Is long hair more expensive

[clanless]

That is what people seem to say but I doubt it. I actually began growing hair because I don't want to deal with it anymore.
Here are my reasons why long hair is cheaper or no more expensive than short hair
1. No more barber. Yea I can learn to do my own hair but I don't want to bother. Short hair is high maintenance is you want to keep it short and presentable.
2. Shampoo use is pretty much the same with long hair and short hair because you're only supposed to wash the scalp, so the "long hair needs more shampoo" idea doesn't make sense.

What do you think?

[TheMechaGinger]

The only thing that's more expensive for me with longer hair is the amount of conditioner I use (and it's not even a huge difference), but if you don't use conditioner then it is totally cheaper to have long hair

[earthnut]

You might use more conditioner and oils, but that's no comparison to the cost savings of not going to the hairdresser's. For me it's way cheaper.

[SongofLove]

I'm pretty sure that long hair can be quite cheap to keep, especially if you stretch washes...

...Unless you fall prey to hairtoy enablers :D

[Bunnysaur]

I'd say the amount I spend on hair toys just about cancels out my savings of not going to salon every 6 weeks.
On the flip side, my shampoo bar habit is proving to be much less expensive then buying regular shampoos. So savings there. Plus, oils are less expensive than conditioners, and last much longer.
So, yeah, growing my hair is saving me some money. Not much, but it adds up.

[akilina]

I believe that they both have their sides. Both being about the same. With short hair you are more tempted to buy some fun products for it, yet with long hair you are more likely to stick with just one (or 20, if you are a hair junkee) leave ins or oils.
I have never cared about using too much conditioner. For some reason I use a TON. I always have. I always will too, no matter my length. You are totally right about washing just the scalp. I can not remember the last time the length of my hair was actually *washed*

[one_fine_lady]

I have fine hair but a LOT of it so it tangles very easily when I let it grow long. Maybe your hair type makes longer hair easier for you... which I know a lot of ladies and myself are very jealous of ;)

[bte]

The biggest saving is on barber/salon costs. At the very least, you will go less often; many of us here don't pay anyone for trims. That's more than enough to pay for a bit of extra conditioner.

[Bene]

For me, short hair is more expensive. Also more work.

The only expensive part about longer hair is the accessories. It's not a necessary expense. I could probably manage with one fork, one stick, one comb and one brush. One of each is fairly cheap. Unfortunately, I didn't stop at one :nono:

[clanless]

Shotr hair looks like a bird nest without gel.

You're right, accessories are expensive but all you really "need" to protect your hair rather than letting it loose is a dollar set of hair ties. But conditioner definitely, some people get tangly hair and they need tons of conditioner. The more hair the more conditioner. Especially if the dollar store brands don't work for you.

[Suze2012]

For me longer hair is cheaper...well..since I started co-washing it's been massively cheaper anyway.
I used to spend around £18 per month on shampoo, 2 conditioners and a smoothing product and now I'm on average down to about £5 weighing up a couple of things I still haven't used up yet.
Now my hair is at a length I like I go to the hairdresser just twice a year and only have a wet cut (they also just wet and condition my hair and don't use a towel on it - all at my request). so my ct is pretty cheap also.

The main saving is time though as it takes much less time and effort to do my hair now than it ever did when it was short.

[kidari]

long hair is cheaper: I cut my own hair, I can stretch washes or hide greasiness more easily with longer hair, it can be styled in different ways for many different looks so it's versatile and prevents me from doing constant costly changes

the only thing I use a ton of with longer hair is leave-in conditioner and the cheapest way around this I've discovered is simply diluting regular conditioner with water into an empty spray bottle (just clean out an old bottle once you've finished the product)

[dwell_in_safety]

Long hair is cheaper for me. I have certainly spent more on accessories, oil, and things such as satin pillowcases in the past year, but it could very easily be argued that with CO-washing oil is unnecessary and that one only needs one hair stick, really, to keep hair up and healthy every day.

