Whats so bad with wearing your hair down?

[mallorykay13]

I have had this question for a while and I have been wearing my hair up because it seems to be the generally accepted idea. But why do we do this? What's wrong with wearing hair down?

[Alaia]

Wearing hair down exposes it to a lot of damage, from getting tangled in the wind, being caught under bag straps, being leant on when sitting down, and so on.

When hair gets longer as well it's very easy to get it into things, some of them not pleasant :p and it generally gets in the way.

Wearing hair up not only keeps it out of the way and stops quite a lot of damage being done to it, but it's also a great way to stay cool in summer :tongue:

I personally don't think it does much harm to wear hair down every once in a while, and I like to have my hair down occasionally (more now that I am at Waist, less when I was at TB).

[Krentje]

I didn't understand it either untill i approached BSL.. Just wait and you'll understand why.

[torrilin]

Most of us wear our hair up for a variety of the following reasons. I'm having a cranky morning, so I'm starting with the horrifying ones first.

1. It is not safe to wear your hair down around power tools. This includes things like stand mixers, cordless drills, vacuum cleaners... Most tools can at best rip your hair to shreds, and at worst, you can die of strangulation.

2. It is not safe to wear your hair down around fire. Duh. We do not wish to practice stop, drop and roll. That means you need to pull your hair back for things like cooking on a gas stove, burning candles, using a tea warmer, or using an oil burner.

3. It's not fun to get your hair caught in a seat belt or stuck in a chair.

4. It's not fun to find your own hair in your food.

5. It's not fun to get heat stroke from how long your hair is.

6. It is not fun to have strangers pet your hair.

7. It is not fun to have your pet toddler yank on your hair.

8. It is not fun to sit on your hair.

9. It is not fun to spend 8 hours detangling your hair.

I'm sure you can work out more of your own. The longer your hair is, the more stuff it can (and will!) get into, and the more annoying and inconvenient it will be to wear it down. Also, the finer your hair is, the more it will get damaged from being worn down. Most people can comfortably wear their hair down most of the time at APL. A lot of people can comfortably wear their hair down even at waist. But for safety's sake, you will always have to wear your hair up sometimes, starting around shoulder length. Depending on your tastes, it might be a rare thing, or you might be like me and have a fondness for power tools, chemistry and open fires and need to wear your hair up most of the time.

[spidermom]

What torrilin said.

Plus letting my hair down at the end of the day is a nice transition from working to relaxing.

[mallorykay13]

That makes sense. I guess since I'm just now approaching BSL I don't understand it yet.

[AnqeIicDemise]

Most of us wear our hair up for a variety of the following reasons. I'm having a cranky morning, so I'm starting with the horrifying ones first.

1. It is not safe to wear your hair down around power tools. This includes things like stand mixers, cordless drills, vacuum cleaners... Most tools can at best rip your hair to shreds, and at worst, you can die of strangulation.

2. It is not safe to wear your hair down around fire. Duh. We do not wish to practice stop, drop and roll. That means you need to pull your hair back for things like cooking on a gas stove, burning candles, using a tea warmer, or using an oil burner.

3. It's not fun to get your hair caught in a seat belt or stuck in a chair.

4. It's not fun to find your own hair in your food.

5. It's not fun to get heat stroke from how long your hair is.

6. It is not fun to have strangers pet your hair.

7. It is not fun to have your pet toddler yank on your hair.

8. It is not fun to sit on your hair.

9. It is not fun to spend 8 hours detangling your hair.

-snip-

If my hair had not been pulled into a bun, I would've lost a huge chunk of it when a ball of fire erupted from my gas grill upon lighting. As it is, I'm still growing out new eyelashes and brows.

adding to the list:

10) I hate having my hair getting caught in my armpits. Especially when I'm hot, sticky and hair is clinging to skin. (usually on wash days too, so I try to just sit still and read a book, watch tv or crochet for a few hours.)

11) It doesn't get stuck to random bits of clothing, mainly hooks, eyes or buttons.

12) It won't wind up in someone else's food. Its bad enough when its in your own plate.

13) It doesn't get stuck in hook, eyes, buttons or zippers of my purse or backpack.

14) It doesn't blow into my eyes when driving, thus preventing a car wreck.

15) I won't have to fiddle with it when I get overheated and have to put it up anyway.


---

There are some days mostly 'Just because I feel gorgeous' days or special occasions when I'll let my hair down. I just have to be more careful on these days than usual to make sure the length I've busted myself over to grow won't be in vain.

And usually, I wind up putting it up in a bun anyway. :justy: There I go, sleeping all night in braids or bandanas to have gorgeous curls/waves and its all ruined because of the darn heat!

Oh, but on some cold, cold nights when I get caught off guard with not enough layers, its fun to let my hair loose and get cozy in seconds.

[IanB]

Nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. It's great to feel the movement and freedom :)

[AnqeIicDemise]

Nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. It's great to feel the movement and freedom :)

It does feel nice. ^-^

It just takes extra precaution and ditzes like me have a hard time remembering.

[monsterna]

Damage from getting it caught on or in things. As long as you attempt to avoid it rubbing against things (getting under your purse straps, seat belt, clothing, rubbing on the back of chairs, etc.), it is fine. To be honest, I feel like my hair gets damaged more when it's up. It hurts sometimes and things just pull it out sometimes, no matter how careful I am. But you should always wear it up when working with tools and things like that that can pull it. I usually do even when I'm just cooking, too. It's also a good idea to put it up when going out in the wind, because that = major tangles. I wear mine down 95% of the time.

[SallyCinnamon]

I have mid-back length hair and wear it down a lot (I also like buns/braids/ponys, but I prefer having it down.) I find I get more damage with hair elastics, barettes, or just playing with my hair in general than I do wearing it down.

