The "Don't put it up and forget about it so it seems to grow faster" thread

[goldenwaves]

Hi all.

I've read quite a few posts where people have said that they put their hair up and forget about it. That way it will seem to grow faster and they'll hopefully stop getting so frustrated with it!

I have nothing against this, and I fully understand the logic behind it! But, while it IS frustrating waiting for hair to grow, and it DOES seem to take forever, I'm going to try and enjoy my hair every step of the way!! It's already pretty long and I think that every length has its perks, whether it's easier to manage, easier to put into updos, curlier, less wavy, or whatever it is that you love about your hair as it is RIGHT NOW! :cheese:

Anyone with me? I want to enjoy my hair as much as I can, no matter what length it is! :D


Also, not trying to offend anyone who does want to put their hair up and forget about it! I think it's a good way to reach your goal without stressing over it, but I don't think it's for me.

[lora410]

Honestly, My hair grows alot faster when I keep it down for some reason.:cool: so I try to leave it down a few time a week to play and I always leave it down at bedtime. It is much happier this way :D

[Curlsgirl]

Even if my hair IS up I can't really forget about it. I take it down and look at it every day so I STILL know it is NEVER going to be waist length! I agree to enjoy your hair! I just try to protect it when I am out in the wind or subject to getting it caught on things or something and also when it's hot. I don't really wear it up to help forget it much just cuz it's HOT and the longer it gets the more it gets in the way! I LOVE wearing it down though so I do when I wanna!!! :D Long hair is to ENJOY!!! :cheese:

[Monsterkitti]

I like the balance I have at the moment. I like to wear mine down and see how far Ive got so far even if progress is sloooow :) This only happens at the weekend really as my workplace isnt long hair friendly really.

[jojo]

oh this sounds right up my street, although I have to wear it up for work, I like my hair down, so count me in!

Great thread!

[goldenwaves]

Oops, sorry! I didn't mean that there's only two options=wear it up or wear it down. Of course, I wear mine up as well, but some people actually don't measure, don't look in the mirror, don't take photos etc. etc. Sorry that was unclear :). I think updos and experimenting are a huge part of enjoying your hair!

[MsBubbles]

I'm starting to get paranoid. It was just yesterday (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8689&page=2) when I said I think I should put it up and forget about it for 6 months after doing my first self-trim! But my reason was because I'm an updo dummy and have never done that, and after a recent 'reality check' photo I took outside of the back of my hair, it looked atrocious and straggly, I just thought I'd rather have it up than walk around with it looking like rats' tails. Until then I had been enjoying my hair down...but then I realised what it really looked like at the back. Ugh. I see the op has no such problems and has very pretty hair! Cool idea for a thread, too.

[Chromis]

Not everyone who puts it up is doing so "to forget about it" :twocents:


It's dead summer here and much too hot to have hair down. Also, putting it up makes me feel graceful and put together. (It's hard to feel put together with the wind here if my hair is down and I'm constantly removing it from my mouth and sweaty face!).

[Kirin]

I hate updos personally. I know they are supposed to be better for my hair, but i always get that ONE hair that pulls and drives me nuts no matter what style i have. I also get "hair aches", wicked headaches that last and last from putting my hair up.

I have to put it up outside in the heat to work, but other than that my hair comes down the second I'm in the door

[Cinnia]

I'm in!
And, this will be my very first post at the forum (yeeey! :cheer:)
Totally OT; I've been lurking around here for months, reading, observing, learning, and I'm quite satisfied that I've finally got the guts to post something. Please bare with my english though, as I'm swedish - it's so much easier to read and talk than to actually type it down ;)...

Anyway, I've had the same feelings about updo's and always keeping the hair up - although I respect and understand those who do, I personally feel like it would be a waste of HAIR to not show it off in public as often as possible :D.
Mine's only at BSL so far, and I'm quite sure I'll change my minde as it travels down to waist. If I'll ever get there, that is :rolleyes:.

[Lady Godiva]

No point in sweating this. Do what you want! :grin:

I didn't start wearing updos until my hair was about thigh length. Until then, I often wore my hair down or half-up using a barrette at the top, or else I wore a single braid down the back. That's a lot of fun, really, so go ahead and enjoy it. Looking back, I think I wouldn't wait quite so long because my hair is fine, and it tangled a lot, but at BSL, mid-back or waist length, no one should feel pressured to wear daily updos, apart from work-related requirements. Heck, no one should feel pressured about hair styling preferences and choices. Do what you want.

