Wearing Hair Down??

[cldunzie0215]

I've seen all of you talking alot about wearing your hair up must of the time, for minimum damage,etc...alot of you said, 24/7...and I understand that, alot of you said to help grow your hair...but what is the point where your hair is long enough to simply just wear it down, whenever you want?I myself feel the best way to show off your hair in all glory, is..wear it down..you can show the length with braids, etc...but i feel its not the same...anyone else agree?

[Jessibear2854]

I'm only at BSL and I still wear my hair down a lot, because it's just starting to feel long and I like the way it looks down. I just feel guilty because so many people talk about wearing it down as being damaging, but honestly, I had waist length hair about 4 years ago and wore it down all the time and it was very healthy (even though I was shampooing and conditioning daily and blowfrying regularly).

[beautifulending]

Me!! ;) I wear my hair down almost very day and its to the middle of my back, the only time my hair is up is when I cook,workout or I don't feel like washing it.I also put it in braids at night. I love wearing my hair down and when I do put my hair up I don't really like how I look because I have a fuller(Okay fat:D)face.

[sarahbrownie]

For me it gets in the way. It gets caught in seatbelts, bag straps, collars, and jackets and breaks, tangles, and knots. Right now it's more convenient for me to put it up. I actually like all the different styles I can do with long hair, and I can't wait until it gets longer to do more. :D

[trilobite]

When it's down it's kind of like a pet. I like it up, both look good on most others.

[arcane]

I wear my hair down for atleast part of everyday. I have had to wear my hair in a ponytail at work for the past 5 years (daycare and now as cashier we can't have our hair down if it touches our shoulders). I also don't like the look of a lot of braids or complicated updos so my hair is either ponytailed or in a bun, and I take down at somepoint, leave it down for a bit, then do something else with it. I swear I change my hair about 5 times a day.

I like how it looks down, but in the wind and whatnot makes it look messy (and not to mention the knots). Typically if I'm at home my hair is down. I prefer how I look with my hair down.

[Tapioca]

Back when I had hip-length, I'd wear it down at least twice a week.

[Kherome]

For me it gets in the way. It gets caught in seatbelts, bag straps, collars, and jackets and breaks, tangles, and knots. Right now it's more convenient for me to put it up. I actually like all the different styles I can do with long hair, and I can't wait until it gets longer to do more. :D

This, and also a lot of us don't feel hair is something to "show off."

[Mina17]

Even though my hair is not very long yet, I feel like it gets in the way and it doesn't take much for it to look messy. I think half the fun of growing my hair is getting to try different updos and cool hair toys that I couldn't wear when my hair was shorter.

[jeanniet]

I wear my hair down at home if I'm not doing anything that will damage it. Away from home, it's almost always up. I'm growing it for me, so the only person I want to show it off to is...me! :D

[shikara]

I remember a poll about this and there are a lot of people here who wikl wear it down quite often, but I dont know what lengths they were. If you are growing very long and/or not trimming very much, of course you want to protect your ends as much as possible if you want your hair to be as healthy as it can be, and updos can provide that. Mine gets in the way a lof, just as others have mentioned, and that can cause a lof of damage. Mine has almost landed in the fry pan, a bucket of paint, and in my cleaning buckef! For the most part, I am much more impressed with uodos than I am with long hair worn down.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/th_a5642814.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/?action=view&current=a5642814.jpg)

[white.chocolate]

I kind of agree - I prefer wearing my hair down because it's the most comfortable style! But, honestly, whenever I'm doing household chores, there's no way I can leave it down without it being caught in something or being in the way. The same applies when I'm in public. I don't want my hair being caught on people's clothes, bags, etc. and on other objects around me. I could be a little paranoid, but sometimes I have the fear of some naughty kid (or adult) cutting a strand of my hair in a crowded place.

[skyblue]

I remember a poll about this and there are a lot of people here who wikl wear it down quite often, but I dont know what lengths they were. If you are growing very long and/or not trimming very much, of course you want to protect your ends as much as possible if you want your hair to be as healthy as it can be, and updos can provide that. Mine gets in the way a lof, just as others have mentioned, and that can cause a lof of damage. Mine has almost landed in the fry pan, a bucket of paint, and in my cleaning buckef! For the most part, I am much more impressed with uodos than I am with long hair worn down.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/th_a5642814.jpg (http://s1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/lmarie29/?action=view&current=a5642814.jpg)

yes! lol! It's easier to just wear it up and much safer, I'll let it down at night when I'm watching tv, comb it then right before bed I'll put in a lose braid

[pepperminttea]

I don't grow my hair to show it off. :shrug: I grow it because I like it long, for me.


