I reached my goal length and want to cut

[sweetiepie]

I chopped my hair off almost 6 years ago and now I have more or less decent past apl-bsl length (curls and waves make length unstable) but I keep having cut urges. What is wrong with me? It was such a long time waiting and now I feel like my hair is in the way, there is too much of it, it's not really comfortable to have it long.... Funny thing is, I admire long hair, like, really long, not my amateur long but, say, waist and when they wear it loose.
Did anyone have the same experience?

[Rocket22]

You know long hair certainly is not for everyone.. You can admire it and not like it for yourself. I think some women can pull off pixie and they just look stunning... me I wouldn't dream of it. I think you should do the two week rule. give it some time, and then do what is in your heart to do.

[sweetiepie]

I am the one who can't pull off a short cut actually. My problem is long hair suits me :D
I am actually wanting to cut way more than two week already. A year probably. I talked myself into layers only to avoid chopping it all off and ending up with a mess on my head.

[Ishje]

I agree with what Rocket22 say's. maybe it is not your thing?

also, if it is in the way, have you ever tried getting it out of the way?
my hair was alway's in the way,also when it was still shoulder length.
I got way less annoyed when I started using hairtoy's to wear it up.

[sweetiepie]

Hahaha, wearing my hair up made me wanna cut it even more - why the heck have it long if I wear it up? It looks so good down. So I decided to wear it down no matter how damaging this might be as cutting it all off is much more 'damaging', ain't it? :)
The only thing that keeps me strong so far is the thought of how bad I look with short hair. But I'm not sure I can hold up much longer.
I hope someone with the same experience comes along to cheer up or share how they cope. Thank you guys, Ishje and Rocket22 for support.

[Zefyra]

I always come to a point with my hair where I just get bored or annoyed with it and then cut it off.. Only to regret it and try to grow it out. Ive just recently got past the point where Id always cut it before, SL...

What worked for me this time was realizing that I just get bored. So I lightened it and started playing with hairstyles. Im totally with you on wanting to wear it loose to enjoy it, but I have bangs that are at an awkward stage atm, so Ive been trying different ways of pinning them back.

I guess the point is to just do something different with it without cutting if you're intending to keep the length or grow longer....

[squiggyflop]

im a little confused.. it took 6 years to grow to bsl? wow.. if you cut now it will take forever to grow out again.. 6 years, wow it only took me 3 months to get to bsl..
um the way i get rid of the urge to chop is by trying out hats and scarves and keeping it up so i dont even see it until the urges stop

[ladylovecraft]

im a little confused.. it took 6 years to grow to bsl? wow.. if you cut now it will take forever to grow out again.. 6 years, wow it only took me 3 months to get to bsl..
um the way i get rid of the urge to chop is by trying out hats and scarves and keeping it up so i dont even see it until the urges stop

I'm fairly sure her hair was probably much shorter than yours to start with, if you grew to bsl in three months. As my hair was 3" when I started growing, three months would have only gotten me to about 4.5"... definitely not BSL on anyone. I will say that is still a ridiculously long time as I've grown to almost BSL in about a year and a half.

That being said, six years is a long time, even if you grew from a very short pixie like myself. I would seriously consider if you would ever like to have long hair again in your life if you plan to cut it very short. Try some short wigs out, wear it up constantly so it's not in your face all the time... I know you said you've been considering a chop for over a year, and that must be very frustrating, but waiting another six years to get back where you started would be hell if you cut and didn't like it. At least for me it would.

[sweetiepie]

im a little confused.. it took 6 years to grow to bsl? wow.. if you cut now it will take forever to grow out again.. 6 years, wow it only took me 3 months to get to bsl..
um the way i get rid of the urge to chop is by trying out hats and scarves and keeping it up so i dont even see it until the urges stop

I have curly hair so it shrinks as you go and it grows superslowly. That's my problem actually. If I cut I won't have long hair until my mid-30s which is not funny.