You just have to be careful though. I bring a hair elastic or clip with me even if my hair is down that day in case I encounter some of the "scary hair dangers" people have listed above. It's not a really big ordeal for me to wear it down a lot of the time.

[SpinDance]

16) Not fun when your hair gets stuck outside when you roll up the car windows, or shut the door. Ouch!

17) It isn't fun when it wraps itself completely around your arm when swimming and you yank it hard just by moving your arm.

18) It isn't fun to realize that your ends are playing in the bottom of the sink while you are washing your hands.

19) It isn't fun to bend down to pick something up and your hair hits the ground/dirt/whatever before your hand reaches it.

I love having my hair down, sometimes. And I love being able to put it up with a stick, fork or Flexi in just seconds to get it safely out of harms way. I get the best of both having it loose and having it completely contained at will.

[Bast]

Shed hairs stay in the bun/braid/ponytail, and don't fall out and land on your skin...my hair feels fine enough on my skin that it's annoying.

Plus, my hair tends to end up in my fiance's face, and that bugs the spit out of him.

[Anje]

20) It gets in my way when I'm writing, falls on the paper, etc.

21) It's not good when hair falls into things I need to keep sterile, plates of highly pathogenic bacteria, etc.

Yeah, #21 might be a bit overspecific, and yet some of last semester's undergrads kept dipping their hair into (relatively harmless) plates they were streaking out.

[Jeni]

22-It falls into a dirty diaper you are changing

23-It ends up all over your bf's house, including on him and you get the stink eye

24-Cats try to make it into a nest, or for braids, think its a toy...

25-It wraps around your neck while sleeping which is not only annoying but a seriously ridic way to die!

26-It falls into the toilet when you bend over to pick something up

27-It gets caught in the outer ends of your glasses

28-It falls into the lettuce bowl at a salad bar...yea that SUCKED

[Angelica]

I have mid-back length hair and wear it down a lot (I also like buns/braids/ponys, but I prefer having it down.) I find I get more damage with hair elastics, barettes, or just playing with my hair in general than I do wearing it down.

You just have to be careful though. I bring a hair elastic or clip with me even if my hair is down that day in case I encounter some of the "scary hair dangers" people have listed above. It's not a really big ordeal for me to wear it down a lot of the time.

I second this. Wearing it up actually causes damage also.

I wear my hair up because it is so fine it looks better up. But if it was very thick I'd wear it loose.

[irishlady]

To protect it from a variety of damage. When mine was BSL though I wore it down at least 1 day a week because it looked nice regardless.

[racrane]

When I was younger and had waist length hair my cat would occasionally throw up hairballs with one of my hair strands in them. Not sure why I'm posting this except to say hair can get everywhere.

[Sunshineliz]

Because it is freakin' in the way!:mad: (sorry flashbacks to my old hair.:)) Everything everyone else said was good. I especially saw my hair getting in my face, in food, diapers, toilets (I'm thinking while cleaning it, thank goodness), you name it! My updo skills were limited to ponytails and braids and I could do little with it. Only one reason--but a huge one--I cut my hair. Then when I found the site my trepidation about having longer hair again is gone. I think I can do these updos, and it looks like many actually take little time and effort and I can take it down when I want to easily and then stick it back up again whenever. I've got one hairstick bun working already!

I wear it down when I want, but if I'm working around the house or it's hot outside or windy, I'm glad to put it up.


I second this. Wearing it up actually causes damage also.

Doesn't anything cause some damage? And doesn't it matter what you use to put up the hair too? It seems to me that my one hairstick is probably putting less stress and damage on my hair than if I'd used a ponytail holder and several hairpins. Probably less than if it was rubbing all over the back of my rough-fabric upholstered chair too.:)

[ddiana1979]

I accidentally dipped my hair in the cat litter box a few days ago when I was cleaning it out. YUCK!

Wearing it down didn't become a problem for me until it was below BSL. Now, if it's even the slightest bit windy outside, or I'm being active and my hair is moving back & forth across my shirt a lot, I get knots up high by my neck in the underlayer of my hair. They're a pain in the butt to get out.

It also gets stuck in things if I'm not very careful. . . purse straps, seat belts, bras, etc. And it somehow manages to wrap about my husband when I sleep. I don't like braid waves (my hair is very straight, naturally), but I'm going to have to start braiding it to sleep, or risk losing a chunk.

[Rebecca.1905]

I wear my hair down daily, but since I'm not shooting for super lengths, I'm not really that concerned. Since it's hit waist tho, I have to take certain things into consideration. As others have said, it's tied back for driving in the car with the windows down (I keep a metal free elastic on my turn signal for just that purpose), poorly french braided for sleeping (I'll get it yet, dang it!), and english braided for swimming. I'm sure there are other times, but those are the ones that come to mind immediately.

I love my hair down and have no plans to wear it up all day every day any time in the future. But, if you want to go mid-thigh, knee, etc, then you're going to want it up to keep it as safe as possible.

However you wear it, be safe, and enjoy your beautiful hair!

[Becky9679]

Shed hairs stay in the bun/braid/ponytail, and don't fall out and land on your skin...my hair feels fine enough on my skin that it's annoying.

I have to say, one of the major things I've had to get used to with wearing my hair up more often is taking it down at the end of the day, combing or brushing and having all the hair that didn't shed during the day because it was up come out at once. For a while I was seriously worried that I had a shedding problem then I realised what must be going on!

I would love to wear it down more but as people above have said it can be dangerous at certain times and at most other times just plain irritating! Even on days where I start out intending to have a "hair down" day I usually put it up at some point because it starts getting on my nerves. Also my hair is incredibly tangle prone (it even tangled badly when it was just past my shoulders) and if I don't put it up then I'll have a hell of a lot of work on my hands at the end of the day getting it nice again!