That, and it's a lot more convenient to keep it up, especially around candles, barbeques, and gas stoves... shudder:

[luxepiggy]

The funny thing is, before I joined LHC I mostly wore my hair up, to keep it out of the way. But now that my hair is in such nice condition thanks to the tips I've picked up here, I wear it down every day! So yes, I definitely think it's easiest to show off when it's down (^(oo)^)v

[Bianca]

Always wear my hair down. Its not really to "show it off" though. I just prefer the look of hair down on me. I dont look very good with my hair away from my face.

[Shesta]

I wear my hair down only in safe environment, a.k.a. in front of the mirror :D and I don't like showing off with my length or condition mostly because I don't consider it's something spectacular... yet. If I want to look fancy in public and my hair to be safe I prefer buns wrapped in accent braids.

[rapunzelna]

I do a lot of braids, especially for motorcycle riding. I have a favorite watering hole and always wear it up when I'm out there. One day a woman was giving me a hard time...saying that long hair on mature women doesn't look good and if I thought it looked nice, I would let it down.

With that I reached up and let it all down, did the flip over the head and back thing too. After a couple of "oohs and awws" from the guys, she never said another word!

[Madora]

When I was younger, I must admit to having a few "show off" days where I would wear my hair down. But wearing it that way became a trial as it became longer. It was heavy and thick and always getting in the way, not to mention the tangles that would ensue.

Wearing it up was much more convenient and I could still enjoy it and display it proudly in various braided coiffures.

[wicked kisses]

<Snip>I could be a little paranoid, but sometimes I have the fear of some naughty kid (or adult) cutting a strand of my hair in a crowded place.


I hear that hon. When I wore my hair down a lot, I don't know how many times a perfect stranger would come up behind me and *touch it*, even one person who grabbed a handful. Scary!!
:eek:
I almost never go out alone any more, and I only wear my hair down if I know I'll be protected somehow. As in, with a group of freinds.

[jacqueline101]

I agree with jeanniet I'm pleasing only myself and I'm not growing my hair to make a big show. I wear a variety of up and semi up dos. Right now my hair is in a side pony tail. Its cold in my area and I want to protect my neck. I've went with my hair down. Its been a while before LHC days. If my hair isn't too long I might let it go down. I did find wearing it up helps take your mind off of it growing. As the saying out of sight out of mind.

[cldunzie0215]

i don't know how you guys feel.I do understand the sentiments, but for me personally, I just feel..after how hard I've worked to keep this growing, I will be so proud when its doneand want everyone to know!

[Kat]

I'd love to wear mine down, but I simply can't. I know some people can wear their hair down and practically go on rollercoasters and have it still look good and smooth and cohesive and lovely. I, on the other hand, can brush it and make it look all nice... sit still in a chair... and ten minutes later it looks ratty and stringy and like it hasn't been combed in days. That's just the way my hair is. :( (Also, while my hair is thick, you can't tell just looking at it, so it doesn't look thick and pretty just hanging there)

Also, to be honest? It gets in the way and annoys me! Little strands flying everywhere, falling over my shoulders, getting in the way, getting caught in stuff... and every minute it's down, I know it's tangling more and more and it'll suck to detangle later! Honestly, I know from experience now that if I choose to wear my hair down one day, I'd better bring along elastics or hairsticks or something, because it's almost inevitable that after a couple hours I won't be able to take it anymore and will want to pull it back.

But I can still enjoy it being long in braids, and in being *able* to put it up, etc.

Sometimes I'll wear it down for special occasions. For example, usually on Easter I do. (last year I tossed it up in a messy bun for the trip to church and such to keep it out of the way, and left it up and trouble-free until right before the service [since I show up early for choir practice and such]. As the choir was lining up to go in, one of the other choir ladies looked at me and said in a disappointed voice, "Oh! You took your hair down!" She really was sad I'd taken it down. most people think it's great when my hair is down, lol, but she preferred the hasty, slightly-off-center, nasty-looking bun. Go figure... I've never heard anyone say before that they didn't like it down; most would've said "aw, you put your hair back up" when I re-did the bun to go home...)

[Orangerthanred]

Lol, I never wear my hair up. Never. I look like my face is 10 miles wide if I do. I'd rather have damaged hair that makes me feel pretty than feel really self conscious with it up.

[alxardnax]

I always wear my hair down. Always. :eek:

[Chetanlaiho]

For me it gets in the way. It gets caught in seatbelts, bag straps, collars, and jackets and breaks, tangles, and knots. Right now it's more convenient for me to put it up.
This, it was the main reason I ponytailed 24/7 for about a decade xD and one the main reasons I wear it up now.