[Avital88]

yes more conditioner, but not going to the hairdresser every 2months compensates a lot

[pink.sara]

For me long hair is more expensive as I use tons more conditioner and coconut oil.

Also when I dye or henna it now it takes 3 boxes of dye, or 400grams of henna minimum. At waist it will be 4 boxes and 500grams etc etc....

[MegaMystery]

I think it's definitely cheaper, I don't use as many products (mousse etc) as I did before. Also I don't dye my hair that often anymore, and when i dye it I dye with henna and the roots are nearly invisible so I don't have to worry about covering roots :). Stretching washes has made my shampoo last a lot longer, but i do use a LOT of conditioner (i think my shampoo:conditioner ratio is about 1:5 if not more)

[didrash]

Long hair is definitely much more expensive for me, but that is because I like to try stuff and I am a hair stick junkie. I used to keep it in a bob, and all I needed was shampoo, and only sometimes conditioner. Now I use henna and indigo, and oils, and daktarin, and leave-ins, and supplements for growth... And my hair toy collection has cost me a pretty penny (understatement :)).

[Amber_Maiden]

Having long hair for me is definitely more expensive than short hair. Even with having haircuts more often, and paying for them, it doesn't even get close to what I pay to have long hair. I go through bottles of conditioner very quickly, and my dry ends take tons of oil.

[Theobroma]

On balance I'd definitely say it's cheaper... or at least it was until I discovered LHC and, through LHC, all those gorgeous and expensive hairtoys. I've had long hair all my life and have been to a salon all of twice in total, but the amount I've spent on hairtoys in the last couple of years... well, let's just say it would have covered significantly more than two years' worth of salon visits, I think! :D

Having it long still makes for a significant saving of time, though. I don't have to spend ages every morning styling a short cut; I just spend maybe thirty seconds putting it up in a classy bun and be good to go.

[Phalaenopsis]

For me, short hair is more expensive. Also more work.

The only expensive part about longer hair is the accessories. It's not a necessary expense. I could probably manage with one fork, one stick, one comb and one brush. One of each is fairly cheap. Unfortunately, I didn't stop at one :nono:

This :) Long hair made me spend a lot more money than short hair.

[WaitingSoLong]

For long hair I don't need a curling iron or flat iron, which also saves money on electric bills, but probably not THAT much. Irons, etc. are a one time investment which can be really cheap if you get stuff for free because your friends, etc. give it to you because they have 5 curling irons. I have some hairtoys but I am not "enabled" as some are here and I just have a few. I don't plan to buy more bu I have more toys for long hair than I did for short hair. In all, I think the different needs balance out. I also was more prone to dye my hair when it was shorter.

I would say it is about the same except for paying a salon to keep it short. I trim my own hair now. Since I already have all my hairtoys, oil is the only thing I buy a lot but I use it on my skin, too, much moreso than my hair. As for S&C, I use LESS now than I did when my hair was short but that is just because I learned I was using way too much back then.

I have long hair because it is EASIER, not cheaper ;) (IMO)

[Marcellaa]

Long hair is more expensive for me. I buy a lot of hairproducts and toys that I would never have bought before, when my hair was still SL/APL. And I use tons of conditioner. About 100 ml every time I wash my hair, and I wash it every other day...
So yes, that is more expensive. Because even with short hair, I didn't visit de salon that much. Maybe 4 times a year. Now I go about once a year.
But I don't mind. I consider this my hobby ;)

[Madora]

Not for me! It makes me smile to think of all the money I saved by not having to rely on salons for anything. Not only in terms of actual money spent, but time saved from having to go out, use gas, etc. Also, I saved big time being able to style my own hair and not having to find a stylist.

The idea of spends tons of money to care for your hair is ludicrous.

[SpinDance]

For me having long hair is certainly cheaper. I need very little shampoo, and I use as much conditioner as it seems to want or need. I dilute them much of the time, particularly the shampoo. I still haven't finished the bottle of Suave Naturals Strawberry that I purchased some months after I'd joined LHC, and won't for months yet. (I am very tired of strawberry as you may imagine).

