Ratty long hair- wear-down-ability

[WaitingSoLong]

Ok, an observation. This is not meant to criticize/judge anyone.

There is a lot of long hair around my neck of the woods anymore. SO much so that even classic is not really unusual anymore. Like BOOM the long hair population exploded in the last couple years. But...

Past waist...most of the long heads of hair I see (loose) look terrible. And I am not necessarily talking hair health, I don't really look THAT close (only rarely can I tell a head of hair is fried), I am talking that it is unkempt or ratty or tangly.

Now, I am not saying these people neglect their hair. What I am wondering is if it is really possible to wear waist+ hair loose and it NOT look this way without constant detangling. I know I can't wear my hair loose very long unless there is NO wind at all and it is a comfortable temperature out (say, 60-80 F for me personally) or I will just be inside the whole time.

I don't feel my hair is wear-down-able anymore and haven't since waist or hip. It was at waist length I found TLHC because I HAD to either start putting it up or cut it. Yet, I like the look of longer hair (TBL+) better. So I am torn between length and wear-down-ability. Right now I am addicted to growing more length, but I miss being able to wear my hair down. Sure it can look good down freshly combed in pictures...for 5 minutes.

I know everyone has different comfortable wear-down lengths, but I wondered about the visible condition of loose waist+ length hair I have been seeing. I hope this all came across ok.

[shutterpillar]

I notice it too, and it is one of my worst fears when I finally reach my goal. I would love to be able to wear my hair loose, but I know that will probably not happen outside of the house unless there are perfect conditions. :( Even now at nearly BSL, I cant really wear it loose because it tangles so easily. That may just be the condition of my hair, but I think it also has a lot to do with the environment and what it does to my hair.

[arcane]

I get hounded a lot by my family to brush my hair, no matter what length it is. It just looks tangled. When I don't do anything to my hair I get the "You finally brushed it!" It's just how my hair is. And personally I like how it looks down. So I don't care if others think it looks ratty, I've invited people who have said something to touch my hair, and they are amazed that there are no tangles, just weird looking waves and body and volume. I like it. My hair is weird like me, and doesn't like to be told what to do.

I don't think rattyness to others should determine wether or not you wear your hair loose. It's about how you feel it looks. If you feel it looks good wear it down, screw what others think. Most of the people you encounter everyday you'll probably never see again, so why care what they think of how you look?

[kallarina]

I used to wear my long hair down almost constantly. Part of growing my hair out was supposed to be so I could wear it down! The longer it gets, the more impossible this is. When I was at about waist length, and wearing it down every day, the more care I took of my hair, the more I realized how horrible it was. The split-ends were endless! I spent five hours one day S&Ding... Only to find seven more splits the very next day... While I was in class...
I guess for some, they can get away with wearing it down whenever they feel like, but I completely agree that it doesn't usually look well taken care of, and can also tell you from experience that they are doing so much more damage than they realize.

[shutterpillar]

I don't think rattyness to others should determine wether or not you wear your hair loose. It's about how you feel it looks. If you feel it looks good wear it down, screw what others think. Most of the people you encounter everyday you'll probably never see again, so why care what they think of how you look?

It's not so much what others think - it is more the fact that it gets tangled so easily, which leads to damage.

[spidermom]

I wear my hair up mostly because it annoys me and gets hot, but when I want to wear it down, I do. For example, I was taking the dogs for a walk this morning, and it was chilly. Instead of going back inside for a jacket, I let my hair down. And yup, it was pretty tangled when I got back. So what?

[arcane]

It's not so much what others think - it is more the fact that it gets tangled so easily, which leads to damage.

Not everyones hair tangles easily. I used to think mine did, because it looks tangled. It's doesn't tangle all that easily. Even when it's hip length. If you are concerned about damage then don't wear it down, but I still maintain if you want to wear it down people should go for it. It's your hair. Enjoy it. Some people enjoy being able to do a lot of updos. For me I enjoy being able to wear it down, probably because my jobs require me to wear it up. Even though it doesn't look perfect.

[Amber_Maiden]

Yep, don't care how tangled my hair looks either... I wear it down and over one shoulder so it's in the front. It makes me happy, and it's not like I'm here on earth to look perfect and decorate anyone's world.

[Ishje]

I wear my hair up mostly because it annoys me and gets hot, but when I want to wear it down, I do. For example, I was taking the dogs for a walk this morning, and it was chilly. Instead of going back inside for a jacket, I let my hair down. And yup, it was pretty tangled when I got back. So what?

yes, this just happens if someone has long hair and wears it down.
if I decide to wear my hair down, and take 2 steps outside the same thing happens.
the wind blows and it is tangled, really not that much I can do about it, besides wearing it up.
but, once in a while I just like to wear my hair down, and take the tangles with it.

[Carissamarie08]

My hair tangles right now wearing it down at a little past BSL... I have to carry a comb around with me to constantly detangle it... But I hate wearing my hair up... I feel more feminine wearing it down so that's what I'll do. I always have to wear my hair up at work so my time off is also my hairs time off to be down.

[Chetanlaiho]

My hair just wurls when I wear it down (because I only do so after I've just washed it due to stringyness and thinness if I don't) so yeah, it looks and is tangled but it looks a lot better than when it's lank and tangle free xD

[Avital88]

yes it tangles more for sure, and im one of those ratty people youre talking about:P or sometimes haha. i wear it mostly in a braid because of this actually.
My hair can look good, on the day i've washed it only though, brushed out tangles just dont look nice on me..
There is alot of really long hair out there that hasnt have this problem, mostly virgin and very healthy hair, i'm still dealing with damage and thinner ends, i think once i am rid of that the tangling will be less and i can wear my hair loose more.

[lastnite]

After my hair gets around waist length I don't wear it down anymore. Tangles, getting caught on things, wind blowing my hair out-sometimes onto other people, when it gets hot then it gets sweaty...

I think eventually I will just keep my hair between waist and hip length... I want to trim mines back now, but I'm not too good at doing big trims and it never works out for me walking into a random salon ... which I guess this is for another topic.

There aren't too many long hairs around my area, on the occasion I do spot one with their hair down their hair looks good to me, but they also have thicker hair which probably helps with it looking better down and just being more resilient to damage.

[kitschy]

My hair is always tangled. The only time it isn't is when I am in the shower with a head full of condish and a wide toothed comb. It seems by some poster's standards, I should shave my head.

[jeanniet]

There's no way I can wear my hair down outside here most of the time due to wind, so it's kind of a moot point, but I do wear it down at a nice restaurant (for instance) and at home. I think if people want to wear it down, they should. It's hair, not armor, so there's going to be some movement and disarray, but that's part of the charm of long hair--but if I were going to do it, I'd take the time to detangle/fingercomb a bit every couple of hours. It would be a rat's nest if I didn't.

[Anje]

Mine starts to get stringy rather readily I know. I think in my case it's a texture thing. And while I dislike that quality, think it looks a bit ratty and all, my husband seems to think it looks better when it's started to separate into locks.

[WaitingSoLong]

It's a cross between vanity and damage for me. If I am going to wear it down, I want it to look good. My standards are pretty high, so looking good means detangled for me. I can get away without this if I am sporting braid waves...they never seem to look tangled, but I prefer my hair straight. Basically like it looks in my sig pic.

But I also hate detangling. I feel like I am ruining my hair every time I detangle. I went out to see my horses one day last week with my hair loose. It was breezy (it pretty much is always breezy here, we live on a hill...except on the hottest days of the year of course) and I knew my hair was tangling but I just enjoyed the breeze and watching my hair fan out and seeing the shadow which made my hair look about 8 feet long LOL. It was a horrid nightmare to detangle later and took me a long time and even being careful I felt I had done irreparable damage from just that ONE time.

