Wearing hair down

[Amber_Maiden]

I know many of us longhairs like to wear our hair up to protect it, but what about the occasional time when you want to wear it down- how do you protect it?

I've been wearing my hair up for the last five months, and I've on;y worn it down one in that time- at one party at xmas. Since then I haven't and I've grown even more anxious about wearing it down- I'm worried about damaging it, especially my ends.

Any tips?? Or even any other members who share an anxiety like mine?

(P.S. By wearing it down I mean that it's not in a bun, in a half up bun, or in a braid- I mean loose and free!)

Thank you!

[Madora]

If you're going "loose and free" then make it a special point to try and avoid any situation where your hair might get caught in something.

Bring your hair in front of you when leaning back against something.

But most importantly, detangle often. There's nothing worse than having to deal with tangles after hours of letting your hair hang loose..unless you've been sitting very quietly and not moving around much.

[Kelikea]

I take a wide tooth comb in my purse and detangle the underside whenever I go to the bathroom. When my hands are wet (from washing) I freshen up my waves.

[jeanniet]

Pretty much the only time I wear my hair down when I'm "out" is when we're at a nice restaurant and I'm not moving around too much so I don't have to worry about getting it caught on something. But I do wear it down at home quite a bit (a few hours a day, typically) and honestly I don't worry about it that much. I guess at home I kind of automatically know what to watch out for. If I'm doing something like cleaning I put it up in a bun or use a Buff. I very, very rarely wear it down outside because even a slight breeze causes big tangles.

The way I look at it, having it down can be damaging, but constant pulling from a bun or braid could potentially be stressful to the hair, too (especially because I tend to wear the same two buns). So I try to change things around depending on what I'm doing so I don't always have my hair arranged the same way--up, down, bunned, braided, etc. After a while having it down in a "safe" area is kind of second nature, if that makes sense.

And after all, isn't our hair something for us to enjoy? I like the feel of having it down, and I figure as long as I'm reasonably careful there's not a lot of harm to it. :)

[akka naeda]

I can't ever wear my hair 100% down as it likes to grow forwards over my face so it always has to be at an absolute minimum with some thin pieces from just above each ear tied with a clip or elastic or in a tiny bun at the back of my head.

This still leaves 95% or more of the hair loose and the way I look after it is to take a comb with me and comb it regularly, make sure I don't sit on it, lean on it, and make extra sure it doesn't get trapped in doors, wrapped around things (it will get caught in gaps in chair backs if the pieces don't fit together tightly). Luckily I no longer have to worry about cigarettes burning it!

In the winter I have been known to take sticks with me for traveling so it doesn't get blown about and tangled in the wind or rubbed by coats and scarves, but generally I wear it up at that time of year.

[B-L]

I try not to lean on it and try not to get it cought in something.. Nowdays it's difficult with a very grabby baby.. My hair doesn't get tangled when down so that's not a problem.
I like my hair down, and as jeanniet said, hair is something we grow to enjoy..

[PrairieRose]

When I do where my hair down it is only for short periods of time. My hair is not that long yet so it doesn't get in the way yet. I think like the being careful, a wide tooth comb and a tiny bit of oil on the ends are probably a good idea. I usually bring a stick or something to put it up if I feel the need when I am out.

[heidi w.]

If you're going "loose and free" then make it a special point to try and avoid any situation where your hair might get caught in something.

Bring your hair in front of you when leaning back against something.

But most importantly, detangle often. There's nothing worse than having to deal with tangles after hours of letting your hair hang loose..unless you've been sitting very quietly and not moving around much.

I have to wear my hair divided in half and pulled to lie on the top of my body under a coat. I have to lift my hair or pull it up front when I'm about to sit down. I have to escape to the ladies' room often to detangle or I walk away with a humongous rat's nest at the back of my neck.

I make sure that when I wear it down, that the dress I wear allows hair to slide more easily. I particularly watch the top I'm wearing.

Sometimes if hair is down outdoors, I walk with my hair wrapped in 2 loops so it will refrain from being whipped about by wind, and somewhat prevents tangles. This is for when it's warm out and I have no coat.

I highly recommend carrying a detangling comb with you for the evening. Try and refrain from detangling where people eat, though. Other people may not appreciate the few hairs lost. Lots of people think it's gross.

