[squiggyflop]

But how much did you used to spend on cuts, and how much time did you spend at the salon?

I hate the salon and my hair looks way better with some weight pulling it down, or else it's one big mass of cowlicks. So longer is easier for me.
i can cut my own hair to short lengths.. its harder for me to trim longer hair.. i only had to spend 15 minutes cutting it in the bathroom every 4 months.. maybe one minute every 2 months to trim the bangs.. im actually pretty good at cutting hair but i dont have good mobility in my arms when working behind my back.. i have one cowlick that i know of and it looks cute no matter what length my hair is..

some people on this thread seem to think im going to chop my hair off.. well im not.. but im just a little annoyed that long hair is not as easy for me... though at this point im not sure if ill grow past hip.. i might even trim to maintain waist (once i reach waist again that is) until all my bleach damage is gone.. if its easier without the bleach damage thwen i might keep going to classic.. right now my henna only hair is past my chin.. so i am making progress

[peachy.pudding]

I find short hair easier, i guess many of the documentaries of people with very long hair often cut their hair back to bsl or apl saying that its easier. I have to agree that it is, less knots, when you sit down it gets caught behind your back, it gets in every thing, thats longer to put up etc, its a lot more hassel, but for me it loooks beautiful.

[Riot Crrl]

i can cut my own hair to short lengths.. its harder for me to trim longer hair.. i only had to spend 15 minutes cutting it in the bathroom every 4 months.. maybe one minute every 2 months to trim the bangs.. im actually pretty good at cutting hair but i dont have good mobility in my arms when working behind my back.. i have one cowlick that i know of and it looks cute no matter what length my hair is..

some people on this thread seem to think im going to chop my hair off.. well im not.. but im just a little annoyed that long hair is not as easy for me... though at this point im not sure if ill grow past hip.. i might even trim to maintain waist (once i reach waist again that is) until all my bleach damage is gone.. if its easier without the bleach damage thwen i might keep going to classic.. right now my henna only hair is past my chin.. so i am making progress

That's probably something like what I'll do too... maybe shorter than waist. But I only have 2" of henna only :(

ALL my nape hair has always grown straight up. In a chin length bob this looks extremely strange. But updos it was born for. LOL.

I can't cut my own hair at any length. Maybe I should try to learn.

[Tangles]

Long hair is harder to take care of but infinitely more rewarding when it does behave. Short hair never looks good on me unless it's blow dried.

[Radulfr]

Long hair looks far better on me. Just pull it back and go.

With shorter hair on me, it's go out in any wind and watch it blow around. Then try to untangle it, or get it out of my face and neat again. You never saw such trouble.

[Lilla My]

My hair was at its easiest when I had it incredibly short - a lot of it was clippered to a few mm in length, with very slightly longer sections on top and around my face and ears - it used to dry in seconds and was too short to style in any way. It looked cute, at the time! But any longer than that and it could be a pain - bits sticking out in funny directions no matter what I did. So for me the extremes are easiest - either ridiculously short or long (past shoulders at least) enough to be quickly shoved up into an apology for an updo ...
Sorry you're finding your hair a bother. I'm not sure whether I'd carry on growing if my hair was driving me mad with its demands ... but one of the reasons I'm growing IS that it's easier for me to deal with I suppose. I am spending more on products now but no longer going to the hairdresser (self trimming) so feel I'm saving money in the long run.

[hurricane_gia]

Long hair is infinitely easier for me.

First, when I had short hair, I had that wavy texture that made it stick up weird for no reason at all. And, whenever the humidity level changed, my hair would suddenly do something different than what it had been doing, so I would have to run to the bathroom and try to deal with my hair. If I wanted a "style", I had to go to the hair-dresser's every three weeks. Never mind the price of going to the hair-dresser that often, I was tired of booking appointments, halting the progress of my day so I could go to the appointment, sitting in the lobby waiting for my appointment . . . etc. I had to buy products to make my hair behave. If it was too short to ponytail, then it was getting caught in my glasses hinge, falling into my face, tickling my nose, etc. And the wings! Oh, how I hated those wings! You know what I mean, baby hairs that fluff out to the side like bad 80's mall hair . . .

Of course, part of the problem was that when I had short hair, I had not heard of LHC and so I didn't know about C-COW-C, SMT, and Moonchiald's hair oil. I sometimes wonder if short hair would be better if I used these tricks. But I'd still have the super-fast hair growth leading to expensive and boring hair appointments every three weeks. I'd still have to contend with short hairs getting stuck in my glasses hinges, and hair that didn't make it into a ponytail sticking to the back of my neck when I workout. Yuck.

It does take me longer to wash my hair now that it is long. But, I only wash once a week, since I can do updos that hide or disguise an oily scalp. In the morning, it takes me less than three minutes to put my hair into an updo or a braid. When I had short hair, it took me anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to make my hair do something other than poof all over the place.

The time I save by not going to the hair-dressers can be given over to yoga, bellydance practice, or reading a good book. The money I save is money in the bank, hallelujah!

Just being able to do updos is a lifesaver for me. I can drive with the windows down without getting my hair in my face. I can crawl under a rosebush to pull weeds, without my hair falling into my face. Since pulling weeds is something I do for a living, it's very important that I can do it comfortably! :) Realistically, I could never tolerate any hair shorter than APL, because then it would be a maintenance hassle. And once you've hit APL, why not go all the way?

So the bottom line for me, is that my life is better with updos. And if I am going to do updos, I want the biggest, most impressive updos possible. And that means Classic length hair!!!:cheese:

[hurricane_gia]

I forgot to say that I spend less money on shampoos and conditioners with longer hair. Part of it is that LHC taught me how to C-COW-C, and the way I do it is really more of a C-COW without the last C. And, the COW part is a super cheap conditioner, diluted with twice as much water. Then, because I use strategic updos to stretch the time between washes (something I'd never get away with with shorter hair), I go through one bottle of one-dollar conditioner every two months, and one bottle of twenty-dollar conditioner every six months (it's a really big bottle and very thick stuff).

Sometimes I buy a couple cans of coconut milk. I use a lot of kitchen stuff on my hair and i don't know the cost of that, but it's probably small.

I did just Cassia for the first time, and that probably cost me fifteen dollars. Next time, I will order my herbs from the laxative suppliers where it is super cheap.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that my hair care routine is super-cheap thanks to the tips I learned here at LHC, and thanks to the magic of updos!

[hurricane_gia]

I was thinking the same way a couple of days ago as I carefully combed through all the tangles and it took a while.


My hair used to tangle a lot, and that I agree that it's a pain in the rear. However, shortly after finding LHC, I discovered the goodness of Shea Butter. I started smoothing it one the last four inches of my hair while it was still damp from washing and the tangles got easier to deal with. Gradually, over the period of about a year, they stopped. I guess it was a build-up of moisture combined with lots of updos . . . anyway, I've never had less tangles in my life.

Not to say that short hair would tangle more than long hair, just that, with proper moisturizing and split-end prevention, I have fairly tangle free hair now. I'm even thinking about going to finger-combing-only for a few weeks, just to see what would happen.

[kwaniesiam]

Yes, it was. I could braid it, or put it up in a bun in less than a minute and be done. Now I have to do all sorts of fiddling with it in the mornings to get it to look right, gel it, and wash it every night, or sometimes in the morning if I don't have time the night before. My hair isn't that tangly, so washing and combing weren't ever really a time factor for me, just something that needed to be done regardless every so often.

[Nat242]

I've had short hair most of my life - I'm now nearing waist, and my hair is the longest it's ever been.

Short hair was much more time consuming and difficult for me. It needed to be washed and styled every morning in order to look good, and it required frequent hair cuts it keep it looking good. I loved my short hair, but it did take time.

Long hair took me more time at first, because I needed to learn to care for it and work out a routine. Now that I've got the hang of things, it's much easier and faster to deal with than short hair. The only thing that takes more time with long hair is using henna - when I had short hair, I used box dyes which were much simpler and quicker to use. However, even if I went back to short hair, I'd never return to those box dyes anyway!

I think there is a "cut-off" point for longer hair = easier hair, at least for me. Much beyond hip/tailbone, I'm not sure I'd be able to manage my long hair as easily. This would vary from person to person, and I may change my mind when I get there!

-- Natalie

[Sapphire'sWings]

Long hair is actually pretty easy for me. And it is so not expensive in my case. You say you spend 12 dollars a month on hair products, but if you look around, it doesn't have to be that way (unless you do have some special issues, or need a special routine).

You can get shampoo, conditioner, and leave in for a dollar each. Instead of looking for brand name stuff, maybe you can try looking for cheaper dollar store brand products instead of the name brand stuff.

Suave, White Rain, and V05 are all cheap brands. Usually many of the cheaper brands are cone free, but if you like cones, there's very cheap brands and dollar store brands that have them.