But I was mostly talking about the vanity part. And I know a lot of people say "screw what others think" but I am not that way. Sue me. I don't care what my face looks like but my hair had better look good! lol. Ok, I do care what my face looks like. Just not to the point I spend more than 10 minutes on it.

There was one time I had managed some freakish combination of hair products I never have been able to duplicate and I wore my hair down all day that day and it never tangled. I have been trying to find that magic combo ever since but it must have been something in the city water that day. sigh.

[WaitingSoLong]

My hair is always tangled. The only time it isn't is when I am in the shower with a head full of condish and a wide toothed comb. It seems by some poster's standards, I should shave my head.

Nobody was imposing any standards on anybody. :)

[kitschy]

Nobody was imposing any standards on anybody. :)

Perhaps I misunderstood: :o

Past waist...most of the long heads of hair I see (loose) look terrible. And I am not necessarily talking hair health, I don't really look THAT close (only rarely can I tell a head of hair is fried), I am talking that it is unkempt or ratty or tangly."

[BeckyAH]

Perhaps I misunderstood: :o

Past waist...most of the long heads of hair I see (loose) look terrible. And I am not necessarily talking hair health, I don't really look THAT close (only rarely can I tell a head of hair is fried), I am talking that it is unkempt or ratty or tangly."

Read the rest of her post. She repeatedly said it was a matter of personal aestetics, but that she was looking for the balance for herself. Your inference != her implication.

[ravenreed]

I wear my hair in a high pony now, rather than down. It tangles and catches on things a lot less. My hair has always been tangly, no matter what length. I think that is the curse of the wavy hair. If I wear it down, I brush it every couple of hours or it mattes.

[pepperminttea]

If I've worn my hair down in a slight breeze for more than five minutes, most people would look at my hair and insist I haven't brushed it for a week. It strings together, it tangles, it feels dry and rough even though it isn't. It's just what it does. If I want to look polished, I wear it up. If I can let it be its wild self, I let it down. :D So yeah, I'm one of those ratty people too. :p

[freecelt]

It's tough to wear my hair down. It tangles and it seams like it's EVERYWHERE. Also have some of that vanity. When I look at it at the end of a day wearing it down it just doesn't look good to me :/
I had one of those feakish combos of products that I've been trying to duplicate as well. My ends are also pretty thin(but not willing to cut yet) so that keeps me from wearing down as well.

[melusine963]

My hair turns into a tangled mess when I leave it down, but I live in a place where a lot of people have long hair that looks just fine left down. Maybe they style the heck out of it, and if I looked closely I'd see the damage, but it makes me envious.

[kitschy]

Read the rest of her post. She repeatedly said it was a matter of personal aestetics, but that she was looking for the balance for herself. Your inference != her implication.

I'm a bit sensitive. I fought stereotypes for years. I wouldn't say, in a thread, that I don't like to see long, lank, flat, lifeless hair, even though it may be healthy, and that I just couldn't possible go out in public without some curl. It isn't very nice, even if it is her aestetics, IMO.

My answer was a bit harsh, and for that I apologize to WSL.

[nobeltonya]

My hair doesn't seem to tangle much anymore, since I've been oiling regularly, not leaving shampoo on for more than a minute, conditioning and using leave-in [and I'm a daily washer]. :D So I wear it down as much as I can when out. If it's a particularly windy day or WAY cold and I'm wearing my big jacket [or any with a zipper, rather] or WAY hot [in which case lately I'm braiding or ponytail], I'll put it up until I get inside and take my jacket off. Once I stop being able to keep it down as much, I'll probably stop at that length. ;) B/C I like to wear it down mostly. There are pictures of it down on a somewhat windy day at the park recently in my Hair album.

[Diamond.Eyes]

My hair is about 2 inches past hip and I really enjoy wearing it down. Yeah my hair is a bit tangled after about a half an hour, but I don't mind. I just gently run my wide-tooth comb through it. I understand what you mean though, I can not stand the feeling of running my fingers through my hair, then - thump- there's a tangle. When I wear it down I just try to keep it moisturized and I detangle as much as possible. I only wear my hair down about once every two weeks because as my hair gets longer, detangling is much more of a hassle. I can deal with it though. I love having long hair :D.

[RitaPG]

A boy I know has hair as long as mine and he makes a low pony, around the middle of the length so that the hair doesn't end up all over the place tangling, or stringing out. I never remember to do it myself but it works well for him, so I wonder if it would work for us too? An excuse to buy a pretty hair tie :D

[spidermom]

I remember I left my hair down on Christmas morning a couple of years ago because I thought it looked pretty, but in the pictures not so much. It looked all over the place and unkempt.

[pepperminttea]

A boy I know has hair as long as mine and he makes a low pony, around the middle of the length so that the hair doesn't end up all over the place tangling, or stringing out. I never remember to do it myself but it works well for him, so I wonder if it would work for us too? An excuse to buy a pretty hair tie :D

I read about a style similar to that at some point, I think it was called a Japanese ponytail, the tie might have been closer to the ends though. I wear it sometimes when I want my hair to be down enough to dry after washing, but not completely out.

It's also the style Lin wears/is drawn with in Spirited Away. :)

[vindo]

My hair is manageable worn down, and it does not tangle really (a little bit if there is stronger wind of course) :shrug:

The longest I had was upper thigh length and it was not much different from tailbone length (now)

It does however, get stringy...but thats just my hair.:D

[elbow chic]

I quit wearing mine down in public around BSL, because at one length, with my texture and thickness, it's just a MESS the instant I step out of the car. (some people have the "look" to carry that off, too, but I am afraid I am not one of them. :laugh: )

Layers fix that, though. My hair is way, way more manageable with layers.

For me, I don't mind keeping it up or braided 99 percent of the time so it's not a big deal-- and I like my braids and updos more than layers and would resent spending the requisite time/money in the salon to maintain them anyway. So I'm still keeping it one-length.

But... if I wore mine down a lot I'd go for some serious layering.

[Vanilla]

I like wearing my hair down occasionally, mostly indoors. My hair isn't nearly as long as waist yet, but my hair tangles like crazy at the nape (I had waist length hair in high school).

The nicest my hair ever looked down (and stayed remarkably tangle free) was after my trim, treatment and rollerset at the GM salon. I was in manhattan (which is always windy) and my hair looked like a pantene commercial for the next few days.

But I agree, it's easy for long straight hair to look stringy and unkempt if it isn't detangled constantly.

[long&blonde]

Ok, an observation. This is not meant to criticize/judge anyone.

There is a lot of long hair around my neck of the woods anymore. SO much so that even classic is not really unusual anymore. Like BOOM the long hair population exploded in the last couple years. But...

Past waist...most of the long heads of hair I see (loose) look terrible. And I am not necessarily talking hair health, I don't really look THAT close (only rarely can I tell a head of hair is fried), I am talking that it is unkempt or ratty or tangly.

Now, I am not saying these people neglect their hair. What I am wondering is if it is really possible to wear waist+ hair loose and it NOT look this way without constant detangling. I know I can't wear my hair loose very long unless there is NO wind at all and it is a comfortable temperature out (say, 60-80 F for me personally) or I will just be inside the whole time.

I don't feel my hair is wear-down-able anymore and haven't since waist or hip. It was at waist length I found TLHC because I HAD to either start putting it up or cut it. Yet, I like the look of longer hair (TBL+) better. So I am torn between length and wear-down-ability. Right now I am addicted to growing more length, but I miss being able to wear my hair down. Sure it can look good down freshly combed in pictures...for 5 minutes.

