at what length did your feel heavier?

[jojo]

I am experiencing really heavy hair, especially when its wet. I wear my hair up 99% of the time and I am experiencing headaches when my hair is up too as well as when I take it down. This has been for the last week.

I have tried braided buns but would like some suggestions for buns which distribute the bun more.

Is it normal for hair to suddenly feel heavier? if it is what length did you all notice it?
I always thought you just got used to hair's weight as it grew, is this likely to get worse as it gets longer?

My hair is just in the next street from hip and is quite thick, though not super thick.

Suggestions please, TIA

[homeeduk8tor]

JoJo,
I am new to LHC but I completely understand the headaches from having my hair up. For me it doesn't seem to be the weight of the hair causing the headache as much as how tightly I make my bun, twist, ponytail, etc. I would love to hear from some other folks who have this issue, too. I used to tell my mom, who is a nurse, that wearing my hair up would cause me to have a headache and she thought I was nuts. Anyway, when I feel a headache coming on I just simply loosen things up and I can usually prevent it. However, at times I just have to let my hair down and do a scalp massage to get relief.

[monsterna]

I'm only at APL and starting to feel a bit of pain with my hair up. Scrunchies are actually the worst, and I suspect it's because they're themselves heavier than normal elastics. I like Ficcares, but they hurt me, too. I'll watch this thread also.

[Nicolioli]

I don't really wear my hair up, so I don't know how that would feel, but I recently noticed that when my hair is wet, it starts pulling my head back and hurts my neck. :D That means it's getting longer!!

[christine1989]

My hair feels horribly heavy in the shower when wet. It started getting that way around BSL and has gotten to the point where I only wash it every few days now due to heaviness and long drying time. When dry it is not bad. When it does feel heavy dry I find a low chignon works well because it takes the weight off of your neck.

[Angeletti]

When I was around hip/TB I started noticing that certain buns and styles would pull on my scalp making it uncomfortable. One bun that works for me is the one that spidermom created (it's in the articles section), I find it's very comfortable and the weight of my hair doesn't bother me when I wear it. Another thing I'll do when I'm at home and no one can see me is wear a bun on the very top of my head, that way I don't have to worry about the weight pulling on my scalp.

[katsrevenge]

I have very heavy, very thick hair. I have gotten those headaches too. (At the time my hair was past my bum, layered at the ends, but the shortest layers were what you guys call BSL.) So what I used to do was do two braids, Native American maiden style, to let the weight of the hair rest on my shoulders for a while. That always helped.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

I actually found that my hair at this length feels lighter than it did when shorter - mid back and my hair is quite thick and wavy.

I think the main reason is that some time ago (since joining LHC) I stopped using cones and styling products and regular shampoo. Switched to CO and CWC.

My hair feels so much lighter as a result - and whereas having it up in a pony or clip it isn't as much of an issue as it used to be.

I am going to guess you probably already do all these things.

I know my hair feels especially heavy when there is build-up even from just oiling.

[Roscata]

I got headaches when my hair was classic length and really thick (it's like a quarter as thick as it used to be now) I would just keep my hair in plain English braids, one or two, that helped a lot.

Whenever I did a bun I'd make it really spread out to divide the weight over the surface of my head. some of the buns I did back then were long French twists and loosely twisted cinnabuns that covered all of the back of my head. hope that helps. :D

[UltraBella]

You would think I would have this issue, but I think I am just used to it, I have never gotten a headache from my hair. My scalp does get sore sometimes, but it is rarely. Your hair is growing out of a follicle which, for most people, is angled downward. When you pull your hair up into a bun, etc, it can cause pressure and pull against the natural direction your hair grows. Letting your hair down and doing a nice scalp massage will help.

[theodora]

Oh Jojo I feel your pain! The weight issue is the main reason why I have never grown my hair past BSL ever in my whole life. Typically when I reach past shoulder length it starts feeling quite heavy, and I end up getting layers past that length to lighten it up. When it reaches BSL, it's usually so painful I chop it back to APL.