[Oceanmoon]

I wear it down most of the time, my hair is at wasit length with a few long layers at the bottom. The only problem is that it catches on my purse and on windy days goes from sleek straight to windblown and unkept. tucking my hair in a scarf wraped around my neck helps a lot for cold days. though I have been thinking about some updo options because at my spa we have to have our hair up in buns.

[spidermom]

For me it gets in the way. It gets caught in seatbelts, bag straps, collars, and jackets and breaks, tangles, and knots. Right now it's more convenient for me to put it up. I actually like all the different styles I can do with long hair, and I can't wait until it gets longer to do more. :D

This is me, too. Plus why should I show it off to people who are likely to say "why don't you get that hair cut? You'd look so cute in a bob/pixie/layered style with highlights?"

When I have time to pay attention to my hair, I let it down and enjoy it.

[Zesty]

I think I look nice with my hair down but I much prefer it out of the way, where it won't get tangled or pulled or dipped into my food. Usually if I wear it down it's because it's drying and doesn't like to be manipulated when wet. I understand the "show it off" factor, because I think it's nice to be pretty and have pretty hair, but the majority of the time it's not worth it. I also find that when I rarely wear my hair down, I get more of a reaction when I do let it down. So IMO it's a win from both perspectives.

[QMacrocarpa]

[...] what is the point where your hair is long enough to simply just wear it down, whenever you want? [...]
I DO wear my hair down whenever I want, but it's rare that I want to. :D My husband likes my hair down now and then, so I actually probably wear it down a tiny bit MORE than "whenever I want", but still seldom. It's floaty and tangle-prone, and if it's down constantly it eventually gets splitty and starts breaking off as fast as it grows. It gets in my eyes and mouth, it gets accidentally yanked when my husband is helping me off with my coat, I catch it painfully in zippers, etc., etc.

Add "power tools" to the list of things that loose long hair is a bad idea around (a close friend had a small hank of her long hair yanked out by a drill she was using).

Now that I'm used to updos, I feel a bit less "together" with my hair down in public. It may be temporary, but I simply find updos more appealing, and am much more interested when I see another longhair with an intriguing bun or braid than one with his/her hair down.

It would be a boring old world if we were all alike! ;)

[Renbirde]

I've seen all of you talking alot about wearing your hair up must of the time, for minimum damage,etc...alot of you said, 24/7...and I understand that, alot of you said to help grow your hair...
If you want the absolute minimum of damage, wearing your hair up 24/7 is the way to go. It'll be damaged the least, since it's out of the way of friction and knots, and won't loose length to breakage, so it will appear to grow faster.

Most of us, however, make compromises about that, since wearing hair in hanging braids and fully down is fun too. This means that we make 'progress' slower, but may enjoy our hair more.


What is the point where your hair is long enough to simply just wear it down, whenever you want?

I'm afraid that's not quite how it works. If you get to your goal length and then stop taking care of your hair, it'll stop looking so nice and start getting ragged again. :( It's a continuous process. The nicer you are to your hair, at any length, the better it will look. That's not to say the you can't wear your hair down, you just need to keep being aware of it. In my case, that translates to "Just cause you've gotten to classic doesn't mean you can start rip-brushing again!" :D There's really no reason you can't wear your hair down just as much when you're growing as when your at your final length.

------------

Personally, I like having my hair down, but it's floaty and tangles easily. I live in a cold place, and it'd get super matted if I tried to fit it into my coat loose. I try to compensate my doing lots and lots of knotted ponytails, but the tail still tangles, and that style isn't the gentlest one ever.

Same thing if I'm sitting in a chair with a textured back or wearing a sweater (which is frequent). I've noticed that my taper starts just above BSL, at the same height my shoulders start to touch my chair. When I leave it down, it's usually well behaved enough* that I forget about it and it ends up getting trapped underneath or behind me, between me and my chair. Daaaaaaaaaaaamage!

Braided, it still get scrubbed on things, but not as bad. Bunned it doesn't fit in my hats. :( and my hair definitely looks crummier now than it did when I lived in a place that wasn't -20 on a regular basis!


*My hair is super fine and drifts around everywhere unless I do something fierce to make it behave. It's completely impossible if it's shorter than waist length. Now that I'm at classic, most of it is weighted down by it's own length to be relatively well behaved. The shorter bits around my face, however, still get into everything. DBF will make my wear bandanas to cuddle with him sometimes because they tickle him so much...

[Dragon Faery]

I *love* the look of long, loose hair.

I also *love* complicated updos.

Right now I'm wearing my hair up a lot so I can wait to cut off the damaged ends until it's long enough that I won't miss them. If I went ahead and trimmed them now, I wouldn't be able to do the few buns that keep it gently out of my way.