[sweetiepie]

That being said, six years is a long time, even if you grew from a very short pixie like myself. I would seriously consider if you would ever like to have long hair again in your life if you plan to cut it very short. Try some short wigs out, wear it up constantly so it's not in your face all the time... I know you said you've been considering a chop for over a year, and that must be very frustrating, but waiting another six years to get back where you started would be hell if you cut and didn't like it. At least for me it would.
Thank you, Ladylovecraft. You talk some sense into me. I was not even growing out a pixie, it was a short bob but I have curly hair and like I said it shrinks. In couple months it might reach waist when wet. And you are spot-on about ever wanting long hair. I spent 4 to 5 years lusting after long hair, wishing mine grew faster. And now I don't really like it, it suddenly feels like a wig and I want to take it off.

[ladylovecraft]

Thank you, Ladylovecraft. You talk some sense into me. I was not even growing out a pixie, it was a short bob but I have curly hair and like I said it shrinks. In couple months it might reach waist when wet. And you are spot-on about ever wanting long hair. I spent 4 to 5 years lusting after long hair, wishing mine grew faster. And now I don't really like it, it suddenly feels like a wig and I want to take it off.

I have no idea how curly hair works because I'm very straight-haired myself, but from what I've seen on the board it takes curly hair longer to grow because of shrinkage. If it's really the sensation of just having hair on your shoulders/face all the time, maybe a short wig now and then would be good for a change? If you do ever decide to make a drastic change my personal method is to force myself to wear a wig in that style for a few weeks and ponder if I'd like my old hair back. It's tedious and kind of silly, but it's saved me from a lot of dye uh-ohs that could have happened.

I also just love doing the hair experiments on this board. SMTs, different oils, sockbuns for curls overnight, even if you don't like wearing your hair up, there's a lot of cool stuff you can do with longer hair that isn't possible or as fun with short. : )

[sweetiepie]

Hm, a wig is an interesting idea.

[spidermom]

Some stages of hair growth are a lot more tedious than others. I think you're in one of them.

I cut mine back a lot on my journey from 5 inches at the longest to classic length now. Sometimes I just wanted to hang out at a length for awhile, plus I had the crazy (for me) idea that I'd get all the split ends cut away and prevent new ones from forming. But no - no matter what I do or don't do to my hair, I get plenty of splits. Sometimes I think I might as well go back to flat ironing, then I remember the Velcro mess my hair became with that nasty little habit. Actually, it can go Velcro on me now.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was than ANY length of hair can be a pain in the butt, but sometimes you go through an awful phase, then the next length is nicer. So hang in there, you might be well on your way to your own personal perfect length.

[rockstarmommy]

qwertyuiop

[BrightEyes7]

Some stages of hair growth are a lot more tedious than others. I think you're in one of them.



I agree 100%. A few inches can make a world of difference. I can grow 1 inch and hate the length then grow another inch and love the length then grow another and hate the length.... Each person has milestones that work best for them and their hair type. You are at one of those unfortunate stages where you don't really like your hair... but if you can have some patience and let it grow a little more you may see you really do like your hair long.

I would hate to see you cut it and then have to wait so long to have it where you are now again... I think you should really think about this and give it some time!:)

[monsterna]

Sweetiepie, I just wanted to add something different to the convo, as I already agree with people that you just might be in a boring/tedious phase and the next one is hopefully better.

If you have such slow hair growth, maybe you try using Monistat to speed it up? It has worked for loads of people on this forum, myself included. Maybe if you got a little boost, you wouldn't be so anxious to chop it off again. Here (http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156) is a link to the Monistat thread if you haven't seen it already.