My only caveat is that if I were to start my hair growing journey again, I'd start wearing updos more often at about waist length instead of when I did. I can remember many evenings having to fully detangle before bed, and I'm sure there was breakage caused by that. Now I know how to prevent that. Still, I'm talking about starting to wear updos at about waist length, not BSL. Heck, I'd wear my hair down at that length, too. :cool:

[Kelpie]

Welcome Cinnia

I tried to do the 'keep hair up for X length of time challenge' but I didn't last very long because I love having my hair down when it is behaving and it did seem like a waste to put it up. I like seeing it and playing with it and feeling it on my back. I also feel more feminine or girly or something.
But when it is not behaving it is great to just be able to put it in a bun or a braid.
I like the options. That is part of what having long hair is for :D

[WritingPrincess]

Welcome to TLHC, Cinnia!

I wear my hair in a braid or a bun a lot right now because I just finished a 6-month challenge, and it's still a habit. :) Also, it's very hot, and I'm transitioning to WO, which isn't exactly pretty. I'm looking like a greaseball a lot, and I can't stand wearing it down in that stage.

[AnimaSola3o4]

Since switching back to cones, I've been wearing my hear down more often again. It doesnt get anywhere near as tangled as it used to, so when I sleep (as long as its not super hot of course), i wear it down. I already have a hard time sleeping so this helps me be more comfortable. I still wear it up about 90% of the time when I leave the house, but right now it's so hot out that it's very uncomfortable to wear it down. Either that or I'm in a car with all the windows down which just whips my hair around and makes it so I can't see. :P

So ya, im somewhere in the middle of the road here. I like to wear it up a lot, except when I sleep. :P

[AnimaSola3o4]

I'm in!
And, this will be my very first post at the forum (yeeey! :cheer:)
Totally OT; I've been lurking around here for months, reading, observing, learning, and I'm quite satisfied that I've finally got the guts to post something. Please bare with my english though, as I'm swedish - it's so much easier to read and talk than to actually type it down ;)...

Anyway, I've had the same feelings about updo's and always keeping the hair up - although I respect and understand those who do, I personally feel like it would be a waste of HAIR to not show it off in public as often as possible :D.
Mine's only at BSL so far, and I'm quite sure I'll change my minde as it travels down to waist. If I'll ever get there, that is :rolleyes:.

Welcome Cinnia! And don't worry about your English, there are lots of people here in the same boat. :) Glad you decided to join us!

[bex487]

Maybe it's because I've had short hair for most of my life, but I always wear my hair down. My roommate and I actually joke about it because she puts her hair up in a messy bun EVERY SINGLE DAY and never takes it out except to shower. I only put my hair up to exercise. I just prefer wearing it down.

If it starts to look a bit icky or it's really hot out, I'll throw it up.

[spidermom]

When I find myself going through a stage of checking my length with a hand mirror, back to the bathroom mirror, about 9 times a day (and it still hasn't grown!), I have to do a period of "put it up and forget it." It's impossible to see progress while checking that often. I have enjoyed my hair at every stage of growth in spite of these periods.

I haven't had this happen for months, however. Since I passed waist length, I feel that my hair is long enough. I want to get it longer, but I no longer stress about it.

[brok3nwings]

Today i found something that really made me mad about my hair. I am a bit ansious for it to get longer..and today i was with my small mirror looking into the back of my head and i found out that my layers are not the same size at ALL! the right side has at least 2 inches LESS than the left side and midle :( well, and i can see it perfectly because as i have wavy hair the right side the hairs go "out" as the other side has already another wave... and its not my hair, it is really shorter!! Do you think this was the hairdresser job when i cut it in October or is it just my hair growth? (but two inches what the hell!)

I dont think im gonna mess with it anyway...

[forgetmenotak]

Another thread I can join! This is a great idea for a thread! I just love my hair down, I can't all the time because of work and sweating but when I can it is down.
brok3nwings, I'm sorry that your hair is uneven. I don't know what to say- maybe a combo of your stylist and hair growing unevenly, hopefully, a trick of the light. I feel your pain, :flowers:

[dor3girl]

I think I wear mine up more during the hot days or when I am exercising. Mine seems to stay clean longer if I keep it up in a bun or something. I do like to wear it down on the weekends or if I am just hanging around the house. ..