So I'm a temporary almost-24/7 bunner/braider, but once I hit waist I will wear it down more because I'll be able to afford more frequent trims and slower overall growth.

I will still have to wear it up when cleaning, working, and in potentially high-damage situations, but I'll wear it down when it's safe to do so. ...And when I can't, I will have a much wider range of fun styles I can sequester it away in. Updos are half the reason I'm growing it anyway. (Half, not all.) ;)

To each their own. Should I chance to see a longhair out and about with flowing tresses, I am sure to admire. But the same goes for a longhair out and about with any sort of fun updo or cool hair toy.

Yay for long hair! :D

[Tennessee Rose]

I am unable most of the time of wearing it up. Long hair gives me some sense of wildness and when putting it up feels like putting the animal in the cage.

I love the wind moving my hair, and headbanging in concerts. So I only put it up at home to feel comfortable, when practicing sport when studying and when eating so it does not cover my sight or eats my food...hehe.

I guess you only have to be careful with zippers, buttons, car doors...I still have it short for what I want but I have this problems too.

And what's more. My Boyfriend has Hip Lenght hair but he usually traps my hair while sleeping!!!

[Mayflower]

I'm not a fan of most updo's. I actually just like braids, a (side)ponytail and a simple high bun.
What I do is, whenever I'm at home or asleep, I braid it or put it up in a bun -sometimes when I'm at uni/out and about too, if the weather's bad or my hair looks a bit flat. I honestly just love long loose hair too much to always put it up, and I'm growing my hair BECAUSE I like it loose, so I don't see a point in putting it up all the time either. I mean, you shouldn't go paranoid about getting damage, that takes the fun out of having long hair. I just want to enjoy it, and I enjoy it the most when I'm wearing it down.
By putting it up when I have nothing to do, I compromise. And when I'm wearing it down, it always hangs in front of me so it doesn't get caught between my back and the chair, or under bag straps etc. I do admit that last year, when I wore a ponytail everyday for about half a year, it grew superfast. Or maybe that's because I didn't pay attention to it during that time so the growth seemed extra spectacular.

[see_turtle]

My hair gets out of control pretty easily. It makes me hot , gets tangled, caught in things, things split on it, gets in my face and is generally annoying if worn down for more than a few hours. It's some how poofy and stringy at the same time and rarely looks like it does in my signature.

So I wear it up.

It's not especially long yet either I imagine all these issues will multiply as it gets closer to my goal length.

When I wear it down I always have something on me to put it up with.

I like "showing it off" ...but 95&#37; of people don't care or notice so that's mostly for me.I wear it down at home quite a bit. As i sit here typing this I'm working out the tangles in the back from wearing it down yesterday.

[verene]

I wore my hair down more or less all the time 'till waist. Then it started getting in the way too much of the time, and I have noticed since I started wearing it up frequently it is *much* healthier looking and feeling. Now it's habit. I need to look professional at work, and I do not like drawing attention to myself in public so I keep my hair up most of the time. Doesn't mean I never wear it down, but that with my hair and my current life style the ability to do a variety of updos is one of the advantages of long hair as far as I am concerned.

[coffinhert]

I like the way my hair feels when it's long and hangs down. But I know the ends get more tangly when I do that, they bend and break. My hair is still dye damaged though and I plan on cutting all the dye part off eventually so I don't mind messing with it a bit now. and I guess I prioritize the feeling of it flowing loose over ultimate length. It's long enough to be flowing and that's enough for me.

I guess I can't get over my inner hippie!

[BlazingHeart]

I mostly wear my hair up because it is very thick, which translates to a lot of heat where ever it rests. If it were not for that, I would probably wear it down more.

[Carissamarie08]

The only time I wear my hair up is when I am working because I have to wear it in a bun.

if I am not at work, you will never see me with my hair up.

[torrilin]

i don't know how you guys feel.I do understand the sentiments, but for me personally, I just feel..after how hard I've worked to keep this growing, I will be so proud when its doneand want everyone to know!

Well to put it in perspective, my hair is around 30" long right now. Your goal length is a solid 6" shorter than what I live with every day. Further, you're a 3a, so 24" on you is going to be somewhere in the shoulder to APL range worn loose. On me, it's almost BSL.

It shouldn't be a surprise that two people who are going for such different looks and hair care routines are going to wear their hair differently :). Nevermind the difference in thickness and texture.

For me, your goal look would be juuuuuuust this side of tolerable. It's around the point where my hair is long enough that it isn't constantly in my face or nose and making me itch. Even at 30" long, it'll still cheerfully static up so I have a halo of hair levitating around my face. And if my hair is as short as your goal look, I'll actively grow until I can get back to something comfortable like a braid where I am safe from face itching and floating fine hair.