I've bought a number of oils and hairtoys, but I don't consider those to be costs of having long hair, I consider them to be entertainment. I've had long hair for years and I know I don't need those things for my hair to be long. However, as part of my experimentation process I wanted them, thus, entertainment. And education, I guess. I'm not done with my testing yet, but I've already improved both my hair and learned things that are very simple that I can use as my long term routine.

Cutting my own hair saves me $10-15 per cut (long blunt cut = bang trim), I was getting it trimmed every 3-5 months before LHC. I'm now using very inexpensive shampoo/conditioners where before I purchased much more expensive salon brands. Even so, the over all costs weren't that much, due to sparing use and dilution. I always used more conditioner, now I use more, when I'm using conditioner (my current test is without).

As for tools/toys, f I want to be minimalist I could do with a Flexi for sleeping, a stick/fork/flexi for wearing my hair up, Amish pins, spin pins and some elastics.

[EndlessSunshine]

My hair care is cheaper now because it is natural stuff mostly. Co wash as needed, use a little oil once a week, by little I mean maybe two tablespoons before I co wash. Most days I massage and just rinse my hair. Once or twice a week I rinse with white vinegar and water. Then I shampoo as needed to clarify. My face routine is baking soda to gently cleanse, a quick honey mask, and some grapeseed oil to moisterize. Normally I do some sort of mask everyday but it is stuff from the kitchen. I now make my own clothing and dish detergent, use vinegar to clean, and of course baking soda to clean. It all works, I know what is in it, and all of it is cheap. Life is good!

[jojo89]

I'd say shorter costs more cuz of the up-keep of it, making sure it is always the right style and length. Salon costs way more than spending a lil extra on oils and conditioners.

[sharonluvscats]

Well...I don't visit the salon as much, wash as much, or dye my hair. But I do spend money on oils, new products to try, and toys. I probably spend about the same.

[Anje]

As far as products go, no, I don't think long hair is more expensive. I use more conditioner per wash, but I wash less frequently.

However, once you discover hairtoys, it might start getting more expensive. :eyebrows:

[PixxieStix]

Long hair is certainly much cheaper for me. Short hair required a trip to the salon every 2-3 months, styling product every day, I was washing and blow drying every day because that made it quicker. With short hair I felt my hair got greasy really fast and couldn't stand to not wash it constantly which as you can imagine, ate up a lot of S&C!

Now I buy a $30 bottle of shampoo that lasts me roughly 2 years (or will last me, I'm not done with it!) as I mix it with coconut oil, I wash every 3-5 days, oil shampoo only with a diluted ACV rinse (so a bottle of ACV lasts for many months), and no styling products or heat. I will likely only go get a trim once or twice a year as needed for my ends, which my friend will do for me for cheap.

Granted, I did plunk down around $300 on hairtoys because of this place, but due to how much I use them and the protection they provide my hair from breakage, etc., I'm pretty okay with that. I don't consider it a part of "long hair or short hair being more expensive" because I didn't need them, they were frivolous purchases that I'm super pleased with. ^.^

[MrsGuther]

I spend way more on my hair now that it is long. More conditioner, hair toys, scrunchies, hair oils etc.

[CarpeDM]

For me, long hair is a lot more expensive. Short hair was super easy. I didn't need to baby it, I didn't need to oil it, I didn't need to do deep conditioning treatments, I didn't need to worry about putting it up, or worry about sleeping with it on a satin pillow case. Long hair is a lot more work and hence a lot more money. Now I have to take better care of it - buy better quality hair tools and hair products - and I need to put it up with hair toys all the time to protect it from damage and tangles.

[SilverDoe]

My hair isn't particularly long, but I use a very small amount of product usually & I don't think it will increase noticeably in cost.
Before I dyed it with harsh chemical dyes, henna is in the same price range if not cheaper. I also needed regular trims because of the dye damage.

Hanging out on LHC on the other hand is. Seriously, I need to block etsy permanently. Not to mention the expensive products that has become my favorites.