Obviously this was pre-LHC, I am now determined to grow my hair past BSL and to have it the least layered possible (for some reason when hairdressers layer my hair, it makes a lot of damage on my ends, as my layered ends have much more split ends than the actual bottom length which is healthy). But there is always the weight conundrum.

I'll be checking in on this thread to see what people suggest. It really is a pain for people with sensitive scalps - and prone to migraines - to deal with hair weight.

[Joliebaby]

My hair is at "can I call this waist".
When my hair is down the weight is not issue at all. And I do like to wear my hair down.
I have some trouble with up-do's, mostly I get pulling hairs, or the fork hurts against my scalp, or if I manage to make a comfy bun, it doesn't stay or it starts to hurt after a few hours :(
I think part of the issue is that
MY HAIR IS NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE THICKNESS.
Meaning I can manage most buns, the thickness eats up all the length. I can pretty much do a cinnabun or braided cinnabun.
I need more hair for more variety of up-do's so I can find comfy ones and they will also stay...

Otherwise I love the heaviness, I love the THUMP of the braid down my back and how heavy it is when wet :D

[JamieLeigh]

I think the last time my hair felt heavy was between waist and hip. I joined here when I was already in the TB to BCL category, and from there on out, it's not really getting any heavier because there are fewer hairs growing completely to the hemline.

This is probably a good thing for me, though, because I imagine I would get frustrated with the growing thing a lot sooner if I had a really heavy head of hair to deal with. Genetics knew what they were doing, in my case. :p

[Madora]

@Jojo...

My mane felt heavier when it was about 38 inches long (in the 90s, when I had a LOT of hair).

The secret of wearing your hair up - comfortably - is to section it. For example - double braided buns, as follows:

1) Detangle all hair with wide tooth comb.
2) Comb all hair so that all of it is flowing down your back
3) Make a part across the back of your head -- from the top
of your left ear to the top of your right ear.
4) Take all the hair ABOVE the part and comb it out and then put it into a ponytail holder. Do NOT pull it tightly! (You can also use a small faux tortoiseshell barrette).
5) Braid the ponytailed hair (braid loosely) and secure with hair friendly band.
6) Take the braid and holding it flat with your left hand, take your other hand and pin the braid in the N/S/W/E positions with crimped HAIRPINS (not bobbypins!).
Weave the hairpin into the braid in an up and down motion ("sewing" it in). Tuck the tassle under the bun.
7) Now, take the remaining loose hair, and holding it up as closely to the bun in place, braid the hair loosely and secure with a hair friendly band. (You might try braiding in the bent waist position. Working with gravity helps in braiding!)
8) Take the braid and wind it COUNTERCLOCKwise AROUND the braid bun already made. Secure with hairpins as described above. Tuck in ends.

Voila...a double braided bun that is comfortable and holds like a rock..and doesn't kill your head with weight.

You can also apply this technique with braided coils (one strand intertwined with another down to the ends)..or with twisted strands a la the "rose bun" coils.

If you're REALLY ambitious, you can divy up the braids and do this braided bun with 3 or more braids (depending on how thick and long your hair is).

Remember..braid loosely..and make sure nothing is pulling or pinching.

Alternate weight distribution styles...Heidi braids, a lace crown braid, a lace twisted crown style, a braided coronet, or a center French dutch braid that is surrounded by two braids (there's a pic in my album). Wearing a single loosely braided braid in a bun on top of your head is so comfortable! Bend at the waist, bring all your hair in front of you, like a curtain, detangle thoroughly, then loosely braid and pin into a bun on top of your head. You're set for the day..and the night, too!

Hope this helps, jojo!

[ravenreed]

Waist. It gets significantly heavier the longer I grow. It is one reason I have layers. I also have to watch out for the weight of the hair toy. I love my Flexi-8s but they do add a lot of weight. I have hard time with my one and only Ficcare as well.

[Alaia]

Started to feel heavier when I got to waist. It's the one reason why I cannot really wear ficcares (they are so heavy it just tips me over into headache most of the time) and having my hair up while wet is impossible.

Braided buns distribute the weight nicely I find, and Madora's technique is really amazing for this sort of thing.

