Tired of Long Hair?

[butterflycayton]

Anyone get tired of their long hair? I've been growing for one and half years. Getting close to waist, but I'm getting tired of taking so long to comb it, figure out what to do with for the day. It is really thick so buns get heavy and fall, can't get hair sticks to hold with out falling out. I trimmed 1 1/2 inches of old very dry permed hair off. It looks really good on the ends. So what to do? I know I probably will miss it in a few months. But I am tired of it at this stage. when it gets longer and heavier I can't imagine how long it will take to wash and dry and comb every other day.

[myria]

First try stretching out washes. I only wash twice a week and I can stretch it to once a week with a bit of batiste but there are plenty of people who wash less than that.
I'm biased but Id recommend learning to use hair sticks. They're comfortable and will hold all day on my hair from a bit below bsl. And they're pretty.
Maybe try wearing your hair in braids more? It shows off your colour and ends without being too tangle prone.

[spidermom]

It's kind of amazing, but sometimes more length solves the problems. I would think "if my hair is a pain at waist length, it's going to be a triple pain at tailbone length," but no.

I do get tired of it, though - my old lady buns, braids that swing around and get fuzzy-looking, worn down it's too hot and too much in my way. What's a girl (or guy) to do? I know I don't want it short. Been there, done that.

[Dina L.]

Why don't you try a layered hairdo? It's still long but there's a little playfulness in it. You can put it into a bun, but it won't be that heavy.

[JulietCapulet]

I have my moments too, but unfortunately I need the hair to look good because my face is somewhat nondescript.

[Madora]

The secret to successful hairstyling is sectioning your hair and using hairpins correctly.

As for the tangles, if you try and wear your hair up or confine it in some way, you'll spend less time detangling/combing.

if you find caring for long hair too time consuming, then perhaps bra strap length hair might be more appealing. Of course your hair styling options are lessened to a certain extent but conversely it will take less time to manage and dry when you wash.

[Sanyia]

When I am not in the mood I put it up and forget it. It takes longer for my hair to get dirty when it's up, so I don't need to wash as much.

[fluffybunny]

I do get tired of it, but coping with that is part of the challenge of growing it.

[spitfire511]

I did. I got tired of my almost BSL hair and chopped it to chin. Now I'm back on the growing train, and I wish I had my long hair back most days.I can't pull it up and forget it. Boo! Maybe like Madora mentioned you can work on pin placement etc so that it's easier for you to bun etc? Good luck - and you really do have beautiful hair!

[chelssix]

When I was growing out my hair the first time, and I was almost at waist, I got really, really tired of my hair. It got a LOT better just past waist. It seemed to go into buns better, I could do more with it- it just WORKED.

[Blandine]

Hair does not take longer to dry with increasing length. The assumption that it does is common but experience proves differently.

Try learning a couple of easy new styles. And set a limit of minimum four weeks (better more) from now before you decide about cutting.

[Avital88]

First i want to say that i think your hair is pretty! And i would be a loss if you would cut it all off..
Well second, is this the first time you have long hair? If so.. Then i think you might just need to get used to having long hair.
It can be a pain ofcourse, but its also so beautiful :)
I also had it cut once from waist to shoulders and Oh my.. The regret was huge after a while.. I missed it so much especially when looking at older pictures.
So sometimes when im tired of having long hair or my ends annoy me or whatever i think about how i felt when i had it cut and how far i am now,almost hip!
So rethink a lot before deciding what to do! Good luck.

[Deborah]

The trick may be to find an updo or two that you can do quickly and easily, and that stay up comfortably all day. I find a flipped bun to be truly easy, comfortable and pretty, but there are many other buns that are extra easy too. I used to like two sticks, but now I find a good thin pronged hairfork or a handful of those tiny claw clips to hold the best and most comfortably. Plus they are both very easy to use (always a BIG key thing to me.)

Good luck with finding a good way to get through your feelings of annoyance with your hair. :) Longer hair actually is easier to handle. At least that has been the case for me and lots of others. I personally like below waist but not too much longer than tailbone the best, both in terms of appearance and in terms of easiness and comfort.

[Speedbump]

I'm going to chime in on the "it got better when it got longer" bandwagon. There are several awkward/annoying lengths in the growing out process, and I think just about where you are is one of them. At least, it sure was on me.

I know it sounds nuts, but sometimes, that extra quarter turn on a bun can make all the difference on balancing the weight/making it stable. Suddenly, you'll do the same "this barely works" bun you've been doing for a year and it will just work.