[catamonica]

I use natural oil, two different, shampoos, one is about six dollars. Other that that, every product is low cost. Wash, condition air dry. Real easy.

[Deborah]

Long hair seems cheaper to me. I realized the other day that I use 1/4 cup cheapie conditioner and just over 1 teaspoon of citric acid on my hair in a week. That's it.

[Cowgirl16]

I don't think it is more expensive.

I wash my hair 1-2 times weekly; not much more shampoo than I would use if my hair was waist length and the conditioner maybe a bit more.
I only go to the stylist to get my bangs trimmed. I actually can trim them several times in between professional visits.
No mousse no gel. I use my EVOO in the kitchen too :)
My hair toy collection hasn't grown much since my initial outlay. Maybe a piece here or there.

[Celtic Morla]

LH is way cheaper! I wash once a week or less MOST of the time, use no commercial products(at this point if I am in a pinch and use them my hair rebels horribly) and selftrim or DD trims for me. I dont have a lot of time to experiment and try new things so I do simple styles but I so want to learn to do better updos!

[Rivanariko]

Well lets see...

I haven't paid anyone to cut/style my hair in 7 years

I buy cheap conditioner and shampoo that usually lasts at least 6 months before I have to buy it again

I never had to purchase (or subsequently replace) a hair dryer, curling iron, straightener, etc.

I am very careful in my expenditures on hair toys.

Overall, I spend at the most $30 a year or so on my hair would be my guess, since the only thing I buy for it is conditioner and shampoo. I've never had short hair, but I'm gonna say this way is cheaper.

[Dang3rousB3auty]

For me I save about $140 on hair cuts. I usually went every 3 months and it costs around $35 to just get it trimmed(if I was into getting my hair trimmed regularly, most of the time I never went to the hairdresser and just let it do it's thing). I used to have super short hair and all I ever did was shampoo/condition and let it air dry. Don't think I really knew about leave-in conditioners or oils at that time. As it got longer I used a leave-in product. The only time my hair has cost a lot is when I decided to buy some expensive product/shampoo I didn't really need :P Otherwise my hair has been pretty cheap no matter its length.

[jacqueline101]

I think its the same cost wise as short hair. People want to think more hair more money spent.

[veetee12]

For me, shorter hair is WAY more expensive. Period. Needs frequent salon visits, long hair I cut myself! Including S&D missions against split ends, etc.

Long hair for me is cheaper to maintain, EASIER to maintain, much more fun (updos!), much more versatile and much more suitable to me. I do not find it more difficult to wash (now my longest most recently was midback, I might think different had I classic length or so), I never heat style anyway, always air dry, and the drying did not take significantly longer for the long hair as opposed to the past shoulder length I have right now (for now, soon to be really long again...*hope hope hope*)

So, in other words, were it more expensive, I would not give a &*&((.

[Maybe]

For me, short hair is more expensive. Also more work.

The only expensive part about longer hair is the accessories. It's not a necessary expense. I could probably manage with one fork, one stick, one comb and one brush. One of each is fairly cheap. Unfortunately, I didn't stop at one :nono:

Haha, this is so me. I will save $70 every 6 weeks from going to my hairdresser but I have spent more than that in hair toys in the last 6 weeks alone. And I haven't even worn any of them yet.

I *am* new to buying hair toys so hopefully my currently insatiable lust will abate :o

But......I actually joined the forum, after just lurking for awhile, because I wanted to buy something off the swap board :). NOT a good sign......

[dulce]

Another myth,with my short dyed pixie which I grew out to shoulder length[and then decided to grow much longer later ] , monthly colouring and monthly cuts cost way more than my hair toys and you have to buy shampoo and conditioner either way.

[Maybe]

For me, short hair is more expensive. Also more work.

The only expensive part about longer hair is the accessories. It's not a necessary expense. I could probably manage with one fork, one stick, one comb and one brush. One of each is fairly cheap. Unfortunately, I didn't stop at one :nono:

Haha, this is so me. I will save $70 every 6 weeks from going to my hairdresser but I have spent more than that in hair toys in the last 6 weeks alone. And I haven't even worn any of them yet.