Another main cause of headache is when I have managed to get some of the hairs pulling and not noticed it. This happens quite a lot.

[adiapalic]

Started to feel that weight more when it got around Tailbone-Classic. I've never had headaches because of my hair, but when I have a migraine (which is once a year or less) my hair *cannot* be in a bun, ponytail, or anything. In fact, I have to shut the blinds and cover my face and eyes with a dark, cool wash cloth to get it to go away. So while updo's does cause a little more pressure for me, they've never caused headaches. I'm really used to the weight because I've added length so gradually.

The most incredibly comfortable updo I ever wear is the double-french braided bun in my sig pic. Madora is onto something. Sectioning is key.

ETA:
Started to feel heavier when I got to waist. It's the one reason why I cannot really wear ficcares (they are so heavy it just tips me over into headache most of the time) and having my hair up while wet is impossible.

Braided buns distribute the weight nicely I find, and Madora's technique is really amazing for this sort of thing.

Another main cause of headache is when I have managed to get some of the hairs pulling and not noticed it. This happens quite a lot.
(bolded mine)

This is what gives my head the occasional twinge of pain that can result in aches all day if I don't fix it.

[Cowgirl16]

I agree with Madora; you need to distribute the weight. There are certain updos that feel too heavy for me, also it depends WHERE on my head the bun is. If I put a bun at the back of my head it is too heavy; a little higher or lower and no problem.
Oh, and I never put my hair up wet; that would be too much weight!

[Tuntenut]

Am I the only one whose hair weighs nothing? :confused: Granted, it's anythign but thick and not all that long, but I have never ever experienced headaches or a sore neck or any other things mentioned here. Hmm.... I think I might just have discovered an actual advantage of fine, thin hair. :joy:

[Kumiko033]

When I used to have long hair it was already heavy at BSL, i couldn't wear a bun to save my life. I could do the Pucca look with two buns which was less heavy when I was working in a restaurant but still, never going back to buns.

[Amber_Maiden]

Waist. Definitely waist.... But i think thats because of how thick my hair is... I find I get more headaches when I put it up though :(

[Kristin]

It's started to feel really heavy the last couple of months. I can't leave it up for more than a couple hours without getting a bad headache. I find myself braiding my hair more and more frequently, but I do worry about the friction of the braid on my back. It also seems to hurt less when I put the bun almost directly on top of my head.

I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately because my neck had been hurting so much. It really doesn't make sense to me; you'd think that your neck muscles would get stronger as your hair grows...

[Madora]

@Cowgirl16...

You are so right! Where you place the buns/braids or whatever makes a HUGE difference in how the entire head feels!

I loathe low buns/braids because I hate anything touching my nape.

My styles are higher on the head - or just above mid center. The trick is to secure the style w/o encountering any pulling hairs or pinching from poorly placed hairpins. I don't care for hairforks as they are not aesthetically pleasing to me. I want to enjoy the full beauty of a complicated hairstyle (or a simple one!).

I love Flexi 8's however! Beautiful bling that does not overpower beautiful hair!

[rosek]

Igor has a really good theory on this - she had a method for combing your hair before putting it in an updo that distributed the weight so it wouldn't pull.

Moving the updo further down to the nape also helps me a lot - I can't do high updos at all anymore.

Good luck!

[lyria]

I hear good things about the Equilibrium Bun. My hair is too thick and not long enough to try it yet, but I definitely know that heavy hair feeling!

[desisparkles]

This has started for me the last couple weeks. My hair is very fine and I have layers that I’m growing out. I suspect if I measure thickness with all my hair including bangs it is ii/iii as I’m just a hair under 4 inches without taking them in account.

It is worrying to me how much discomfort I’m having as I’ve had my hair longer and didn’t experience this before. then again I was only wearing scrunchis then.

I suppose I’ll try a braided bun today but braids aren’t the easiest as I wear hair my hair in its naturally wavy state so the detangling and actual braiding part makes a lot of hair snap sounds..

