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LindainCO
January 11th, 2011, 08:06 PM
My winter project last year was growing my hair. It sounded easy enough! I got it past my shoulders, and then it seemed so
long, and I developed an inferiority complex....
so not too long after I took this picture~
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/keikoasmom/IMG_0353.jpg

I cut about 1 1/2" off. I am 61, and i wear it up most of the time, just from habit, and also because of hot flashes.:mad:

During the summer, I let it grow and decided to stop bleaching.
Then last week I cut some long layers and about an inch off of the length.:o
I love my hair, it is fine, but thick, and I like to be able to wear it in a lot of styles, but I can't french braid.
I would love to hear from other women over 40 who have long hair and can possible help me to stop cutting! :p

Madora
January 11th, 2011, 08:12 PM
I'm 64 1/2 and have had long hair for over 40 years. It's currently about 40 inches and a little over.

You can do so much with long hair! I adore it!

jojo
January 11th, 2011, 08:14 PM
Well I will be 42 this year and used to do the exact same, get bored and cut and then regret it!

My advice is write a blog on here, start a photo album and when you "think" your too old, look up the photos of some of the many beautiful mature ladies on here.

Long hair isnt about age, its about expressing yourself and personal preferences, looking at your photo you are not the stereo typical 61 year old and look much younger, life is for living and if you want long hair then go for it; were a long time dead!

I get the odd comment, normally from younger women that enquire as to why I have long hair.......well I grew it normally shuts them up, but I get more compliments and I put bitchy remarks down to jealousy!

Go for it, if you don't like it you can always cut it off! Set yourself a goal of not cutting until you can get it in a pony tail without bobby clips, this is what I did. I honestly cannot ever see me having short hair again! you can do......throw the scissors away!

sanfen
January 11th, 2011, 08:24 PM
I am in my mid-50s and I had long hair at 40, then again at 50 for a big family event and now am growing to anywhere between BSL and waist. Haven't decided yet. I can't wait to feel it down my back. I should be there sometime this summer where I feel it down my back. Just in time for summer tanks. :cheese:

When I have long hair I love it! LOL On the other hand, when I had it shorter, I loved that too. :p

Don't even think about your chronological age - it really has nothing to do with whether you "should" or "shouldn't" have long hair. If you want long hair, then you should have it! ;) So -go for it and don't worry.

My Grandma passed away in her 90s with long hair. She always had long hair.

ETA - join us on the No Trims in 2011 thread. That'll give you plenty of support.

LindainCO
January 12th, 2011, 10:25 AM
Thanks, ladies, good points!

I need to have my hubby take a photo of me from the back. It's been long enough for a pony tail wo bobby pins for a few years now. I usually wear it up with a claw clip. I know that
went out of style, but I still like it.
It gives it a bit of lift.
A couple of months ago I stopped bleaching....is there a thread on here about that?
Thanks for the input, each of you has beautiful hair, I love
seeing it!
PS(I look terrible in short hair)

breezefaerie
January 12th, 2011, 10:37 AM
Welcome to LHC :)

I'm 41 and my hair is inching towards BSL (bra strap length). There are quite a few of us 40+ here who have long hair.

Demetrue
January 12th, 2011, 10:58 AM
Hi LindaCO - I am 50 and growing my hair long again. I had it very long when I was young and I feel more like "myself" with it longer. My grandmother had long hair till she passed at age 91. She wore it up and always looked lovely.

spidermom
January 12th, 2011, 11:08 AM
Claw clips haven't gone out of style around LHC!

It was easy for me. I wanted extra-long hair from grade school on, but I was too impulsive. I'd see someone's cute short haircut and run out and get it without thinking it through. I'd be disappointed and regret it within a couple of months, start growing it, see another cute style and repeat the cycle. I never had the patience to leave my hair alone and let it grow until I reached my mid-40s. It wasn't too late! Yay! (look to the left; see my age) I don't care what anybody else thinks. Their hair is for them, and my hair is for me. Nobody else gets a vote.

Stick around; you'll learn a lot of new style ideas and get all the support you could possibly need.

In2wishin
January 12th, 2011, 11:08 AM
Thanks, ladies, good points!

A couple of months ago I stopped bleaching....is there a thread on here about that?
Thanks for the input, each of you has beautiful hair, I love
seeing it!
PS(I look terrible in short hair)

Welcome LindainCO :waving:

There are 2 good threads you might want to look at:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=16951
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51155

fairy_ends_girl
January 12th, 2011, 11:12 AM
44 year old here :) Been growing my hair for 2 1/2 years now. Come grow with me:)

KLin
January 12th, 2011, 11:13 AM
I am 42. My hair was to my waist in my early and late 30's both times it reached my waist I cut and donated it. Last year my sons and I had a goal of growing to donate, and we all decided we liked our hair long and want to keep it.

My boys are 6 and 8 yrs with mid back length and my hair is waist length again. I am going for hip this year with a no trim in 2011 goal.

I have some people that think I should 'cut it and be stylish' and some that support my wanting to grow it longer. I listen to the ones that lift me up not put me down.

You look like an active, fun lady, grow it if you want it!

luluj
January 12th, 2011, 11:14 AM
:p"ALL OF THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS!":p

Caldonia Sun
January 12th, 2011, 11:26 AM
56 here and totally silver. My hair is between APL and BSL, fine and fairly straight. I stopped coloring about seven years ago. I wear it down most of the time right now because it keeps me warm and I can't fiddle with it much due to a frozen shoulder. Usually, I do a low pony tail, half-up, regular braid, french braid or french twist. Sometimes I feel a bit self-conscious about it as not too many women have long silver hair in my area. When I feel that way, I put in some cones and fall in love with the softness and shininess all over again.

At 61, you've more than earned the right to wear your hair however it pleases you. Try youtube for some tutorials on different styles. You can learn some new ones and have fun. And invoke the two week rule: whenever you think about cutting, make yourself wait at least two weeks. If you still want to do it then, have at it.

Good luck!

esmay
January 12th, 2011, 12:24 PM
I'm 51, and found that it helped a lot to have sideswept bangs while I let the rest grow. I just kept trimming them which sorta kept me from trimming the rest of it. I learned to trim my bangs on youtube, can't say enough about all those hair tutorials!
Nice bike, btw!!

Heartwillfollow
January 12th, 2011, 12:30 PM
you look awesome never would of pegged you for being 61 :) Am 45 @20 inches reaching for APL can't french braid either (yet!) lol.. very happy to try this journey for growing .. Always been a pixie, chin bob, just to shoulders then cut life style.. Growing has been fun... and happy...

jeanniet
January 12th, 2011, 12:33 PM
I'm fortunate to live in a pretty independent-minded area, so long hair on older women isn't an uncommon sight and even if it wasn't, no one would really bat an eye at it. Diversity is something to celebrate here, so it's been pretty easy for me to grow my hair out without feeling out of place.