I *am* new to buying hair toys so hopefully my currently insatiable lust will abate :o

But......I actually joined the forum, after just lurking for awhile, because I wanted to buy something off the swap board :). NOT a good sign......

[nobeltonya]

Saving money at the salon was the first and main reason I started growing my hair... then, just to see how long it'd go, I kept growing. And, I use about the same amount of shampoo as I would on just my scalp, and I wash scalp and length daily. I personally think it's easier to manage b/c I can just wrap it around my hand and put a stick through it to hold it up.. I do have to be much more conscientious when it's down, but that's easy to adjust to. The only other expenses for my hair are conditioner, leave-in and coconut oil. I bought a comb once [I have 2, although I only use one of them regularly], but I do buy toys when I find something interesting. :D I'm really interested in investing in a good set of sticks, preferably with butterflies, dragons, fairies or something, and a nice fork. :disco:

[lapushka]

I'd say long hair is definitely cheaper. Do the math. Say you only get cuts at a hair salon, say every 2 months generally, that's about € 40 to € 50 every 2 months (€ 240 to € 300 a year). If you count coloring the hair in the price, it's about € 80 to € 120 every 2 months depending on what you get (highlights are expensive), so that's € 480 to € 720 a year! You can definitely buy a few hairtoys and good quality hair scissors for that. Shampoo and conditioner are pretty much standard, and stay the same whether the hair is long or short; and let's face it, a little more conditioner isn't going to make that big a difference.

[Vanille_]

You can save money by making your own hair toys. I'm thinking of making some hair sticks since all I have is some plain black ones.

[Jing]

Saving money was my first reason to grow my hair out. Even with all the experiments I've done and all the hair toys I've bought, I've not spent nearly as much as I would have done keeping a pixie cut trimmed.

[BBGrrl]

I spend less than $5 a month on my hair. After I went through the I want to try all the hair toys out there thing and developed a coconut allergy (eliminating my ability to use regular shampoo and conditioner), my hair care became very inexpensive.

[Tristania]

I think that really depends on how much you're willing to spend on hair products, and what your needs are. But this applies to any length, really. I'm sure with longer hair you might spend more money on fancy hair toys, though.

[mallorykay13]

Hair toys can be expensive but can also be avoided. Since I have long hair I don't have to wash it every day, and I use the CO method so I get like 18 oz (because of added water) of washing conditioner for 80c at Walmart. Conditioner could be more of an expense but you save in other places enough to justify it.

[trilobite]

I agree long hair is cheaper and easier. It is also more conducive to a dignified updo. It takes a lot of hair toys to meet the cost of cuts, coloring, styling and re-cutting screwed up hair. I seen a lot about how women shouldn't have long hair at work, but what about a bad hair style?
I love hair toys! :p

[UpNorth]

When I had shorter hair I used hairspray, gel, wax sometimes, mousse and volumizing shampoo, I also had to go to the hairdresser more often.

I'm currently WO and doesn't spend much, except on hairtoys and such :D

[HadessThera]

I find short hair to be "cheaper" because I don't need as many products and whatnot, usually it's just one styling wax or a bit of hairspray whereas with long hair I use a lot more treatments and haircare products to keep it healthy, I also fuss over it more with toys and accessories :p however, short hair is more painful for me personally to keep maintained and neat because my hair is so fine it kind of does its own thing which is emphasized when it's shorter haha

[~honeyflower~]

I think long hair is cheaper. You don't need to go to the salon every 1-2 months, you don't really need a whole lot of products to keep it in decent hairstyles, and to me long hair looks elegant and classy it doesn't take much to dress it up. Where with short, I think you would have to put much more effort to keep it look nice.

[MinderMutsig]

For me it depends on what you're comparing it to. It's cheaper than my pixie, that's for sure. Back then I dyed, had to have it cut every couple of weeks in a salon and used lots of products to beat my absolutely-not-suitable-for-a-pixie-hair into submission.