[FrayedFire]

Not yet? I'm at classic, but it doesn't feel heavy, even when wet, although it "slops" around more when saturated with water. I do remember the sudden uncomfortable lightness from when it was chopped to shoulder, but even a damp updo doesn't seem to feel particularly weighted down.

[lapushka]

desi, what for me worked the longer it got is conditioner or masks with silicone, or if not in there very moisturizing products. Less knots, less or even no tangles, not that it helps with the weight. I started to feel that around waist, one length cut (I was there at one point). It was either stop there or put in layers and grow on. For me.

[desisparkles]

Thank you lapushka. I’ve been wanting to test cones for some time now. I think it’s worth a try for sure.

Eta also I forgot that back when it was at hip it was HEAVILY layered. Hmmmm I didn’t take that into account.

[AutobotsAttack]

Even at my current length of approaching FTL, my hair is virtually weightless. I can sort of feel it when wet, but even then it’s not heavy whatsoever.

[Belgrade Beauty]

The real question is how do I make it heavy?! It's fine and thin so I can't feel it?

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Mine doesn't feel heavy, even at this length. I mean, it does have some weight, but I wouldn't call it heavy. It does feel heavy when it's wet in the shower, but even then it's not unbearable. I guess that's just what fine hair does.

[windyballoons]

My hair has never felt heavy even at its longest, but I did start to get uncomfortable tugging/pulling sensations from ponytails and buns shortly after shoulder length this time around. It never occured to me that could be due to weight. The most comfortable for my scalp is to have my hair loose, but I don't like to wear my hair loose. I find sectioning my hair into top and bottom and tying those sections back seperately before combining them helps, as does using big, wide-jawed claw clips so it's not pulled too tight, but is still secure. I do a kind of horizontal french twist as well, that works ok but sometimes the bobby pins tug.

[The Lizard Wife]

Mine gets heavy at some point before BSL. APL, maybe? I think BSL or nearly-BSL is the longest I've ever had it pre-LHC, and it was always heavy when it was "getting long." Of course, I have always had a very sensitive scalp, too, and some other contributing factors.

(Which is why I've now fully halved my hair thickness by increasing my undercut, and it is heaven.)

[lapushka]

Mine doesn't feel heavy, even at this length. I mean, it does have some weight, but I wouldn't call it heavy. It does feel heavy when it's wet in the shower, but even then it's not unbearable. I guess that's just what fine hair does.

I'm iii as well with F hair, and for me waist length was getting too much. Goes to show how it's all different for all of us. :flower:

[MusicalSpoons]

The real question is how do I make it heavy?! It's fine and thin so I can't feel it?

Grow it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long then get it sopping wet in the shower ;)


Mine doesn't feel heavy, even at this length. I mean, it does have some weight, but I wouldn't call it heavy. It does feel heavy when it's wet in the shower, but even then it's not unbearable. I guess that's just what fine hair does.

Same but I'm a ii. I have, very rarely on a really bad zombiefied/fatigued day when I couldn't quite get my bun right (arms, hands, fingers all had a falling-out with my brain) and my body was extra-super-duper sensitive, felt the weight of a bun being uncomfortable - but that was my body being feeble because the rest of the time it's fine. The only thing is showering; my shoulders and neck usually hurt from washing it, but I really don't know if that's the water weight, or the way I sit to get my whole head under the shower whilst keeping my face mostly out of the water (so I can, y'know, breathe :lol:).


But like I said, I'm a ii and I have a definite taper so I imagine iiis and iis with much less taper might have a very different experience.

[demonamay]

My hair is naturally fine textured and even waist length it feels airy and floaty, like its just cascading down me in a fluid perfect motion. There is nothing more beautiful than a head of fine, silky, flowing hair.

[Ylva]

I don't remember what short hair feels like because I've had it at hip length or longer for so many years now, so loose or braided, my hair never feels heavy to me, regardless of whether it's wet or dry. One exception is when I'm trying to shampoo my scalp in the shower with wet lengths. My hair forms an impenetrable barrier and I have to gently "lift" it from several places to get my fingers through to my scalp.