I know everyone has different comfortable wear-down lengths, but I wondered about the visible condition of loose waist+ length hair I have been seeing. I hope this all came across ok.
I totally see your point and agree!
Same with me.
I am also not very proficient at beautiful updo's, tho I can use hairsticks; buns, braids. I can't french braid. And my buns are just twist:tuck:stick in, un-named things. But they hold! Here I am, bcl, heading for classic. Know what soo tempts me? Those Victoria Secret commercials. Their hair; how gorgeous it looks down, with the layers. Probably only apl or bsl on most of them. I too, stopped being able to wear my hair down after waist. I know exactly what you mean. Then, I think of cutting to a "Victorias Secret " type do with layers. I remember the nonstop 90 degree days soon to come:such a pleasure with layers and bangs;not! Then I think:my hair's never been this long,ever,its so special. And I resume doing;more of the nothing I kindly tell myself is "Benign neglect".

[lizdini]

I get hounded a lot by my family to brush my hair, no matter what length it is. It just looks tangled. When I don't do anything to my hair I get the "You finally brushed it!" It's just how my hair is. And personally I like how it looks down. So I don't care if others think it looks ratty, I've invited people who have said something to touch my hair, and they are amazed that there are no tangles, just weird looking waves and body and volume. I like it. My hair is weird like me, and doesn't like to be told what to do.


Oh do I know what you mean! My mom is constantly telling me to brush my hair and my whole life has gone on about how messy it is. It just recently (at 30 odd years old) occured to me that my hair isn't messy, it's curly, and brushing it is not the answer. She has very fine very straight hair, and doesn't know anything about curly hair. I think my hair may be a tad wild looking, but it's not messy!

[earthnut]

I used to have tailbone hair, and this problem is part of the reason I don't really want to go past waist now. Though, my hair was in truly terrible shape when it was long before, so it wasn't just the length. Now my main goal is to make my hair as healthy as possible. If I get to waist length and my hair is doing really well, I might go longer. Or I might decide to keep it around BSL. I do want to feel good about having it down sometimes. ;)

[Eniratak]

I constantly wear my almost knee-length hair down.
I like it down. Do I care how it looks? Yes.
For example, it was windy today and I wore it down anyway. I just held it in front of me so the wind didn't catch it as much. When I got inside, I gave it a little brush.

[arcane]

Oh do I know what you mean! My mom is constantly telling me to brush my hair and my whole life has gone on about how messy it is. It just recently (at 30 odd years old) occured to me that my hair isn't messy, it's curly, and brushing it is not the answer. She has very fine very straight hair, and doesn't know anything about curly hair. I think my hair may be a tad wild looking, but it's not messy!

The thing for me is my mom has curly hair. Big 80s style barrel curls. Though she hates them and just flat irons it or ties it back. She's always loved my wavy hair, right after it's been brushed or combed to look neat anyways, she just doesn't understand that it won't stay that way, or even look good 98% of the time after it's been brushed or combed. My Dad's hair is naturally straight so even when he had it longer in the 70s it looked neat most of the time. I've long told them my hair is a reflection on how they raised me: wild, saucy, and fierce. :p

[Maelyssa]

I worked with a girl who always wore her hip length hair down and loose and it forever looked picture perfect...lucky her! She told me here routine was regular trims for the hemline, wide tooth comb to detangle, boar bristle brush when dry, Victoria Secret So Sexy shampoo and conditioner wash daily then blow dried. Sigh...wish I could get mine to cooperate like that.

Point being, it is possible at least to some extent.

[karli]

My hair still doesn't tangle at hip, but it's tapered and probably looks stringy.. Tried to remember when I wore it loose for a whole day, and can't remember.. Not for a year, I think.. Will have to try this weekend to see what it looks like

[racrane]

People are all different and so is their hair. Some people's hair like mine tangles a lot and I've just accepted to keep it up most of the time.

Other people's hair is magical and doesn't tangle at all. :D

And others keep their hair down and don't really mind if it's tangle-y or "rough" looking. Personally, I wouldn't keep it like that, but that's their choice.

That's kind of my take on it. I know for myself I have to keep my hair up the majority of the time or in perfect conditions, even at BSL. But everyone is different.

[BeckyAH]

I have come to realize that wearing my hair up all the time is not for me. I feel... odd in updos, and not like myself or attractive at all. So, I literally just got finished layering my hair (I've been thinking about it for a while) and my goal length has always been waist. I suspect longer than that and wearing it down would leave me with hair that didn't make me feel good about myself, and really that's the whole point, right?

[luxepiggy]

I'm currently a bit past tailbone, and I still wear my hair down all the time.

After seeing this thread last night, piggy decided to engage in some in vivo testing! Technically I had my hair in a sort of quarter-up (to keep the front bits away from my face) today, but for all intents & purposes I still consider it a hair-down style. Here's how it looked freshly styled:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/hair/hairbefore.jpg

And at the end of the day, right after I walked in the door:
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff33/shoppingpiglet/hair/hairdown.jpg

A little worse for wear, of course, but overall I think it still looks decent, even though I had a fairly busy day. I worked from home for a few hours, drove to a couple of client appointments, shopped downtown, ran errands and went to the market for groceries. It was sunny and moderately windy outside.

[WaitingSoLong]

People are all different and so is their hair. Some people's hair like mine tangles a lot and I've just accepted to keep it up most of the time.

Other people's hair is magical and doesn't tangle at all. :D

And others keep their hair down and don't really mind if it's tangle-y or "rough" looking. Personally, I wouldn't keep it like that, but that's their choice.

That's kind of my take on it. I know for myself I have to keep my hair up the majority of the time or in perfect conditions, even at BSL. But everyone is different.

WSL wants magical hair. Yes, I do. lol

I think it could be partially obtained with the right products. If only I could pin them down!

ITA with your whole post. Very well said and exactly how I feel.

I have come to realize that wearing my hair up all the time is not for me. I feel... odd in updos, and not like myself or attractive at all. So, I literally just got finished layering my hair (I've been thinking about it for a while) and my goal length has always been waist. I suspect longer than that and wearing it down would leave me with hair that didn't make me feel good about myself, and really that's the whole point, right?

Ditto again. And yes, to me, that is the point of my hair. It is the only fashion statement I make. I wear plain clothes, I wear make-up to look like I don't have any on (I just found out most of the peeps I rub shoulders with don't think I wear make-up at all. SUCCESS! lol) I don't wear jewelry except small earrings when my hair is up...sometimes.

Now that I stop to think, it is this very reason (your last statement) that I decided to grow my hair (ok, one reason). When I had short hair and I had to "style" it (curling iron, hairspray, etc.) it never looked great to me. I achieved some success with a perm and a layered haircut back in the mid-90's but I wanted to be more natural (no perms, irons, etc.) so I started to grow long. I always thought wearing hair up in a bun was a beautiful way to present ones face...only I disagree now because I think the bun look generally gives me the appearance of being bald from the front. But short hair is just not "me".

Some of my issue here, I think, is my perception of my hair and myself. I don't think my hair looks as bad as I think it does. Yet to me it look ratty and unkempt after just about 15 minutes. I have tried the "slid down pony" and it tangles horribly above the ponytail holder where my shorter strands come loose and give the medusa effect LOL.

Piggy...thanks for the pics! I will have to do the same thing. I just bought conditioner with amodimethicone in it. Apparently I have never tried it. Did you see they have Ice Shine back on the market? No amo, tho. For some reason they are charging more for it than the other varieties. Anyway, my new amo conditioner also has just dimethicone in it, so I am not sure it is a fair test.