Thank goodness we're not the same tho. That would be boring, and then I wouldn't have pretty curly springs to look at!

[gibsongirl71]

Mine has just hit 20 inches and I prefer to wear it up. It gets very tangled on the underside if I wear it down. Plus it is too warm. I am looking forward to it being longer so I wear it in a braid down my back.

[lunalocks]

I love wearing mine down, too. But I dance 3 times a week, and for work I need it up or back. I worry about damage from too many ponys or braids, so I have been putting it up more. I was able to grow from BSL to waist over several years having it down most of the time, and still have it look great with good care and regular microtrims.

[gothicchick]

yes i know exactly where your coming from. I do like my hair up, but i prefer down, plus i'm a training hairdresser and i'd get yelled at for wearing it up all the time :L also i like the compliments i get when it's down, it makes me feel grateful that i took the time to grow it.

[sun-kissed]

Before LHC I wore my hair down 24/7. Even while I was in sports I avoided putting my hair up, using a very loose ponytail during games, just to take it down as soon as I could afterwards. I hated the way I looked with my face exposed while my hair was up, and so in my history of hair I have two years when my hair literally did not grow longer. It just stayed at BSL, getting more and more scraggly.

Upon joining LHC, I decided to challenge myself to wear my hair up for a month, and at first I hated it, I felt very exposed and ugly without my hair flowing down my back. It had been my pride, the only feature I liked about myself. But by the time a month was up, I was enjoying wearing my hair up, and having it DOWN was annoying and I felt like I wasn't put together. Since then my hair has started growing again, and wearing it up I have become more confident about the way I look and myself in general. By putting my 'safeguard' away, I am left with only myself to give people, and I've decided that I'm good enough to be proud of myself with or without my hair.

I'm growing out my hair so that I can enjoy it, not to show off to everyone else, it's just not worth the hassle. And sure, on special occasions(such as Christmas!) I will wear my hair down, and it's a treat, I feel extra pretty on those days and usually get compliments.

So, wearing hair up:
-Forced me to stop caring about how 'pretty' I look to other people.
-Improved my self-image, I now believe that I am pretty.
-Enabled my hair to start gaining length again.
-Improved the health of my hair.
-Less hassle combing it out at night = more sleep time.
-Gets less dirty = less shower time = more sleep time.
-Updos means less time worrying about how my hair looks during the day.
-I actually get to ENJOY my hair on the days I wear it down, it's a treat and I feel beautiful.

[Firefly]

I do a lot of braids, especially for motorcycle riding. I have a favorite watering hole and always wear it up when I'm out there. One day a woman was giving me a hard time...saying that long hair on mature women doesn't look good and if I thought it looked nice, I would let it down.

With that I reached up and let it all down, did the flip over the head and back thing too. After a couple of "oohs and awws" from the guys, she never said another word!

That is AWESOME!!

I wear my hair down a lot. If I'm not going to be doing something that's really active or if it's windy I wear it in a braid or bun, but otherwise I wear it down. I just love the feel of it around my back and shoulders and it's also nice and warm in winter. I'll clip it up if I have to do a chore (note: always clip hair up while cleaning the loo! Ask me how I know... shudder:). Plus, even though I mix up the styles, I find updos damaging and seem to get a lot of stress breakage, even with loose styles.

[Ashenputtel]

I know where you are coming from, I have a round face and I am a full figured woman, I look prettier with my hair down. However, the tangles are a major turn off. I'm not using cones for ecological reasons and my hair is fine, it tangles a lot! I still wear it down 1-2 times a week and wear it up to protect it most of the time. I've just discover hair sticks and I'm LOVING it.

[Egana]

I rarely wear my hair completely down. It is just too big for that! *grin* But I often wear it 1/2 up, with my front hair controlled with bobby pins or braids or twists or ribbon or beads, and then my back hair down. I bun it for Tae Kwon Do or sports or outdoor activities (curly hair caught in a huge thorny bush = not a fun hike.)

Si I'm about 50/50 throughout the week.

If I wear it completely down, I am overwhelmed by my own hair. So as soon as it is dry, it goes up to some degree.

[DarkSky]

I'm almost at waist length and when I'm out and about its almost always worn down unless I'm going to be hiking or doing some kind of strenuous activity. I find it more flattering when hair is down and I just can't get into the updos... even though many of them look really cool. When I'm home though it's worn up or back maybe 2/3 of the time just for convenience. I really think that if I ever get to the point where I need to wear it up when I'm out and about (just for the purpose of protecting it) it will be time to reconsider the length. BTW my goal length is waist or a little past that and I don't see my habits changing with a couple more inches to go. I love the look of hair that's down and free and I like to believe that that is the main reason why a lot of people decided to have long hair to begin with.