I know Suave has products that mimic salon brands and have cones for like around 2-3 dollars, I think. My dollar store had a very cheap coney leave in that was supposed to be like this children's detangler. White Rain has coney shampoo and conditioners for like around a dollar, in green bottles.

You can experiment with cheap products and see what works best.

I used to love the expensive stuff, until I discovered that the dollar store stuff worked the same for me.

Olive oil is also very cheap. It can be very greasy for some, but maybe you can try using only a drop. It is my favorite and only leave in.

If you're careful, your hair care may come in at 4 dollars or less a month.

Hope that helps, although I know it isn't possible for everyone to have a cheaper routine. I know more expensive brands are usually mentioned here, but for many people, including me, the cheap stuff works just as well.

I really spend a few minutes daily on my hair. I usually just comb and bun it. Some days I do treat my hair nicer and spend more time on it and baby it, but I find that this is not necessary every single day.

When it comes to hair toys, I'm afraid the cheaper stuff ends up eaten by my monster hair, so I usually stick to scrunchies. I've made my own hairsticks in the past using wooden dowels. I'm sure it is even possible to buy pencils and decorate them. You can be creative and use many things that can work like hair sticks.

Of course a shaved head or buzzcut may be the easiest options. I will not lie. Very short hair is probably the easiest. However, I do not like short hair on myself, so I wear it long and find ways to deal, just because long hair makes me happy.

Hair can be something in life that is easy to control, as opposed to other life issues. So just wear your hair the way that makes you happy. ;)

[Paniscus]

I agree with you. When I've had a short bob, it was wash and go. Less shampoo. Less fussing. Just less all together. Not to mention, less drying time. That's a big one for me. I loved my bob. However, anything in life that is worth having, is worth the trouble :)

Guess it depends on the head of hair, eh?

[renarok]

I find for myself that long hair has always been easier. I need length to tame it. I've had every hairstyle, and color there is and I always return to long. I have to 'style' short hair. Phooey. It also needs more frequent washing when short.

[daydreamer]

I think for me it's kind of trade-off. When my hair was short I spent a lot of time curling it, cutting it, clipping it back etc since it was often in my face. However, with long hair I'm definitely spending a bit of time putting it up and taking care of it -- and whatever new hair washing regime I'm trying out at the moment. :) I guess it would be about equal for me.

[Medievalhair]

For me long hair is so much easier, because I put my hair quickly. Unlike when it was neck length and always got in my way.

And now that I take of my hair properly, it doesn't take long to detangle and put up into a bun or braided bun.

[sapphire-o]

I guess to a lot of people tangles increase with length, is that the main problem? Would you still consider long hair difficult if your hair doesn't have any more tangles than when it's short?

[hrimfaxi]

Long hair is easier for me, personally, because when it was shorter I felt compelled to wash it every day (now I wash it once a week, usually). I also use a lot less conditioner and concentrate it more where needed, and I can use coconut oil too (which is pretty cheap for the amounts used). I also am able to keep it out of my way even better than when it was shorter; I kept it at shoulder length before, and thus it was in a ponytail pretty much all the time (I'm a tomboyish sort of girl; it needs to be out of my way 99% of the time).
It also behaves itself better in general (due to less frequent washing), and if it's not behaving itself or is a little too greasy, I can throw it in a bun and nobody will know anyway.

I guess, in short, I find long hair even easier to ignore than shorter hair, and I enjoy it in the few moments I do want it down.

[loves2spin]

I have had long and short and definitely, at least for me, long is less trouble. I use my own homemade shampoo bars to wash and don't even need any conditioner, and it is so nice to just be able to twist it up into a bun and put in some pins, sticks or whatever and it is tidy and pretty (at least I think so :) ) I wear it in 1 braid at night, brush it in the morning and before I braid it at night. It's just so easy and I really don't have trouble with tangles. Good luck to you!

[Gumball]

For me it really depends on the avenue of discussion. Product-wise I'd say my hair is better now. Sure I use oils and conditioners (also the rare shampoo), but ultimately I use them much much less than when I had short hair. I shampooed every time I washed. Now I CO once every week or two and sometimes throw in a shampooing when I feel there's a need. That's pretty darn cost effective for me.

On the other hand now that my hair is longer it takes a little more elbow grease to deal with, whether it's detangling or styling or whatnot. I'm very happy with that tradeoff. I may complain now and then about some sort of hair related woe but ultimately I'm very happy with it. :) I hope you can be, too!

[nicolezoie]

I think it's easier.

My single biggest pet peeve about my hair has always been when it gets stuck in my eyes or nose, and that's something I have very little trouble with now.

With length, I don't have the problems I had when my hair was shorter. My wavy hair always looked straggly and unkept when it was shorter, mainly because my wave pattern is fairly large, and it didn't start looking right until it was a little past my waist. I constantly had to brush or comb it smooth to make it look nice.

In an average day (hair up) my hair takes about a half hour to manage - 15 minutes to detangle & re-updo in the mornings and evenings. On the days I scalp-wash, add another 15 minutes, so about 45 minutes to manage my hair. If I length wash, add another 15 minutes, so that'd be about a hour to manage.

The one caveat - I can't wear it down without having to constantly keep an eye on it (like my dog) otherwise it gets into mischief (like my dog). :mad:

Also, I spend FAR LESS $$ on shampoo & conditioner now than I did when it was shorter - I wash it ALOT less and it's alot happier with me for it.

I rarely knew what to do with my hair when it was short other than pull on it to make it grow. :) At heart I truly believe that I'm a lifelong longhair.

[Morag]

i cant find a thread like this but if the mods know of one and want to merge that would be great...
someone please tell me im not the only one who experiences this..
i cant believe that im the only one who finds long to be harder than short..

Short was easier in a lot of ways, but I'm not sure it looked as good. (I've got to say, I look great in an updo.) Long requires more from me in the way of time - cleaning, drying, trying to get it into some semblance or order before work each day. Part of that last problem is that it's in an "in between" length right now - it doesn't want to stay up, but doesn't look quite right down, and is not long enough for a good braid yet. I can always just let it hang, and I don't think it actually looks bad that way, but I seem to have some internal pressure to do things with it that "prove" it looks better long, just in case anybody wants to give me a hard time. Weird, I know.

So, yeah - more trouble long, but I like it anyway. I am currently looking on my hair as a hobby - something pleasurable to spend my spare time on.

Product does not cost me more, because I am currently WO with occasional henna glosses, and I used to spend lots and lots on trying different shampoos, hair setting gels, root lifters, etc. Now if I want more body, I pin it up overnight, and the next morning - Voila! - roots lifted! :D

[CurlyOne]

Growing up I always had shoulder length hair because my mom loved the ringlets my hair made. I don't like it that short because it is very unmanageable. The length helps to slow the curls so really long hair is much nicer for me and I LOVE how my hair looks now.

[Shermie Girl]

Long was soooo much easier for me! Before my recent disaster and chop, my hair was a breeze to look after. I could wash, condition, air dry and toss up in a simple, elegant updo or damp bun it and get out the door with dignity.

Now... I can't be seen until it has been blown out, fussed over, styled to within an inch of it's life and sprayed into submission. And the bad hair days! Don't even get me started! I never have bad hair days with long hair.

So for me, long is much easier. Short is just a major pain in the ass.

[ZaBasDa]

I think it depends so much on your hair type and how you wish for it to look.

For me, shoulder and shorter length was amazing because it didn't take long to dry and somehow ended up the same curly semi-afro everyday. But. my bsl is good for me too. It takes longer to dry, but I can always put it in a ponytail or a bun if it ends up looking atrocious. Apl was bad for me because it was too short to go in a ponytail and long enough that all clothes messed with it.

Then again, I'm a wash and wear type person. I have come to terms with the fact that my hair is always the victor. If I was the type of person who had to have perfect hair, then I would find longer hair a nuisance just because there would be more hair to make perfect.

[chloeishere]

I think long hair is easier in some ways, and short hair is easier in some ways.

Pixie for me, was high maintenance. I had to wash every day or it looked greasy, my hair always wanted to stand at a 90 degree angle to my head, and I had to clip back the sides all the time.
Chin length is annoying because my hair always wants to fall into my face-- ALWAYS, it's just how my hair is-- and it's too short to really put up. Maybe pigtails. Also, my wave pattern means that one side is always flipped out, and one side is always flipped under. ARGH!
Shoulder to about APL was not an attractive length for me. It looks better now (with LHC care), but it'll still look much better facially when it's longer or shorter.
Waist to Hip: hair always got in the way when I was sleeping. Tangles more common and more difficult. Hair took about 5 hours to dry (my hair has always taken a long time to dry, though-- it takes about 3 hours now, with a turban used for a while first), which I couldn't stand.