[Cinnia]

Welcome Cinnia



Welcome to TLHC, Cinnia!



Welcome Cinnia! And don't worry about your English, there are lots of people here in the same boat. :) Glad you decided to join us!


Thanks :), you all seems so NICE, you've got such a nice atmosphere in here :heart:.

[naturechild]

I love to wear my hair down as much as possable *note to self * put up around camp fire!!!

I agree though their will come a time were it is a must to have up most of the time.
Mid-thigh would be hard to have down A LOT!

[SweetPea88]

Welcome Cinnia! :waving:

It seems like this thread will be great! My hair is at waist right now and I try to enjoy it as much as I can. I generally wear my hair down when it is at its nicest (wash day--day 2,3) and then switch to braids or sometimes updos when it gets a bit greasy. I like wearing my hair down when I go out but prefer it out of my face when I'm working or at home. I'm noticing now that my updos are in a little awkward stage. For instance, my tail end for a cinnabun is in a different spot and I have to learn to adjust for each 1/2" or so of growth!

I like noticing my hair growth (mainly my layers growing out, since I trim each month) when my hair is down and also when it is in updos!

[Chromis]

Today i found something that really made me mad about my hair. I am a bit ansious for it to get longer..and today i was with my small mirror looking into the back of my head and i found out that my layers are not the same size at ALL! the right side has at least 2 inches LESS than the left side and midle :( well, and i can see it perfectly because as i have wavy hair the right side the hairs go "out" as the other side has already another wave... and its not my hair, it is really shorter!! Do you think this was the hairdresser job when i cut it in October or is it just my hair growth? (but two inches what the hell!)

I dont think im gonna mess with it anyway...

I find that it's really hard to tell if my hair is even glancing over my shoulder trying to aim the small mirror the right way so it might not be as bad as you think! You might try using that mirror to take a picture if you have or can borrow a digital camera. Have someone else take it or stand with you back to the mirror and use the small mirror to peek at your camer'as display so you can make sure you're not just taking pictures of your ear. Then your head is straight and you're not looking from a distorted viewing angle!

[ItalianFlower]

I love wearing my hair down! I was so bummed when I heard everyone talking about how wearing your hair up is the ONLY way to keep it growing. But I know that it is not, in fact, the only way to have long, beautiful hair. :)

[taliarose]

New member here. I've been growing my hair for (don't laugh) about 18 years now. Up or down it takes about the same amount of time to grow. :mad: I love and greatly prefer my hair down but for work and those horrible NE winters I need to keep it tamed usually in just a braid. Although looking through this site I can't wait to try some of the updo's I've seen! :D Now if they can stay put for 10+ hours I'll be able to have some real fun with my hair! :happydance:

[ReadingRenee]

I have a weird thing going on:

I like to wear my hair up so I can forget about it BUT if I wear it up too long and don't see how long and pretty my hair really is I start thinking about cutting it all off because it feels like I don't have long hair anyway and my hair down from updos doesn't look nice. its all kinky looking on the ends.

So I go through phases. Right now I just had a trim so Im very very motivated to wear it up so I don' t have to see the loss in length. Once its been about a month I will probably wear it down more often. I do notice it stays clean longer when its up though and thats nice.

But wearing it down every so often or sometimes for weeks at a time is definitely a must for me.

[spidermom]

Today i found something that really made me mad about my hair. I am a bit ansious for it to get longer..and today i was with my small mirror looking into the back of my head and i found out that my layers are not the same size at ALL! the right side has at least 2 inches LESS than the left side and midle :( well, and i can see it perfectly because as i have wavy hair the right side the hairs go "out" as the other side has already another wave... and its not my hair, it is really shorter!! Do you think this was the hairdresser job when i cut it in October or is it just my hair growth? (but two inches what the hell!)

I dont think im gonna mess with it anyway...