Buns pull at my scalp a whole lot and have for the entire time that I've been wearing them (not even a year and a half). On a very rare occasion, I manage to make a bun that actually feels comfortable for long periods of time.

[lapushka]

It doesn't feel heavy anymore after I layered it and have huge amounts of taper. I had 0 taper at waist, and I think the hemline being very thick still for me sort of contributed to this, at least that's my theory. :)

[Sora Rose]

My hair doesn't feel heavy to me, even at the length I have it now. Never has. The only exception is if I bun it when it's slightly damp. If the balance is off, the weight of it is noticeable, though still not particularly bothersome.

[jenn14]

My hair started feeling heavy in updo's where I use a pony tail as a base when I was around hip length. The pony tail just concentrated too much of the weight of my hair on one section of my scalp. I fixed this by learning hair stick and hair fork updo's. I find the weight of my hair is better distributed over my scalp with a hair stick and when i make my bun diameter 6-6.5inches. This really helped me! I find a LWB and french pinless bun really comfortable and good at distributing the weight of my hair.

[Lucy McLucyFace]

Mine always gives me neck pains when I wear it in the same style for a long time while sitting at my desk and it's at the top of my waist. Feels much better when I change it around over time

[Servana]

I have very thick hair so no matter what length it is, updos are always short-lived because I very quickly get neck pains from the weight and because of my sensitive scalp, it always feels like some parts of my hair are being painfully pulled.

So no updos for me! Just a low pony when I exercise and wash my face but out it goes as soon as I can. As for heaviness when it's out, hip length is when I start to get occasional headaches from the heaviness.

[Dark40]

I am experiencing really heavy hair, especially when its wet. I wear my hair up 99% of the time and I am experiencing headaches when my hair is up too as well as when I take it down. This has been for the last week.

I have tried braided buns but would like some suggestions for buns which distribute the bun more.

Is it normal for hair to suddenly feel heavier? if it is what length did you all notice it?
I always thought you just got used to hair's weight as it grew, is this likely to get worse as it gets longer?

My hair is just in the next street from hip and is quite thick, though not super thick.

Suggestions please, TIA

Hey, as my hair started growing out from shoulder length to MBL that's when I started to notice it feeling heavier, and as my hair is at WL now, and is also getting longer is getting heavier but I am getting use to it as it is growing, and my hair is very thick also! :)

[leayellena]

at mbl my messy bun (all I knew before discovering lhc) has become slippery. I didn't call it heavy because I didn't feel any headaches per se but hair hair was definitelly too slippery for the bun, although my hair should have been coarse, rough because of split ends. even now at few cm lower than my buttocks, my hair doesn't feel heavy per se. but it is more slippery than it has ever been due to proper lhc care. braided buns are my go-to's. I rarely do an unbraided bun and that only on 5th day after wash or using a hair scrunchie for my ponytail based updos. my hair is ii but 3.50" or 9 cm ponytail circumference but it compresses into nothing in a braid or updo. strangely I don't feel my hair is heavy when soaking wet in the shower either. it probably depends if you have iii or f vs m or c strands or you may have scalp sensitivity. or your bun/braid is too tight in some places. same headaches you get when you don't wear the proper buns according to your hair length. the longer your hair gets, the more you have to flatten your updo on a larger area of your scalp. think crownbraids instead of a messy bun; spin pins instead of bobby pins, etc. as for heavy looking, if that's the term you actualy mean, forget the trends. hair will look bulky and heavy because that's how it grows naturally.

[draysmir]

My hair started to feel heavier around WL. That's when I get headaches from updos like ponytails and buns tied with an elastic.

My hair started to feel heavy worn in braids around classic length. I'm almost FTL and am thinking of cutting back because of the heaviness, since it feels heavy even worn loose. It's nice to know it is common for hair to get too heavy to feel comfortable. Due to my chronic pain, I feel like any updo I do now causes tension on my neck and increases my pain. I worry if I cut back I'll find the issue is that my chronic pain has worsened, rather than my hair actually getting heavier... hopefully cutting 4-5 inches off my length will help lighten the weight.