Before the pixie I flipped back and forth between bobs, shoulder length and APL. I cut it to a bob, decided I didn't like it, grow it out and around APL still didn't know what to do with it so I chopped into a different bob-style again.

Compared to that my longer hair is more expensive because now I use more conditioner, more different kinds of conditioner, more hairtoys and also experiment with oils, shampoo bars, vinegars, treatments etc. etc. I never used to do all those things and they add up!

[Tisiloves]

I think it's about the same, fewer products and hair cuts, but so many pretty toys.:D

What it is definitely, though, is easier to deal with.

[Ginbill]

I think it really depends on the person. If you are someone who buys a lot of products / other related hair accessories it won't matter if you have short or long hair. It might be expensive either way.

[clanless]

What makes long hair more expensive:
1. hair toys (optional but people do have wants)
2. need more conditioners, oils, hennas to maintain healthy hair

[MiamiPineapple]

I think it is a lot less expensive. When I had chin length hair, I had to get it cut every 6 weeks to maintain the style.

[palaeoqueen]

It's cheaper for me. I used to spend around £120 (~$190) every six weeks for a cut and highlights (very expensive here!) plus lots of styling products and new hairdryer/straighteners every few years (when they broke). I now spend nothing on cut/colour and a minimal amount on products. Yes I've been spending on hair sticks and forks but they are far from essential and I'd be hard-pushed to equal the amount I used to spend on my cut/colour just from buying a few hair accessories.

[racrane]

Definitely cheaper for me. I don't buy a lot of hair accessories so my only real expense is shampoo and conditioner. And consider I stretch washes and don't use much of shampoo, I spend hardly anything.

I'm also lazy, which is one of the reasons I like long hair. :D

[Ticky]

It depends on the person, some people use many products to keep their long style looking the way they want it, others hardly spend any money on it.

Personally, for me it is probably slightly cheaper, as I don't have my hair trimmed at a salon anymore.

[LoveAngelBeauty]

I think it will be as cheap as I make it. I hardly go to the salon either way. But I also don't care much if I spend a lot on my hair because I think it's worth it and it is fun hobby like someone said earlier :D

[misspurdy06]

Since I've joined LHC I have stopped using shampoo, conditioner, leave ins and hair dye. So yeah, long hair is cheaper.

[SpinDance]

What makes long hair more expensive:
1. hair toys (optional but people do have wants)
2. need more conditioners, oils, hennas to maintain healthy hair

It's not so much that it is expensive or more expensive, it's what each person chooses to decide to spend on it. It is can certainly be cheaper. This article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=218)has some good info you may find helpful.

[Mischamiu]

I think it is going to be cheaper, I'm slowly learning that I only need a phew products shampoo/conditioner/coconut for my hair, that keeps me from buying any "miracle" cream or oil. The only thing that is more expensive is the conditioner cause I often use it to wash my hair and also put a lot on my length :D. But 1 bottle of shampoo lasts me a year so that compensates.... I don't have many hairtoys or anything like that because I'm not that much into them, I just own clips,scrunchies... I also have only one brush/comb.

[ravenreed]

Long hair is far more expensive. When I had shoulder length hair, I was wash and go, using S&L shampoo and conditioner every day. That was it. I didn't blow dry or flat iron either.

Now my hair goes through a bottle of conditioner a week, but that is just the start of it. My hair has very expensive taste in oils, preferring argan and camellia. I also use a variety of herbs, and ACV or lemon juice. Hair dye for classic length hair is pretty pricey too. All that adds up. Then to add to that the silk or satin pillow cases, special combs or brushes, accessories... I think I spend more time and money on my hair than any other area of my life, at the moment. It is the one area of my life that I splurge a bit.

[ravenreed]

That assumes that your hair responds well to the options listed. My hair HATES SMT's. However, it did okay with a more expensive Caramel Treatment. Go figure. My hair has expensive taste.



It's not so much that it is expensive or more expensive, it's what each person chooses to decide to spend on it. It is can certainly be cheaper. This article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=218)has some good info you may find helpful.