Uneven growth is normal for me. The right side grows faster. Plus every time I go for a trim, my hairdresser finds sprigs of faster-growing hair all around my hem. It looks like this: VyVVyy. After my trim, it looks like this: U (but wider and more shallow, of course)

[harpgal]

Mid-thigh would be hard to have down A LOT!
Yes, it is truly impossible. :)

[Honey39]

I like having my hair down - for me, it's truly about appreciating my hair. When I didn't realise I was a curly, it was a fight, and putting my hair 'up' was a way of hiding it. Leaving it down sort of makes me feel like I am GLORYING in my hair, lol. It's a nice feeling, but hard to express. I know it's not long, but it's getting there.

When I was younger, I had very long hair, and I never enjoyed it enough. It was something that I wore up or tied back, and it would only look 'good' say one day a week. I want hair that looks gorgeous all the time.

I am intrigued by updos though - I have only ever had pretty ugly buns, where I feel I look like Mrs Bun the Bakers Wife from Happy Families. I wouldn't mind seeing if I could get a pretty, glamorous up do. My hair is pretty thick, though, so it always looks lumpy when I put it up, and never sophisticated...

Hmmm.

[Tangles]

I'll join this thread when I'm at BSL... until then, have fun all!

[brok3nwings]

spidermom,

well i have heard that hair doesnt grow at the same rate but 2 inches seams a lot to me, as i´ve been growing it since october. But it is more likely than the hairdresser mistake ( i think i would have noticed..or not! lol at that time i didnt bother to look at my back hair)
You are lucky to have found someone you trust to trim your hair... i dont trust anyone right now, maybe i´ll try my mother or grandmother but im sure i wont have a U shape or something like that eheh
At the bottom my hair is even, its just the layers..not that bad

[Medvssa]

I'm in! Some time ago, I took the current and goal measurements off my profile. I am not measuring anymore. I wear my hair down most of the time, because I enjoy it. My goal lenght is gonna be whatever I find myself with every morning :)

[Country Cowcurl]

my deal is.....i hate wearing my hair up. if i wore it up for a while, i could take it down & surprise myself (and others) with the length.....but i wouldn't be happy while waiting!! and then i wonder: if i died before i got the unveil my hair, what's the point of growing it out? i want to enjoy it every day of my life!! :D

[Magicknthenight]

I like wearing both! Wearing my hair down feels special and i really enjoy it. But i also like to do updos so its not in my way or its windy out. Also i check the length all the time and by putting it up i think..well i wanna check and see if theirs any length ive had it up for liek a week and a half:o! But then i tell myself..nah just wait. I usially do wait a couple days and then the next time after i wash i take a glance:p
But when i manage to keep my hair up for a longer time im quite proud of myself. I'll think..yay im glad i have my hair up to protect it. I mean why have it down days im jus chillen around the house or goin out with some friends to do the same ol thing? And when i see the wind blowing their hair everywhere i think WHEW! I've told them they could put it up to prevent tangles in the wind.
But i don't think they care so much. I like the variety of long hair! To be able to wear it down..and also to be able to wear a bunch of updos! Ah that wind :mad:
It seems to make my bangs oily looking but i have no idea why? I'll be freshy showered and go out on a windy day and if im out there for a while with wind blowing my bangs around their just not the same! I know the feeling of "why have long hair if its always up" but it doesnt ALWAYS have to be up! Take some time to enjoy it down as much as you do up in nice styles!:D

[Polyhex]

I agree though their will come a time were it is a must to have up most of the time.
Mid-thigh would be hard to have down A LOT!

I wear my hair down often, and it's a few inches above my knees. :) It's a great joy to me.

[30isthenewblack]

I just responded on a similar topic in the polls section but I used to wear my hair out all the time. It would grow but it kept on breaking and the ends would always be ratty and damage so I would go through a cycle of growing my hair and cutting the growth off. I came to this forum and noticed that a lot of people with longer hair keep their hair up because it's convenient and to protect so I have decided to try and pull my hair back a few times in the week and wear my down more on the weekends. As I've got curly hair and need to put product in my hair, it gives my hair a rest from product and I don't have to wash it more often.