I think that once a woman hits 50, she should be able to do whatever she wants. :D

jojo
January 12th, 2011, 08:58 PM
Thanks, ladies, good points!

I need to have my hubby take a photo of me from the back. It's been long enough for a pony tail wo bobby pins for a few years now. I usually wear it up with a claw clip. I know that
went out of style, but I still like it.
It gives it a bit of lift.
A couple of months ago I stopped bleaching....is there a thread on here about that?
Thanks for the input, each of you has beautiful hair, I love
seeing it!
PS(I look terrible in short hair)

I didnt see your avatar, ok new plan :D dont cut until you can get your hair in a figure 8 bun, this is plan B!!!

Rocket22
January 12th, 2011, 09:05 PM
I'll be 43 this year and I don't think that matters at all on hair length. I love long hair and darn it I'll get it one of these days :) no age limit on beautiful hair in my mind.

Delila
January 12th, 2011, 09:20 PM
For me, keeping a journal to track my haircare experiments was a big help. It kept me kind of distracted from thoughts of new styles, and also helped me figure out which products and routines work well for me.

I stretched out the time between trims mostly because I was growing out bangs and layers, but eventually got used to having trims only infrequently. Learning that habit has been invaluable. Nowadays I mention my self trims, even if it's only a micro trim, in my blog. I even put the date in the title line, so I can see exactly when I've given myself trims in a given year. (I have self-trims as a blog category, so I can see at the dates at a glance.)

Beyond a certain point, I realized that my hair was long enough that I could trim it myself, and that's made growing longer a lot easier.

Organic
January 13th, 2011, 08:24 AM
I am 56 years old. I have had waist length hair in the past. MY mother constantly has been on my case all my life to cut it short. It is super thick and pretty straight. When I was 14, she took me to a salon for a "trim". It was all arranged to give me a pixie without my knowledge. My sister had waist length hair also. She cried while watching me because she was next. I hid all the way home and refused to come out of the house. I did not cry. I smoldered. Because my sister was bawling, my mother apologized to her. I was more upset that my sister could not stop crying. Now, at age 55 my sister has a bob and my hair is half way down my back. Last summer I got it cut in a "stylish layering" It's ok, but all the ends seem to split faster. I dye it back to my natural color but am considering going gray. I am three weeks into it. I am growing it back out. Growing out my bangs.Growing out my layers. My mother says I will look old. So I smiled at told her I was going for the "hag" look. Come on...I am 56. I jokingly told her that she scarred me for life and I can never have it short again.
Once when I was in my early 20's, I visited a conservative church with a friend. I looked around and all of the women were absolutely gorgeous. The woman I was with told me that they do not believe in cutting their hair. I was astounded. It was the first time I had seen so many women with incredibly beautiful long hair. I mean, it was breathtaking. They had different up do's Some were down, some were curly. In my church, and town for that matter, anyone over 30 looks like they put their head through a fence and had a cow chew it all off. It changed my attitude about long hair on older women forever.
I know only one person with long Hair who is my age. Her's is mid back and completely gray. It is beautiful. So grow it out! Don't care what others say. Do what you want. I agree..at 50 you earned the right to be who you are...who you want to be. Who know's....maybe you will impress your friends and be the envy of them all...some might get brave enough to grow out their hair. My husbands friends comment quite often how lucky he is that I will have long hair and how much they wish their wives would grow out their hair.
My great grandmas hair was past her feet. My dad would go after school to braid it for her when she washed it. He has always supported me having long hair..."Your shining crown on glory"
P.S..No way you are old. You look like you are in your late 20's early 30's.

Superfine
January 13th, 2011, 08:37 AM
I am 65 & have been growing from pixie to now BSL since July '07. It has been a changeable journey & I have learned so much from this site! My only "cutting urge" has been bangs or no bangs. I cut my hair myself (I even did with the pixie) after some bad hairdresser experiences. I think your hair looks great & it is fun to experiment with different styles. I wear mine up all the time too. It is quick to "style" and requires almost no product on my fine hair. Happy growing! The more mine grows, the more I like it.

Organic
January 13th, 2011, 11:02 AM
I have an appt Saturday with a long hair friendly hair dresser who is giving my dyed hair...white high lights...She promised not to touch the new growth. My friend who has long gray hair recommended her and even offered to go along. EEEK>>> My fear of hair dressers abounds!!!

ETA: I want to be Cruella Deville

Dragon
January 14th, 2011, 01:49 AM
I like reading this thread. I wish there was more older people around where I live with long hair. I don’t under stand why so many cut it off when they get older.

Toadstool
January 14th, 2011, 02:38 AM
I have an appt Saturday with a long hair friendly hair dresser who is giving my dyed hair...white high lights...She promised not to touch the new growth. My friend who has long gray hair recommended her and even offered to go along. EEEK>>> My fear of hair dressers abounds!!!
That's awesome! I loved your previous post too. You sound like a strong woman.:cool:

OP you look much younger than your age in the picture, but if you didn't I would still say keep the long hair. I am 40 and mine is short but i hope to drow it really long.:)

frizzinator
January 14th, 2011, 03:20 AM
My hair grew to waist length for the first time when I was about 50 years old. I've been maintaining waist length for several years (33 inches long), and wear my hair up everyday and night.

Most of my growing years were depressing. Until my hair was 30 inches long, I could not make it consistently stay up with a stick or fork. So it was a pain and I frequently wanted to cut it. Furthermore, it didn't look good, no matter how many visits I endured at the hairdresser.

Wearing it up makes it easy to forget about my hair, and probably makes growing easier to tolerate. Plus, nobody knows my hair is long, and ever since I started wearing my hair up, my mother stopped talking about how I should change my hair.

I couldn't get a lot of length until I completely stopped going to the hairdresser and I learned how to trim my own hair. I didn't need the hairdresser when I learned how to gently treat my hair like old lace.

This means a lot of things, including containing the hair all the time to prevent damage by wind, seat belts, the backs of chairs and coat collars. It also means fingercombing, starting at the hemline and working up the hair shafts, releasing tangles along the way, before using a comb. Basically, it means to avoid breaking hairs, and that includes eliminating the hairdresser who combs and brushes your hair starting at the top instead of the bottom.

If you want more length, I would suggest that you try to forget about your hair. Leave it alone and let it grow. Before my hair reached 30 inches long, I had the most success containing it with french braids, claw clips, combs, barettes and headbands.

ETA: If you need inspiration, speak-up and make more posts, and you will gain permission to see some some of our photo albums.

Also, seek out the threads where they discuss ways to wear shorter hair up.

hanne jensen
January 14th, 2011, 05:15 AM
I'm 51 and just reached BSL. My goal is at least knee length. I started seriously growing my hair 2 years ago.

Ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of having a crown of braids. That takes extremely long hair! When I was approaching 50 I thought to myself that if I ever wanted to fulfill my dream I better start now.