[pepperminttea]

I find I get more damage with hair elastics, barettes, or just playing with my hair in general than I do wearing it down.

It might well be the tools you're using rather than the act of wearing it up (assuming you're not back-combing the roots every time you put it up or something). Have you tried hair sticks or forks? :)

[swetiepeti]

Rarely have my hair up, although I often wear it braided. Even when it was longer than tailbone, not sure the length but if not braided I'd sit on it if not careful, I rarely wore it up. The only time I always wore it up was when I was in the military. That said, when it was at it's longest, I'd tie a ribbon round the the bottom of the braid, I'd then take and thread each of the ties through/around the middle part of the braid at the top near the base of head, loop it around to the front and tie off in a bow. Effectively made a loop of my hair, but still really not up and did not have what I call the bun effect for driving.

[SallyCinnamon]

It might well be the tools you're using rather than the act of wearing it up (assuming you're not back-combing the roots every time you put it up or something). Have you tried hair sticks or forks? :)

Sure, I use those too. My hair doesn't always stay with just a hairstick or fork, though. It slips out pretty easily, even though I do like using them. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with having my hair slip out all the time. I use non-metal, non-damaging elastics, but when I take them out (even gently) there are usually at least one or two strands of hair that come out with the elastic. Whether that counts as damage or not, who knows. But I can't help thinking that if I hadn't used the elastic those hairs might still have been on my head! :confused:

[torrilin]

Most of the time when a hair is stuck in an elastic, I'll find the bulb is attached to one end. That means it was shed naturally, and that hair was done growing... and probably had been done growing for weeks. And with my fine hair, you'd think if elastic breakage were common, I'd see a lot of it. I don't.

In general, when I see people complaining of elastic breakage, it is from wearing the same hairstyle in the same position on their head every day for months at a time. Ponytails are the most common culprit, because they're an easy starter updo, and they work very well from about shoulder on down past BSL for many people. If all you can do is a ponytail...

Usually I swap things around, so even if my hair is very short it is in a half up one day, a ponytail the next, and a braid on the third. As soon as I can manage a bun, it replaces the half up. It doesn't really matter what 3 styles you pick. Just having 2-3 choices means you're at less risk of damage.

[SallyCinnamon]

Most of the time when a hair is stuck in an elastic, I'll find the bulb is attached to one end. That means it was shed naturally, and that hair was done growing... and probably had been done growing for weeks. And with my fine hair, you'd think if elastic breakage were common, I'd see a lot of it. I don't.

In general, when I see people complaining of elastic breakage, it is from wearing the same hairstyle in the same position on their head every day for months at a time. Ponytails are the most common culprit, because they're an easy starter updo, and they work very well from about shoulder on down past BSL for many people. If all you can do is a ponytail...

Usually I swap things around, so even if my hair is very short it is in a half up one day, a ponytail the next, and a braid on the third. As soon as I can manage a bun, it replaces the half up. It doesn't really matter what 3 styles you pick. Just having 2-3 choices means you're at less risk of damage.


Thanks for the tips :)

My original point was that I simply like to wear my hair down, and I don't believe it causes a lot of damage. Cheers! :cheese:

[Slinks]

Nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. It's great to feel the movement and freedom :)

I notice this when I change my clothes, I feel my hair where it's never been before .. BUT to OP I wear my hair up at home because of all the above mentioned things too :-) I like to wear a half up when I go out ..

[BlazingHeart]

I actually came close to drowning myself at one point. My hair was around waist, and my hair is extremely thick (5.5"+ pony circumference), and...well, it fell across my face while I was swimming, and was dense enough that I couldn't breathe through it, so I went to grab it out of my face but it was wrapped around both arms badly enough that I couldn't bring my arm forward to pull it out of my face, and I was in 8' deep water...if someone hadn't grabbed me and pulled me to the edge of the pool, I'm not entirely certain I would have survived that.

[Slinks]

WOW !! BlazingHeart !! what a scare ..

[emelnd]

I don't like having my hair up too, it gives me a headache.

[Yame]

I grew my hair down to waist/hip length without wearing a single up-do. That's years and years of wearing my hair down all the time. Once in a while, I would put it up in a pony tail if necessary, but it was down 99% of the time. It never bothered me at all. Yes, sometimes it got caught in things like my purse strap, but it wasn't a major problem so I never gave that any thought. I always thought I looked awful with my hair up, that it's too slippery and difficult to hold up, and that it's so pretty when it's down...

When I began extending washes about a year ago, I started having to wear it in a pony tail more often simply because once my hair gets too oily it's no longer presentable to have it down. I recently began to notice that there was some breakage around where the elastic gets tied, so I've decided to stop wearing pony tails for the most part, and got a more hair-friendly scrunchy for when I absolutely need to wear it in a pony tail.

Since I started lurking on LHC I've read about the benefits of up-dos and hair toys and decided to give them a shot. I got some hair sticks and started learning how to do simple buns and hold them with the hair stick. I think the hair stick is less damaging than the elastic, and although I still think I look horrible in a bun, at least I look presentable... and that's good enough for work, where I spend most of my time on weekdays. I don't care to look attractive at work, just to look professional!

So now, I wear my hair up on weekdays and down on weekends. It seems like a nice trade-off for someone like me who feels prettier with hair down but wants the benefits "bunning." I've also found that with buns, I can get away with extending washes even further than I could with a pony tail. The oil on my scalp just looks like product meant to hold my hair up... and my hair is loving being shampooed just once a week!

[Shell]

Well, I really think it depends on the person, their hair, and their lifestyle. Wearing your hair up cuts down on styling and products, which generally is good for your hair (and is cost effective). As has been mentioned, those not wanting to wash/style daily often like to wear their hair up. It can cut down on damage to wear it up if you are careful about updos and hair toys. Also, by being able to wear your hair up, you cut down considerably on "bad hair days." If your hair isn't presentable, put it in a nice updo.