Short Hair: Must wash every morning (or I have bed head that won't lay down, even if wetted). I always use conditioner unless my hair is a pixie cut.

Long Hair: can wash less often. Use cheaper conditioners because am cone-free. More time spent detangling (though this will decrease quite a bit once I trim out all the dyed bits), more time putting hair up (though not that long, honestly-- a few seconds). Long hair takes much less time for me, in the mornings, because I can wash the night before.

Long hair is more expensive right now because I'm experimenting constantly. All those new washing methods and oils cost money! Once I settle down though, costs will decrease a LOT.

Hairtoys are also an expensive habit, but I'm already getting more selective and spending a lot less on them. I think the only major hairtoy purchase the past month was some Etta Mae forks from the GO, and a graydog stick. Much better than it's been in the past!

I've always had low maintenance hair, too... but I don't think one is innately more difficult or costly for me, than the other. It's all a matter of what I feel like at the time. Its nice not to need to cut it all the time.

The one thing I can say is you should never feel guilty about your hair. That makes me sad. Trim because you want to get rid of damage, and be glad it's gone! Hair should be enjoyed, whether long or short. If your hair is making you unhappy, you should change your attitude or change your hair!

[doodlesmart]

Long hair is much easier for me. Apart from hairtoys, which I spend too much money on :p, long hair is pretty cheap for me. I use shampoo bars which means that I pay about $12-18 a year for shampoo and conditioner. I also use coconut oil, but one jar lasts forever, same with a giant jug of ACV so I guestimate that I spend about $3 a month tops on my daily hair care. Now, I do spoil myself with cassia occasionally, and that is a bit more expensive, but also optional and not necessary.

Really, for me, even with the hairtoys it's not *that* much when I consider that I don't drink (expensive), smoke (expensive), use make-up (expensive), shop for clothes unless something has worn out or own more than 5 pairs of shoes that were purchased by me. (I do get a few freebies from my mom.) For me, my hair is really my only vanity in this sense. I'm sparing even with soap, and OCM a few days a week, so the only other "beauty" expense I have is sunscreen.

As far as time goes, it takes about 5 minutes in the evening to comb it out and braid it. It could be faster, but I enjoy it and take my time. I wash once a week, so that's a big time saver over short hair. My showers take literally 2-3 minutes, because it just doesn't take that long to spread soap everywhere. In the mornings, I either comb out the braid, about 30s, oil it, 10 seconds and then bun it, another 30 sec, or just leave it in the braid, or just bun the braid. So, my morning routine for my hair is 70 sec or less.

Of course occasionally I choose to spend more time on my hair, but then it's like a little spa day for me.

[goldenwaves]

I agree that shorter hair is easier! If you don't like your long hair, perhaps get it trimmed a bit. :)

[DecafJane]

For me, long hair is easier and cheaper (even with hairtoys) but then I always went to the salon for cuts and bought the expensive products.
I probably can't comment about hair that is longer than mid-back, as my hair has never reached classic or anything yet. :)

[Iylivarae]

Long hair is easier for me. With my short hair, I had to wash it and blowfry it either straight or with a diffusor, so the curls came out. This took me - including washing at least every other day - quite a lot of time. Also, my hair was so annoying, because I always got the tips of my hair in my eyes.
It is also a lot easier to style it, I can just braid it and it looks good and stays in place. I don't use any styling products, except for aloe vera gel from time to time.
I always had to use conditioner and shampoo, so it isn't more expensive for me. Actually, it is cheaper, for I don't have to get a new haircut every three or so months, which was always pretty expensive. Only the hairtoys are more expensive, but I can also just use an elastic, so that's no real point.

[Rae~]

For me, longer = easier, AND cheaper. I shudder when I think of how much hassle short hair was!

For the purposes of this post (and seeing as squiggyflop's hair is currently approx BSL), I consider hair at BSL to be just starting to be "long".

When I had very short hair (pixie-ish), then it naturally took less time to wash and detangle. But, the regular cuts required to keep it that way killed me money-wise! And going without those cuts aren't really an option for most people, since self-trims are a lot harder on those very short haircuts, which usually have lots of layering. With my cowlick, I often had to spend *some* time in the morning anyway, misting and/or blowdrying the fringe. Plus, without a LOT of effort (and even sometimes then!), it was same old, same old, every single day. For me, that was boring.

When my hair was a bit longer (from 2" to shoulder length), it was taking a bit longer to wash than at pixie, and took a *lot* longer to style. My waves do not like to sit nicely at shorter lengths, without much cajoling. And my hair is quite fine, so leaving it out meant flyaways and tangles. Especially in that horrible long-enough-to-swing-all-over-the-place-but-can't-quite-make-a-pony-stub period. I've never been one to blowdry much, so not much difference there (except, still, for the fringe/cowlick). Regular trims were still required to keep a "style", since it grows at a reasonable pace.

Once my hair got past shoulder length, I found the longer it got, the easier it got. I started to be able to do a few more updos; not just an uptwist or a ponytail. There was enough length to start to do buns, which meant (occasionally) nice bun waves. On bad hair days, a simple ponytail or updo hid all sorts of horrors. ;) One good (ie nicely even) trim a year got me through, so there were barely any hairdressing costs. Combing and detangling BSL hair didn't really take much longer than combing and detangling shoulder length hair.

Of course, the most important factor is that I *prefer* long hair. You just need to work out what length *you* prefer. Longer doesn't equal better for everyone, just as shorter doesn't equal easier, for everyone. ESPECIALLY when we probably have all different definitions of when length is "long".

[n3m3sis42]

I thought that "upper" BSL was much more work than either short hair (at or above shoulder length) or the long (sort of, it's a little above waist length) hair that I have now. I think that's because BSL is the length where hair first starts to catch on a lot of things, and because at BSL, you have to do different things to protect it than when it was shorter.

I can't really say whether short hair was easier or harder than the long(ish) hair I have right now. I had a heck of a time getting my hair to look decent (i.e. not a scary frizzy mess) when it was on the short side, but I was still using SLS and -cones, which I have found do not play so nice with my hair. I also used boxed chemical dye a few times a year and probably did things like brushing or ponytailing my wet hair. If I'd cared for it better, then maybe it would have been just as easy or easier to deal with than my long hair is now.

The one time that I've had hair longer than it is now, I did end up cutting it off because it was a lot to deal with. However, that was mainly because I'd abused it for years and it was really rather fried. My hair now has some issues, but it's in MUCH better condition than it was then. It depends what I'm doing with my hair, but most of the time it doesn't take more than 5-10 minutes to detangle and "style" (read: mist, comb/brush, and/or bun it). The only thing that takes longer than it did with short hair is the time I have to spend waiting for it to (partially) dry while it's up in a microfiber towel.

As far as the expense is concerned, I am sort of a product junkie, but honestly, I could easily get by with only a few things. I "need" 2 or 3 different shampoo bars at any given time because I alternate them. At $5 or $6 apiece, 2 or 3 bars would last me at least 3 months before I'd have to order more, so let's say that I "need" to spend about $5 a month on shampoo bars (although in reality I choose to spend considerably more than that at the moment because I want to try every kind). I also have to have my horn comb (which cost $10 and has more than paid for itself in the 1.5 years I've had it) and a bottle of ACV (the expensive kind with the "mother" that I get costs $3-$5 a bottle and will last at least 6 months at the rate I'm going)--let's say I am spending a buck a month on ACV. There is also my henna powder, which is admittedly not cheap, but I bought 1 gram of BAQ henna for $53 (including shipping) on sale. Since it will last me a year or longer, I'm going to say that's a cost of a little over $1 a week, which is $4 a month. Total, that means that what I *need* to spend on my hair is about $10 a month.

Obviously, if I needed a lot of leave-ins in order for my hair to be happy, it would be a lot more expensive. I have bought several types of oil for the purpose of experimenting, but most of the time, my hair doesn't really seem to need them (so I end up spending money on stuff just to use it once in a while). If I actually needed to use them a lot, I can see that getting expensive. Maybe there's something in your routine (or your water?) that your hair doesn't like and is making it need all those leave-ins?

[rymorg2]

Long hair is definately easier, but not cheaper! I have SO much hair that as it gets longer I go through products like CRAZY! But that's ok. At the length it is now it's a pain and takes me quite awhile to do it. It takes a bit less time since I'm wearing it wurly again, but not as little time as long hair does. It's going to take me a year to get the 10 inches back I cut off recently. Oh well.

[Ashley]

It's easier to me, since short hair was either down or in a ponytail, and my long hair holds buns etc so comfortably! The longer my hair gets, the more firm the 'dos hold. :)

[Periwinkle]

For me, it kind of is and it kind of isn't.

I've spent most of my life getting my hair cut to about jaw-length, resolving to keep it there, being lazy and letting it grow out to about APL, then cutting it, then letting it grow...