Xandergrammy
January 14th, 2011, 05:22 AM
You're in the right place! I'm 55 and decided to grow my hair the second time around (I had long hair in my teens and early 20's) when I was 40. I love the different styling options I have and the ease of care and maintenance. Like someone else said, keep posting so that we can "friend" you and you can look at more pictures for inspiration. You can do it and we can help you! :flowers:

Juanita
January 14th, 2011, 05:53 AM
Visit the salt and pepper thread for lots of inspiring older and some younger people who are growing out dye and growing longer

spigette
January 14th, 2011, 06:09 AM
Hi LindainCo!.

I turn 40 this month. I have always had long-ish hair.... it was hip length at age 5, then mostly shoulder/BSL since. I have been consciously trying to grow it really long for about 2 years, and have just hit the waist mark. Woo Hoo!! :cheese:

My mum is your age, and her hair is quite short but has changed from a deep natural black to a stunning shiny silver, and I am hoping that my chestnut brown goes that colour too!!

Mum was always after me to cut it, making such wonderful mother-comments as "It would be so much more flattering to your figure, dear, if it was shorter.... that way it would draw attention up to your face" (which as a dig, scores extra points for pointing out my weight at the same time, lol). Lately, though, she has been quite supportive and flattering of my hair, which I appreciate and get a kick out of.

My intention is to grow my hair pretty much forever, just trimming to keep the ends looking nice or if I find a length that seems ideal. Hip is my next goal, then tailbone, then we will see. But I have to admit, I LOVE my hair, and I love seeing long hair on other people.

As for your age, who the hell cares? My mum kicks my ass at badminton and swims 100 lengths of the pool every day and just learned to play the fiddle (surprisingly well too!). 61 is nothin', my dear - enjoy your life and enjoy your hair!! :D

KarenSJ
January 14th, 2011, 06:13 AM
Anyone over the age of 30 looks like they stuck their head through a fence and had a cow chew their hair off

I'm just dying here!! About spilled my coffee I'm laughing so hard!

I just turned 40 myself, and I have no plans to cut my hair short like so many other women my age (or thereabouts) seem to be inclined to do. I have never understood this inclination, maybe it's the thought that short hair takes less care? I've had my hair short a couple of times and found the opposite to be true. It's a sad thing to see a woman chop off all her beautiful hair because she feels pressured by society to do so. It's one thing if you have had short hair all your life and are comfortable with it, but to cut it all off because of some imaginary age line? Not me! I say grow it, and then grow it some more :D

spigette
January 14th, 2011, 09:18 AM
In my town for that matter, anyone over 30 looks like they put their head through a fence and had a cow chew it all off.

What you said!!! Virtually every woman over age 30 in my town has the same haircut - about chin length, layered and shaggy in the front, shorter in the back. Definitely chewed looking. What is up with that??? :confused:

Xandergrammy
January 14th, 2011, 09:20 AM
I have an appt Saturday with a long hair friendly hair dresser who is giving my dyed hair...white high lights...She promised not to touch the new growth. My friend who has long gray hair recommended her and even offered to go along. EEEK>>> My fear of hair dressers abounds!!!



Oooooh, I can't wait to see pictures!!!!

starlights
January 14th, 2011, 09:38 AM
wow you dont look 61 you look like your in your 30's... you look great!!

LindainCO
January 17th, 2011, 10:54 PM
My hair grew to waist length for the first time when I was about 50 years old. I've been maintaining waist length for several years (33 inches long), and wear my hair up everyday and night.

Most of my growing years were depressing. Until my hair was 30 inches long, I could not make it consistently stay up with a stick or fork. So it was a pain and I frequently wanted to cut it. Furthermore, it didn't look good, no matter how many visits I endured at the hairdresser.

Wearing it up makes it easy to forget about my hair, and probably makes growing easier to tolerate. Plus, nobody knows my hair is long, and ever since I started wearing my hair up, my mother stopped talking about how I should change my hair.

I couldn't get a lot of length until I completely stopped going to the hairdresser and I learned how to trim my own hair. I didn't need the hairdresser when I learned how to gently treat my hair like old lace.

This means a lot of things, including containing the hair all the time to prevent damage by wind, seat belts, the backs of chairs and coat collars. It also means fingercombing, starting at the hemline and working up the hair shafts, releasing tangles along the way, before using a comb. Basically, it means to avoid breaking hairs, and that includes eliminating the hairdresser who combs and brushes your hair starting at the top instead of the bottom.

If you want more length, I would suggest that you try to forget about your hair. Leave it alone and let it grow. Before my hair reached 30 inches long, I had the most success containing it with french braids, claw clips, combs, barettes and headbands.

ETA: If you need inspiration, speak-up and make more posts, and you will gain permission to see some some of our photo albums.

Also, seek out the threads where they discuss ways to wear shorter hair up.

Thank you for all of the information!
Everyone is so helpful, and I am really enjoying this journey!

LindainCO
January 17th, 2011, 10:57 PM
What you said!!! Virtually every woman over age 30 in my town has the same haircut - about chin length, layered and shaggy in the front, shorter in the back. Definitely chewed looking. What is up with that??? :confused:

Now I am LMBO!!! My friend who is a "snowbird" calls the ladies on the road blue hairs, the ones with the short styles that may or may not be blue. Some look good, but most just seem to be following the crowd.

Thank you, Starlights, you made my month! :D :D

Tia2010
January 17th, 2011, 11:22 PM
I will be 42 this year and noticed many of my friends have gone shorter and shorter over the past few years while I stayed about the same , hovering around BSL. Maybe I was in a rut but I didn't want to cut my hair just because I was in my forties....If I do ever cut it it certainly wont be from peer pressure...funny how at over forty we still get peer pressure :rolleyes:

rose.grace
January 18th, 2011, 01:08 AM
In my church, and town for that matter, anyone over 30 looks like they put their head through a fence and had a cow chew it all off. It changed my attitude about long hair on older women forever.
I know only one person with long Hair who is my age. Her's is mid back and completely gray. It is beautiful. So grow it out! Don't care what others say. Do what you want. I agree..at 50 you earned the right to be who you are...who you want to be. Who know's....maybe you will impress your friends and be the envy of them all...some might get brave enough to grow out their hair. My husbands friends comment quite often how lucky he is that I will have long hair and how much they wish their wives would grow out their hair.

My great grandmas hair was past her feet. My dad would go after school to braid it for her when she washed it. He has always supported me having long hair..."Your shining crown on glory"


:agree: I love the cow chewed it off thing! So awesome about your great grandmother! All the older women around here (where I live) look like sheep. They have that curly perm 3" thing going on. And anyone different gets really burning stares. Mine is only down to my shoulders and I've been getting those stares a lot lately. I can't wait until it's really long so they have something to freak out about.