I wear my hair down at all lengths. I have had thigh length hair, and I wore it down. In fact, now that my hair is BSL again, I find that I wear it up a lot--I find this length particularly unmanageable. Maybe that's just me. Anyone with any thickness of hair can wear updos. I usually wear them at my nape, or very well distributed, and then I don't get headaches from updos--from other things--not updos.

Also, some of us have extensive hair toy collections--got to wear those things. :D

[Quahatundightu]

I used to ONLY wear my hair down, convinced I looked silly in updos and liking the feel of my hair down. Well it's definitely a bad idea for someone with such fine and fragile hair to do that!!! After I reached waist it was insane how much my hair broke off and crumbled at the ends. If I want hair that is hip length or longer I have no choice but to tie it up as much as possible.

[SoulOfTheSea]

I love to wear my hair down! Except I only wear it down on day two and day three, because after that it's just too greasy...

[Dragon Faery]

I love how updos look, but I also love how long hair looks when it's down. My hair is currently approaching BSL at its longest layer, but it's been at waist before. I've noticed that the outer mantle gets more damaged when I wear it down a lot, so I try to be careful not to let it get roughed up by furniture or wind. That usually means putting it up if I'm in the car with the windows down, or holding it up out of the wind if I forgot a hair tie. (My husband usually drives.) I also put it up to sleep, and if I'm going to be lying around reading or doing messy things like cleaning or gardening. Other than that, I love wearing it down and plan to keep doing so as long as it doesn't mean too much damage. :)

[eternalknot]

Damage from getting it caught on or in things. As long as you attempt to avoid it rubbing against things (getting under your purse straps, seat belt, clothing, rubbing on the back of chairs, etc.), it is fine. To be honest, I feel like my hair gets damaged more when it's up. It hurts sometimes and things just pull it out sometimes, no matter how careful I am. But you should always wear it up when working with tools and things like that that can pull it. I usually do even when I'm just cooking, too. It's also a good idea to put it up when going out in the wind, because that = major tangles. I wear mine down 95% of the time.

I agree. My hair is down most of the time, as well.

I know there are so many pretty hair thingies, but (to me) it's a shame to grow such gorgeous hair only to have it secured up! I realize others love this about long hair - being able to do neat updos and styles - so I suppose it's a YMMV thing :)

[BlazingHeart]

WOW !! BlazingHeart !! what a scare ..

It was, indeed, a terrifying experience. Even ducking underwater didn't free me from the tangle wrapped around me.

I've had lesser issues with my hair in the pool a number of times (simply getting it across my face when turning for a breath but totally able to get it out of my face with my hands, so much less serious). I have not gone swimming with my hair longer than shoulder without tying it back since that time it tried to kill me, though! I occasionally wonder how many people have been nearly killed by their hair, heh.

[pink.sara]

Ah, I can't wait for that wonderful moment when my hair finally gets caught in a sweaty armpit again... I'll treasure it for all of the seconds it takes to extract it... Then start wearing it up again!
Same as others have said I used to (when it was waist+) wear it down on wash day and day 2 then if I had to go a 3rd day without washing have to tie it up.
Also I'm a silversmith which means power tools, Bunsen burners and all sort of hair shredding things around most of the time. Having lost an escaping front section to a Bunsen and only managing to put it out by slapping myself in the face I secure that hair now!!

[Ligeia_13]

It was, indeed, a terrifying experience. Even ducking underwater didn't free me from the tangle wrapped around me.

I've had lesser issues with my hair in the pool a number of times (simply getting it across my face when turning for a breath but totally able to get it out of my face with my hands, so much less serious). I have not gone swimming with my hair longer than shoulder without tying it back since that time it tried to kill me, though! I occasionally wonder how many people have been nearly killed by their hair, heh.

That story is terrifying shudder: I remember when I was little I almost got my hair stuck in the suction tube of the pool ( or whatever its called ). I felt it being tugged and I managed to swim away. Thank goodness I wasn't closer.

[Anje]

Yikes, BlazingHeart!


Doesn't anything cause some damage?
I pretty much assume that anything causing friction will cause some degree of damage, though more if there's something sharp involved or if the hair moves across something. So up, there's at least less movement during the day.

The real reason I wear it up, though, is to spare myself all the hassles and hazards associated with wearing it down.

[mallorykay13]

What do ya'll think is a good length to start wearing it up most if not all of the time?

[Shell]

What do ya'll think is a good length to start wearing it up most if not all of the time?


Well, that depends on you. I like to wear it up in the awkward grow out period. Once it's long and hopefully well-behaved, it's more fun to wear down. This time around, I had a curly cut, so I wore it down quite a bit at APL, last time it was up as soon as pins would hold it. I am wearing it up a lot right now as it's BSL, which I find to be an awkward length--around waist (2 inches :))--I'll like it better.

I think all of this is a very personal choice, without hard and fast rules, which is what I think that your responses have demonstrated. :)

[Hiriel]

7. It is not fun to have your pet toddler yank on your hair.


It's also not fun to have a random (adult!) passing tourist yank your hair.

[Tegaladwen]

I had to look after goats once in a previous job. I bent down to grab some litter from the ground when next to me one of the goats walked towards me and then proceeded to eat the end of my ponytail and then yank it like he would with hay. It really hurt! After that I never kept my hair in just a ponytail, I kept it in a bun at all times! Makes me cringe just thinking about it :S

[AnqeIicDemise]

I had to look after goats once in a previous job. I bent down to grab some litter from the ground when next to me one of the goats walked towards me and then proceeded to eat the end of my ponytail and then yank it like he would with hay. It really hurt! After that I never kept my hair in just a ponytail, I kept it in a bun at all times! Makes me cringe just thinking about it :S

-grabs a hold of her length in a possessive fashion whilst tightening herself into a ball.-

ow...