[elbow chic]

Works out about the same for me, I think. I spend way less at the salon... but more on hairtoys and manic panic. lol In the last two years, I've bought a thirty-dollar comb, a forty-dollar fork, a thirty-five dollar pair of hairsticks... two tubs of ten-dollar temporary dye...

not to mention the innumerable hairpins and elastics over the last couple years. And the extra conditioner.

Well, salons ARE expensive. I could never get by going to a cheap place when I had short hair-- having short hair that looked decent meant finding a good stylist and sticking with her.

So maybe long hair is cheaper, but not by so much that it ought to be the deciding factor for most people, imo.

[heidi w.]

The market is currently glutted with hair so hair is a lot cheaper than in past years right now.

heidi w.

[alwayssmiling]

Growing my hair has been a real money saver for me, though it started out as an expensive hobby (trying different products, scissors, clips, hats, accessories, oils). But now I've settled down with my routine its dead cheap. I don't wash my hair every day anymore (2xweek) so although I need loads of conditioner I do it less often. After experimenting with oils the only one I really love is evo and I can source that quite cheaply and it last ages and ages. The products I use are generally cone free, which can either be very expensive or dirt cheap (I'm happy with cheapy ones). And the biggest saving of all is no trips to the salon. I trim my own hair so I must have saved hundreds since I started growing. I've also decided I'm not a big fan of hair toys. They start to irritate me, I wear my hair free or in braids fastened by cut up tights.

[Ramille]

Much cheaper to have long hair, though I do like Ficarre. Since joining LHC I have become WO. Mainly though, it is just less time consuming. One bun and you're done! :)

[jeanniet]

Yes and no. Theoretically, it's pretty cheap--you could CO with cheap conditioner, have one wide-toothed comb, a pair of sticks, a jar of coconut oil or EVOO, and you'd be set. Realistically, though, if you have long hair you're probably a hair junkie and you're going to spend money on it. So I'd say that long hair is expensive, but that's a personal choice and it doesn't have to be that way--but probably is for a lot of people. And let's not talk about my hair toys... :whistle:

[Purdy Bear]

Now I've had three experiences:


Short hair - a total nightmare for products as I had to have gel, hairspray, etc as my hair would just stick out all over the place and wouldn't behave without a daily wash. Then a cut every 6 weeks (approx £20), and perms (£45) every six months and thats without the time it took to do it ( a whole half a day as my hairdresser would try and fit as many customers in at one time and thus it took her 4 hours just to do a blow dry Grrrrrrrrrrr).

Long hair - a lot cheaper as I just used normal products plus aromatheraphy oils. I never knew about hair toys then so didn't buy many other then pins, and elastic bands.

No hair - dirt cheap, I dont use anything on it, just normal face soap and water. I do have a lot of hats and scarves and I've probably spent a fortune on hair toys for my hairdressers styling head but I didn't really need those.

[MonaMayfair]

Long hair is considerably cheaper and much less work than short hair. I've only had short hair once and it was a huge pain to look after (and I found it way harder to henna my roots with short hair too - I'd have thought it would be easier, but it wasn't)

[faellen]

I actually find long hair cheaper as I don't visit the salon anymore. I've also stopped buying hair dye as I'm trying to grow out my natural colour - Admittedly dyeing my hair was more expensive as I had to buy 2 boxes to cover all my hair.

Then again I do spend much more money on hair sticks, forks, flexi-8 etc now!

[jojo]

Is way cheaper unless you join LHC and are easily enabled like me :)

[Venefica]

I would say it is about the same. My hair is thick and grows fast so when I kept it short I had to go to the hairdresser rather often which is expensive, but now that I grow my hair long and only go to the hairdresser once a year except for trimming my bangs now and again I use far more products, good shampoos and conditioner, hair cures, oils, biosilk, things I did not need or use with short hair but which I now use. It is also more extensive to dye my hair as I now need two, soon three packs of dye. For shampoo and conditioner I use Define and I only have about three or four washes in one bottle with this length of hair. I would say it cost about the same for me to maintain my long hair as it cost to maintain short hair.