[Hollyfire3]

I rarely wear my hair completely down. It is just too big for that! *grin* But I often wear it 1/2 up, with my front hair controlled with bobby pins or braids or twists or ribbon or beads, and then my back hair down. I bun it for Tae Kwon Do or sports or outdoor activities (curly hair caught in a huge thorny bush = not a fun hike.)

Si I'm about 50/50 throughout the week.

If I wear it completely down, I am overwhelmed by my own hair. So as soon as it is dry, it goes up to some degree.


He he i have actually gotten my hair horribly stuck on a Holly bush...my little cousin had to untangle me...not fun! My hair is overwhelming too, but i get headaches with it up all the time...so i like to do the 50/50 thing too

[HintOfMint]

I used to extoll the value of wearing my hair up all the time, and at the time, it really did help. It helped prevent tangles and friction that I would have gotten otherwise.

However, I have started wearing my hair down most of the time, I just make sure I am careful with it. I sit with it draped in front of my shoulders to keep it from getting trapped between my back and the chair. I am also careful with not getting it trapped under my backpack straps, and I detangle much more gently than I used to detangle. So far, I haven't noticed an increase in damage or splits.

[Amber_Maiden]

I wear my hair down more in the winter- because I wear a hood. I also feel like my scalp needs a break- gives me bad headaches when it's up.

[Topaz]

My hair is tailbone length now and I wear it down most of the time indoors. When outside I braid or bun it to keep it out of the way and to prevent wind damage and tangles. I also braid or bun it when I'm doing housework or anything where loose hair can get in the way, and also braided or bunned in the day or two prior to a wash when it no longer looks its best down. But at work (in an office), or at home watching TV or reading, etc., my hair is almost always down and loose. I can't see that there is any more damage than if I wore it up all the time because I'm extremely careful with it when it's loose. I just can't see the point of having long healthy hair and never letting it be free ---- just my personal opinion there :)

[hanne jensen]

I wear my hair up during the day. If I didn't,it would be a tangled mess. Strangely, my hair tangles less at night if I wear it down. I can't figure that one out as I'm a very restless sleeper.

[Rybe]

I wear my hair down almost every day, because if I wear it up I'll have to re-do it repeatedly through the day as it slooooowly wiggles itself loose. @($!#ing slippery hair. But in the past I've gotten to hip length wearing it down exclusively...so....I've never felt wearing it up is as important to me as it is to many people here. I almost feel trying and trying and trying to get it to stay up is doing more damage some days! :p

[woodlandnymph]

My hair is down most of the time. I feel like a school marm when it's up in an updo. Naturally it will be neatly tucked up whenever there are chores to be done, but otherwise - wild and free...:p

[sazzie88]

I hsve recentyly been wearing my hair up as it keeps it protected but my SO thinks i need to change the style as i stick to one for too long !

[Renbirde]

An addendum to my previous post:

It helps that DBF has a weakness for the "possibly sexy librarian" look.

[Diamond.Eyes]

I have hardly worn my hair down at all since the weather has gotten colder, but today I decided to change that since I'm going on a date with my DF, and he likes it down.
And I agree; a lot of people can't tell that you have long hair if it's in an updo. I for one could care less if a stranger notices if my hair is long or not. I braid my hair almost everyday out of convenience. I think it's a great way to protect your hair, and I think it would be a great way to still show of your hair length if you wanted to. Braids don't eat up as much length as an updo...obviously :p.

[mktmgt]

I feel like I'm doing good for my hair when I wear it up, but I love showing off my new growth. I wish braids didn't eat up so much of my length or else I would braid it more often. Maybe I won't care as much when its longer...

[wicked kisses]

I either wear it up, or braided pretty tightly during the 'day' (I have a weird sleep schedule) when I'm up and about, and *always* when I go outside. I wear it in a looser braid in bed, as it's the only way to keep from suffocating.
Someone needs to buy me some hair toys.... the ONE I had has gone missing... again.

There are new pics of me in my albums.

[Cania]

I wear my waist-length hair down most of the time, it's just my preference. But I think many people wear it up because they like experimenting with lots of styles you just can't do with short hair. Think about it - you can wear your hair down at any length, but only really, really long hair can pull off the super complex up-dos. It's playing with your hair in a different way, and it shows your hair off just as well.

Also, I'm slowly becoming addicted to hair toys.. Do you own any? It becomes very fun showing those off!

[wicked kisses]

I have very 'fluffy' hair, kinda had to accept that it would never be the sleek, smooth straight hair shown on TV all the time. So, being that it's almost hiplength again(and seems to be stuck there) I keep it up to keep it from tangling very badly, or worse, strangling me in my sleep.