[celebriangel]

Well, I'm going for superlong lengths, so any bit of damage I can minimise, I do. For example, I rarely wear a braid during the day - and if I do I wear it over one shoulder - because the friction between the back of a chair and the braid will slooowly wear it away (bear in mind growing hair takes years, so this effect will come into play on this timeline). As Igor said, if you're aiming for knee length, every extra bit of care matters if it's a daily thing.

A lot of the reason I wear my hair up is for ease, speed and comfort. My hair is voluminous and gets everywhere when it's down, and takes ages to detangle. If I've worn it up all day, detangling takes less than a minute. Bearing in mind that having to detangle serious knots caused by wearing it down for more than a few hours can cause damage and breakage.

Not serious concerns for most people. But for me? Definitely (in addition to everything else that was said).

Also, I feel more stylish and put together with my hair up, so that's a biggie. It makes wearing my hair down feel special. Additionally, my hair only looks its best down on day 1 (the curl pattern is spoilt the following days), and I wash once a week! So...yeah. It's up the rest of the time because it looks better up. I feel I also suit updos.

[AuburnAlight]

I don't see it as a wrong thing. But some peoples' hair might get more easily damaged when worn down. I have a friend who has a hip lenght hair which she always wears down and it has always been thick, strong and in a good condition and she even colours it regularly with box dyes. She doesn't need to wear it up, and I'm actually kind of jealous to her. :o

[Leucothea]

I LOVE wearing my hair down, but I hate un-tangling after! My hair dresser always says "You know your hair would tangle so much if you just let me cut an inch or two off the ends..."

To which I usually say "That's okay, I don't mind brushing it out." :)

Why do hair dressers always want to chop off your hair? I'll never understand it...

[Corvus]

I just don't get this......

What is the point of having long beautiful hair if you're just going to keep it up? If you don't want it getting tangled, damaged, or being in the way, why bother having long hair? Cut it off and keep it short.

[Charlotte:)]

There is nothing wrong with wearing your hair down as long as you use common sense and don't lean over a fan or anything. I wear my hair down most days, and the only time I ever notice any damage is when I put it up in/take out an updo :)

[Yame]

I just don't get this......

What is the point of having long beautiful hair if you're just going to keep it up? If you don't want it getting tangled, damaged, or being in the way, why bother having long hair? Cut it off and keep it short.

I used to feel the same way, but now I understand that wearing your hair up is not the same as having short hair.

[Sunshineliz]

I just don't get this......

What is the point of having long beautiful hair if you're just going to keep it up? If you don't want it getting tangled, damaged, or being in the way, why bother having long hair? Cut it off and keep it short.

So I can choose to have it up or leave it down. Short isn't the same thing as long and out of the way. (As I definitely learned when I cut mine off.)

[Anje]

I just don't get this......

What is the point of having long beautiful hair if you're just going to keep it up? If you don't want it getting tangled, damaged, or being in the way, why bother having long hair? Cut it off and keep it short.
Wait til your hair is a foot or two longer and see whether you still feel this way. I've seen a lot of statements to this effect, and with rare exceptions, they come from people with relatively short hair.
ETA: It seems like the few who persist past classic wearing their hair loose the vast majority of the time also tend to have coarse hair. Having hairs that look like threads instead of spider silk makes a big difference in how much wear it can take and probably in how much it tends to float into your way.

[Autumn_Fairy]

I see this is an old thread, but I was wondering about this topic myself. When my hair was hip length (most of my childhood through my early 20s, with a few mid back cuts along the way) I always wore it down. I went through brief phases of experimenting with fancy 'dos, but usually they left me with a head ache and lots of extra damaged hairs as i experimented. Honestly, I feel like I do more damage to my hair putting it up than not. I do, however, put my hair in a messy scrunchy out of the way for chores around the house and I can put it up in a lose bun with a few jaw clips without much ado, but anything else is just torture on my hair. Maybe because my hair is so wavy. . often with a several ringlets, they tangle so easy when braiding or trying anything fancy and I hate brushing all my hair flat to make it work.

I can understand classic and longer lengths putting it up more. TBL is my goal length so that isn't so much a concern for me. When its really windy out (almost 3/4 of the year where I love, lol) I put a jacket on and keep my hair under it and protects it well enough from the wind when I'm out running errands.

Any physical activity or rigorous dirty chores, i always put my hair out of the way to protect it, but just for regular daily coming and going, I like it down. besides, I have all this pretty wavy hair, why hide it?

[furnival]

Some of us with finer hair simply can't wear our hair down a lot without damaging it so much that it doesn't get any longer. I spent ages wondering why my hair didn't grow until I started wearing it up all the time, and all of a sudden it started to grow. Plus, it gets horrendously tangled, caught in stuff, stuck between my teeth, in my eyes, in my food, in other people's food... It's f!#*ing annoying and I'm not the sort of person to be concerned with how I look to other people, so I don't give a toss whether they see I've got long pretty hair or not. ;)

If putting your hair up with sticks or forks is torture, you might be doing it wrong. It takes a bit of practice but it's worth learning how to use them as they are so versatile and gentle on the hair.

[chen bao jun]

nobody really cares how you wear your hair. If you can wear your hair out and have it reach the length you want, great. This is just an LHC suggestion for those who haven't been able to reach longer lengths with their hair out, that's all. It's not like the laws of the medes and persians or anything.
And some people actually like to wear their long hair up, you know. It's not what you see on tv or in magazines but it is a 'hairstyle' (actually lots of of different hairstyles are possible) and some people feel they and their hair look just fine when it's up and this is not something you can really discuss profitably (although we have about a million threads discussing it), its a matter of taste.
Bottom line, do what you want and be happy.