I know my ends are healthy right now. My last trim was October 2011 but they look great. So damage is not causing my tangling. My hair has always been tangly, my whole life, even when it was short. It is just my hair. So I must smooth it with the right products.

[Firefly]

Up here, there isn't a lot of waist+ hair, but when I do see it it usually looks great. I always hope mine looks as good down! I'm approaching hip and wear it down more often than not. Unless it's particularly windy or very humid and I'm having a Rosanne Roseannadanna moment, I don't get many tangles.

[skyblue]

uh yeah my hair gets all messed when down, it kind of gets stringy and not so attractive lol but sometimes I want to wear it down, the tangles aren't so bad I just have to take it really slow combing it out, you can see in my siggy what it does and this is right after I did my hair!

[meeliah]

I'm of two minds on this one.

First, I absolutely love wearing my hair down. However, it does tangle quite badly. It has a lot of wave and texture that just lends itself to a messy look and I've gotten to where I don't like the constantly combed look on it. I think it makes it loose all of its cohesion and then looks like a fluffed bit of I-don't-know-what-the-heck-to-do-with-my-hair-so-I-just-combed-it, which I don't like. But I can live with the tangles. The part I don't like about it being down is the new fair fluff I get when the humity in the air isn't absolutely perfect. The second I get that little halo thing going on, the second I start to hate it being down. I try to wear my hair down 2-3 days post wash, though I always have hair sticks or something on hand in case I get fluff halo.

Second, I also absolutely love wearing my hair up. The problem is that the updos I like are always on the fancier side and they take a long time to do. I'm a fan of getting ready in 15 minutes. So I usually end up in a simple updo, which I don't like.

On other people, I love to see it down whether its tangly or not. Its not that often I see really long haireds in my area and I love when they embrace their length. Especially, because its not popular here.

[karli]

A little worse for wear, of course, but overall I think it still looks decent

It looks much better than decent :)

[sarelis]

I love wearing my hair down, it is hip length at the moment & has been this length or slightly longer before. I generally tie it up when I am with the horses, doing housework etc otherwise it gets in the way. If I go out somewhere & want to look nice then I usually leave it down. It is however a fairly tempestuous beast! It forms twists like dreadlocks & has, idk, a lot of presence! Also my colour is pretty eye catching. When it is tied back I feel more plain. My OH loves it though, he describes it as wild, and that suits me :)

[Topaz]

I've gotten into the habit of either braiding or bunning my hair anytime I leave the house. I then take it down when I get to work, or when I finish my errands and go home again. Not only to protect my hair from damage, but also because my hair goes screwy outside in even the slightest breeze or humidity and it looks HORRIBLE. Ratty, as the title of this thread says. I wish I had the kind of hair that could withstand outdoor trips, but I don't, and I learned long ago that my hair always wins any contest of wills between us. Always LOL!

[heidi w.]

In my town, there's a fair amount of long hair which unfortunately, for the most part, is in pretty bad shape. These people seem to lack creativity. Not that I'm doing much either, but that's what I see. When my hair is down, people are apparently knocked out by it. I hardly ever wear my hair down, even at home. It's just the way my life is. And I've always put it up almost every day for the entirety of the day. I'm lazy, and this has produced some pretty good-looking hair. The few that ask what I do, of that few, which is maybe around 5-10 people, of those, perhaps about 2-4 ever really listen to what I do in response to their questions. So, I now look at it as it's their hair, their life, and their problem. I did my homework for my own benefit. They can do likewise if they care enough about it. One assumes they don't. This town has no idea that a long-haired lady even resides here! LOL.

heidi w.

[jacqueline101]

I have to wear mine up in the heat I get heat rashes on my neck.

[wendylai]

I think it would be easier to wear long hair down if it was naturally smooth and "heavy". Mine is not very heavy, but fairly glass-like so it doesnt tangle that much. I'm past BSL-mid back territory now and I wear is down quite a lot. Every day after washing mostly. Half-up works for me too.

I actuallt stumbled across this thread as I've been thinking how to make/buy this detangling spray that would add volume/weight to the hair.. or sort of oil it without making is greasy or heavy. That's what I'm working on right now!

I'll get back to all you if I manage to find something like that.. I was thinking mayby s spray with jojoba oil, sea salt (for texture), and then...?? Any ideas?? :)

[luxepiggy]

Piggy...thanks for the pics! I will have to do the same thing. I just bought conditioner with amodimethicone in it. Apparently I have never tried it. Did you see they have Ice Shine back on the market? No amo, tho. For some reason they are charging more for it than the other varieties. Anyway, my new amo conditioner also has just dimethicone in it, so I am not sure it is a fair test.

Yes, I was quite thrilled to see Ice Shine return to the market! In lieu of amodimethicone, it contains "bis-aminopropyl dimethicone," which is from the same category (aminosilicones / amine-functionalized silicones) and has many similar properties. I didn't realise they were charging more for Ice Shine . . . maybe it's just that much better than the other varieties! ;)

What kind of amo condish did you get?? I've never used one that combined amo with regular dimethicone . . . quite curious about how it will turn out!


I know my ends are healthy right now. My last trim was October 2011 but they look great. So damage is not causing my tangling. My hair has always been tangly, my whole life, even when it was short. It is just my hair. So I must smooth it with the right products.

Aquage Beyond Shine! It is like having your very own aerosol can full of miracles and joy :D It's meant to be used as a shine spray and/or thermal protectant, but I've found that it also keeps my hair soft and tangle-free all day. I use it every morning, without fail. I even have a little baby 2-oz can for travel (^(oo)^)v

[AnqeIicDemise]

It really depends. I know my hair looks terrible, especially when its raining and when the wurls decide to be more active (I swear, some days its wavier and others completely limp. Haven't figured out the keystone yet). I do have a friend/exboss whose hair is beyond classic and ALWAYS wears it down. The few times I've seen it up were during the hottest days of the summer. It hardly ever looks tangly and its super thick. Gorgeous!

The tangliest I've ever seen it was after she ran a half marathon and well.. then that makes a ton of sense.

[xoxophelia]

WaitingSoLong, since summer is coming I think it would be a good idea to hold off on a chop for a little longer.. if you are anything like me I tend to not want my hair down when it is hot anyway because it gets stuck on my skin :S

Also, I don't know if my hair actually looks good down but it doesn't tangle. At least it has something going for it :silly:

[Arya]

Yes, I was quite thrilled to see Ice Shine return to the market! In lieu of amodimethicone, it contains "bis-aminopropyl dimethicone," which is from the same category (aminosilicones / amine-functionalized silicones) and has many similar properties. I didn't realise they were charging more for Ice Shine . . . maybe it's just that much better than the other varieties! ;)

What kind of amo condish did you get?? I've never used one that combined amo with regular dimethicone . . . quite curious about how it will turn out!



Aquage Beyond Shine! It is like having your very own aerosol can full of miracles and joy :D It's meant to be used as a shine spray and/or thermal protectant, but I've found that it also keeps my hair soft and tangle-free all day. I use it every morning, without fail. I even have a little baby 2-oz can for travel (^(oo)^)v

I'm going to break into your house and steal all your products, miss piggy! They all sound great! I wonder if I can get them here in Oz..there's not much in the way of variety here.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

I had this very same dilemma today.

I rarely wear my hair down even at home because of the tangling / getting in the way issues. But I had to go for a few hours and work at my other shop location and it wasn't going to be anything too physical so I thought why not ? Not full on down hair because, well I kind of look like a lion when the whole thing is down and flying around. I was still going to be seeing people where I was going, so it had to be something a bit contained.

I decided to do a kind of an "I dream of Jeanie" thing - with a topknot rope braid encircling a super high ponytail. This way I could have some hair down to enjoy the nice spiral waves I had achieved from twisting the night before and it wouldn't be too overwhelming or get in the way.