[Tressie]

Polyhex your hair is awesome!!! I wear my hair up more at this time of year, but I must say I do love to wear it down! I wonder if it gets damaged more up sometimes because I get all these little wispies? My hair also tends to wrap itself around my necklaces at the nape of my neck, so that is also something to consider! I'm not good at updos yet either as my fine hair likes to slither out of most anything I try to contain it with!:(

[DecafJane]

I love taking length photos and trying new toys and updos to see what I can do, as well as giving it hair treatments and having scalp massages. In between, I wear it up, and it seems it grows between me looking at it. :D

[rapunzhell13]

I would love to just put my hair up and forget it, but a) it's too short, and b) I'm afraid I might forget why I'm growing it in the first place and chop it off to create 'interest'. :rolleyes: Also, I think it's just easier said than done for some people. Why would we join a long hair community if we didn't wanna make even just an itty bitty fuss over our hair? :D It can be fun if it's not over the top!

[sandrak]

I usually wear my hair down. I wish I could put it up more often, but I get headaches really fast when it's up.

[Katze]

I just like my hair down. Hair up feels like punishment, or something I "have to" do because my hair is dirty and I can't wear it down.

When my hair is looking good, the feeling of it hanging down my back and even brushing the backs of my arms if it's ever warm enough to wear a t-shirt is wonderful!

Oh, and I hate buns. They make me look terrible, fat and old.

[goldenwaves]

Seems like there are lots of us who want to enjoy our hair even if it's not at our goal yet! I hate having to put it up for school though. It sucks!!!

[meichigo]

I leave my hair down because I'm lazy. I'm mostly posting to say your hair looks lovely in your sig!

[paper]

I'm in too :)

I'm enjoying the journey to having long hair. I take a picture once a month and I can really see the growth. I love watching my hair change as it grows and wonder whats next? I do like to wear it up too. But, if I wore it up all the time, I would miss all these changes.

[BeatlesFanGirl]

I wear my hair down most of the time. I put it up only if 1, I do sports, 2, I have a shower

[Golden21]

I'm joining in as well. I like to wear my hair down, especially if I am going out and about. If I plan to stay home and work around the house, I likely wear it up with oil in it. I really like both, up and down. I mostly wear my hair down right after a wash and then up after that until the next wash. I think it's fun to use a variety with hair.

[crystal_89]

I always tell myself I'm going to try and put my hair up for a month or whatever and forget about it. I usually last a couple of days at the most :o

I just love showing off my length now, I love feeling my hair fan around my arms and I love feeling the ends brushing my elbows when I walk. When my hair is not down its in a ponytail whether it be for working in the labs or just for convenience.

[RavennaNight]

I just like my hair down. Hair up feels like punishment, or something I "have to" do because my hair is dirty and I can't wear it down.

When my hair is looking good, the feeling of it hanging down my back and even brushing the backs of my arms if it's ever warm enough to wear a t-shirt is wonderful!

Oh, and I hate buns. They make me look terrible, fat and old.

I totally agree. I only wear it up when itis dirty, and when I realize its that dirty, the wash is imminent so I can wear it down again. I tried buns too, and they make me feel old and stern looking. Free flowing and wild is for me! I do find I need to put it up at work, though, and it annoys me that I have to.

[DotDotDot]

I wish I could do this, but leaving my hair down kills my ends to the point where I have to take off 3 inches every 6 months. :( That's why I have a permabun - it protects the ends so I can enjoy its length on special occasions.

[LaurelSpring]

Dot.... what is a permabun?

[Golden21]

I think it just means that she is always wearing her hair in a bun

[LaurelSpring]

Oh..I should have figured that one out...lol. It seems like there are so many hair gadgets and doodles that come out I want to find out about all of them.

[EmpressRi]

You know, I just wash it, condition it, style it and keep it moving. My hair is prone to looking long as heck one day and short the next. It's almost boblike right now because of the way it's styled. But if I were to press it (like last time) I nearly keeled over when I saw that it was touching the small of my back.

But playing with new products keeps me from obsessing over length!

[yrrebwartsymssi]

i find that i do less damage when it is down because its not long enough to touch my clothes and its so thick that i CAN'T run my fingers through it lol... so i guess i can definately detangle every.... 3 days? or week? i dunno... we'll see what happens

[feralnature]

I wear my hair up and down. It has been very hot and I work outside on my farm so I put it up. I can make a ponytail now or use a claw clip. But I also like having it down. I have had very long hair in the past and always loved wearing it down.

[Gabrielle]

My longest layer is hip length. I'm pretty sure my curly, fragile hair wouldn't have grown to its current length without wearing it up. It take less than one minute for me to put my hair up in a faux french twist that lasts all day.