[Autumn_Fairy]

nobody really cares how you wear your hair. If you can wear your hair out and have it reach the length you want, great. This is just an LHC suggestion for those who haven't been able to reach longer lengths with their hair out, that's all. It's not like the laws of the medes and persians or anything.
And some people actually like to wear their long hair up, you know. It's not what you see on tv or in magazines but it is a 'hairstyle' (actually lots of of different hairstyles are possible) and some people feel they and their hair look just fine when it's up and this is not something you can really discuss profitably (although we have about a million threads discussing it), its a matter of taste.
Bottom line, do what you want and be happy.

Wearing it up is a style itself, of course, and I envy the time and skill many long haired beauties are able to put into it. But sometimes it seems like there is a lot of talk about how bad having it down is for hair and I see some people post negatively about others who are seen with it down too often. I was also curious if the reason people wear it up is more often for keeping it "safe" or because they really prefer the style of it up.

[trolleypup]

Wearing it up is a style itself, of course, and I envy the time and skill many long haired beauties are able to put into it. But sometimes it seems like there is a lot of talk about how bad having it down is for hair and I see some people post negatively about others who are seen with it down too often. I was also curious if the reason people wear it up is more often for keeping it "safe" or because they really prefer the style of it up.
I like having it down, but for practical reasons, it is usually up. I accept the damage I accumulate by having it down.

[Autumn_Fairy]

I like having it down, but for practical reasons, it is usually up. I accept the damage I accumulate by having it down.

well you have nearly knee length hair, so I can understand the practicality there! :)

[Autumn_Fairy]

I guess everyone just does what is best for their individual hair.

When I fiddle around with braiding my hair or parting it in various sections for some styles, it gets all tangled and stressed in the process and I feel like Im damaging it. I only feel comfortable twisting it up quick and loose for temporary up-do's when I really really need to for practicality. I prefer the feeling of my hair down. I feel less restricted. I think its mostly psychological. feeling the weight of my hair up stresses me out after a while.

[Stormynights]

I love seeing beautiful long hair, but I hate seeing it on the ground or on the floor in a public place.

[FallingDarkness]

I used to wear my hair down all the time, but now I know of the damage that can cause. I still love having my hair down, I just try to limit it to two days a week. My hair isn't even long yet lol.
I do think that having long hair is pointless if you don't get to enjoy it sometimes, so I don't see any harm in having it down. But for growth purposes, having it up/braided is probably the smartest decision. :)

[shutterpillar]

I guess everyone just does what is best for their individual hair.

When I fiddle around with braiding my hair or parting it in various sections for some styles, it gets all tangled and stressed in the process and I feel like Im damaging it. I only feel comfortable twisting it up quick and loose for temporary up-do's when I really really need to for practicality. I prefer the feeling of my hair down. I feel less restricted. I think its mostly psychological. feeling the weight of my hair up stresses me out after a while.

I feel exactly the same way, and could have written your post word for word. I'm not aiming for extreme lengths anyway (TBL is the longest I will go), so I'll just keep doing my thang. :wink: I keep it up in a bun or braid during exercise, housework, on windy days, and during the summer when it's sweltering outside. Other than that, it's usually down.

[Madora]

I used to wear my hair down all the time, but now I know of the damage that can cause. I still love having my hair down, I just try to limit it to two days a week. My hair isn't even long yet lol.
I do think that having long hair is pointless if you don't get to enjoy it sometimes, so I don't see any harm in having it down. But for growth purposes, having it up/braided is probably the smartest decision. :)

I don't know about the other long haired ladies and gents here, but I'm getting plenty of enjoyment wearing my hair up. Not wearing it down does not mean we are not enjoying it!:)

[MadeiraD]

I find that when I can do an updo comfortably I enjoy my hair more. As to feeling that you're damaging your hair while putting it up, you probably need to go slower/more carefully

[Stormynights]

I love the smell of my hair when I take it down.

[shutterpillar]

I find that when I can do an updo comfortably I enjoy my hair more. As to feeling that you're damaging your hair while putting it up, you probably need to go slower/more carefully

For me, I think it's just because I am clumsy. I've finally mastered a french braid on my own hair after two years of practicing. I can elaborately braid other people's hair with no issue at all, but for some reason I am all thumbs when I am trying to do my own hair.


I love the smell of my hair when I take it down.

Oooooh, me too! :inlove:

[rags]

I think some of it is down to hair type too. My hair is extremely fine and fragile; not worn up, it will start really showing wear about BSL or so. I have a friend with coarse hair who can wear hers down at TB with no problems at all (she IS extremely careful regarding not catching it on things, etc.).

Also, I just prefer mine up. It's baby fine and tends to float around and snag things if it's down. And the tangles if I wear it down - outrageous tangles. So mostly it stays ups and once in a while it goes into a half up.

[Larki]

I love wearing mine down, I love the feeling, plus it hides my various weird-length hair pieces from trich. The areas above/behind my ears are finally (years later...those were targets during high school) long enough to NOT be able to hide behind my ears any more when I put my hair up, so they stick out weird. :p They're several inches long, maybe six inches? Too long to hide behind my ears, and too short to fit in a ponytail, and too stubborn to be held by bobby pins, so wearing my hair up is just awkward-looking. So that's a big reason why I prefer wearing my hair down right now, along with "I like the way it looks/feels". And my hair very rarely tangles, so that's not an issue (yet?).

[Cania]

I agree with the notion that these comments usually crop up from people with relatively short hair. I thought the same at BSL - my hair was basically indestructible! So I assumed wearing it down didn't cause damage. Now I'm at TBL, the ends of my hair are older so have to put up with more over time.