I don't understand what is so bad about "looking old." I mean if you don't die, you will get old. Why is looking younger so important? One of the coolest looking women I've ever seen was Fin Raziel in Willow. I wanted to look like that. I have no problem with wrinkes or any of that stuff. I mean I don't go try to gather them but some things seem so silly to me. I know of women who want to train themselves to sleep on their back to avoid getting wrinkles. The way I see it, if I try to force myself to sleep some way that's totally uncomfortable to me, I'm not going to get a good night's sleep and that's not going to help my face any.

The last time I tried to grow my hair long, I was 44. It was 10 years ago. I had to live with my father and step mother for about 5 months and for the entire first month every single day my stepmom would say, "We've got to do something about your hair." And, "We'll get your sister to cut your hair." As if that's what I wanted.

She gave me the whole spiel about long hair making women look old, and I told her I am old, why not look like it? I know my father (77) loves long hair, and I had finally had enough of her badgering, so at the table one night I asked my dad, "Am I too old to have long hair?" and he said, "No!" then stepmom started in repeating stuff that she'd been saying to me for a month and when she got to the part where she couldn't "get away with having long hair" he said, "That's because you're ugly." :rolling:

I love my dad. He's always been my hair champion. I did end up cutting it and the reason is too long to post here but for all these years since then, I wanted to grow it long again but just couldn't seem to get in the right frame of mind. One day when he was over at my house a few months ago, I was telling him this and he said, "Just say, 'I'm not going to cut my hair.'" :magic:And I haven't cut it since.

I am so happy to be here; to find so many other women who think like I do and want what I want. You're such an inspiration to me and I appreciate you all so much! I love the stories. I can't wait 'til I have a good one of my own. And a camera. And something to take a picture of.

azhie
January 18th, 2011, 03:56 AM
Where I come from all older ladies keep their hair short. I don't ever remember seeing anyone in their 50s with hair longer than shoulder-length. My mom had that but she's going chin-length now (her last baby is in college).

I really like seeing all these pictures of older women growing hair long. You all have beautiful hair. It's very encouraging! :)

Melisande
January 18th, 2011, 04:14 AM
I'm nearly 47 and I've had long hair for the most of my life. I do get bitchy remarks and I don't like it but it won't make me take up the scissors. Long hair, this is how I see myself.

Btw, you look much much younger than 61! You look younger than I do, I thought when I read the thread title and saw your picture: another young woman thinking she is "older".

You will have much fun with your hair, I promise :-D

Shay0969
January 19th, 2011, 04:38 PM
I'm just over 40 and am trying to grow my hair long for the first time.

Most of the older women I know have short hair. But there is a lady in my office who is in her mid-to-late 50's with beautiful light blonde (natural) almost waist length hair.

I love her hair, but she wants to cut it shorter. Her husband wants it to stay long though.

An older friend of mine has had long hair-bsl or longer-most of her life (she is early 60s). She cut it off about 25 years ago and hated it. I saw her in June of this year and she said she was thinking of cutting it off again, saying it was "easier". I reminded her of the last time she cut it off (short bob) and that she hated it and found styling it daily much more trouble than putting it up.

I saw her again in Nov (she lives across the country) and she had cut it off again in the short bob. I'm waiting to see how long it will be until she regrets it again!

Dark Queen
January 19th, 2011, 05:31 PM
I see the "cow" thing all the time and it just makes me sad O_O. I never understood the correlation with hair and age, and I never even considered cutting it after it goes completely gray. I've had a few white streaks starting since I turned 21 (ironic), yet I never had the desire to cover them :)

ole gray mare
January 19th, 2011, 06:15 PM
I think that once a woman hits 50, she should be able to do whatever she wants. :D

Hmmmm...maybe even before 50?! :hmm:

:lol:

Hi Linda! I'm 47 and since I found LHC I've been able to get my hair past bsl to currently hip. (Though I'll be trimming it back up to waist tonight.)

As I've gotten older, my hair has grown more slowly and is silver now, as opposed to dark brown like it used to be. So it's a different ballgame than when I was a teenager, but I really enjoy having long hair.

I also really enjoy this community.

I hope you'll stick around and share your triumphs as they come...and they will come! :)

Cheers!

WynneWear
January 19th, 2011, 06:28 PM
I'm 43 and have been growing my hair out for about two years from shoulder to APL now. Goal is maybe to waist/elbows.

I'm definitely pleased to see other women of my age range who are also interested in growing their hair!

skyblue
January 19th, 2011, 06:39 PM
I'm 50 I've had long hair most of my life, I love it long! After having chemo back in 03 I just let it grow it's now TB length, I plan on letting it grow some more haha!!
I'm here to learn how to keep it healthy and pretty so that it CAN keep on growing ;)

Lori1965
January 19th, 2011, 07:08 PM
I always wanted long hair. Then 6 years ago when I turned 40 I decided it was now or never. Best decision I ever made.

summerjade
January 19th, 2011, 07:25 PM
I am 56 . My hair has most always been around shoulder length but always wanted bra length at least, perferable waist length. I decided last year It is now or never to have the long hair I have always wanted. I am just above bra length now. I plan not to trim this year(hope I can stick to it!!). I want to keep it healthy and let it grow. Hearing from all of you rejuvenates me. Thank you for your encouragement!1

summerjade
January 19th, 2011, 07:33 PM
Thank you all for all your encouraging advise for growing my hair longer. You and this site is such an inspritation to me. I must learn to do my own trims as many of you have done, that way I may really get my goals met!!!LOL

SheaLynne
January 19th, 2011, 08:59 PM
I'm at the young end of this thread at 40, but I am committed to long hair for years to come. There is no doubt that I spent the past 25 years trying to find my own identity, and it is not in any of the permed, straightened, layered, "fixed" hairstyles that I always thought I needed to "know how to do my hair."

Waddyaknow--I just needed to grow my hair LONG!!!! And not many people in real life are going to suggest *that* as an option :D

...you'll find the support you need right here at LHC...WELCOME!!

fluffybunny
January 19th, 2011, 10:54 PM
Hmmmm...maybe even before 50?! :hmm

I was thinking the same thing. Like maybe 18? :)

Nevada Rose
January 19th, 2011, 11:45 PM
My winter project last year was growing my hair. It sounded easy enough! I got it past my shoulders, and then it seemed so
long, and I developed an inferiority complex....
so not too long after I took this picture~
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/keikoasmom/IMG_0353.jpg

I cut about 1 1/2" off. I am 61, and i wear it up most of the time, just from habit, and also because of hot flashes.:mad:

During the summer, I let it grow and decided to stop bleaching.
Then last week I cut some long layers and about an inch off of the length.:o
I love my hair, it is fine, but thick, and I like to be able to wear it in a lot of styles, but I can't french braid.
I would love to hear from other women over 40 who have long hair and can possible help me to stop cutting! :p


Welcome to the community! :)

I have had long hair for 40+ years. And sadly, I was a scissor freak.:eyebrows:
I was told that if you trimmed, the hair would grow. One year I cut off a foot of hair and it depressed me. I will never do it again. I should have cut a little at a time to get use to it gradually. Well, when I think of a foot of hair cut off, I remember how long it took to grow that foot of hair. :rolleyes:

With hair beyond classic length, I trim maybe once every 6 months. I cut only to make the hemline straight.......and that's it. {one of these days I'll get some updated photos to put in my profile}

If you don't cut, it will grow. Some of the gals have allowed their hair to grow to a desired length before trimming.