Also, please let me suggest that washing your hair every other day is probably not necessary. If you possibly can, try stretching your washes out. I believe from what folks say here that most people with hair longer than waist do NOT wash every other day. I know I sure didn't. I was, if I recall correctly, washing about twice a week at your length and it was fine.

If you have issues with too much oil around the scalp, look at your shampoo. If it's really harsh and you're using it frequently and lots of it, your scalp is scrambling to restore the oil on your head between washes. To keep it from freaking out and bathing your scalp in oil between washes, try diluting your shampoo in a squeeze bottle. You will get the shampoo where it needs to be -- your scalp and hair right at the scalp -- without using so much of it. Back when I was doing shampoo/conditioner, I used a shampoo:water ratio of 1:7.

If I were you, I'd try the dilution thing first, and see how it works. Then if it seems to be OK, try washing, then skipping two days instead of one, then washing again. (It may take up to a month for your scalp to adjust to each change.)

Also, as a fellow thick-haired person who has a sensitive scalp, I'm going to tell you I NEVER use hair sticks because they just HURT. And they won't stay in because to make them do so, I have to make my buns super tight, which HURTS. :lol:

For me, Ficcares and Amish pins (longs) are the only things that reliably hold up my hair without hurting. I also have to work on how to build my buns when I hit certain lengths. Right around tailbone, my favorite "squashed doughnut" style stopped working completely and I had to go to a more usual cinnabun.

Let me suggest one last thing, and then I'll shut up: I don't think you're actually tired of your HAIR. I think your routine isn't working for you anymore and that you're tired of being frustrated with it. :flower:

[enfys]

If your buns are falling down at waist length, I'm going to blame your thickness as a first guess. I was TB before I could do a secure bun. Now a bun can hold with just one hairstick if it is self supporting, like a nautilus. My buns were unstable and temperamental too, and I'm a low iii.

Try scalp washing if you really can't cut down on your washes. Maybe try out a Tangle Teezer brush; it's been a miracle for my hair. Make braided buns, or try things that distribute the weight like the braided beehive. Make buns where you braid part of your hair to wrap around the outside so it's more spead out and you can do the bun because your length:thickness ratio is balanced. Oiling might cut down your combing time, or cones.

There's lots you can try before cutting becomes the only option you have.

[tigr]

Have you considered trying a faux bob? There's a thread with a video here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=65205. It looks pretty cute and easy.

[adiapalic]

The secret to successful hairstyling is sectioning your hair and using hairpins correctly.

As for the tangles, if you try and wear your hair up or confine it in some way, you'll spend less time detangling/combing.

if you find caring for long hair too time consuming, then perhaps bra strap length hair might be more appealing. Of course your hair styling options are lessened to a certain extent but conversely it will take less time to manage and dry when you wash.

(bold mine)

Seconding (or thirding?) what Madora has said. My new siggy pic is of a-double french braid put into something similar to a chinese bun (I think). I've always found the more I section--whether it be twists, braids, or rope braids--the more stable and comfortable the bun will be.

For me, amish pins hold braided buns so close to the head, you can barely tell it's there. It really just takes practice. Taking some free time to experiment with different styles will give you more experience in figuring out what's comfortable and easiest to do for you.

As for time, the double-french braids are sometimes hectic--so a quicker (and very comfortable) style is a pony-tail with three rope braids all twisted into a bun and pinned with amish pins. Holds all day, and feels wonderful.

[butterflycayton]

Thanks for all the replies, all very helpful. Some new things to try, washing less often, trying new hairstyles. Maybe wanting something fresh and new is trying to hurry spring. My hair has not ever been past waist. So I'll try to grow it longer and maybe can do more with it. Thanks again, everyone on here is so supportive. Really helps on the cold wintery days.

[Tikwichka]

I think you just need to find easy styles. I used to hate my length: mainly because it tangled and frizzed so easily. Now, I lightly oil the ends, wear braids, and heavily oil then wash weekly. The longer it gets, the easier it is to manage on a daily basis.
If you're at an awkward length, be patient... One day it will fall in to place :)

[nucleardelusion]

I do remember, when I last got past waist length, my hair seemed to behave more. I could put it places (even just behind my shoulders) and it would actually stay! I'm pretty tired of my current length, but I'm excited to see it even longer than before. Give it some time, then just do what makes you happiest. :)

[Anywhere]

I was tired of it, just the thinness and the fact that I could just cut out a bunch of layers and a bunch of damage. Then I had a dream that I shaved my head, and when I woke up I had a new appreciation for my hair.