I also do not advocate taking your hair down in a restaurant. People think hair is going to fall in their food. No joke. I've had people tell me stuff. It's just easier to wear it up so one is not a target of such comments.

I also recommend carrying a backup hairstick for putting your hair up should conditions change.

heidi w.

[Long_hair_bear]

I share your anxiety and don't wear my hair "down" often. The most down I do wear it is in a braid. I tend to do a lot of hair stick updos and braids.

I wear it own maybe once a week however to show off my length that I'm pry too proud of. :D when I do, I thoroughly detangle my hair and put nightbloomings panacea on my hair before I leave the house for the day. I feel the panacea helps protect my ends. I detangle maybe 3 times throughout the day, though my hair is not as long as most of y'alls. :(

[fiddlefananb]

I can wear my hair down for about 5 minutes and after that it is a tangly mess. I wore it partially down for a Christmas party where there was dancing and I was soooo sorry I did.:doh: I had a rat's nest at the nape of neck that was impossible to get out. I wear it down at home when I am just sitting and watching tv but any other time, it is up.

[ellen732]

I wear my hair down once in a while, when going out or around the house. I try not to worry about it too much when I do. I figure wearing it down a couple times a month can't be all that bad, especially if you're taking care of it. I used to be super paranoid about wearing it down but no so much anymore. I just like it up most of the time because it's out of my way.

[RapunzelKat]

I've pretty much taken to treating my hair a bit like a delicate scarf when I wear I down :) I will gently lift it forward over my shoulder when sitting, and take care to keep it out of seatbelts, etc. If I'm out and it's breezy at all I will actually gently hold my hair to keep it from getting crazy tangles ;)

I also carry a comb and detangle often, and I always have something I can put it up with, just in case ;)

[lauralei]

I don't have hair as long as some of you (only 28 inches), but I almost always wear my hair down for four reasons: 1) it shows the grey less 2) it covers my stick-out ears 3) wearing my hair up gives me a headache 4) it's warmer with my hair down (I live in a cold climate).

[Tia2010]

Now that I have been wearing my hair up more than I ever did , I tend to get a little bit annoyed by it when it's down :rolleyes: It always finds its way into my face and falls into whatever I happen to be working on or eating :p so I have been wearing it up a lot more than I use to.

My hair doesn't tangle easily when it's down, so I don't really have an issue with that but i tend to kind of forget about "watching it" and it gets caught on things... So I'm trying to be more observant.

[Savahead]

Other than at my job or when doing something that it might get caught (i.e. working on car or exercising), my hair is loose 99.9% of the time. I never really really do anything special with it to protect it, and have never had any problems other than the occasional tangle. Windy days can be a witch sometimes. :mad: Just comb it if need be, and trim it every so often.

[lostchyld]

I don't have hair as long as some of you (only 28 inches), . . . 4) it's warmer with my hair down (I live in a cold climate).

I don't know how long my hair is in inches, but I also live in a cold climate and I prefer my hair up and find that to at least be superficially warmer. Oddly, it's also cooler when it's too hot so I think it's how my internal thermostat reacts to temperatures.

RE: the topic. I rarely spend an entire day with my hair down. Loose hair makes me feel like I forgot something and I spend the entire time it's down either finger combing or putting it up. If I leave home with it down, it goes through several hairstyles, if I leave home with it up, I only mess with it if it comes loose.

I don't do a lot to protect my hair. It only tangles if I already have a lot of splits and it's not long enough to get trapped between me and a chair yet. Mostly, I make sure I don't have to drag it out of shirt collars, coats or scarves by temporarily bunning it or getting dressed while it's plopped. If I wear it down, it's always day one or day two after a wash and curly and unbrushed.

[Othala]

My hair is loose for 90% of every day and it does get caught in zips, chewed by dogs, stuck in the hinges of my specs, trapped under DH's armpit and so on. It's just part of the experience of being a long hair for me. I do put it up when I am in the shower and when I am cooking.

[Phalaenopsis]

I wear it loose a lot and I realize it will be more damaged, but I want to enjoy my hair. I'm not going to stress over it when going out. But automatically I throw it out of the way when closing the zipper of my coat and pull it over my shoulder when driving the car.