[dulce]

I wear mine down in a half up almost daily and it's hip length,no splits and it's still growing well.

[LadyCelestina]

I wear it down,because it's comfortable for my scalp,which gets sore from updo's and I like showing my hair off,because I wuff it :D Even if it's frizzy and knotty and what not.
I'm probably somewhat vain.

[TheLadyKM]

I wear it in both updos and down, depending on the place, weather and occasion.

[Shebelina]

A year ago, I would have said I wear my hair down as much as possible. But it's quite a lot longer now and in the last few weeks it's really started to bug me if it's down. I end up sat on it, or the dog gets tangled in it, it just drives me mad. So now I wear it up most of the time now. I do take it down in the evening though, the weight of it drags at my neck and I have a killer pressure headache at the moment which it isn't helping.

[PinkyCat]

I do both. Ususally multiple times throughout the day.

[Anywhere]

I've been wearing my hair down a lot more as of late, because I'm sick of wearing it up and I'm sick of freaking out over friction or it getting caught in something. I'm hoping I can desensitize myself to that overly-protective-of-my-hair habit because it really sucks to be this neurotic about hair.

[melusine963]

For me it gets in the way. It gets caught in seatbelts, bag straps, collars, and jackets and breaks, tangles, and knots. Right now it's more convenient for me to put it up. I actually like all the different styles I can do with long hair, and I can't wait until it gets longer to do more. :D


This, and also a lot of us don't feel hair is something to "show off."


I'm growing it for me, so the only person I want to show it off to is...me! :D

^^ All these reasons.

[RileyJane]

i know now im half and half, some times my hair is up, and some times my hair is down, its at a nice inbetween length (about 2-3 inches past BSL ) so I try to enjoy it when i can, but im still trying to go at least 12-18inches more.

[Alun]

I leave my hair loose unless I'm doing something where it would get in the way, like working on the car or doing household chores, and then I usually braid it. My hair is waist length, and doesn't seem to be getting any longer.

'Updos' seem a kind of girly thing, although there are one or two guys here who bun their hair. I know how to, but I just don't.

[krustallos]

I used to think exactly the same thing as you, Alun.
And, even though my hair is far shorter than yours, I also use it in braids when it could bother and when I'm going to bed.
But since joining the forum I've seen so much nice buns around in the ladies, that I'm really anxious for my hair to grow enough so I can at least try some. Not saying for sure I'll wear, but I'm quite keen on trying them and seeing if I can find some that would fit.

Excepting for the situations I've mentioned, I wear it down for now. Don't think my braids are quite presentable yet, due to short size and lack of capacity to braid on my part.

[millyaulait]

I really only wear my hair down on special occasions. I do braids & buns daily, but having my hair down means making an effort for me.

Although my hair is only BSL, it generally needs quite a bit of fiddling to look 'right'. So having it down is reserved for special days. :)

[HintOfMint]

It would be like wearing my favorite dress every day. The wear and tear is going to get to it, and overexposure makes wearing my hair down not very special. Also, getting it caught in backpack straps and the like just hurts and causes damage. I let it down when it's not an inconvenience to me (and I want to show off!)

[SerinaDaith]

My hair now lives up pretty much all the time, I am just at collarbone length now but I dislike having my hair in my face and tossing in the wind. That and the kids pull which makes me want to go back to pixie which is really counter productive to my long hair goals, I am sure as my kids get older and my hair gets longer I will consider having my hair down once in a while but for the most part I like having it up and out of the way.

[faeflame]

I'm at classic length now and I wear it down almost all the time unless I'm cooking, painting or something where it could really get in the way. For nearly a year I did the wear your hair up thing, then I noticed my hair thinning at the temples. I remembered reading about ballerinas losing hair due to tight binning and I set my hair loose. I've also gotten a bit heavier and my hair also weighs more:p so I feel I look better when it is down and I don't get the heavy updo headaches. I haven't really noticed that much more damage(it probably helps that my hair is slippery and doesn't tangle) and it is still growing so I guess it is doing ok.

[dulce]

I also noticed thinning at the temples/along my part, due to it all being up a lot,once I did halfups most of the time [not pulled tightly back] it was less heavy than having all my hair up at once ,and less pull overall.My hair improved a lot in the thinner areas with the change in hairdos.

[AceOfCurls]

I don't like the way I look when my hair is up, so I wear my hair down every day. The only thing I'm really worried about, like someone else said, is my hair getting caught underneath my purse/bag/backpack strap. It makes me cringe because I can only imagine what kind of damage that's doing. Otherwise I only put my hair up when I go to bed or else it'll strangle me.