I think scissors should be duct taped.:D

Malibu Barbie
January 20th, 2011, 12:02 AM
I'm 43 and mine was almost classic I just cut about four inches. I'm around tailbone now. Have a good time growing, I say!! This is a great place for all kinds of advice. New things and everyone is very friendly!!

Elenna
January 20th, 2011, 12:34 AM
Growing long hair when older is possible. But I think that we run into more problems like growing out dyed hair, no support from hair dressers, hair products with too many ingredients, no role models (in the real world) of long graying hair, and the hair police telling us to cut our hair.

Blandine
January 20th, 2011, 04:16 AM
I'm 45 and my hair is longer than it has ever been in my life. I was talked into wearing it short when I was young (by my mother) but since my early 20s it has gradually grown longer with hair cuts in beteween, but the overall trend was "down". So when I discovered the world of LHC and its German equivalent a year ago, lucky me was already beyond BSL and able to start trying all those styles and updos immediately. I wanted waist length, now I am already on the way to hip and the idea of having it at tailbone length in a year looks appealing. Let's see.
Long hair IS stylish - who among the 'trendy' short-hairs can do 50 and more different hairstyles with theirs???

Style is about expressing one's personality and finding a look that matches both body and face shape and colour, and the personality and character. I think the motorbike lady in your photo has a certain style and personality! Who are others to judge.
It seems to be easier over here because people simply don't comment on each other's looks as they do beyond the pond, according to what I am reading here.

kitschy
January 20th, 2011, 05:35 AM
My hair is so much more manageable now that I've decided to grow it out. For years I fought the stereotype of older women/short hair by keeping mine shoulder length. Two years ago, I decided to finally grow it out. I am at waist when I pull my hair straight, but curly I am at BSL. I've never been happier with my hair.

Onward and longward!

Pixna
January 20th, 2011, 08:40 AM
I'm 57. I've had long hair most of my adult life. After I went through menopause, I had a bit of a meltdown (figuratively and literally) and somehow ended up with pixie in 2007. :blueeek: I have been growing it back to long ever since and am about a year away from waist length. When I was a teen, I vowed to never have the colored, permed, short 'do's that my mother's friends all had when I got to be their age. I am thrilled that I haven't compromised on that promise to myself (except for that one minor setback). I do not color, straighten, or perm. I'm proud of my silvers -- I've earned them all!! :D

LindainCO
January 21st, 2011, 12:17 AM
I am just enjoying every post. How inspirational!

I noticed today how shiny the new growth of hair is, the mostly non-dyed.

I had to laugh about "the haircut police"! Forgive me if I got it wrong, had a root canal today, and I'm still a bit stoned from the novacaine and Vicodin....but
I had a moment while I was trying to keep my hair from getting messed up in the dentist chair, and thought, "I wonder what the forum would say is the best
hairstyle for the dentist?"

On the other hand, my "haircut police" moment came last summer when my two sisters and I finally got together. We only see each other about once a year, sadly...
but they were looking at pics of someone's wedding. There was a lady with shoulder length grey locks in a picture, and one sis said, "What's with the hair?" I felt later that they might be trying to send me a message? But the lady was pretty, I thought.
"Whatever", as my parrot says, lol!
I like my hair. BSL, here I come!

beez1717
January 21st, 2011, 02:42 AM
My first response was "darn the hot flashes” and my second response was "long hair on older women means that she probably cares about her hair more then most"

I believe long hair when you are older always looks really cool. I guess i just like those grey and white colors. It is reLly beautiful. :cheese:

Jessica Trapp
January 21st, 2011, 04:01 AM
I'm 41 with can-I-call-this-classic hair. :happydance:

Pixna
January 21st, 2011, 06:54 AM
I had a moment while I was trying to keep my hair from getting messed up in the dentist chair, and thought, "I wonder what the forum would say is the best hairstyle for the dentist?"

I actually have given that a whole lot of thought ... and practice. I do a top knot (a bun near or at the top of my head) and secure it tightly with a metal (titanium) fork. So far, it has worked like a charm!

Carolyn
January 21st, 2011, 07:07 AM
I feel like I'm old enough to decide my own hair styles and length. And I want it long. I haven't experienced too much negativity towards my hair. I've gotten an occasional snarky comment but I just consider the source and ignore it. The older I've become, the less I care about what people think of me. That goes for appearance and actions.

I wouldn't be happy with short hair, so why not make myself happy? Life is too short to not do what I can to be happy.

Othala
January 21st, 2011, 09:15 AM
Hello, I'll be 46 years old in June and intend to have longer and longer hair as I get older. I think older women with long hair are classical ideals of graceful beauty. I think generally men are hard-wired to love long hair on women of all ages and as my other attractions decline, my hair can rise to a timeless and unique beauty. I hope you understand what I am trying feebly to describe.

mojavewolf1
January 21st, 2011, 09:46 AM
My winter project last year was growing my hair. It sounded easy enough! I got it past my shoulders, and then it seemed so
long, and I developed an inferiority complex....
so not too long after I took this picture~
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/keikoasmom/IMG_0353.jpg

I cut about 1 1/2" off. I am 61, and i wear it up most of the time, just from habit, and also because of hot flashes.:mad:

During the summer, I let it grow and decided to stop bleaching.
Then last week I cut some long layers and about an inch off of the length.:o
I love my hair, it is fine, but thick, and I like to be able to wear it in a lot of styles, but I can't french braid.
I would love to hear from other women over 40 who have long hair and can possible help me to stop cutting! :p
I cut my hair off and I am now growing it back! I am worried because I am 56..that it will really grow slow!!
I am so anxious for it to get long again...Off the subject here but I see you with a bike..Is that yours? I ride too..Harley Davidson Sporty....on the hair subject..I want to say I have been wearing real hair clip ons to make it long..They work great but I do worry about damage to my own hair..I am just very careful...
I am going to be going threw some changes here with hair and that is why I like to communicate with other ladies going threw the hair thing..
Ride on !:poot:

bonnie1735
January 21st, 2011, 09:58 AM
I'm 44 years old and have hair "almost" at tail bone. I have grown it out from pixie three times and will not ever, ever cut it short again. I don't care what overs think of long hair. I like it and that's all that matters. The same "friends" that say I need to do something with my hair are also the same "friends" that say I have the prettiest hair and wishes their hair was as pretty. Do what YOU want to do with your hair.

heidihug
January 21st, 2011, 10:14 AM
I'm 46, and intend to have long hair until I die. I love it, it's freeing, liberating and fun.