[ErinLeigh]

When I go out or want to look nice hair is always down. I need hair to hide my features. I look horrible with hair up, yet I love how it feels.
For me I am most comfortable when all hair is off my face. Mine is up all day every day except for date night, hanging with friends, or for the 10 minutes people see me at work. For me it is comforting having hair off face. Where most people come home and let hair down, I come home, oil hair and toss back up. I hate the feeling of hair on my neck or in my eyes. I also think I break out more when hair touches face.

I wish updos looked good on me so I could get the best of both worlds (comfort and style) but I refuse to do what it takes to make them look good. When mine is up it is a slicked back bun or peacock twist. I do not leave face framing pieces out for the reasons mentioned above so my updos never look nice. For me, I don't see the point in wearing it up if bangs are still going to be in my face. May as well wear it down then.

I have no idea why I have such an aversion to hair in face. Anyway,short answer, for me....it bad to wear down ...because it makes me bananas.
Has nothing to do with protective style for me. My hair is always in between SL and APL so protective updos have never come into play as necessity for me. If I decide to grow longer than APL then I suppose I will be really glad I wore wear it up so much :)

I think the only thing to do is to do what feels right. Some like wearing hair up so that is their enjoyment. Some enjoy down, while other like the option of both... but all are enjoying hair in their own way.

[sarahthegemini]

There's nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. I think there is far too much emphasis on "protective updos" As long as you don't keep catching it on bag straps, seats, seat belts etc. you'll be fine. I hate this mentality that to have nice hair, you have to keep it contained 24/7. It's really not necessary.

[Autumn_Fairy]

There's nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. I think there is far too much emphasis on "protective updos" As long as you don't keep catching it on bag straps, seats, seat belts etc. you'll be fine. I hate this mentality that to have nice hair, you have to keep it contained 24/7. It's really not necessary.

It just hit me that the protective updo thing is like owning fine china and never using it because it might break. Sure, if the only reason you own it is for a wall ornament, then that's different (similar to people who have long hair specifically for the updo look). yes, my hair is BSL now and people here are commenting that people with hair that length don't understand yet. I grew up with really long hair, I only cut it short right after I got married. That was a temporary phase that I am finally recovering from. I had my hip length hair before, its whirly and wavy. .looks thicker than it is and you'd think it would get caught on everything, but I never ever had a problem with that. ever. Ive never had my hair caught in a seatbelt or otherwise messed up from being down. The only times my hair ever gets caught on anything are when I use hair accessories. Ive had to cut my hair free many times from non-hair-safe barrettes and other dangerous looking hair toys.

All this being said, I will admit that looking through the galleries of fancy (safe) hair toys that exist, I am feeling tempted to go through an updo phase to try a few of these things out. But overall, Im happy with my hair down most of the time and I am proud to say that Ive had several complements regarding the healthy appearance of my hair. When it was longer, even some really old gruff looking fellow I didn't know asked how I kept my hair so nice. He didn't believe it that "benign neglect" was the true answer. completely wash and go style, no hair product, no fussing, no deliberate styles.

[furnival]

There's nothing wrong with wearing your hair down. I think there is far too much emphasis on "protective updos" As long as you don't keep catching it on bag straps, seats, seat belts etc. you'll be fine. I hate this mentality that to have nice hair, you have to keep it contained 24/7. It's really not necessary.
I might have to disagree here... :ponder: For some people, it is necessary. I wondered why my hair never got any longer for years until I started wearing it up- it was getting damaged enough to stay the same length just by brushing over my shoulders in a ponytail. After three years of wearing it up I reached hip, with little fuss. It's great that some folk can wear their hair down without damage but the 'it's really not necessary' thing simply doesn't apply to all of us. :shrug:
Plus, the longer your hair is, the more susceptible to damage it is when it's down. As people have mentioned previously, longer hair is older at the ends and more fragile, and long enough to get itself into situations that those at shorter lengths might not have anticipated... :p

[spidermom]

I find it necessary to wear my hair up most of the time, too. Otherwise it's all over the place and gets into the weirdest hazards, like getting caught in the hinge of a cabinet door when I bend down in the bathroom or kitchen, not to mention shedding in the kitchen and getting into food, also getting caught in the groove between light switch covers and the wall when I walk by. Suddenly YANK and I lose a few hairs without even realizing that I was doing anything dangerous. Things like this happen all the time when I get lazy and leave my hair down but don't watch out for it.

[EdG]

I wear my hair down all the time.

I'm very good at avoiding mechanical damage, but the two unavoidable problems are tangling and picking up airborne lint. The lint leads to breakage when combed out.

I would likely have thicker ends if I could avoid the breakage.
Ed

[MadeiraD]

I wear mine up to avoid damage (it gets caught in EVERYTHING and tangles and etc, etc, etc) and recently decided I'm not letting it down in public anymore, and basically aside from length photos, no one but my husband and immediate family will be seeing it down anymore. I'm not really into concepts of modesty (duh, my boobs are all over the internet) but I'm a sex workers, and so my boobs and bits end up in photo sets and it's definitely better for me economically to be able to expose those things, but it's nice to be able to have something that's private, you know?

[Autumn_Fairy]

Just to be clear, my comments relate to my own hair needs. I don't mean to imply what works for me works for everyone. My hair grows plenty fast and consistently and I personally want long hair for the sake of waring it down often as that is the look that suits me. I can't say that this won't change and I do want to play around with some hair toys sometime. Everyone needs to examine their own individual hair needs and can't rely on a simple yes or no to wearing it down from someone else with different hair.

[Marbid]

Hmmm..... Ok i wana imput here...

Whats so bad with wearing your hair down? Depends on hair type, habits and goals....

Generally... Goal= very long... Hair = fine and delicate.... Habits = bit careless sometimes.... By all means, wearing it up is your best bet.

Goal = very long. Hair = a bit more durable habits = well used to having it loose.... By all means wear it down...