In that cycle, I've always found it easier to have long hair simply because it doesn't fall out of a ponytail and I've always just been able to brush it and leave it. However, my hair is now equal to the longest it's ever been, if not longer, and the only reason I'm finding it more of a challenge is because I now have the LHC-caused urge to do exotic things with it rather than just putting it in a pony every day.

[Speedbump]

Long hair is definitely easier for me. My curls are wild -- and not in a good way -- when my hair is shorter, and when it's really short, it just looks BAD because the curls can't form that well. It also won't hold a cut because the curls break up whatever shape the stylist thinks they are giving me. Long hair holds its shape, keeps my curls weighed down so they look like something, and is easy to just braid or twist up into a ficcare if I don't want it down. I even wash it a lot less than when it was short, so even though I buy more expensive conditioner and use more at one time now, I buy it no more often than I used to.

[Eireann]

My hair isn't super long, yet, but so far I find it easier. When it was shorter, I had to style it every day to make it look good, and now it is long enough that it looks good air-dried (except that I still blow fry my bangs.) As far as the cost, for me it's no contest. I live in a big city, and it used to cost me $100 every 6 weeks for a haircut. I loved my pixie cut, but that had to be touched up every 4 weeks to look good. If I'm really in a hurry, I just put it up in the shower so it won't get wet, and then leave it up when I go out. When it gets past waist, it might be another story, though.

[QueenBea]

Long hair is WAY easier for me. Even before I started LHC-ing last year and wearing it up, it was even easier in college--I could air dry and do a half up and always looked pretty.

My hair is very thick and messy-wavy-frizzy, so when it's short, I pretty much HAVE to blow dry with a brush and straighten with an iron or curling iron to control it. Air dry sticks straight out. I had a pixie-ish length cut once and that was wash-and-go but I looked like I was about 50 (and I wasn't even 30). Anything between Pixie and shoulders is high maintenance for my hair type.

And of course, if the wind blew on my straightened over-styled hair or there was humidity (constant in Alabama)--it was gone. Air dried long worn up---I can get away with more.

Long hair is way easier for me!!!!!! I've got to get a grip on products though---haven't found the magical combination.

Bea

[Anje]

Shortest my hair has been since I started "doing" it myself when I was about 2nd grade was a few years back when I cut a foot off to give me a high shoulder length. I still shampooed and conditioned nearly daily at that point, but I can say it was probably easier. I would just brush it and throw it in a ponytail, no further thought required. Now I need to detangle carefully (not hard, since my hair is generally up and not that tangled), decide if it's dry enough to need a bit more oil smeared in, then braid it or put it up for the day. So my hair routine has gone from maybe 3 minutes to 5-10 minutes (not counting washes, which I certainly come out ahead on, now that I don't do it daily or have to deal with shampooing).

[Anne~]

Long hair is much easier for me! My curls are under control and getting ready for work takes no time, just put it up in a bun.

[spidermom]

Wanted to sympathize here, SF. Some days my hair is so much bother and requires so much time that I HATE it. That layered shoulder length style (photo posted earlier) -- I could SO go back to that. But I have to see if I can get classic length first. I always promised myself that I would.

[Tabitha]

My hair is now the longest it's ever been. And I've grown it out from the shortest it's ever been - a pixie that was even more brutal than a pixie, more like a boy's short back and sides.

I have to say that on a day to day level, the short crop was far easier. I just shampooed in the shower - no need for conditioner - a quick swipe with a towel, it dried in minutes and was good to go. However, I had to have it cut every month or so to keep it looking nice - although this didn't take long, I had to schedule and pay for the salon visits.

I am comparing my present hair, at "almost-waist" with the previous time I had long hair, BSL as a teenager. It used to tangle badly and was rather frizzy. Now I have the knowledge to look after it better (mainly thanks to TLHC), even though the length is greater, it's easier to keep it looking nice and feeling healthy.

However, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I still need to detangle carefully, use plenty of conditioner, and be wise about choosing styles according to the weather and my activities. I only have it cut once every six months, but because I have a fringe, that still has to be trimmed (I look dorky without one). And it does take much longer to wash, never mind to dry, to the extent that although I love the sensation of clean hair, I dread washday and often put it off when it really needs washing (yep, I'm lazy).

[Jaime]

It depends on what you mean by "easier". Like Tabitha, my extremely short hairstyle was essentially no maintenance, so my long hair is not easier to manage than that was. OTOH, whenever my hair got longer than very short, it was a major PITA. When I decided to grow out again, the first several months it was very difficult to manage, until it was long enough to pull back in a tail. As my hair continues to get longer, I do spend more time on it in the shower (there is more of it :rolleyes:) but I spend less time sorting it out in the morning, or through out the day.

8) Jim

[LaurelSpring]

My hair is so much easier longer. When it was shorter, I had to mess with it alot or it looked terrible. I had to shampoo, blow dry and use the curling iron every day for it to look decent. Now I can skip shampoo days and just put it up. Not to mention that short hair is just too boring for me. Every time I ever cut it I may have liked it for a week but then it was just way too boring. I need to be able to do things to my hair. I have come too far to go back now. I just wouldnt know what to do without it. I would feel too naked or like I was missing a body part.

[may1em]

I maintained my hair between shoulder and ear from sophomore year of high school until the first few months out of college. My hair is naturally very wavy, which I had no idea then. In those days, I'd get short cuts that required significant maintenance in order to look good (my waves make short hair stick out in funny directions if left alone - i thought it was just unruly). I washed every day, blowdried with a round brush every morning, and went to the salon fairly frequently. Senior year of college I went to the salon every other month. I also used product every day.

Now it's at waist length and I can air dry it and have it look really good. In the winter, I'll diffuse for a little so it'll dry before I have to leave the house. Yesterday I'd been hoping to wash as it had been about a week, but I had to get up and be ready to leave the house quicker than usual. I threw it up in a bun without detangling. It was fine! In the old days, I would have thrown a bandanna on but that is not the style I go for now. I also only wash once every 4-7 days, which cuts down on product. I still have about a third of a bottle of shampoo I bought last March, but I've gone through about 5 bottles of conditioner (mostly cheapies for CO, but also 2 bottles of more moisturizing stuff and a bottle of leave-in). The conditioner I definitely go through quicker, but I'm not buying any more expensive stuff. I use about as much styling product as before because I'm using it less frequently but on more hair. The time it takes to put it up in a bun is much less than the time it took to wash and blowdry (or flatiron if I didn't have time for that).

My hair texture fights short cuts. I haven't noticed it being significantly more difficult to deal with since it's grown past APL - that was the worst of the longer lengths for me, probably because at that point I had no real idea how to treat longer hair.

Oh, I also dyed it a lot (mostly from ages 19-20). That box of Feria every month sure set me back.

[Alun]

Wavy + short = sticks out in funny directions for no reason! (not the first to point that out in this thread)

AFAIK nobody with wavy hair could ever find short hair easier, unless, they either liked their hair looking totally stupid (LOL!) or had it cut so short that you couldn't even tell it was wavy. I had to comb my hair about every five minutes when it was short, or maybe it just seemed to be that often?

As for having hair too short to be affected by waves, I've never had hair that short, and I'm a guy. Where I come from originally (England) only skinheads and neo-nazis had hair that short prior to about 1990.

Lots of people might find short hair easier, but none of them have wavy hair, or else by short they mean ultra-short. It all depends on your hair type.

[share801]

I'd say it depends on your hair type. For me, shorter was unquestionably easier, but I have fine wavy hair that tends to tangle easily and not hold updos well. When it was shorter I could scrunch gently and go (no product). However, I would also say it LOOKS better long - hence the reason I won't be cutting soon.

[share801]

PS. One other thing I can say about short - I didn't have to spend so much time cutting it out of the darn vacuum!!!! :)

[squiggyflop]

PS. One other thing I can say about short - I didn't have to spend so much time cutting it out of the darn vacuum!!!! :)
hehe:D i have to pic my hair out of the broom.. not to mention my bathtub gets clogged once every 2 weeks from my hair..

[nomadhome]

Hard to say. My fiance says long is more work-- but I think that is just because I talk about it more now. A super short style would look crappy on me, especially because my hair is randomly wavy, so I can basically choose between long and medium. With shoulder length, heavily layered hair, I don't worry about its health and it requires less condish. With my current BSL hair, I don't have to blow dry, wash daily or pay for expensive salon visits.

[Riot Crrl]

Wavy + short = sticks out in funny directions for no reason! (not the first to point that out in this thread)

AFAIK nobody with wavy hair could ever find short hair easier, unless, they either liked their hair looking totally stupid (LOL!) or had it cut so short that you couldn't even tell it was wavy. I had to comb my hair about every five minutes when it was short, or maybe it just seemed to be that often?