I would suggest layers or just get a quick go-to style for when you're frustrated with it. I was sick of my hair, wore it up in a lazy wrap or bun that stays for the whole past month, and when I begin to wear it down I feel so much better about it, despite the tangles at the end of the day.

[GRU]

I'm going to second the Tangle Teezer. Absolute miracle product, hands down!

[Fufu]

I get tired of hair easily too, and everytime i grow my hair till BSL, i chop them off till shoulder. I find this forum a great motivation for me to continue to grow my hair long.

[Mesmerise]

I have always gotten tired of long hair DESPITE never liking my hair short, and alwas growing it again as soon as I chopped it off!

This time I have decided that by hook or by crook I WILL keep growing my hair and it WILL get long! Yeah, it can be annoying, but you don't need to do any special up-dos. I just do a simple ponytail most of the time (which takes no time at all). It's easier to wear it up than down, as down it's more likely to do stuff I don't want it to do (hoping that once it's past waist it will behave better!!).

I think it's probably a good idea that you will make a commitment to not cut it until a particular time (like the end of the year or something like that...some months away) and see how you feel then.

I constantly have to remind myself how much I hate short hair, and how annoying it is to grow it out :rolleyes:! And I know I really DO want long hair, but it is frustrating.

I think it can also feel "boring" if you're used to getting different styles, or colouring more often and trying different things. It also gets to a stage where it doesn't feel like it's getting anywhere (even though it is!) and it doesn't seem to change much from month to month.

I think the idea is to be patient, so that's something I'm working on ;)

[Amraann]

I think that many of us get to that mid length and get board.
SO I agree with trying new things and holding off before chopping. Taking time to think about it.
Maybe try the layer suggestion if you really need to cut?

That all being said not everyone likes having long hair.
Just make sure before you cut it and then regret:)

[UltraBella]

I get tired of the effort sometimes and I usually end up cutting. I have a hair appointment on Thursday actually !

[Dragon]

I get tired of the effort sometimes and I usually end up cutting. I have a hair appointment on Thursday actually !


Good luck Thursday :)

[fluffybunny]

Great thread. I got advice I didn't even know I needed :)

[Debra83]

Yeah, really good thread.....I just posted about missing my hairstyle ease at last year's length and the year-before's length...and maybe I just have to come up with new ways to wear it.(especially in the wind we're having this winter). I absolutely DO remember the regret of cutting my waist length hair TWICE before. (kick self, kick self), but I DON'T remember feeling frustrated with it like I do now. I had a new baby though, and my focus so wasn't my hair....at all.

[Melisande]

Very good advice here, especially about the oil for the scalp, diluting shampoo to stretch washing - about the awkward stage Butterflycayton finds herself in and the fact that it will soon be better - and the flipped bun as hairstyle to go.

Amish pins, Ficcares and, I would add, hair scroos (spin pins) are in my experience the easiest options for good looking and stable buns. Forks and flexis as well. Hairsticks can be trickier if your hair is not yet long enough. They really began to work for me when my hair was longer than hip.

Don't despair. Of course you can cut and the hair grows again - but you'll miss what you have now if you really want long hair. If your hair never was this long, don't cut just now. Wait three or four more months and all of a sudden a whole new horizon of styling options will open.

And the longer the hair, the better the feeling when you open your bun, when you feel a lot of hair tumbling down your back... it's one of the great things about long hair.

Experiment with half ups, too. And vary your looks with interesting earrings. They add a lot to the boring-bun-dilemma, I find.

[utdesertrunner]

I cut mine to chin after being "tired of it". Only a few weeks later I missed my long hair like crazy and can't wait for it to be long again. I agree with trying to stretch out your washes a bit. And enjoy getting to plan out your hairstyles :)

[Veviticus]

I love the length of my hair, and I don't ever intend to cut it, but the excitement over my hair is not what it use to be. I'm thinking of dying it a dark red, but I'm scared it will damage my locks. Since being on this site, has inspired me to try to continue to grow my locks to CL. I'm going off to measure now.:D

[Veviticus]

I love the length of my hair, and I don't ever intend to cut it, but the excitement over my hair is not what it use to be. I'm thinking of dying it a dark red, but I'm scared it will damage my locks. Since being on this site, has inspired me to try to continue to grow my locks to CL. I'm going off to measure now.:run:

I'm at 36 and 1/2.:cheese:

[ktani]

My hair is naturally thin, although it no longer looks it and oddly enough to me, the longer it has gotten (currently waist although I do intend to trim it back somewhat) the more I am enjoying it. It just took getting used to.