I got it past my shoulders, and then it seemed so long, and I developed an inferiority complex
Just curious, why? I may have felt self-conscious, yes, especially when I used to wear my hair down. But never an inferiority complex. Do people say things to you that get you down?

Islandgrrl
January 21st, 2011, 10:45 AM
I'll be 50 in a few months (OMG, how the he** did that happen???). I say you're never to old to have the hair you want.

My evil plan is for my hair to grow long enough to....TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Bwaaahahahaha!!!!

Oh, sorry. I might have watched a couple Austin Powers movies last night! :bigeyes:

skaempfer
January 21st, 2011, 11:20 AM
I'll be 50 in a few months (OMG, how the he** did that happen???). I say you're never to old to have the hair you want.

My evil plan is for my hair to grow long enough to....TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Bwaaahahahaha!!!!

Oh, sorry. I might have watched a couple Austin Powers movies last night! :bigeyes:

Austin Powers? I was thinking Pinky and the Brain...

Anyway, OP:
What they said. If you're too old to grow your hair, we're all too old to grow our hair, and there is, alas, always someone out there eager and willing to tell us we're too old to do something. Or too fat, too... female? Too male? Too white, too black, too Asian... I dunno.

I'm "only" 42, but if it's growing, and I want it to grow, then it's not too late, right? And as others have said, it's a classical look. Women have grown their hair for a couple thousand years, and it's only the last couple of generations that have had it obligatorily cut short and curly. They'll die out soon, though, because they refuse to wear hats in the winter because it will ruin their hair.

moonlight
January 21st, 2011, 12:28 PM
I also just turned 50. Normally my age doesn't bug me much, but I do struggle with the idea that I'm getting too old for long, bright henna red hair.

I've always wanted BCL hair and I've never had it so, it's on my bucket-list. when I get tired of it that way, I'm going to dread it...another thing I've always wanted. When I get tired of *that*, I'll shave my head and let my hair go all natural.

That's my 20 + year plan ;) So I'm good until I'm at least 70, then I'll come up with something new!

jeanniet
January 21st, 2011, 01:01 PM
Hmmmm...maybe even before 50?! :hmm:

:lol:

:p I'll rephrase: Now that I'm 50, I feel comfortable doing what I want to do, so I do it! Any woman who can fling off the chains of societal pressure sooner than I did, by all means do what you want at any age, and I'll applaud you for it. :D

clairenewcastle
January 21st, 2011, 06:16 PM
I'm forty five years old and pleased to say that my hair has grew more over the last year since I found LHC than it has done since my early 20's.

Therefore I believe that age is no barrier to the physical growing of hair and as long hair is a classical look I intend to have the best years of my life hair-wise in the future.

EbonyCurls
January 21st, 2011, 07:17 PM
I've decided the older I get, the longer I want my hair. In my 20's I want waist length, 30's will be hip, 40's tailbone, and I want to maintain long, just past classic gray curls from then on out.

Honestwitness
January 21st, 2011, 07:21 PM
I'm 61 and intend to grow to terminal length, whatever that is. I have a thinner area on the nape area of my scalp. Maybe it's that way from age, or maybe it's been that way forever. I only just started paying attention to it, so I don't know how thin it was when I had a pixie. I do know that my nape hair, in a pixie, always hugged my neck nicely.

I have always done my own hair cutting, but as I've gotten older, it has become more difficult to cut the back in a pixie. So, I gradually grew out the layers and kept trimming at about shoulder length, until it was a blunt cut. Then I just let it all grow longer and longer.

I'm at BSL+ now and realized the other day that I'm only about 4 inches from waist. I'm pretty short-waisted, I guess, so I joined the "No trims in 2011" thread and am guessing I'll be at waist before New Years' Eve.

I have a friend who is a United Pentecostal and she says the women in her church all have very long hair. They don't believe in cutting *ever*...not even to get rid of split ends. They believe there is a special spiritual kind of power in uncut hair. I don't want to join that church, but from time to time I do ponder the concept of there being power in uncut hair.

I decided to grow my hair long as a kind of "fasting" thing, to accompany some very specific prayer requests that I may not see answers to for many years. Some of the men in the Bible took vows not to cut their hair for a period of time for spiritual reasons. I can do that, too.

The moment I really decided to actually commit to long hair was when I woke up from a very vivid dream in which I saw myself sitting in a white lawn chair in a lovely summer garden next to a quaint summer cottage in a private wooded setting. I was wearing a very feminine dress and my white hair was down to my waist, and was draped around my neck and shoulders in such a lovely way. The sun was filtering down through the green leaves of the overhead branches of the trees and everything was dappled with golden sunlight. It was truly an inspiring dream.

Onward to dreamville!

Elspeth30
January 21st, 2011, 08:02 PM
What a lovely dream...that would make a great painting.

MsBubbles
January 22nd, 2011, 11:52 AM
My evil plan is for my hair to grow long enough to....TAKE OVER THE WORLD. Bwaaahahahaha!!!!
Oh, sorry. I might have watched a couple Austin Powers movies last night! :bigeyes:


Austin Powers? I was thinking Pinky and the Brain...
r.

I was thinking you were gonna say pinky-finger-to-corner-of-mouth.:)

Welcome to LHC. There is plenty of inspiration here for older folks growing their hair long.

I'm 43 right now and have been here almost 3 years. I'm at waist length, working on growing out bleach demarcation lines.

You can do it!

fluffybunny
January 22nd, 2011, 12:16 PM
I need super-long hair due to a process of elimination:
- ultra-short hair: not flattering on me
- medium-short hair: leads to unmanageable bed-head
- shoulder-length: too run-of-the-mill 40-something woman
- APL, BSL, waist: too "I haven't changed my style since the 80's"
- tailbone: well if you're going to go there, might as well go terminal

Q.E.D.!

summerjade
January 22nd, 2011, 02:00 PM
Thank you , Honestwitness, for sharing your beautiful dream with us. It was very inspiring to me. You have such thick lovely hair and I am sure you are equally as beautiful and lovely

Blandine
January 22nd, 2011, 02:02 PM
Honestwitness - that silver mane of yours is drop-dead gorgeous. Having such hair some day would be MY dream!!! (Well, maybe a bit longer...)

katrink
January 22nd, 2011, 02:12 PM
I am 56 and working on long hair, its around mid back right now and I am slowly working my way around this site looking for ideas on how to wear it up. One thing I have figured out is long hair is much easier to deal with than short hair (less maintenance). And in my humble opinion there is nothing wrong with using claw clips (love those things). I also have a supply of scruncis for when my hair is wet and I want it up. I just lightly twist and use the scrunci to keep it up, no tangles, easy on my head and hair and I can sleep in them. I rarely (maybe once a year) use a blow fryer on the hair so 90% of the time its up within minutes after washing and it just dries that way.