[sihaya]

Before LHC I wore my hair down 24/7. Even while I was in sports I avoided putting my hair up, using a very loose ponytail during games, just to take it down as soon as I could afterwards. I hated the way I looked with my face exposed while my hair was up, and so in my history of hair I have two years when my hair literally did not grow longer. It just stayed at BSL, getting more and more scraggly.

Upon joining LHC, I decided to challenge myself to wear my hair up for a month, and at first I hated it, I felt very exposed and ugly without my hair flowing down my back. It had been my pride, the only feature I liked about myself. But by the time a month was up, I was enjoying wearing my hair up, and having it DOWN was annoying and I felt like I wasn't put together. Since then my hair has started growing again, and wearing it up I have become more confident about the way I look and myself in general. By putting my 'safeguard' away, I am left with only myself to give people, and I've decided that I'm good enough to be proud of myself with or without my hair.

I'm growing out my hair so that I can enjoy it, not to show off to everyone else, it's just not worth the hassle. And sure, on special occasions(such as Christmas!) I will wear my hair down, and it's a treat, I feel extra pretty on those days and usually get compliments.

So, wearing hair up:
-Forced me to stop caring about how 'pretty' I look to other people.
-Improved my self-image, I now believe that I am pretty.
-Enabled my hair to start gaining length again.
-Improved the health of my hair.
-Less hassle combing it out at night = more sleep time.
-Gets less dirty = less shower time = more sleep time.
-Updos means less time worrying about how my hair looks during the day.
-I actually get to ENJOY my hair on the days I wear it down, it's a treat and I feel beautiful.

That's how i feel too!
I'm also growing out dye. I'm naturally an ashy blonde and I've been dyeing my hair black. I've discovered I have some guts and self-respect :D Some people are just flabbergasted that I *dare* to leave my home with my oh-so-obvious demarcation line. But it's my hair and I don't want to do any more damage.

[Alva]

I since long don't care much about the damage anymore. Back in the days I did (during 8 to 4 years ago) I was wearing it up almost constantly and it took away the fun of long hair for me. I like myself best with it down, most practical I always found waist length for it, but even now that it is near BCL I do wear it down 50% of the time. I am trying to reach TB or classic, but if this means I would need to wear my hair up much more then I would rather have it shorter. Also at this length I notice it is getting more heavy again and pulls my scalp more often. So I enjoy having it down more. Sure it gets in the way of things but I also noticed the more you have it up, and then do have it down, the quicker it becomes annoying because of not being used to having it down anymore. And when you wear it down regularly you also get your ways with it.

[cathair]

I wondered why my hair seemed stuck at waist(ish) for years and some lovely people pointed out to me on the 'New Start Here' forum that it might be because I keep my hair down most of the time. It never occurred to me before that might damage it, I don't know why. I always though my hair was annoying because it got stuck in things, but I always assumed that was because I was clumsy, not because it was long. I never saw other people getting their hair caught in their bags, seat belts, in their food, in flames or on bushes and things, so I thought it was just me.

I have been trying out using hair sticks for a while now. I do love how my hair doesn't pull like in a ponytail and how quick and easy it is to do, as it really doesn't look it :) But I am quite a causal person, I feel quite awkward with my hair up, it feels too formal/old/librarian for me, so I just can't keep it up all the time. I feel like people have expectations of me when my hair is up, I don't know why. I love feeling my hair move. I also wonder if because I am not very good at updos yet, have just worn it down and ponytails for years, if I might cause damage trying. I hope I will get better anyway.

Since it was pointed out to me that wearing it down can cause damage, I started to notice what things I catch my hair on now and it seems to have seeped slowly into my consciousness. I think learning back on my hair when I am sitting down may be causing most of the damage, so I am forever swinging it back over my shoulder so I am not learning on it. I quite like having it over my shoulder anyway, I like being able to see it and it looks really thick all piled up on one side :) Also making a big effort to keep it out of the way when I put my bag on my shoulder, then making sure it sits over the strap. It's only two tiny things but I feel less irritable because it's not being pulled and making me feel clumsy all the time.

[sfgirl]

I like extremely messy buns and braids. I keep them loose and have pieces falling out. I can't be too formal most of the time, and messy is casual. Plus I have huge Ray Bans and piercings now so I just end up looking like a crazy artist.

[Lilli]

I think the responses you get will depend on why people are here. I have no desire to be tailbone, classic, etc. - I just wanted to grow from a bob to BSL, and so I have done. I wear my hair down almost all the time, unless it is really dirty and I am too late to shower. I have a nice color and nice texture and shine and so can do so. Part of the reason why I have stopped at BSL is that any longer and the length drives me crazy: in seatbealts, choking me, etc.