I even find it easier to put up when I need to, in order to get it out of my way, when doing chores around the house.

[EdG]

I have forgotten what it is like to have anything other than long hair. :ponder:
Ed

[Pierre]

If you're getting tired of a bun, try some other styles, like a crown braid, or two braids crossed behind your head, or a half up, or even two buns.

Normally (when it's not freezing or close to 37 outside), I take two showers a week. One of those, I detangle my hair and comb out the shed hairs; the other is just for skin. I also save time by braiding my hair and leaving it braided (possibly changing updos) for several days.

[HairColoredHair]

When I get tired of my hair I throw it in the same cinnabun every day and leave it in the same braid for days at a time, combing it all out every once in a while.

[RocketDog]

I definitely feel you on the frustration, I'm dealing with the same problem right now, but in reverse - my hair is thinner than ever and my updos look so measly! I have been throwing it into a cinnabun or braided cinnabun every day and the only time I really pay attention to it is when I oil/henna. I figure another 6months of this and I might have more good feelings towards my hair.

[Sanyia]

I'm going to second the Tangle Teezer. Absolute miracle product, hands down!

Third that. Oil, TT, put up in a bun or a braid. 5 minute presentable hairdo!

[rapunzhell13]

Um, is anyone else experiencing, hmm... how can I describe it? Preemptive hair fatigue, I think that pretty much sums it up. Basically I am tired of long hair before I even have it. I'm thinking of all the bad stuff that comes with long hair and it's making me weary. The heaviness, having to wash it all, taking so long to dry, tangles etc. etc. Then I start to wonder why I'm bothering at all.

[milagro]

Um, is anyone else experiencing, hmm... how can I describe it? Preemptive hair fatigue, I think that pretty much sums it up. Basically I am tired of long hair before I even have it. I'm thinking of all the bad stuff that comes with long hair and it's making me weary. The heaviness, having to wash it all, taking so long to dry, tangles etc. etc. Then I start to wonder why I'm bothering at all.
Whenever something of this kind enters my head I recollect all the effort and annoying things that come with in-between length like chin to well past shoulders, and I am instantly welcoming long-hair prospect again :D Definitely if I ever cut it it would be a pixie - and for good. I'm not willing to go through growing out once more, I'm actually not completely out of this stage. Long hair will be much much easier.

[Eolan]

Yeah, I have days when I'm very, very tired of and displeased with my hair.

I recently chopped of a good few inches due to thinning, so from almost waist to APL. I now get tired of it more often, since I don't like this shorter lenght as much. I find I like my hair more the longer it gets. It's easier to manage somehow and I love how it feels and look. I can't wait to get there again.

But some days I have a crisis and I'm like: "I'll cut it short!" Last time I felt like that I talked to a good friend and she said: "But you have fought so hard for your lenght. And every time you cut your hair short you get sad and regret it." She has known me for ten years, so she should know. Now we are growing buddies! To the bum and beyond! :)

It's different for all. Maybe you like your hair better at a shorter lenght, and if so, that's fine. I just know I like mine longer.

[baaaad_kitty]

The past few nights I've been feeling a bit tired with my hair. I tend to roll on it while sleeping, and I have to remove it from under me so I can sleep more comfortably :|

[moonlight]

I just got to the stage where I have to braid it every night or I can't sleep. It's annoying. BUT...I have a goal of BC length (when dry), which I've never been able to do. I'm 50 now, so I feel like I'm running out of time LOL so this time I'm freakin' determined.

Maybe I'll cut the second I reach my goal, but maybe not. At least this time I'll make myself find out!

[Cupofmilk]

I don't get tired of long hair - I just a little impatient waiting for it grow.

[perkidanman]

When I was in the military my hair was just a bit longer than yours, wavy and HEAVY. I always had to have it up in a bun, which was so huge other ladies thought it was a sock bun. I ended up chopping off 8 inches and liked that for a while but now I miss my long, wavy, "amazon" hair that I had. It's taking forever for it to grow back now.

[QMacrocarpa]

I likely would get tired of my hair if I weren't practicing benign neglect. I just don't do much to it except keep it up (and now I have EIGHT wonderful updos I can do, mwahaha! (with apologies to the Count from Sesame Street)) and wash it once or twice a week.

[McFearless]

You're not tired of your hair or how it makes you feel, you're tired of all the effort it takes to take care of it. I know how you feel, I'm in the same boat. Just remember we all hate out hair sometimes. Good hair days and seeing all your hard work pay off makes it worth it. hang in there!