Dolly
January 22nd, 2011, 02:31 PM
Well, I am 43, and have had SEVERAL people tell me that "It is just not "normal" for a woman your age to have really long hair." So I just reply....."That's why I'm growing it....because WHO WANTS TO BE NORMAL?"

funnybunny668
January 22nd, 2011, 04:52 PM
42 here. I grew mine out to below-BSL, then cut a few inches, a few more inches, then into a pixie. I liked it for a while, but decided to grow it back out. So here I am. :)

long&blonde
January 22nd, 2011, 05:35 PM
I'm 56: with waist length hair. Pretty much; had layers that grew in: but most of it is in the process of covering my "tramp stamp" back tatoo of roses & thorns. And I think classic tramp stamp tatoo p,acement is waist. I love my long hair! But oh my;the salons! My roots come in white:so really a blonde all over dye twice a year,keeps it looking more blonde than grey. But try going to salons for color:and refusing "trims"! Yep: I've successfully done it; 2 dye jobs in a row. The youngun who did a grat job coloring my hair:asked me why I wanted my hair this long. Thinking of LHC; I said "oh, I'm in a cult." She didn't ask me anything after that! I've learned to ask them to french braid it wet,w/leave in conditioner. They have a fit if you want to leave their salon w/wet;not blowndry hair. I just sit there saying "No Paddle brush!" Every few minutes. When I was younger;I remember seeing a lady in her late 50s enter a salon:w/hair past her waist. Glasses & all; I thought:"wow,she looks like a Goddess." She had her hip length hair cut to just below her chin. I thought "Wow, now she looks like a middle aged lady." Long hair isn't about age appropriate. It's about who you are, and what you like. It actually works wonderfully with hot flashs, once way down your back; as you can put it up so well. And the not washing often works well with hot flashs too. Sorry I wrote you a mini novel here;but I really identified. I get positive comments from everyone:except salon employees! Go for it: if you want to! Follow the path of YOUR heart! :)

kmoc123
January 22nd, 2011, 08:17 PM
I am 50 and my hair is 39 inches long...

lynnala
February 14th, 2011, 12:09 AM
54 this month and my hair is below waist AND silver, the two big no-no's, right? Occasionally a woman will say something nice about my hair, but mostly I have men tell me that they love my hair and please don't cut or dye it! Especially my DH, he just looks at me like I'm crazy if I ever say anything negative about my hair. He loves it.

jackiesjottings
February 14th, 2011, 08:49 AM
50, classic length hair after growing it again, and loving it (silver hairs and all!). If anyone tells me I am too old to have such long hair I will ask "why"?

jackiesjottings
February 14th, 2011, 08:50 AM
I am 50 and my hair is 39 inches long...

What a coincidence. I am also 50 at at about 39" :))))

Organic
February 15th, 2011, 09:27 AM
Lynnala..I want to be you. I am 56. I did get my hair stripped of most of it's dye...She also cut off 8 inches....grrrrr...... So it is about BSL I need to trim for a couple of years until it grows the layers and dye out..all silvery. My hair is thick and straight..unlike my avatars curled layers. Two years ago it was waist length. I agree with you about men. My husband rarely says anything about my hair unless i mention cutting it. The response is quick...No..please leave it long. He has this thing, where he always helps me put on my coat when we are out, then he pulls my hair out of the coat and smooths it down my back. His mothers hair was about two inches long.

My mother also bugs me to cut my hair...She traumatized me when I was 14 by taking me to a beautician to "get a trim" on my waist length hair. The woman cut it all off, then proceeded to cut a pixie. I looked like a boy. My sister sat across from me crying cause she was next. Our mother..the chicken had dropped us off. We thought we were getting treated cause we had never been to a beautician before. My sister cried all the way home. I smoldered... When my mother begins to bug me...I look at here and say...MOM, I'm 56...I can wear my hair how ever it pleases me and I am growing it to my feet." I had a great grandma who had feet length hair...so who knows.

Celtic Morla
February 15th, 2011, 09:50 AM
I will never forget when my sister cut my niece's hair it was long superthick, a deep deep chestnut brown and ever so shiny. She chopped it into a pixie boy cut and it looed awful she said it was because my niece would cry but I know it was because she was jealous my sister never could grow her hair and hated my long hair as a child, my niece was 7 at the time and rememebr begging her mom not to cut it.I cut mine off because my mom wouldnt even let me have bangs when she said whatever I went overbaord and regretted it! At 44 I dont care what people think I am growing it to terminal....

irisheyes
February 16th, 2011, 01:42 AM
I'm 57. My hair is almost waist length. I don't think I look good in the latest styles and hair dye is too harsh looking for me now. Instead, I am growing long and growing out the dye. I think long hair is a classic look for any woman at any age.

Cupofmilk
February 16th, 2011, 07:31 AM
This is a wondeful thread. I am currently in my mid 30s. I cut my ahir last december to top BSL. My mother said something a long the lines of " I am glad you have decided to stop this long hair nonsense. A bob would be far more suitbale for someone of your age. You are not that young anymore".
She will have a heart attack if she ever sees my hair down - I have kept it up everytime I see her. She and I think many others see long hair as ageing. Quite frankly I don't think it is - it looks fabulous. I am greying now and I will have long grey hair beacuse I lov eit.

skyblue
February 16th, 2011, 07:51 AM
You look gorgeous! Let it grow if thats what you want, age doesn't matter, I often wondered why there was an age limit to long hair in our society....strange if you ask me lol!
I'm 50 and have TB length hair and plan to leave it grow as long as it wants ;)

SpinDance
February 16th, 2011, 08:52 AM
I'll be 50 this year and my hair is BCL, growing out dye. My silvers are back past my chin now. Don't have as many as I thought I might. I only dyed for 3.5 years, and was pretty well silvering before and had been for years. Do what you like. It's your hair, it's your life. This idea that short hair is more 'appropriate' is a very strange one in my view. Long is so much more interesting and fun. So many more options and so much easier to deal with.

My dream is to have hair BCL or TB length, completely silver or white. Won't that be fun?

Fairlight63
February 16th, 2011, 09:05 AM
I am 65 will be 66 next month. My hair is waist length. I used to dye my hair but quit coloring it when I decided to grow it long. It mostly a silver color now, but the ends still have a little lt. blonde on them.

I was a little leary of growing my hair out also being older & letting it go gray but this forum & the lovely ladies with their beautiful gray hair has been a BIG help in showing me that long gray hair is beautiful also.

crewsemarg
February 16th, 2011, 09:47 AM
Have been reading the Long Hair Comm. for some time now but have not posted. So please excuse me if I'm not understanding all the ins and outs.
Just turned 68 last month and dream of having silver gray hair. (Don't think I'm going to get there) Wore my hair short short for many years then decided about 2 years ago to let it grow. Was very tempted to cut it again when it got to that stage where you can do nothing with it. Now I can at least do a few things with it and lovin it!