The whole time I was putting it up I was thinking to myself - people are probably going to look at me and think "What does this middle aged woman think she is doing? She looks nothing like Barbara Eden, she is too old for long hair, and just who the heck does she think she is anyway?? (BTW - I used to know a woman who DID look like Barbara Eden - she was so conceited that she took offense at the comparison ... lol).

When I was done with the updo I took a second look and almost didn't wear it out. Whereas the ponytail was ok (it was now only half of my total hair volume) and the waves were nice enough, I still worried that to other people it might look "ratty" because of the extreme wavy texture and bit of taper from layers. People aren't used to seeing extra long hair that isn't flat ironed and glossy. Texture on longer than shoulder length is just not seen out and about, or if it is - I do think people perceive it as "ratty".

In the end I just went with the new found freedom that middle age can bring, I really don't give a Rats As$ what they think. And if they think I am off-center, so much the better. I would rather that than being seen as boring, and well, middle aged !

[sycamoreboutiqu]

RE: Aquage Beyond Shine - Sounds like something I would love to try, but OMG - Watch this Youtube vid of a stylist straightening super curly hair with this product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxI5wPidFYE

I'll bet it took the entire can, or two cans to do this. Look at the vapor cloud hanging around her head - then the smoke that comes off the flat iron - it is smoke not steam. Yikes !

[sycamoreboutiqu]

Luxepiggy - Just saw your review of it on Sleekhair.com ...

[luxepiggy]

RE: Aquage Beyond Shine - Sounds like something I would love to try, but OMG - Watch this Youtube vid of a stylist straightening super curly hair with this product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxI5wPidFYE

I'll bet it took the entire can, or two cans to do this. Look at the vapor cloud hanging around her head - then the smoke that comes off the flat iron - it is smoke not steam. Yikes !

Oh dear. That is definitely not what I have in mind when I recommend this product to people. Eep! ( ' (oo) ' )



Luxepiggy - Just saw your review of it on Sleekhair.com ...

LOL! I reviewed it here and on MUA too. When I find a great product, I want everyone to know! (^(oo)^)v

[WaitingSoLong]

Yes, I was quite thrilled to see Ice Shine return to the market! In lieu of amodimethicone, it contains "bis-aminopropyl dimethicone," which is from the same category (aminosilicones / amine-functionalized silicones) and has many similar properties. I didn't realise they were charging more for Ice Shine . . . maybe it's just that much better than the other varieties! ;)

What kind of amo condish did you get?? I've never used one that combined amo with regular dimethicone . . . quite curious about how it will turn out!

Aquage Beyond Shine! It is like having your very own aerosol can full of miracles and joy :D It's meant to be used as a shine spray and/or thermal protectant, but I've found that it also keeps my hair soft and tangle-free all day. I use it every morning, without fail. I even have a little baby 2-oz can for travel (^(oo)^)v

It's Neutrogena Triple Moisture (http://www.drugstore.com/neutrogena-triple-moisture-daily-deep-conditioner/qxp86554?catid=169952). Me and my husband were both reading all the backs of bottles and there was only one other that had amo in it...it was twice the price so I chose the Nuetrogena even tho I tend not to like their products. I have never tried their S&C (except the T-gel, which I had an allergic reaction to). I used it again yesterday. It is OK, just not awesome.

SO where does one get the Aquage BS? (lol). If I can get it in a regular store I will look for it today while I am out! And I have not bought any of the ice shine yet because I have so much S&C as I had just bought new bottles before I discovered that...and it takes me like a year to go through one bottle as I dilute the shampoo AND the conditioners. I may have to get it anyway and shelf my other stuff.

Oh I just realized you probably are west coast and will not even see this til after I leave.

[luxepiggy]

It's Neutrogena Triple Moisture (http://www.drugstore.com/neutrogena-triple-moisture-daily-deep-conditioner/qxp86554?catid=169952). Me and my husband were both reading all the backs of bottles and there was only one other that had amo in it...it was twice the price so I chose the Nuetrogena even tho I tend not to like their products. I have never tried their S&C (except the T-gel, which I had an allergic reaction to). I used it again yesterday. It is OK, just not awesome.

Yea, I've used the Neutrogena conditioner and I'm not a fan either. If you're looking to give amodimethicone a go on its own, try L'Oréal Nutri Gloss for Damaged Hair. It's the best drugstore conditioner I've tried that's got only amodimethicone and no other 'cones in it. Make sure you don't get the one for fine hair, that one's no good.


SO where does one get the Aquage BS? (lol). If I can get it in a regular store I will look for it today while I am out! And I have not bought any of the ice shine yet because I have so much S&C as I had just bought new bottles before I discovered that...and it takes me like a year to go through one bottle as I dilute the shampoo AND the conditioners. I may have to get it anyway and shelf my other stuff.

No, unfortunately it's only to be had at beauty supply stores, or online. Drugstore.com has it: http://www.drugstore.com/aquage-beyond-shine/qxp344541?catid=183510

[WaitingSoLong]

WaitingSoLong, since summer is coming I think it would be a good idea to hold off on a chop for a little longer.. if you are anything like me I tend to not want my hair down when it is hot anyway because it gets stuck on my skin :S

Also, I don't know if my hair actually looks good down but it doesn't tangle. At least it has something going for it :silly:

I have no plans to cut yet. Just thinking out loud.

I let my hair completely air dry before putting it up yesterday and it looked AWFUL. Even detangled it looked awful. I usually put it up partially wet.

[WaitingSoLong]

Oh Luxe you are fast. I wonder if Sally's has it?

[luxepiggy]

Oh Luxe you are fast. I wonder if Sally's has it?

For some reason all of the non-chain beauty supply stores in my area carry it, but I haven't seen the brand at places like Sally's or Ulta, at least not around here. Might be best to ring them up and ask if they have it?

[WaitingSoLong]

Urgh. Well all I managed to come home with today was Ice Shine conditioner. The other store I cheked only had the shampoo and the L'Oreal conditioner was not there either (but the shampoo was). I did not happen into a salon. I broke my rule about having two bottles of conditioner at once. I wonder if the Neutrogena would make a good DCT?

Anyway, back on topic, I wore my hair loose today with braid waves. Right now it looks horrid! lol. oh well.

[earthnut]

Anyone tried this frizz buster gel (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=6508)?

[Sunny_side_up]

I see some stunning waist length and longer hairs flowing free when i travel to work in central London, had my near APL hair out today and putting my bag on my shoulder trapped my hair yanking it, got wind blown while walking too and when i got home gently de-tangled the hairs, they seem to entwine, its what im getting used to with my lengthening locks and my type of hair. I plan to get to BSL.... but kinda thought today if i wear it down more often its likely to be cut to grazing shoulder length!:p ahh me thinks a trim is coming up, that always helps me enjoy the look and feel of my hair more:D

[BeckyAH]

I've been thinking about this thread, a lot, and had to come back with it - with Thoughts. That are probably only interesting to me.

I wonder, sometimes, if we don't set ourselves up a bit for unreasonable expectations. How many times has it been said that the hair in the pictures being shown look better than the real thing - that pictures get taken of oiled/dirty hair because it's shiny, that it took a dozen pictures to get a good one, etc.

Pictures are taken of the very best hair days, after a bunch of shots, and capture a split second of stillness. In reality, hair moves. Hair moves a lot. Isn't it pretty inevitable that if you're walking around, doing stuff inside, and never mind outside, that it's not going to fall back into place indefinitely? For most people, anyway.