[cani]

oh, nice thread!:)
i always wear my hair up since i´m able to make a ponytail. i hate this lenght (now between shoulder and apl) and don´t want to damage my hair.
but..."enjoy your hair in every lenght!" animated me to thought about that. thank you for that!:flowers:
i will wear my hair down next days and see how it feels like :rockerdud

[twilight]

hmm i agree with the idea of this thread--i could never leave it up all the time and just forget about it!

i am one of those schizo up-now-down-in-5-minutes people who is constantly changing hairdos throughout the day. thankfully at my job they don't give a rat's fanny how long or disheveled it is :)

anyway. i guess i go both ways :P

[Oskimosa]

I wanted to bump this thread again.

I've been thinking about before I cut my hair off, and how even though it was at BSL I didn't think it was long at all. I think most of us here at LHC are prone to "hair anorexia," always thinking our hair is shorter than it is, mostly because in relation to our goals it IS short. I am not close to my goal, but I am past the point where I think hair looks short and it is starting instead to just look normal. I don't want to get to my goal and still think it's short! So, I'm trying to settle my mind into thinking my hair is getting long and that from now on, it will just be about it looking prettier each day that passes.

[super_pudding]

I LOVE wearing my hair down! Mainly because it has too many layers to stay up for long periods of time though :D
I'm so in!

[Katze]

No point in sweating this. Do what you want! :grin:

I didn't start wearing updos until my hair was about thigh length. Until then, I often wore my hair down or half-up using a barrette at the top, or else I wore a single braid down the back. That's a lot of fun, really, so go ahead and enjoy it. Looking back, I think I wouldn't wait quite so long because my hair is fine, and it tangled a lot, but at BSL, mid-back or waist length, no one should feel pressured to wear daily updos, apart from work-related requirements. Heck, no one should feel pressured about hair styling preferences and choices. Do what you want.

My only caveat is that if I were to start my hair growing journey again, I'd start wearing updos more often at about waist length instead of when I did. I can remember many evenings having to fully detangle before bed, and I'm sure there was breakage caused by that. Now I know how to prevent that. Still, I'm talking about starting to wear updos at about waist length, not BSL. Heck, I'd wear my hair down at that length, too. :cool:

This is great, Lady Godiva, and inspiring to those of us who don't wear updos.

If I put my hair up, I constantly struggle with it looking really messy. There is only one 'do I can do that looks 'deliberately' messy: the rest just make me look unkempt. Within an hour, any and all updos (unless I brush/oil my hair to slickness, which is hard) look terrible.

Recently I was at a wedding and had dirty hair and had to get up early for it, so I did two dutch braids starting at the top sides of my hair and pinned along each other in the back. In the mirror, it looked really good, although between the ceremony and the reception I had to re-do it one more time. That time, I got it even better, or so I thought until I saw some pics BF took of me at the reception. It looked AWFUL.

So having my hair up, at least, isn't something I can 'forget about' most of the time. I am constantly fussing with my coarser nape hairs, repinning my straggly bangs and shorter side layers, and generally having to redo fuzzy updos regularly.

What LadyG says makes sense. Although I am fine haired, I feel like I take pretty darn good care of my hair and it is in much better shape, so why should I torture myself (i.e. not enjoy my hair's progress) by putting it up when I don't want to?

Also, either because of my own impatience or my hair type/condition, I have yet to get most of the LHC hairdos to work on my hair.

So down it is, at least most of the time and when I am indoors!

[Eireann]

I'm really loving my hair right now, so I love to wear it down. When I go through phases that I am tempted to chop, it's good to wear it up until the urge passes. Right now my hair is behaving itself. :)

[Oskimosa]

When I put my hair up, it always looks crappy afterwards. I get unwanted crimps and waves from elastics, and scrunchies make it staticy and just let it fall down. Clips leave it too flat on top. Plus I can get awful hairaches. It's too slippery to use sticks alone. I bought some beautiful hair forks, but my hair is too thick and short for them to work alone, while the same one works in my friend's hair (whose hair is half as thick and a few inches longer.)

I have to fight my urges to clip or ponytail it out of my face because of how lame it looks afterwards. So, I am leaving it down and staring at it and all its shortness!