[squiggyflop]

I have curly hair so it shrinks as you go and it grows superslowly. That's my problem actually. If I cut I won't have long hair until my mid-30s which is not funny.
ah.. i see.. my hair is only curly when its short so i guess i have the advantage.. i hope you can find a way to overcome the urges to cut..

ladylovecraft: my hair was 3 inches for a while.. it took almost 4 months to get to a shoulder bob.. when i said bsl for some reason my brain went from my shoulder bob that i joined with (took 2-3 months to get to bsl from there with the heavy duty vitamins i was taking).. i totally forgot the 4 months to get to the shoulder bob.. but um, i also forgot a critical piece of the puzzle.. when i was a teen my hair could easily grow 2 inches a month with the right nutrition (technically it can still grow up to 3 inches a month but im too stressed and the stress stalls the growth now).. sometimes i forget that it takes people longer than it took me.. i used to have to dye my hair every other week because of the roots.. so yeah sorry i forgot what a freak of nature i am.. sometimes i just dont think things through

[lapushka]

Even though long hair is much easier for me because of my texture, I got the urge to cut along the way lots of times. There's plenty of awkward stages. Each new length takes getting used to.

If you're uncomfortable at this length, maybe have it slightly trimmed, or have your layers redone, maybe. Have the hair dresser freshen it up some. That doesn't mean you need to lose enormous amounts of length at once.

[AnnaJamila]

ah.. i see.. my hair is only curly when its short so i guess i have the advantage.. i hope you can find a way to overcome the urges to cut..

ladylovecraft: my hair was 3 inches for a while.. it took almost 4 months to get to a shoulder bob.. when i said bsl for some reason my brain went from my shoulder bob that i joined with (took 2-3 months to get to bsl from there with the heavy duty vitamins i was taking).. i totally forgot the 4 months to get to the shoulder bob.. but um, i also forgot a critical piece of the puzzle.. when i was a teen my hair could easily grow 2 inches a month with the right nutrition (technically it can still grow up to 3 inches a month but im too stressed and the stress stalls the growth now).. sometimes i forget that it takes people longer than it took me.. i used to have to dye my hair every other week because of the roots.. so yeah sorry i forgot what a freak of nature i am.. sometimes i just dont think things through

:bigeyes: I'm turning greener by the second...

[summerjade]

Continue to grow that long gorgeous hair you have always wanted!!! If you cut it now you will be sorry and have to start over. Enjoy the length you are at. Experiment with different styles and have fun with it.

[Nymphea]

Well, try to decide which is more important to you, or what you feel as really you - is it the long, waist length or longer hair that you could be proud of, or is it a shorter length that you maybe can pull off better?

If you like imagining yourself more with long hair, I'd advise you to wait and see how your hair grows and becomes longer and more like you wanted it to be.

If you decide to cut, be sure that you are ready to wait another 6 years or so to get to this point.

I'd postpone cutting as long as I can; cut is always a quick and available option, and you can do it anytime. Growing is more complicated.

I have to admit that I sometimes too feel some kind of urge for cutting. I'm just imagining how oddly free it must be to have hair SL, or even an inch above. Sometimes I even dream about long bob, but... That just would not be really me, so i decide to grow more, and as the time passes, I get more and more content with my length.

Let us know what you've decided! ;)

[Speedbump]

I honestly admire certain luxury and sports cars, think they are cool and beautiful, but would never buy one for myself because I wouldn't actually enjoy owning one. If you have found that you just don't like long hair on you, then that is a legit and A-OK viewpoint. Maybe you can sort of take stock and see how happy your long hair is making you in your daily life. If it is detracting from your basic happiness or just annoys you all the time, then it's perfectly fine to cut it. AND still admire it on others, too. :)

[anthonyswife]

Apl/bsl on me was very awkward and I hated wearing down, I actually wore it in a bun every day (more than I do now). It wasn't until waist length that I really started enjoying my hair. I fully understand the urge to cut and do something different, and I agree with a lot of the other ladies here, I would try hats/scarves/wigs, and new updos for a while and see if that helps. :)

[maborosi]

I used to have really nice, long hair- it was almost waist-length, then I decided to cut it all off because I thought that it'd be better for me and easier to care for and etc, etc, blah blah.

I was really sad when I realized I'd have to wait years for my hair to go back to where I had it. Short hair didn't look very good on me, and I couldn't play with any of my old hairtoys! I think that's what I missed the most....

Now I'm painfully growing it out again, with my layers flying everywhere...I get the urge to cut it, too, but I know I can at least wear it up when it's not listening to me, lol.