I would say to just enjoy when you do wear it loose :) I wear my hair loose 95% of the time, I don't think you will get that much damage, especially not at this length. Maybe it's different when you have classic length, but I can't speak for those people :)

[jacqueline101]

If you wear it down I'd pull it to the front and keep an eye on it.

[CariadA]

I also rarely wear my hair down. When I do, it's when I'm going out. I don't wear it down every time I go out, just when I want to feel extra pretty. I used to do it almost once a month, but as I have become more confident/more used to how I look in updos, it's becoming less and less. I haven't worn my hair down now since last October. But I did wear a ponytail to two parties since then, which is almost the same thing.

I carry a wooden comb in my purse. It lives in there just in case I ever need it, but I really only use it when wearing my hair down. In that case, I run it through my hair when I go to the restroom. Although I know a lot of people dislike cones, I love using them before wearing my hair down. I use a leave-in with amodimethicone (http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=339486&productId=339486&navAction=jump&navCount=3#Prodtabdetail). It really helps prevent tangles.

I also wear my hair in front of me, either split down the middle and pulled over each shoulder or draped over one shoulder. That prevents me from sitting back on my hair. I also move it out of the way when putting on seat belts and purses.

[amantha]

I wear my hair down about 95% of the time. The only times I put it up are when it's wash day but I was too lazy that morning to wash it so I have greasy hair and want to hide it, when it's getting in the way at work, and when I put coconut oil on it the night before wash day and I don't want to get oil all over my cushions and tshirt. That's it. I like the feeling of having wild and free long hair and I want to enjoy it....that's why I'm growing it. Yeah I do get some splits, but that's a small sacrifice IMO. My scalp also tends to hurt if I wear my hair up all day. Plus my hair likes to come undone from its up-dos, so I find wearing it up more tedious because I have to fix it multiple times throughout the day. I don't brush/comb/detangle at all except right after washing it. I might comb my bangs back into place but that's it. My hair doesn't tangle too much so I guess I can get away with it.

To protect it, I just do simple things like making sure I put it over my right shoulder before I put on my seat belt (it likes to get caught in it)....being mindful of where it is when I zip up a coat/hoodie...making sure it doesn't tangle up in my gauged earrings...oh and moving it to the opposite shoulder before I put my purse over a shoulder.

Although to be honest, I don't really have a desire to grow my hair beyond hip length...at max maybe TBL...so I don't think my routine would work for longer lengths, unless if your hair is very strong, just because the damage will accumulate that much more.

[bedazzlecat]

I only wear my hair down when it's freshly washed. not sure that protects it but that's when it looks the best. I'll pull it over my shoulder and hold onto it when outside. I frequently fingercomb too.

[lunalocks]

I like to wear my hair down. If I am in a crowded place, i bring it to the front, over my shoulder, so i can keep an eye on it.

[xoerincolleen]

I wear my hair down 75% of the time. I make sure to use a coney conditioner and leave-in when I know I'm going to be around people (at a party, dancing, etc) and that helps a lot with tangles. Otherwise I usually wear one of those stretchy fabric/elastic headbands (hard to describe- there are a couple pictures in my album) and that really helps keep it out of my face.

[EdG]

I only wear my hair loose.

I have years of experience in avoiding hair hazards. For example, when sitting down I drape my hair over the back of the chair. Doing so is pretty much an involuntary action.

The only time that wearing hair down becomes really problematic is outdoors on windy days. I will fold up my hair and hold it in my hand until I scurry inside. :D
Ed

[Arya]

My hair likes to fall out of any updo, so I put my hair up and take it down about 3 times an hour. Silky tops or low backed ones help with having hair down.

[Amber_Maiden]

I only wear my hair loose.

I have years of experience in avoiding hair hazards. For example, when sitting down I drape my hair over the back of the chair. Doing so is pretty much an involuntary action.

The only time that wearing hair down becomes really problematic is outdoors on windy days. I will fold up my hair and hold it in my hand until I scurry inside. :D
Ed

haha! "scurry" is a great word!!! :p

[EdG]

haha! "scurry" is a great word!!! :pThat's how I feel when I'm doing that. :lol:

Where I live, the weather tends to be mild. I don't need to scurry very often. ;)
Ed

[Fairlight63]

I don't like to wear my hair down very much because it is so thin & fine & "floaty". But when I do wear it down I put it in a loose braid & put it over my right shoulder. It keeps it from flying around loose & getting tangled & I can keep an eye on it.
Especially when I go to church I will wear it like that - seems like I usually have kids behind me & they will be walking around or putting their hands on the back of the seat & catch my hair & pull it, so I wear it up to keep it out of the way.
If going out to eat I will put the braid over my back so it don't fall in my food.