And quite aside from that, much like panteen commercials, I think sometimes all those 'perfectly crafted moments' pictures maybe lead people to believing that there is something wrong with their hair when it doesn't really look like that. When it's tangly, when it's more mused, when there are a halo of flyaways, when the ends kick out in different directions, when hair separates at the ends, when it's not glossy and shiny... When it behaves like hair in the real world instead of a picture, basically.

[BeckyAH]

I went to take photos to demonstrate what I mean. ...and because albums being down makes me sad.


http://i49.tinypic.com/osg6ma.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/90vceu.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/wigc4.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/2d810ci.jpg

That's all the same hair, the same day, and about thirty seconds apart. Some of it? LOOKS much better than others.

And the ickier looking ones are, frankly, what you'd be more likely to see in the real world. Layers everywhere, ends sticking out, 'stringy' uneven curl pattern, and tangly.

[WaitingSoLong]

Thought I woudl post an update on this thread.

First, once I started using Pantene Ice Shine conditioner again, the results were SO HUGELY different and better I just hope they never discontinue this product. I was unable to find the L'Oreal product Piggy mentioned, seriously, the places I checked had an empty space where it should be. But all is ok, I have Ice Shine. I guess I am just taken aback at how much of a difference that product makes on my hair. Definitely a holy grail product for me. My hair is silky again! Yay!

Second, I finally got Aquage Beyond Shine and I got it for FREE. lol. I went to the spa yesterday for a spa package (massage, etc.) and got a free product as part of the package. Guess what I chose?

Needless to say I ran right home and tried it. I agree with Luxepiggy's review on sleekhair.com. No greasiness, no weight, shine and fluidity. But I have only used it once.

By the by...What does MUA stand for?

[Annibelle]

Hm... I wonder what determines if hair will look this way. My SO has TBL hair (and he's over 6', so it's a lot of hair) and it's NEVER tangly-looking. Even when it actually IS tangled. It always looks smooth and sleek with slight body (he's a 1b). I guess when his hair has been down for a while, instead of looking messy, it just starts to look wavy. Hmm.

[pepperminttea]

First, once I started using Pantene Ice Shine conditioner again, the results were SO HUGELY different and better I just hope they never discontinue this product. [...] I guess I am just taken aback at how much of a difference that product makes on my hair. Definitely a holy grail product for me. My hair is silky again! Yay!

Ooh, I have a bottle of that in my stash that I'd completely forgotten about. Guess what I'm trying next wash? :D Thanks for reminding me!

[luxepiggy]

Thought I woudl post an update on this thread.

First, once I started using Pantene Ice Shine conditioner again, the results were SO HUGELY different and better I just hope they never discontinue this product. I was unable to find the L'Oreal product Piggy mentioned, seriously, the places I checked had an empty space where it should be. But all is ok, I have Ice Shine. I guess I am just taken aback at how much of a difference that product makes on my hair. Definitely a holy grail product for me. My hair is silky again! Yay!

Second, I finally got Aquage Beyond Shine and I got it for FREE. lol. I went to the spa yesterday for a spa package (massage, etc.) and got a free product as part of the package. Guess what I chose?

Needless to say I ran right home and tried it. I agree with Luxepiggy's review on sleekhair.com. No greasiness, no weight, shine and fluidity. But I have only used it once.

By the by...What does MUA stand for?

Hooray! Glad to hear the Ice Shine is working for you - and amazing luck getting the Aquage for free! \(^(oo)^)/

MUA = makeup alley :D

[WaitingSoLong]

Hey Luxe...how do you apply the Aquage Beyond Shine? Both times I have tried it so far it made my hair...sort of greasy looking and weighed down. I suspect I am using too much. I tried it on both wet and dry hair (before I dried it with a dryer).

[luxepiggy]

Hey Luxe...how do you apply the Aquage Beyond Shine? Both times I have tried it so far it made my hair...sort of greasy looking and weighed down. I suspect I am using too much. I tried it on both wet and dry hair (before I dried it with a dryer).

I suspect you are using too much, also :p The key is to dispense the product as if it were a pump-spray instead of an aerosol. Press down firmly on the button, then let go immediately, rather than holding it down. Literally, the button should never be depressed for more than 1 second at a time - I did the whole "one one thousand" count in my head, and only got through "one one th-" before I let go :D You'll also want to keep your hand moving as you spray.

On non-wash days, I generally bring all of my hair over one shoulder, spritz the length once (again, with the button pressed for < 1 second, and with my hand moving), then bring it all over the other shoulder and spritz a second time in the same fashion. So 2 brief spritzes total.

With freshly washed hair, I do 2 spritzes on each side, plus one over the top/crown area on damp hair immediately before I start blow-drying. After the hair is 90&#37; dry, I apply 1 additional spritz to the length on each side, focusing on the ends. 5 brief spritzes total on damp hair, plus 2 additional ones after blow-drying (^(oo)^)v

[Rini]

I will admit to being extremely self conscious about wearing my hair down in public :o My hair is very healthy, but does appear to look "ratty". This is entirely due to my natural texture: wurly, fine and silver. My hair does shine, but not as noticeably as those with dark, straight hair. For this reason (and tangle issues), I wear my hair up 99% of the time.

Having said that, I do get compliments when I wear my hair down.....so perhaps I'm just too self critical? :shrug:

[honeydippedxo]

My hair looked good down tbl, never ratty. But I know what you're saying-I've seen alot of ratty looking hair. Like everything else in life it just depends, everyone's different.

[WaitingSoLong]

Thanks Luxe! I will try that next time. I haven't used aerosol since the early 90's, maybe even late 80's when that was the preferred method of dispensing hairspray, which I don't even use anymore.

[Saeth]

I've been thinking about this thread, a lot, and had to come back with it - with Thoughts. That are probably only interesting to me.

I wonder, sometimes, if we don't set ourselves up a bit for unreasonable expectations. How many times has it been said that the hair in the pictures being shown look better than the real thing - that pictures get taken of oiled/dirty hair because it's shiny, that it took a dozen pictures to get a good one, etc.

Pictures are taken of the very best hair days, after a bunch of shots, and capture a split second of stillness. In reality, hair moves. Hair moves a lot. Isn't it pretty inevitable that if you're walking around, doing stuff inside, and never mind outside, that it's not going to fall back into place indefinitely? For most people, anyway.

And quite aside from that, much like panteen commercials, I think sometimes all those 'perfectly crafted moments' pictures maybe lead people to believing that there is something wrong with their hair when it doesn't really look like that. When it's tangly, when it's more mused, when there are a halo of flyaways, when the ends kick out in different directions, when hair separates at the ends, when it's not glossy and shiny... When it behaves like hair in the real world instead of a picture, basically.

Actually Becky, I agree wholeheartedly with you on this. I recently posted about being at my wits end with my waist length hair because it's ratty and seperates at the bottom, among other things. I got some useful replies on there, though most of the things I had tried. However I did walk away after it and think, all the gorgeous pictures I see are a Perfect Moment. My pic looks lovely, but in the day to day life of moving about it just does not look like this. Maybe I should start a thread asking people to post pictures of their hair "in action" for some balance!

[WaitingSoLong]

Oh gee somewhere on here I started a thread about just that, Saeth. Lemme see if I can find it...YEP (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=69762).

[lydiajo]

Yep, don't care how tangled my hair looks either... I wear it down and over one shoulder so it's in the front. It makes me happy, and it's not like I'm here on earth to look perfect and decorate anyone's world.

My long hair (almost waist) makes ME happy. Isn't that what it's about for most of us.

Lydia

[heidi w.]