As for having hair too short to be affected by waves, I've never had hair that short, and I'm a guy. Where I come from originally (England) only skinheads and neo-nazis had hair that short prior to about 1990.

Lots of people might find short hair easier, but none of them have wavy hair, or else by short they mean ultra-short. It all depends on your hair type.

That pretty well describes my short hair. It was one big stupid. One of the hallmarks of the 3a type is that we don't get spirals until/unless our hair gets longer, so it wasn't like I had short cute curls or anything. It was just a big standing up all over thing.

Matters improved some when it got long enough to "drop."

[atlantaz3]

For me long hair is easier. I spent so much time with a blow dryer and hot rollers, gel, hair spray and other assorted goop. Not to mention the highlights. I think I maybe had a good hair day once a month (probably looked fine but not to me). Now I wash condition smt once or twice a week, have new hair accessories to play with and just like my hair. I don't think I ever really liked my hair before - oh I played the dumb blonde to the hilt - but did I ever really like my hair?

[Growin' It]

I can see your point, Squiggyflop, probably because your hair type's so different to mine. Here's my answer:


so which is easier for all of you long or short...
easier = short

and why do you feel that way..
reason = the brush went through it and it didn't get knots

However...
Did it feel good?
= nope
Did it look good?
= once or twice a fortnight
Did I like it?
= definitely nope
Was it frizzy, feral and yuk?
= yep
Did I have style options?
= nope
Do I regret that it takes a lot longer now?
= yes
Is the extra time spent worth it?
= absolutely
Would I have it any other way?
= no way!!

My hair gets knotty and now I need to prepare it before sleeping, which makes it much easier to handle in the morning, but the rewards for having long hair far, far outweigh the constraints. I wouldn't go back.

[rubyredslippers]

I've always felt that my jaw is too strong for short hair . . . I find it looks best on those sorts of women with the pointy elfin-type chin . . . for that reason alone I would avoid short hair.

The other problem, though, is that my hair has a very distinct mind of its own. And once it's dried, it's made up its mind and no flat-iron, no damping-down, no gel, no comb or brush is going to tell it what to do. Those cowlicks will not be licked. And those whurls will whurl every which asymmetrical way.

So yes, long hair is easier, because I have a whole arsenal of other battle strategies now, in the frequent case that my hair refuses to lay right. :luke: But being longer does tame it.:whip: And it takes under a minute to toss it in a braid, or up in a cinnamon-bun.

I only wish it didn't get splits so fast.

[levelek]

Much easier at long. Like rubyredslippers, my hair also has a mind of its own. It was sticking in all directions while I had it short, which became distinctly annoying as I lost my happy childhood waves.

I don't really spend more on my hair now, either. I wash it once every 6 days on average and I only use cheapo conditioner to protect the length from the shampoo. I then do an ACV rinse, sometimes in rosemary tea, with a blob of microwaved honey and a few drops of oil mixed in. None of these is expensive, and I'm sure this takes less time than if I S&Cd every day. Between washes, I just spread a few drops of jojoba or EVOO. EVOO is relatively cheap, and even the jojoba lasts long.

I'd probably want it long even if it was more effort compared to a short cut. I love the feel and look of my long hair!

[30isthenewblack]

My hair was definitely lower maintenance when it was shorter. At the moment because I have curly hair, it is a difficult length, being APL when curly. When I reach the point of BSL and I hope to reach that at the end of the year, it will start to become easier. I've got all these things to think about now that I didn't think about with shorter hair such as protecting my hair and wearing up dos, sleeping on a satin pillowcase, putting jojoba oil in my hair before I go to bed, CO washes etc However, the high maintenance routine is more than worth it for me :D

ETA: I do think however that when it grows longer, I can use less hair product to tame the curls. At the moment more than anything, I am trying to stretch the hair out by using product to lengthen the curl.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2332/2500728601_06a073e3db_o.jpg

[Leisha]

Is long hair easier for me than short hair, I don't know because I've never had short hair ;)

But I do think long hair is easy, personally. I wash it once every two weeks (or maybe once every ten days, once a week max) and pretty much leave it alone between washes! I just put it up in a bun with a hairstick, or in a braid. On non-wash days, I think I spend about 5 minutes on my hair, if that! Probably more like 2 or 3 minutes :)

Of course if I want to spend more time on it, I do, but it's certainly not necessary.

(I neglect my hair a little too much, though)

I would like to have short hair for a week or so to see how easy or difficult it is to care for. I can imagine my hair being a bit unruly, sticking up in odd places and stuff :lol:

[teeleigh]

First, I feel like my face is too round to look good with short hair. Also my hair type is not naturally obedient so I spent lots of time making it look right. Now the length forces my hair to lay down and be good, and if it is having an attitude I can still control it with a scrunchie. I'm too lazy for short hair.:o

[talula_fairie]

Well, before I knew how to really deal with the kind of hair I have, I definitely couldn't tolerate my hair being too far past my shoulders. Once it reached about 2" from bsl I'd hack it all off, every time. Short hair for me (esp the pixie cut I have now, which takes almost no daily maintenance) is super easy to maintain. It's literally wash and go. Sometimes I style it a little with a blow dryer when I want a sleeker look. But it's so short and cut so well (I spent about $59 with tip on my hair when I get it cut...outrageous I know but the hairstylist does such a good job and I only have to go every few months, so it makes it worth it), that it actually lays pretty flat despite being naturally wavy.

I originally cut it off mostly becuase I wanted to stop dying it. I really want to have long hippie hair.

I think now that I have more information about how to care for long, coarse, wavy, thick hair (CWC, hair treatments, oiling, microfiber towels, don't brush, ect) I'll be able to handle it better when it does become long. And I'm *told* that curly coarse hair lays better when it's long because the weight of it pulls it downward and makes it lay flat with less fuss.

[silverwoods]

Long hair is much more easy care for me than short hair. With short hair I always felt it was about to grow into an awkward length that looked wrong for my face, so that meant getting it styled professionally fairly frequently.

In the summer, my short hair tended to annoy me when I slept (all those little hairs tickling the back of my neck) because it was too short to topknot or ponytail. I did like how fast it airdried though when it was short.

[rockkcor]

Long is better for me! I only brush it and tie it back...
I wish it was much longer - then I would have no need to tie it after all...

[Nizhoni]

My hair is very unruly in general and even more unruly when short. So yes, long hair is easier for me even if it takes forever to wash it. :p

[ladyshannonanne]

It totally depends on how you want your hair to look and the type of hair you have. Because of my hair type, I have very freaky hair when it's shorter than shoulder length, so I chose to spend time and money making it look nice. When my hair is longer and I have a good hair cut (by my favorite stylist, Steven Perlin), I don't have to do anything to my hair. I wash (sulfate free, usually), condition, and part it on the side. I don't comb it or brush it, and I don't put anything else in it. If I have a bad hair cut, however (in other words, NOT cut by Steven), I usually have the temptation to slather cones in my hair and blow dry it using a round brush.

So, in conclusion, I'd say that long hair is easier with the right cut for your hair type.

[bte]

Long is much easier for me - very litle work at all.

[Boon]

Longer seems easier for me. People say they want to have short hair beacause it's easier and then they spend an hour in the morning to style it... And I put my long hair up in a bun in a few seconds :P But I can't really say what is easier for me beacause I've never had really short hair. But I think long hair is the best for me :)

[greekprincess]

I have always had very long hair until a few years ago when I had it cut into a pixie style and to tell you the truth...I took more time with my hair when it was short than I do now . I was always putting products in it...blow frying it...teasing it...straightning it. I think I spent more money on products when my hair was short. Now I wash it....and leave it alone. I spend maybe $20 every other month on my shampoo/conditioner/coconut oil. It's an expense I don't mind for having long hair.

[Hatsumomo]

When I had short hair, I would wake up with it sticking up all over the place and have to wash it to make it lie flat. Now I can just tie it up if it annoys me or gets in my way. Short hair was always in my face but too short to do anything about.

[LilyMunster]

Long is easier. I can put it up and forget it.

[Amoretti]

Long hair is definitely easier for me.

It takes me 30 seconds to detangle in the mornings. Keep in mind that I have an impatient toddler plucking at my sleeve in the meantime so I can't fiddle around with it. LOL.

It takes me about 15 seconds to twist it into a Figure 8 and there it stays all day long.

I don't have to wonder what the heck I'm going to do with it.
Buns are perfect for any occasion; casual or elegant.

I scalp wash 3X a week so I don't even have to wash it every second day like I did when it was shortish.

It always looks good even if I don't go to the hair salon. That means no big spending.

I don't have to use any styling products for it to look nice. That means less time spent on it.