[BBdck1]

I usually wear my hair down especially when going out. I don't like the feeling of my bun pulling on my head or it between my head and the seat. Also, no matter what I do it always seem to come loose after 1/2 to 1 hr of wear (except for the gibson tuck). Plus I work hard to take care of my hair, I want to show it off :) My hair doesn't tangle easily and it wasn't until I join LHC that I realize a lot of people have tangle problems. I think having a small wide tooth comb in your purse might help with tangles?

[Diamond.Eyes]

I have been wearing my hair up every single day for about two weeks now. I used to wear it up only 3 times a week, but I too experienced a lot of anxiety when I wore it down. I felt especially anxious when people at my cosmetology school would come by and run their fingers through it. It just got to be so annoying, and I figure that the more I wear it up, the less damage it will accumulate.

[aisha.christine]

I have been wearing my hair up every single day for about two weeks now. I used to wear it up only 3 times a week, but I too experienced a lot of anxiety when I wore it down. I felt especially anxious when people at my cosmetology school would come by and run their fingers through it. It just got to be so annoying, and I figure that the more I wear it up, the less damage it will accumulate.

Ooooh that would freak me out horribly. :bigeyes:

[Diamond.Eyes]

Ooooh that would freak me out horribly. :bigeyes:
Yeah, it made me pretty uncomfortable :undecided.

[Shesta]

I wear it down only when it is freshly washed. It tends to clump together and does not tangle as much.

[Dragon Faery]

When I used to wear my hair down, I didn't realize all the damage I was doing to it. I tend to be accidentally very rough on it, and it apparently damages easily even though it's fairly coarse. Now I wear it up, and the last time I tried going out with it down it made me nervous all day. I didn't get it caught in anything, but it was very windy out (happens a lot here) and I was constantly having to bun it with one hand while trying to carry things with the other. Once DH even had to rescue me by clapping my hood over my head (and eyes, accidentally) and steering me in the proper direction while I tried to hold my hair away from the wind with both hands. I'm sure it was an entertaining sight. :)

I also had to keep moving it out of the way of coats and seatbelts and headrests, and I swear my hair is related to medusa's, as it never stays where I put it. Ever. Sooo now that I have tried wearing it up, I intend to keep it that way unless I'm in dire nead of excitement and adventure. I've heard several people say their hair tends to strangle unwary strangers, attack innocent bystanders, and walk off with anything not nailed down. I don't want to give my hair the chance to try any of these things, in case it likes them. At least, not yet...

It would make a good cartoon, though.

[Amber_Maiden]

When I used to wear my hair down, I didn't realize all the damage I was doing to it. I tend to be accidentally very rough on it, and it apparently damages easily even though it's fairly coarse. Now I wear it up, and the last time I tried going out with it down it made me nervous all day. I didn't get it caught in anything, but it was very windy out (happens a lot here) and I was constantly having to bun it with one hand while trying to carry things with the other. Once DH even had to rescue me by clapping my hood over my head (and eyes, accidentally) and steering me in the proper direction while I tried to hold my hair away from the wind with both hands. I'm sure it was an entertaining sight. :)

I also had to keep moving it out of the way of coats and seatbelts and headrests, and I swear my hair is related to medusa's, as it never stays where I put it. Ever. Sooo now that I have tried wearing it up, I intend to keep it that way unless I'm in dire nead of excitement and adventure. I've heard several people say their hair tends to strangle unwary strangers, attack innocent bystanders, and walk off with anything not nailed down. I don't want to give my hair the chance to try any of these things, in case it likes them. At least, not yet...

It would make a good cartoon, though.

haha! Definitely sounds like my hair as well!:D

[melusine963]

I think I'm past the point of really enjoying letting my hair down. Unless I use very damaging styling methods, it just wouldn't stay tidy and I'd worry too much about it looking an unkempt mess. I did just buy some curl creme so I might give it one more try, but I'm not holding my breath. It's a shame. I used to love leaving it down after it had been straightened or had mousse in it.