I can barely handle wearing my hair down inside, much less outside, because it needs constant detangling, or I end up with a ball of tangled hair at the back of my neck just from rubbing against clothing or movement of my head. I notice the same thing, a lot of ratting looking hair that's longer, even if there's a fair amount of long hair in my blip of the US. A lot of people here are quite poor and this, I think, accounts for hair looking unkempt at times. They simply can't afford good products, or trims, or good combs and that kind of thing. They're at "I can afford a bag of Doritos for dinner." I'm not kidding either.

heidi w.

[MidnightStar]

My people, I have found you!! :D LOL. But seriously, I've been thinking about this very issue more and more the last couple of months. My hair is now just at BCL and I was hoping for TB or perhaps even classic, but I'm starting to contemplate chopping it back to waist because of this. I typically wear my hair up every day, mainly because it makes me look more professional at work but also for protection. Well, recently I wanted to "rebel" because why on earth am I growing out my hair if I never wear it down? (Also I've been having some scalp sensitivity from some of my hair toys, but that's an issue for another thread.) So I started wearing my hair down and...tangles, tangles, tangles!! I'll think it looks nice, but then glimpse myself in mirrors and realize it just looks a mess. I think some of this comes from the whole 1c not curly-not straight-somewhat wavy issue that just makes it look a horrible frizzy mess, and my hair tangles like you wouldn't believe at the nape (last night it took me 10 minutes to comb out a rat's nest of epic proportions).
So...what to do? I don't want to cut, but I also don't want to feel like I "can't" wear it down because I can't deal with the rat's nest on a regular basis. Maybe a leave-in? But then my hair is so fine that most leave-ins just make it look weighed down unless I use so little it's like, what's the point of using it at all? :(
I'll be following this thread with a lot of interest!

[anime_length]

Yep, don't care how tangled my hair looks either... I wear it down and over one shoulder so it's in the front. It makes me happy, and it's not like I'm here on earth to look perfect and decorate anyone's world.

I love that! My hair is kind of generally unruly but I feel like when I just don't care, and embrace how [huge] it is, i look so much more.... me.

[Emmental]

This is my hair struggle right now. I, personally, like how I look and feel with my hair down. I am one of those that would never grow my hair out just to wear it up. However, I'm at the stage where I really have to "do" it to keep it down and looking great and since it's fairly long, it's a lot of work.

That said, I'm really contemplating getting a shorter style. Yes, it will require some work to look good, but it will take 1/4 of the time and I think it will make me feel great.

[julierockhead]

Could this be a hair-type dependent problem? I have had semi-crappy boxdyed blowfried hair to waist pre-LHC, and tangles were few and far between. I didn't even put my hair up to sleep or use a satin pillowcase.

[Katze]

My hair looks terrible much of the time, though WO has been helping lately by giving the length more weight.

Unless I constantly comb and style (use product) it hangs in 'bacon strips' by the end of the day and looks unhealthy, even though it is not! This is not helped by the fact that I bike and am low-maintenance about wanting to primp at work or while out and about. No, I do not carry a purse, ever - I carry a messenger bag or bike pannier. Combs tend to get lost or broken. :)

I regularly see (younger) women with hair as long or longer than mine, wearing it down in the wind and rain, blowing out behind them on their bikes, and it looks smooth and thick and hangs as one curtain of hair. Perhaps these women have all used massive amounts of products, straighteners, blowdryers - so why does their hair look thick and shiny and hang so smoothly? I think I have maybe 5 female students out of 40 whose hair is waist or longer, worn down frequently, and always looks good!

Maybe if I changed my lifestyle and spent even more time on my hair than I do, which I don't have, I could get it to look better more often? Since my hair has rarely looked good in my life - it was fried beyond repair for over two decades - I am not sure if it can. Its natural state seems to be stringy and ratty, and I am very self-conscious about it.

[Saeth]

Oh ty Waiting :blossom: I'm comforted to see your hair does what mine does!

Katze: My hair is also stringy (The photo shows the challenges on the bottom, but it gets worse as the day progresses and even where the hair is a healthy thickness it starts to hang in strips). I have felt very self-conscious about my hair this last month and it barely made it through last weekend without me chopping it off in a rage. But aside from this I like having long hair! I want it TB or BCL as for me it makes me a little unusual and I like being that way. In the end, I came to realise that hair is like peoples faces and bodies: all different and beautiful in its own way and it's too easy to get caught up in an ideal, when the ideal is 1) either a moment in time, a perfect snap shot or 2) is not typical for most people. Most of us have to deal with hair "faults" but they're not really faults, just challenges.

So on that note I raided the local pharmacy and got some cone conditioner and leave in to see if I can help my hair be less tangly. In the mean time I can only console myself with the fact my hair is in fact healthy, and it's just my type (thinness at the bottom from shedding aside) that makes it look ratty, screw what others think.

http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab181/Invicta-Shay/081300x400.jpg

[Ostelot]

Since MBL it's been very hard to wear my hair loose. Not because of the tangles, these appear only after the very windy and long days. But my hair looks so flat, stringy and thin, blah. Combing every half an hour helps but it's frustrating and not possible in every places. Wearing hair down in a braid or ponytail is still a good option for me, I can also show my length that way.

But my hair doesn't show its good features when it's loose, even in the bob length. Then it had no long lasting volume and bended to (wrong) directions. And my features looks better when the back hair is tied off from face. So I just envy all those persons wearing their loose and admire their strands.:D

[Amapola]

When I decided to grow my hair out again, that was one of my rules to myself - I did not want my hair to look really bad. I did not want to be doing my own personal female version of the comb-over - I want to embrace my hair for whatever it is, and if it can't take being long, I will wear it shorter.

So far, so good. In fact it's never looked better, and now that I've found this community I think it will only look better.

As an inspiration there is a lady in my town who works for one of the propane companies. She has knee-length hair, and she always wears it down. She does have fairy tale ends, which are not my own personal favorite, but it just always looks nice anyway. She has fine hair, like mine, so I have high hopes that mine will behave itself better at a longer length.

[serin blackwood]

Understandably, this thread makes me feel both comforted and distressed at the same time.
My hair is ratty and I had chalked it up to not finding just the right routine for it, yet.

Is rattiness inevitable, or could this be everyone's problem? Not finding the perfect combo of products, leave in's, washing routine, oiling, conditioners etc. etc...





I regularly see (younger) women with hair as long or longer than mine, wearing it down in the wind and rain, blowing out behind them on their bikes, and it looks smooth and thick and hangs as one curtain of hair. Perhaps these women have all used massive amounts of products, straighteners, blowdryers - so why does their hair look thick and shiny and hang so smoothly? I think I have maybe 5 female students out of 40 whose hair is waist or longer, worn down frequently, and always looks good!

^^^ this ^^^
Katze, can you ask them what they do to make their hair look so good?


.

[Amapola]

@serin blackwood - perhaps as your hair grows longer? Mine is much better now that it's longer, and my hope is that it will keep getting better the longer it gets, and sort of weights itself down.

I also agree that we do sometimes expect too much. After all it does take hours and hours to get the hair just right for a commercial or movie. None of us have crews going with us everywhere we go, fixing every little thing. At least... *I* don't have that... :)

[Maraz]

I thought of this site again today when I realized me and the chick at the drivethru were checking out each other's braids! They were still all fuzzy because I slept in them, and since I wasn't getting out of the car, I left them that way.

Kind of more encouraged to smooth my hair out and try to make it look decent when I see another longhair. Mine is naturally frizzy and inclined to misbehave at any length, but even without hairspray and expensive conditioners, I can usually make it behave in a fresh braid, either down my back or over my shoulder, and as someone already said, I'm not here to decorate the world for people, I like my hair long, and I'm keeping it that way.