[Delenn]

When mine was short it was a constant battle to get my hair to go in the direction that *I* wanted it to go instead of the direction the hair wanted to go. Washing every day really wasn't a huge chore because come on, how much effort does it really take to wash hair that's a few inches long. =p It's after the wash that took time, heat styling aids and products to beat each hair into submission... and even after all that I certainly didn't win those battles with any consistency, that's for sure! :silly:

Things are pretty easy. I really only need to scalp wash once a week which I save for sundays, during the week my biggest problem is choosing how I want to wear it that day. Bunned? Down? Half up? Ends up? Which toy? But the actually "styling" is done like in a minute flat... if that. So yup, I'd say things are easier now. :D

[redtea]

hehe:D i have to pic my hair out of the broom.. not to mention my bathtub gets clogged once every 2 weeks from my hair..

If you don't have one, you should definitely buy one of those hair catchers for the bathtub drain!

I used to always wear my hair in some sort of bob. I pulled off the shorter styles really well, and all I had to do was wash and airdry and my curls would always look perfect. I got a lot of compliments. The thing I like about having longer hair is that I can pull it back whenever I want to if I don't feel like dealing with it or I want it out of my face. I can't really say I'm partial to either style on me, although sometimes I think shorter hair looks better.

I recently cut my hair off (a few inches at a time) from below BSL to shoulder length. I'm now around APL again. My hair was really damaged from bleach and I was getting massive split ends just weeks after trims. It was really tangly from all the damage and like you my hair is also normally on the tangly side to begin with. I'd guess that once you get more of the damage cut off, your hair will probably get a little more manageable.

[UP Lisa]

For me, long hair is a lot easier. My hair is baby-fine, and would never hold a curl. I used to spend so much time, and use so much hairspray to get it to look okay and stay that way. Now all I do is put it up most of the time. I do have to condition, but I don't mind that.

I save a lot of money on haircuts, because I trim it myself.

[EvaSimone]

In some ways my hair is more expensive (products, toys etc.)

But when my hair was short I kept it dyed and styled which was around $50 a month or so.

So really I don't think my hair is any more expensive but if I hadn't messed with my hair so much when it was short it probably would be a bit more costly now since I have leave ins and oils etc.

Personally the care of my hair is a lot easier now than it was, I just braid and go or twist and go. No blowdrying, hair spraying or even brushing. I also wash my hair less than I used to.

It really shouldn't be such a PITA to detangle your hair, so I wonder if their is something in your routine that is making it difficult.

In short, I understand how long hair could be felt to be a PITA but I personally don't feel that way. Your hair shouldn't make you feel unhappy and if their is something you can do to make you happy with it, then I say think about it for a while and if you still want to do it... then do it!:grouphug:

[JessTheMess]

I get what your saying squiggy. When my hair was APL it seriously took me maybe 5 minutes to get ready. I could just finger detangle and go. Now I spend close to 20 minutes carefully detangling and oiling and deep conditioning. Then again... that was all before LHC. I never knew how to take care of my hair, so I think all of the time I spend now is because I'm pampering damage.

[Mayu-chan]

To answer the question: no, long hair was not easier. But it could all have been due to circumstance and nuances. Not everything is the same way twice, maybe long hair would be easy for me second time around.

Squiggy, I totally understand how time accounts for a decent part of your problem (dilemma?). When my hair was long, it would take me forever to wash/air dry. And then I'd have to make it look good, because if it didn't frame my face just the right way, I'd become frustrated. It got so much of a hassle that I just chopped it all off. My short hair still irritated me because I would have to pin it down so it dried a certain way, and even then it wouldn't look good, etc. That's when I got it cut so that it could just fall however it wanted and still look good (i.e. I got bangs), and now I absolutely love my hair even though it's barely shoulder length and I find long hair to be one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that if you have a problem, look at your options and try to find the best way to solve that problem in a way that makes you happy. I was rather afraid when I first had it chopped off, all my growth was gone! So many "what if"s filled my head. "What if I don't like it short?" "What if it's even more difficult to handle?" And even though some of my worst fears came true, I worked on that problem some more till it was truly solved.

I hope you find a way to resolve your troubles. Hair is something we should be enjoying, especially since there are so many other things in life for us to worry about.

[katiana]

To me, long hair is easier..when my hair was short, I would get it trimmed every 6-8 weeks to keep the style..then I would get highlights and left the salon after $130-160 out.. when I think about this, I can't believe how much money I spent on my hair..then, I had to blow-dry it in the morning to make it look like the salon hair cut I got..if I didn't do that, it looked pretty sorry..
I decided to grow out my hair again and realized that I just can't spent so much money on my hair living as a student..
When we were expecting my first child, it also made life easier since I knew I would not be able to tend to it after she was here...the only thing that really takes time for me now is that it does take longer to dry and take out tangles..with short hair, I hardly ever had a problem with tangles!

[nappywomyn]

My hair isn't nearly what I would call 'long' yet, but the longer it's gotten, the easier it's gotten to deal with. :agree:

Part of that might just be me learning what my hair likes and doesn't like, but a large part of it is that the extra length gives me more flexibility.....

[RavenDream]

My hair is definitely easier long. It just does want it wants to now and it looks good. When it was shorter to make it look good I would have to style it within an inch of its life and then it still only looked so-so. The only thing that is a little annoying now is the rate at which I go through products.

[longhairdreams]

I agree with you squiggy on this.I keep my hair long now because it looks better on me.But when My hair was super short think long pixie It was so easy.I washed with shampoo.It dried in like 2 minutes.And Nothing else was required.Plus it stayed nice for longer.I realize a short cut requires trips to the salon.Maybe I'm a LHC weirdo but I love going to the salon.The one I used to go to was wonderful.It always felt like being pampered going there.

That being said I do like my hair long.Its alot of work compared to my short hair.Shampoo and condition.A leave in while airdrying.And much longer drying time.But It looks really nice.Which is enough for me.

[sibilum]

It depends.... on a daily basis it is a lot easier, I don't have to spend tons of time styling it every day. My hair is wavy and most of my life I had short hair, and every morning I had to wet it and do something so it would look nice.

But, at washing time, things change. I'm very careful and I spend way too much time detagling and conditioning.

Then it comes a tie... I don't spend on styling products and cuts anymore, but I do spend more on shampoos, conditioners and oils, and more lately also on hair toys!

[Euphony]

I'd say for me taking care of it short, or taking care of it long for time is a wash :smile: When it's short I washed it daily and usually had to blow dry it since it's too thick and wavy to leave it to it's own devices. If I did let it air dry it would stand far away from my head like it was repulsed. Now I wash about every three days, it took me say 5 minutes to wash it short and now takes me 15; 5 times 3 equals 15.

For cost, I guess I'd have to say it might cost me more now. But short I didn't henna (wasn't familiar with it, probably would henna now if it was short though), washing and using conditioner every day was costly. Now I wash less and with using hair soap have found I don't need to condition at each wash so product is cheaper. But I love my toys! But if I didn't have long hair to adorn, perhaps I'd be buying bracelets or rings or something.

[bex487]

When I cut my hair short last week, I was so worried about how much harder it was going to be to care for it. I think it all depends on cut. The short cut I now have is actually EASIER, but I lucked out. It just so happens that the cut I wanted is low-maintenance because of my hair type and how my hair dries. I do use a brush to blow-dry it, which I never have done before, but the results look better for far longer than when I had long hair. It will cost more to upkeep (I need a haircut every 6-8 weeks), but in all honesty I'm amazed and how great it looks all the time. I even need to wash it less, because the texture hides dirty hair.

So, I guess I'm trying to say it really varies. :)

[paper]

I have been growing my hair out from short cut. And, I have to say, it's much easier to take care of now. I just put it in a head band, or clip. Where before I had all the layers, I had to blow dry and style.

[Darkhorse1]

Long is wayyyy easier for me than short. If my hair is short, I have to wash it more because it looks dirty faster, and it's a pain to try to keep back when working/riding. Long hair is SO much easier. Tie back and go. Baseball hat optional. :D

[tsf]

I look better in short hair. I look like a frumpy old maid with my long hair in a bun.
I have long hair in a bun anyway.

When it was short and I had to blow dry it every morning, by the time I finished I was sweaty and needed another shower. So, I'd shower and wash my hair, dry it, then have to take a cool damp cloth and wipe myself down. It's hot here and the hot hair dryer made it misery. A cool setting would never dry the hair so that wasn't an option. I couldn't wash it at night and then let it dry because it did odd things if I slept on it.

So, I have sacrified looks for ease.

That said, I'm passing BSL and closing in on waist and I'm finding that I do have more difficulty getting updos to hold properly and I have more tangles, despite use of lots of oils. Maybe I do need to spend some serious bucks on better conditioners but right now I use ordinary stuff.

[basak]

No. Short hair is definitely easier for me. If I want to wear it down now, I have to wash in the morning (i.e. before I go to school, so I'll have to wake up really early). I usually wash before I go to bed and my hair is never completely dry when I go to bed. Because of this, my hair never looks good in the morning. It has dents and creases and clumps of hair bonded by conditioner that needs to be combed out. I can't risk my health by going out with even damp hair in the winter.