But if you really think short hair's for you, maybe just cut off a little bit at a time, rather than what I did and cut it all in one sitting...traumatic...:(

~maborosi~

[curlymarcia]

I understand you, because my hair is taking forever to past BSL (another curly). And I get bored with the same old look. What I did (to avoid the hair chop) was coloring my hair. Maybe a change will help you too. Have you considered bangs, haircolor, layers, or even a different up-do? I wish you the best and take time to decide :)

[sweetiepie]

But no - no matter what I do or don't do to my hair, I get plenty of splits.
I so hear you, same here....

Anyway, what I wanted to say was than ANY length of hair can be a pain in the butt, but sometimes you go through an awful phase, then the next length is nicer. So hang in there, you might be well on your way to your own personal perfect length.
Well, I didn't feel like my hair was too short but to think of it you might be right. Maybe I am on my way to my own personal perfect length))))

I have had this experience with my nails.
Me too!! Though I could grow them but I just couldn't stand them long and when the fashion hit I tried to keep them long but it was a torture!

I can grow 1 inch and hate the length then grow another inch and love the length then grow another and hate the length....
I would hate to see you cut it and then have to wait so long to have it where you are now again... I think you should really think about this and give it some time!:)
Thanks!

Continue to grow that long gorgeous hair you have always wanted!!! If you cut it now you will be sorry and have to start over. Enjoy the length you are at. Experiment with different styles and have fun with it.
Thanks!

cut is always a quick and available option, and you can do it anytime.
This sounds like that addiction class I had last semester - avoid addiction by saying I am not going to have the substance of choice right now but I'll have it in a minute. I'll go make myself a cup of coffee first and I can take that substance any minute. After coffee you say yourself I can get dressed first and then I'll have it. Then you say I can at least try to go to work and I can always turn around and go grab a hit. And that's how you go through urges. I guess I'll keep the length for now. I don't know what to cut it into anyways.

I honestly admire certain luxury and sports cars, think they are cool and beautiful, but would never buy one for myself because I wouldn't actually enjoy owning one. If you have found that you just don't like long hair on you, then that is a legit and A-OK viewpoint.
Yeah, that's my thinking. But short hair doesn't suit me and that's where I try to talk myself out of a cut. I''' try to live with it for some longer and I guess I'll know if it really gets in the way.

I used to have really nice, long hair- it was almost waist-length, then I decided to cut it all off
rather than what I did and cut it all in one sitting...traumatic...:(
~maborosi~
I'm so sorry. I've been there, hope you'll learn to love what you got - it was the way for me. I actually loved my shorter hair at some points. When it behaved :D That's the only way to go. And yeah, all those 'It's just hair. It grows.' - ppl saying that are nuts, they'd better add grows slowly.

I understand you, because my hair is taking forever to past BSL (another curly). And I get bored with the same old look. What I did (to avoid the hair chop) was coloring my hair. Maybe a change will help you too. Have you considered bangs, haircolor, layers, or even a different up-do? I wish you the best and take time to decide :)
Thanks! Yeah, cutting hair is just another change, right? One can change something that is less difficult to renew :D







P.S. I want this hair (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZim4WPesI8).



.

[Panth]

I'd echo everyone else. You say you admire other people's hair especially those with waist+ hair. You also say you hate short hair on yourself. So, try to hang in there? Maybe once yours gets to waist and is no longer "amateur long", as you say it, you might like it better?

Cutting it is always an option, but why not wait a little longer to see what waist is like, seeing as you say yourself that you don't think your hair would be properly long until it gets to at least that point?

Personally, I seem to recall that BSL-ish was an awful phase. Everyone at school hated my hair (either jokingly or actually, depending on the person) because every moment I moved my head it hit the person on my left or on my right, or swept things off the desk behind me. It did get everywhere. However, once it got a bit longer it got enough weight and bulk that it stayed reasonably static unless I purposely whip my head to one side to move it.

[slz]

I really don't get it : you say short doesn't suit you, but still you want to cut ? Are you masochistic or what ? :D