[serin blackwood]

@serin blackwood - perhaps as your hair grows longer? Mine is much better now that it's longer, and my hope is that it will keep getting better the longer it gets, and sort of weights itself down.

I updated my length ... it's grown a few more inches (:

But the point is, look at all the people in this thread who do have longer hair and established routines and it still looks ratty!

I'm comforted because I'm not alone ... but distressed that it may always be this way, no matter how long it grows.

[barnet_fair]

Now that every supposedly murine image has faded from this thread into the intervening decade, let us advance our aesthetic theory of rattiness.

Oscar Wilde once said, "Rattiness is a form of genius".

A greater whole is created when our natural rattiness harmonises with concomitant aesthetic elements. I have had many memorable impressions of people with ratty hair throughout my life. Hair down is always expressive of something more subtle than rattiness alone.

togetherness - long, thin hair, swirled with grey, in a single ponytail over the shoulder, one long tapering line...

wildness - hair that moves about a lot in the wind, or for some dark interior reason. hair that reaches out and touches, where nothing else would dare to touch.

excess - your hair is really, really long. it's so long that it clearly causes you practical problems. hair that points toward a higher, invisible ideal

neglect - the hair of someone who is very deeply absorbed in something else. detached from everything, even unrattiness.

flux - now ratty, now unratty, hair with a quick temper, that must comment on the weather

work-in-progress - bleached ends on several feet of virgin hair, ends that are constantly being handled, detangled, combed out nervously in public. she's growing, processing.

messiness - or would your lover call it something else, when he sees your hair dishevelled?

[SandyBottom]

Thanks for reviving this thread! So many interesting perspectives and a lot of them have me saying, "Yup. I know what you mean." I love to wear my hair down, but rarely do outside my house. I feel it looks stringy and tangled (even if others don't). It depends a lot on what I'm wearing and the wind conditions. My favorite place to wear it loose is walking on the beach when we have a rare day of no to very light wind. I'm in a bathing suit so there really isn't anything rough for it to rub or catch on.

[neko_kawaii]

I think our expectations of what hair should look like has been messed up by advertising images: Hair should hang and move in a sheet or be bouncy distinct curls. But reality is different, and our vocabulary for describing what hair actually looks like truly sucks.

[cadaverinna]

Everyone's hair is different and we're brainwashed into thinking it's not, so I'm answering this in a different way:

My hair is very full and my terminal length is definitely past my knees + I benign neglect aka it's always in a loose hairstyle for protection, so my hair can easily be at classical length and worn down often, even if I have to be harrassed by the donation crowd.
What I mean is that w the routine and hair type I have, I could sure wear it down most of the time w/o having thin ends, but that's not gonna work for most people. Most people don't even think about this kind of details we here do.

I'm not against thin ends, it fits some people's styles and energies. I apparently radiate the "eco witch" vibe, so thin ends wouldn't be an issue, but super full hair also fits. I'm in a more "clean girl aesthetic" phase rn so I took some blending shears to my ends, I find that both the super blunt and the super thin ends wouldn't go well.

[SandyBottom]

I think our expectations of what hair should look like has been messed up by advertising images: Hair should hang and move in a sheet or be bouncy distinct curls. But reality is different, and our vocabulary for describing what hair actually looks like truly sucks.

String cheese?

[baanoo]

Barnet, I love your contemplations on this!

I find the term “ratty” - like “mousey” and “stringy” - to be pretty terrible descriptors. Neko is right that our perceptions have been skewed, like so many other aspects of living in a physical body.

When I read through the thread I am struck by how many people seem to perceive long-tangles or slight clumping as problematic. Is it really? No. It’s not. It’s inconvenient to have to comb tangles out, but oh well! To quote my mom, who is quoting someone else though I don’t know who it is: “Them’s the conditions that prevail out in the West.”

It is not possible for my hair to hang in the beautiful glossy curtain of someone with, for example, type 1/C hair where the lack of wave and the thickness of the individual strand keeps it more together. My hair loves to fairy tail because the growth rate is a bit inconsistent and I don’t care to keep it trimmed perfectly blunt. I also don’t want to fight a losing battle by trying to keep it all in place all the time and prefer wildness to artificial domesticity.

Circling back to BarnetFair’s post: the aesthetic emphasizes parts of myself I often struggle to integrate; eg, the desire to be perfect in all things running counter to the desire for liberation from the “midnight Should” and socially-imposed standards of appearance/behavior/etc.

Maybe this is taking it a bit far? Hair growing has been a process about much more than just growing it out for me; forgive me if I get a little philosophical about it!

[Ylva]

Now that every supposedly murine image has faded from this thread into the intervening decade, let us advance our aesthetic theory of rattiness.

Oscar Wilde once said, "Rattiness is a form of genius".

A greater whole is created when our natural rattiness harmonises with concomitant aesthetic elements. I have had many memorable impressions of people with ratty hair throughout my life. Hair down is always expressive of something more subtle than rattiness alone.

togetherness - long, thin hair, swirled with grey, in a single ponytail over the shoulder, one long tapering line...

wildness - hair that moves about a lot in the wind, or for some dark interior reason. hair that reaches out and touches, where nothing else would dare to touch.

excess - your hair is really, really long. it's so long that it clearly causes you practical problems. hair that points toward a higher, invisible ideal

neglect - the hair of someone who is very deeply absorbed in something else. detached from everything, even unrattiness.

flux - now ratty, now unratty, hair with a quick temper, that must comment on the weather

work-in-progress - bleached ends on several feet of virgin hair, ends that are constantly being handled, detangled, combed out nervously in public. she's growing, processing.

messiness - or would your lover call it something else, when he sees your hair dishevelled?


Amazing post! :heart:

[rosenester]

I am quite enjoying the recent conversation over this ‘old’ thread, and the philosophical ponderings, bannoo!! Since there are no longer photos, I wonder if I would perceive anything negative about these heads of hair. Do people perceive wavy hair clumping to be a negative attribute? It is just what hair does. Or maybe it’s the combination of thinner hair at the ends and clumping? Because… that is also what hair does. I am sure I’ve thought of my own hair as ‘ratty’ occasionally throughout my life, but it is an unkind way to describe hair. Perhaps it’s one we’ve accepted because of hearing it in childhood after an entire day of playing outdoors with loose hair. I would never even tell a child their hair looks ratty, or let myself think it of my own hair ever again after reading this thread!

For LHC I usually brush my hair just prior to a photo, in an attempt to have some regularity for seeing my own progress. To avoid tangles when wearing it loose I brush it morning and night, and keep it up overnight. But my hair will clump back together especially when exposed to humidity, and I embrace this as well. I was influenced by the 90’s stick straight hair trend and straightened my hair through the early 2000’s. I certainly enjoy wearing my hair natural now, and enjoy the wildness, messiness, and flux of “hair with quick temper that must comment on the weather” (thank you Barnet_fair for the hair poetry!)

[melesine]

People with straight hair usually don’t understand natural hair that is wavy, curly or textured. You think something is wrong with it or it needs to be tamed. It doesn’t

[Kitt3n]

My hair is waist length but I've never thought it looked ratty. I know hair types are different but I've never really had a problem with tangles or split ends. I have fine hair but a lot of it and it untangles easily with my fingers. I also like the look of untamed, thick, and long hair and how the sun shines on it when it's fully down. Lol generally I'll do braids, pigtails or half up in the summer but I love wearing it down and free, unless I'm dying from the heat.

[SandyBottom]

People with straight hair usually don’t understand natural hair that is wavy, curly or textured. You think something is wrong with it or it needs to be tamed. It doesn’t

Love this! A distant relative was forever saying another family member's child's hair was "messy". I stuck up for the child and told her, "It's not messy, it's curly!"