If I still want to leave it down of some sort, I put it up in a ponytail. Now that my hair is longer than ever, I find that I can't ponytail it without combing it out in the ponytail position first. This hadn't been the case when I had a bob. Yes, I had a bob haircut when I was in high school and I loved it. It was cute. It was easy to detangle, took five minutes to dry, no conditioner needed. I wasn't coloring or heat styling it either. It was my own virgin hair with no manipulation at all. I need manipulation and a lot of patience to care for my hair now. I don't really complain about it. Short hair was cute and long hair is beautiful too. I like them both. If I thought that long hair didn't suit me for a second, I'd cut it without hesitation.

[CurlyNinja]

Long hair isn't really easier for me than short hair. It's just...more hair, so it takes more time. I don't do things a whole lot different than when my hair was shorter, there's just so much more of it now that those things take longer to do. On the other hand, I can do more things with my hair now, and there are some shortcuts (braids, anyone?) for when I want to punk out on my "hair responsibilities."

[xrosiex]

I think my long hair is easier. It does cost more.But my hair is fairly low maintance. I really enjoy the extra treatments. But I do understand everyone is different.

[itslex71]

I find longer hair more easy because I don't have to wash it every day to get the bedhead out and I don't have to style it with heat. Get up and go!

[LisaButz2001]

As Flapjack said, for me, it's a matter of what I'm used to. I'm used to long hair. If I got it cut short and actually cut into a style, it would take me a long time to figure out what products to use, how to style it, etc. because I would have no idea what to do.

It takes me 10-20 mins to style it for work on non-wash days and 45 mins on wash day with blowdryer, but I've never considered that a long time or "harder". What I do notice is that when my hair is waist length as opposed to tailbone it blowdries and detangles faster.

Shampoo and conditioner is costly because (a) my currency is worth 20% more than US and (b) I like Pantene, Garnier and other brands which are considered high end over here. I also buy UK Body Shop stuff which is also very pricey here. I offset that by having friends who live in the US buy and bring me stuff when they visit. Of course, they also have to bring me coffee and cereal too because my favourite brands of those cost a ridiculous amount of money here too.

The point is that, "Is long hair easier?" is a relative question. It depends on which accommodations you are willing to make and which you aren't. Me, I'm not willing to sacrafice my long hair for anything, so I find ways to adjust. If you haven't had long hair for your entire life though, your response to this situation will reflect that. Humans are generally creatures of habit, they like the norm.

[Cinnamon.locks]

Long hair is easier for me too, i used to spend so much time wondering what to do with my hair, now i simply un-braid, brush, and decide whether to braid or bun and go. even wet i simply bun it or wear it down and go, no time constraints except when i end up with more tangles than usual and then it does take about 15 to 20 minutes detangling. I know for some people it is easier to have short hair and style it faster, but for me even the products i use are the same amounts, short or long i use basically the same amount of poo and condish. but i do feel it is easier for me to have long hair.

[SweetPea88]

I think that overall, yes it is easier for me. I don't have to wash it as often, can do many different styles, and it just doesn't require much styling to get it to look nice. The one con is that it takes a very long time to dry and I sort of have to "plan" when I want my hair down.

[EbonyCurls]

My long hair is easier but it is more expensive. Since I only wash my scalp I use the same amount of shampoo I used when my hair was short but I use a hell of a lot more conditioner now...about 3x as much (NOT counting pre-cond, and detangling cond.; counting those it would be more like 5x more) and I have to accept that I'm going to use more the longer it grows. But I don't feel guilty because I only go the salon 1x/year for a minor $20 trim so in my mind it evens out.

Also, w/short curly hair every single hair had to be in place b/f I could leave the house and if it misbehaved I couldn't just put it up, I had to wet it and start all over.

I understand where you are coming from though and I think a lot of it has to do with hair types and patterns. With curly hair I had to clip it while drying to hide cow-licks and scalp but with the weight of longer hair I no longer have to mess with that. Just leave-in, gel, shake n go.

With short hair I also had to wash more often and style more often. It looked worse the longer I went. W/long hair it looks better the longer I go w/out washing it.

[nutsenmai]

I'm rather lazy about my long hair. I have it up in a bun most days, so there's no styling time. I've had days where I was in a hurry and I didn't even comb it after a shower, just threw it up in a bun. Not very imaginative I know, but it works for me. Bad hair day? Bun. Greasy hair? Bun! I sleep with it in a bun too. I'd say that detangling after washing takes the most time.

When I had short hair it was neck length, usually somewhere between my chin and shoulders, all the same length with a center part. I would wash it in the sink, comb it and let it air dry, so it did actually take less time (5 minutes!). Hehe, in high school I had Kurt Cobain hair. :D ...with the no brushing or anything. It was all messy and stuff.

Now that I'm getting into updos more it takes extra time, but only when I want to do it. :p

[tiny_teesha]

Um, i spend more money on my hair now, then i did, but not because of the length-because i want to...really.
It depends if your short hair was a style you need to style...and how productive your hair is.
Sometimes i DO NOT CARE and i toss it in a pony tail without brushing = quick, then if i had to style a short croppy do with mudd puttys and spray and all that.

[Chamomile betty]

Longer hair is much easier. I love wearing updos so for me to put my hair up takes nothing. I like being able to throw my hair up in a bun or twist.
When my hair was very short to shoulder length it had to be styled. I couldn't throw it up in a pretty updo. I spent more time or shorter hair than longer hair.

I enjoy my hair care routine and find I am much happier at a longer length.

However, everyone is different. This works for me.

HTH

[Angellen]

Short hair was way easier for me. When I was using silicones, I didn't even need to brush my hair. I would finger-comb but even that wasn't necessary--it was more like running my fingers through my hair--no knots. This was until it hit about BSL (and, coincidentally, I found LHC). I would only get my hair cut a couple times a year, so that was no big deal, either.

Yes, I spend more time and money on my hair now. Actual product is minimal: shampoo bars and coconut oil. It's all the hairtoys I buy instead! Sticks, pins, hairbands, clips...I try not to think about how much those have cost me. ;)

[Oskimosa]

Honestly I think the only difference for me is drying time. I never put my hair up because I use my hair to hide. If I wanted my face all out there and visable, I'd cut my hair short.

But I also don't use styling products or anything. Right now I'm only using poo bars and nothing else; maybe later I'll use oils but that's it.

I don't style it when it's short (like now), because it's wavy and flips which way it wants and I'm not going to damage it trying to make it do something else. When it's long, I wash it, sleep on it wet, and wake up with it dry.

Its all the same. Short hair can get boring because you can only do a few things with it, depending on the cut, and long hair can get boring (if you dont like updos) because having long hair IS your style.

[Miss Murphy]

Waaaay easier for me. When I had chin-length hair, I had to style it all. the. time.
Now I don't even blow-dry, and it still looks great :)
Only thing much more time-consuming is washing nowadays (well, at least the de-tangling part of it), but I'm down to washing once every 7-10 days, so I can live with that.

[swanns]

It is easier for me in the sense that I absolutely hate it short (have had a pixie cut several times so I know what I'm talking about ;) ), so I'm much happier with long hair. It takes a lot of time to take care of it if you want to do it properly, I guess you don't need to devote that much time to shorter hair cause you cut it more often so you don't get split ends and such as easily. But the thing is, I really like taking care of it :D

[thankyousir74]

To be honest, When I had long hair I paid very little attention to it and it wasn't that hard to maintain, but I wasn't anywhere near as cautious as I am now with my short hair. My short hair it's been a change, but not exactly a pleasant one. I liked it when it was shorter, but I wouldn't trade it for the long hair I used to have (that is I wouldn't cut my hair short again.)

however I'll get back to this thread when my hair is at a more "challenging" length like tail bone or something.

[Golden21]

I would not say that it is easier for me at all! Before, I did whatever I wanted to to my hair, knowing that it would get cut every three months or so. Now, I obsess over my hair! It is much more difficult now. I know just where you are coming from with this thread! I must add, though, that it is a lot more fun longer!

[sahiba]

I think things become easy when you like them and I am obsessed with long hair .So long hair for me.

[ColoradoDreamer]

For me, long hair is a LOT easier. When I had my hair short, I had to wash it every day (whether it really needed it or not) because of bed-head. I also used a ton of styling products and used a blow dryer just about every day. Now I can wash my hair, detangle, and put it up in a damp bun and go about my business. I did this Saturday, and it felt so cool! Took all day for the bun to dry, but it kept me cool. I also don't use a ton of products any more.