This is what i sumatize from this entire convo... Then there is also the part that some people want long hair for the updoos and braids, leting it down just for their private pleasure and that of their partners.... Wearing it down all the time is also not ideal to a lot of people here in lhc, and some cringe when seeing a head of hair that is clearly delicate, blowing in the wind and worn down only to tangle and accumulate damage.. Some also admire those that can wear their hair down and it remains nice and healthy and shiny... Again, depends on your hair and habits... Really.

Whats wring with wearing it down? Depends in your own head.

This is a good example of YMMV....

[DarleneH]

I actually came close to drowning myself at one point. My hair was around waist, and my hair is extremely thick (5.5"+ pony circumference), and...well, it fell across my face while I was swimming, and was dense enough that I couldn't breathe through it, so I went to grab it out of my face but it was wrapped around both arms badly enough that I couldn't bring my arm forward to pull it out of my face, and I was in 8' deep water...if someone hadn't grabbed me and pulled me to the edge of the pool, I'm not entirely certain I would have survived that.

OMG As romantic a notion as having mermaidy hair swirling around you is, I've started braiding and wrapping my hair for water. Now I'll be CERTAIN I don't forget to do that!

[PraiseCheeses]

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee403/praisecheeses/from%209%20Chickweed%20Lane/ponytail_zps1f85091c.gif (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/praisecheeses/media/from%209%20Chickweed%20Lane/ponytail_zps1f85091c.gif.html)

Even ponytails can be dangerous.

[Jumper]

For the first time I actually had someone at work ask why I didn't wear my hair down.

Doesn't it make anyone else really hot? My hair is like having a scarf wrapped around my neck/back and it is not cold enough in our building for me to be at all comfortable like that.

[Lirona]

GREAT comic, PraiseCheeses!!

For me, wearing my hair down is not unlike wearing fancy clothes. I love it (any excuse to, really), but can be inconvenient for everyday tasks. Thanks to sticks and forks, I can put my hair up comfortably and not fidget with it or catch it on things (I'm also pretty clumsy, and there may or may not have been an unfortunate incident involving tapioca pudding). Plus I love wearing hair toys and doing styles that people with shorter hair can't. Neener, neener, I have a dragon in my hair! :p

[HoneyDayTripper]

Wearing hair down means I pay for it later-- in untangling, which takes me at least 30 minutes if I don't want to damage it.

I wear it up for work most days, then down for nights out, social events, and sometimes down for work. But I'm much more productive with it up.

[0xalis]

It's not that bad if you're careful. But that's the thing! You have to be extremely conscious of your hair when it's down in order to avoid damage. Wearing it up is simply less work.

[MinderMutsig]

When I go out or want to look nice hair is always down. I need hair to hide my features. I look horrible with hair up, yet I love how it feels.
For me I am most comfortable when all hair is off my face. Mine is up all day every day except for date night, hanging with friends, or for the 10 minutes people see me at work. For me it is comforting having hair off face. Where most people come home and let hair down, I come home, oil hair and toss back up. I hate the feeling of hair on my neck or in my eyes. I also think I break out more when hair touches face.

I wish updos looked good on me so I could get the best of both worlds (comfort and style) but I refuse to do what it takes to make them look good. When mine is up it is a slicked back bun or peacock twist. I do not leave face framing pieces out for the reasons mentioned above so my updos never look nice. For me, I don't see the point in wearing it up if bangs are still going to be in my face. May as well wear it down then.

I have no idea why I have such an aversion to hair in face. Anyway,short answer, for me....it bad to wear down ...because it makes me bananas.
Has nothing to do with protective style for me. My hair is always in between SL and APL so protective updos have never come into play as necessity for me. If I decide to grow longer than APL then I suppose I will be really glad I wore wear it up so much :)

I think the only thing to do is to do what feels right. Some like wearing hair up so that is their enjoyment. Some enjoy down, while other like the option of both... but all are enjoying hair in their own way. I know exactly what you mean and this has been an issue for me too for years. I never enjoyed my hair as much as the past few years of near constant updos with no hair in my face. If I had known long hair would've solved my problem I would have grown it out years ago.

Much to my surprise though now that it's around waist I'm starting to enjoy wearing it down again. Probably because it stays put now. I can wear it down and not have it in my face but have it stay on my back where it belongs.

I still come home and put it up for comfort though. Letting my hair down is nowhere near as relaxing as having it in a bun with a short, thick and sturdy, untopped hair stick.

[embee]

Years ago I always wore my hair down - and came to the conclusion that my hair only grew to BSL. When I got a job that required my hair be up and confined, my hair grew to waist. That's enough proof for me. :)

PraiseCheeses, that is a great cartoon! :) Although the most recent story arc is a bit confusing.

emilylightning, what a lovely flower in your avatar. Mine are blooming now!

[spidermom]

For the first time I actually had someone at work ask why I didn't wear my hair down.

Doesn't it make anyone else really hot? My hair is like having a scarf wrapped around my neck/back and it is not cold enough in our building for me to be at all comfortable like that.

Mine gets hot, too.

[bunnylake]

When my hair was TBL I wore it down every day. I only braided it or put it up for bed or to work out. I never saw any significant damage from it. I took very good care of it otherwise, though. I know a lot of long haired women who wear it down always and they have healthy looking hair. I guess everyone's hair is different.

[lippleyluv]

My DD10 desperately wants her hair to grow to at least waist. It is at BSL right now and has been >right there< for approximately 2 years. She refuses to wear it up, despite my warning that her hair is breaking off as fast as it's growing because she leaves it down. Her best friend has 3A ish hair that is like Velcro. I have never seen hair more tangle prone. It is awful, but still it's beautiful. And despite every form of abuse you can imagine it grows and grows and grows.....So it's just one of those things where every head of hair is different and what is fine for one person won't work for the next.