Have a wedding (our son) coming up in July and been trying to get ideas for how I want to wear my hair. There are so many pretty ones (at least the one's I can see or not forbidden to see,. Am not understanding why and is very irritating). Also am not up to date with all the abbreviations and what they stand for.

Is there some way you can mark a subject (such as this one) so you know where it is instead of searching for it each time?

Spend a lot of time on the Hair Toys thread and have made a couple. Thanks for all the info on here and I will never catch up with all the good reading.

Honestwitness
February 16th, 2011, 01:07 PM
Crewsemarg, you can subscribe to any thread by going to Thread Tools at the top of the postings list. You can set it to notify you by email whenever a new post is added.

Until you have 25 posts, you can't see people's photos.

Thanks for joining us and for posting. I think you might be the oldest member. At least you're the oldest I've seen. You should be *PROUD* of that. I hope to see a lot more posts from you going forward.

Blandine
February 16th, 2011, 02:58 PM
Crewsemarg, welcome on board!

Yes it is sort of a graduation process. The more posts you have, the more doors will open to you. 25 posts is the first 'grade'. It is explained somewhere but, apologies, I don't remember where... it's been a while since I read about the limits. So keep posting and you'll be able to see the photos in no time.

An elegant style for a wedding that does not require very long hair makes me think of the French Twist.

Happy growing!

feralnature
February 16th, 2011, 03:29 PM
I am 55 and my hair is a bit longer than my siggy pic. I do not color it, the front is quite white.

ritza
February 16th, 2011, 07:44 PM
Crewsemarg, you can subscribe to any thread by going to Thread Tools at the top of the postings list. You can set it to notify you by email whenever a new post is added.

Until you have 25 posts, you can't see people's photos.

Thanks for joining us and for posting. I think you might be the oldest member. At least you're the oldest I've seen. You should be *PROUD* of that. I hope to see a lot more posts from you going forward.


Your hair is absolutely beautiful...Keep growing!:cheese:


Happy Hair Growing!

drquartz1970
July 16th, 2011, 04:12 AM
Supporting all the wonderful mature ladies here who choose to buck the trend. you do look younger with longer hair even if it's grey. I am of the belief that shorter hair on older women makes them look older not younger. do what makes you feel great!

IanB
July 16th, 2011, 04:23 AM
Yes ladies, you all look gorgeous with you long hair - but let's hear it for the older men too! :cheese:

georgia_peach
July 16th, 2011, 05:22 AM
Three cheers for the older men with longer hair, IanB! :cheer:

And, LindainCO, I think you've gotten some fantastic replies on your thread. Since you asked for encouragement not to cut your hair, I'd like to add that once I started trimming and layering my BSL hair two years ago, I ended up at pixie.
YIKES!:( Your long hair is lovely, so I hope you have found the encouragement you are looking for here.

Madora
July 16th, 2011, 10:42 AM
@IanB..

If I had your beautiful silvers, I'd be a very happy camper! Great thickness and healthy as all get out too! Good for you!

IanB
July 16th, 2011, 11:41 AM
@IanB..

If I had your beautiful silvers, I'd be a very happy camper! Great thickness and healthy as all get out too! Good for you!

That's very kind, thank you :D

SpinDance
July 18th, 2011, 07:24 AM
Yes ladies, you all look gorgeous with you long hair - but let's hear it for the older men too! :cheese:
Do lets! Huzzah for the older men!

Cereus
July 18th, 2011, 10:06 PM
This is a great thread for me to read right now. About 2 months ago I cut my hip length hair to a long BSL with the intention of cutting it even shorter, possibly APL. THANK GOD I DIDN'T. I think that I was feeling that I was too old for my long hair even though I got nothing but compliments on it. Then every where I looked I started seeing older women with long beautiful hair. Now I appreciate it more and can't wait until it's back to hip. I might even go longer this time. It's mine to enjoy!

Nephele
July 18th, 2011, 11:03 PM
I am only 28 but I always look to you ladies for hair inspiration as I think you all look so lovely with your long hair.

I can honestly say I hope I look as beautiful as you all do when I am 40+!

Sewas
July 18th, 2011, 11:35 PM
Women with short hair is very new when you look at history. Most women of the world always had long hair. In the USA, women began cutting their hair short in the 1920's. Long healthy hair is beautiful and very feminine at any age so grow it and enjoy it.

Slinks
July 18th, 2011, 11:40 PM
:-) adding my voice I'll be 47 this year, my hair length is in my siggy .. I have no intention of cutting or dyeing :-) there are some inspirational ladies on this site, take a look around ..

Slinks
July 18th, 2011, 11:50 PM
Yes ladies, you all look gorgeous with you long hair - but let's hear it for the older men too! :cheese:

rock on boys !! ya all look great :-) :eyebrows:

Kelli Kat
July 18th, 2011, 11:59 PM
47 here and at BSL which unfortunately is terminal for me.

Slinks
July 19th, 2011, 12:04 AM
Well, I am 43, and have had SEVERAL people tell me that "It is just not "normal" for a woman your age to have really long hair." So I just reply....."That's why I'm growing it....because WHO WANTS TO BE NORMAL?"

lol LOVE it !! :cheese:

Seeshami
July 19th, 2011, 12:12 AM
My mom has refused to trust any one with scissors and her hair but me for several years. She says she won't think about cutting it till she is fifty. Her hair is almost tail bone I think.

IanB
July 19th, 2011, 01:01 AM
rock on boys !! ya all look great :-) :eyebrows:

Well, thank you - on behalf of the boys! :cheese:

7animals
August 4th, 2012, 06:37 AM
This is a wonderful, encouraging site for growing out hair. I've just joined in and am trying to learn how to post, and add photos and find info. Your comments are funny and inspirational. Thank you so much, 7animals.

7animals
August 4th, 2012, 06:40 AM
IMG-20120522-00025.jpg:

jacqueline101
August 4th, 2012, 07:51 AM
I don't see what's wrong with older women having long hair. Its lovely by the way.

lindaweb
May 14th, 2014, 07:05 PM
you have beautiful hair love the colour

lindaweb
May 14th, 2014, 07:08 PM
56 here and totally silver. My hair is between APL and BSL, fine and fairly straight. I stopped coloring about seven years ago. I wear it down most of the time right now because it keeps me warm and I can't fiddle with it much due to a frozen shoulder. Usually, I do a low pony tail, half-up, regular braid, french braid or french twist. Sometimes I feel a bit self-conscious about it as not too many women have long silver hair in my area. When I feel that way, I put in some cones and fall in love with the softness and shininess all over again.

At 61, you've more than earned the right to wear your hair however it pleases you. Try youtube for some tutorials on different styles. You can learn some new ones and have fun. And invoke the two week rule: whenever you think about cutting, make yourself wait at least two weeks. If you still want to do it then, have at it.

Good luck!

you have lovely hair