[Calanthe]

Long hair is much easier for me. I well remember my short-hair-times. Woke up, styled hair, thought: uh, gross, washed again. And again. Single hairs stuck up somewhere and had to be "glued down"...I had to use tons of styling products and tools and I guess my hairdresser became a multi-millionaire as I went there every three weeks or so.

Since having long hair again, I use one shampoo bar, oil and a bottle of vinegar, one brush and one comb (Don't you dare mention hairtoys :D), put my hair in order in under four minutes and haven't seen a hairdresser in over five years.

[willowcandra]

Long hair is easier for me. MY hair short needs alot of styling to look good and I fiddle with it all through the day. Also I spent so much time and money getting it cut or coloured all the time. I also got through tons of product and had to wash it every day.

With long hair I used far less products and barely any shampoo at all.
I style it for maybve five minutes in the morning and that lasts till night.
I cut it myself.
I don't colour.
I wash about 2 x a week.

When I was growing it there were times when every few inches of growth made it hard to handle and styles needed to be changed and it would tangle when I handled it but when that happened I maintained with trims for a few months till I got used to it and then carried on growing it.
I have been maintaining it at the current length for eight/nine months now and it's so easy to handle. So easy that it feels short to me.:)

As for cost I spend quite a bit on conditioner but with only two washes a week it lasts a long time. The hairtoys I buy are optional and fun none of them are essential. So I could keep costs waaaay down low if I wanted to.

[podo]

I can understand those reasons for short hair being easier for you to deal with. And it's probably the case for a lot of people, I'm sure.


For me, it's a matter of what I'm used to. I'm used to long hair. If I got it cut short and actually cut into a style, it would take me a long time to figure out what products to use, how to style it, etc. because I would have no idea what to do, hahaha. And I would probably feel a little naked. The shortest I had it was about bsl and it was a puff, honestly. It got poofy and had giant body waves and it was a little strange for me.



I think flapjack has it right - it's all a matter of what you're used to. Spend some time working on your hairstyles until it comes easily for you. I spend less than 5 minutes on my hair in the morning and it's almost at my waist. I also think that it gets easier as it gets longer. When my hair was in the middle of my back it took longer to look right than it does now.

But it's really up to you. If you don't like it long, then don't keep it long. ;) You're surrounded by people who want long hair on LHC, but this may not be what's right for you.

[Cinnia]

Well my hair isn't "long" like LHC standards, but BSL at 25".
It's so much easier to deal with then my former SL hair, I can do updo's or let it out, and it looks quite good either way.
The best thing about longer hair is that I can go several days without washing :cheer:.
If it gets greasy I just add some dry schampoo and I'm good to go, the lenghts hardly get dirty or greasy at all as I'm not using any products more then a leave in.
With SL hair, I had to wash more freaquently or it was impossible to show my head in public.

[twilight]

i agree with the bulk of you, but only because i am kind of lazy with my hair... i deliberately don't wash (as often as possible), i don't brush to avoid damage, and i definitely don't pay for hair cuts *eep!* so yeah, longer is way easier. up it goes and there you have it... or else i just air dry in a bun and it's pretty hanging loose.

the only thing that is really time-consuming for me is the henna... since i am blonde but i henna to dark brown i have to stay on top of it every 3 weeks or less. so that's a full-day every month at least where i don't get to leave the house! haha. so...

maybe you are fussing over it too much? sometimes with long hair less is more... less fuss=more health. of course, that isn't the case for everyone. good luck with it!

[Bene]

way easier. curly frizzy hair is more work when short

[Speedbump]

For me, long hair is easier because of my curls. The weight tames them down and helps reduce frizz and the "boom" problem, etc. It's much easier to comb, too. Sorry! :lol:

[Semiramis]

Long hair is a lot easier for me.1 minute oiling every morning,2 minutes to comb, another 2 for a french twist. That is 5 minutes in total. As for the expenses, the only difference is jojoba oil which cost me 12 euros and I have had it for a year...

[KBG]

bump

Yes, with my texture/type...the longer, the simpler.

[sneakybea]

It's been a really long time since I had short hair, but I think it some ways long hair is more challenging, in some less challenging, and in some the same. I had really thick hair as a kid, which meant that even when it was short it tangled easily and took 20 minutes to blow dry. I stopped using a blow dryer once it was bsl, so that was one less hassle. I enjoyed curling my hair when I was in the in-between stage, but I really didn't need to for it to look good---I could just blow dry it and it behaved well, or even if I combed it in the right direction and let it air-dry. Like the OP, I didn't really use conditioner until I started growing my hair, and I'm pretty sure I use more of it now than when I was in the shorter (but still long) lengths. On the other hand, it's nearly impossible for me to sleep on my hair so that it sticks up in funny angles (except my bangs), which was a problem I had when my hair was shorter. I'm pretty sure hat hair was a worse problem back then, too.

[Elbereth]

For me, long hair is simpler. I get up, comb it, bun it and it's good to go for the day. I don't need styling products or stylists. I wash it twice a week with homemade shampoo and ACV rinse. I spend in hairtoys and headcoverings, but it's not because I truly, desperately need new toys in order to maintain my hair presentable.:o Otherwise, my hair is cheap compared to what I used to spend in just maintaining one style.

It's a long time since I have had short hair. I have never fussed a lot about my hair, but I prefer long hair because I don't need monthly stylist appointments and can take care of my hair at home. I'd estimate that my long hair is as easy to take care of as a very short self-cut pixie (though the routine is very different!) Anything in between waist length and peach fuzz would be too much trouble for my taste.:p But long hair is prettier, more versatile, more fun to play with...better in every way, so I keep my hair long.

[KajiKodomo]

My hair is easier when it's long to take care of. It's so thick, that when it's short, it has a tendency to stick up and need a lot of product just to weigh it down. When it's longer, I can just throw it up or run my fingers through it as I'm walking out the door, and not have to worry about wetting it, putting product in it, and trying to get it to lay down right.

It takes me less than a minute to braid it when it's long, and as long as I braid it before bed, I can just unbraid it and put it up without having to do much detangling.

Granted, it is quicker to wash it when it's shorter, but I CWC when it's longer anyway, which doesn't take too much longer for me, anyway.

And, above all else, I prefer it long, so if it takes more work, I'm more than willing. :D

If you're having problems with it, perhaps a trim to a more manageable length would help? Or perhaps a change in routine.

[JamieLeigh]

I really can't say much about shorter lengths, because I really can't remember a time when my hair wasn't long...it would've had to have been in my early teens, and I blocked a lot of that out for good reason. ;)

But I will say that having it classic length is a little more difficult than it was at waist or TB. Now I'm having to be careful not to sit on it, and I have to wear my hair up out of the way a lot more often than I used to. It doesn't really take me any longer to care for - thanks to LHC, I've found that the less I actually do to it, the healthier it will be, short of S&D and the occasional honey-condish treat. :D I remember when it was nearly knee, I had to shove it out of the way to do routine things like put on socks, or my hair would be in them down to my ankle. :rolleyes:

[Jules diamond]

Long hair's easier for me, since my hair bends funny when it's shorter. Even if I have one of those days or I'm lazy, I'll just clip it up.

[joyfulmom4]

Long hair is very low-maintenance for me.

For years, I just shampooed and conditioned daily with cheap products from Walmart, wrapped it in a towel to soak up some moisture, combed it out with a wide-toothed hair pick and went on my way. It never seems to tangle all that much. I doubt I ever spend more than 3 minutes combing it out. I got a trim once or twice a year and that was it.

Since joining LHC, I do spend more time playing around with various updos that can be more time-consuming. I also do things like oil my hair and search and destroy for split ends. And I've purchased and tried out an assortment of new products, some of them much more expensive than the old.

But any changes are voluntary, not necessary. I can still wash and go with my hair. Or put it up in a bun that takes just a minute to make and secure. Or wear a simple English braid. And I can do without any fancy products really.

When I wore my hair shorter, I had to wash and blow-dry and heat-style it every day or it did not look nice. I used a lot of hairspray and other hair products. I had to have haircuts every 6-8 weeks to keep it looking nice, and often I would let it go too long between cuts and it started looking pretty sloppy.

For me, it's not even a close comparison. Long hair is many times easier.

[invisiblebabe]

The last time I had hair shorter than shoulder length, I was 3 or 4 years old. :D The last time it was shorter than APL, I was about 7. So I don't really know about "short" hair vs. long hair.

That said, I have had classic length hair, and I currently have BSL hair. For me, BSL is much easier to comb out, style, and keep looking thick on the ends (which is very important to me).

[Rhea]

:D YES ! :cheese: Decidedly the best .

[Phalaenopsis]

No, it's not actually :o
It's a lot more difficult to detangle, I sometimes really hate washing my hair with all the knots and trying to divide the shampoo.

[auburnlocks]

I rather have mine long than short. With long hair you can just put it up in the morning and be done with it. With short I had to keep fixing it all day long . . . Uggg . . .