[AutumnLocks]

For me it's a LOT cheaper! I don't go to the hairdresser, no buying new hairdryers, new curlers, and hairstyling products. No increase in the cost of hairtoys because I still use them when my hair is shorter because shoulder length is as short as I would ever go these days.
Also, for me, taking care of long hair is way easier too. As I said, i don't use a hair dryer so I don't waste all that time drying it. So, it's cheaper and easier!

[starlamelissa]

I trim my bangs or have them done at the salon. The shampoo I use in fairly inexpensive, (pantene aqualite) and the conditioner is a buck at the dollar tree.

I spent alot (for me) when I started this whole long hair thing, but I was trying new stuff too. now I dont try anything new!

[patienceneeded]

I guess it depends on how you care for your hair and your hairtoy collection. It could be really cheap, or really expensive. Same with super-short hair.

[melusine963]

Long hair is much cheaper for me than short hair, mainly because I've switched products. I still only get it trimmed once a year, so no change in expenses there. Instead of splashing out on pricey pantene shampoo and conditioner (which I would use twice a week), I've switched to much cheaper sulfate- and cone-free products that I use once a week, so they last me twice as long. The only hair toys I've bought are hair grips and spin pins. Everything else came as gifts. :)

[battles]

I'd honestly have to say that I spend more, but I took terrible care of my hair before and had no interest in it at all.

Once I get stuck on a routine that I like, maybe I'll spend less. But oh, the hairtoys..

[Logi Bear]

I agree that long hair is actually cheaper and less maintenance than short usually. Military type buzz cuts are low maintenance, but other than that.. short hair often takes more work and is more expensive. My mom has short hair, and she pays alot of money to have it cut and dyed usually multiple times a month. Also she spends alot of money on products like mouse, gel, and hair spray, and she spends a ton of time in front of the mirror getting it spiked up just right. I think that there can be exceptions, if someone has long hair and they are obsessed with it they will probably find things to spend money on. They might intentionally waste their money buying all kinds of things for their hair that they don't really need, like 50 different types of shampoo and conditioner, or all kinds of different hair toys. Just because its like a hobby. But that shouldn't a reflection on those who are responsible and can control their spending.

[CurlyCap]

I guess it depends on how you care for your hair and your hairtoy collection. It could be really cheap, or really expensive. Same with super-short hair.

This.

I can totally understand how long hair is cheaper for so many people, especially if they can stretch washes.

However, my hair becomes dry and brittle if it isn't frequently conditioned. So most of my hair care costs goes into conditioner. I'm lucky that my hair does very well with relatively cheap conditioners.

One of the many reasons I cut my hair two years ago was stress over going to the store and spending money on conditioner when I had so many other expenses. I wanted short hair that I could easily condition for a few weeks using a single bottle of conditioner!

[vanillabones]

I spend way less on my hair now that my goal is growing it. I spent so much on dyeing my hair and products, and even more time trying to make it look good and being frustrated while damaging it. I also spent a lot more time washing it because it gets greasy so fast. I'm just really starting to wash every other day again. I wasted energy blow frying my hair every day, too. Long hair seems easier and less expensive to me.

[ArienEllariel]

pssh.. no. I mean, I suppose if you spend boatloads of money on stylish accessories it'd be more expensive but those accessories aren't neccessary. Long hair can survive on metal-free hairties and bobby pins/U-pins.

For me, I've found I use less conditioner if I use a small amount of coconut oil in place of it (either pre wash or leave in; sometimes both). Shampoo usage is the same or less if you stretch washes.

[EdG]

I did a rough calculation of how much money I have saved by not going to the barbers for over two decades. The number has four digits. :thud:
Ed

[LaurelSpring]

Long hair is much less expensive for me. I dont use much shampoo or conditioner. I dilute alot more now also and use much less product and when I do its something like aloe. After some initial hair toy sprees I am pretty set on that now. Long hair is really so much easier in every way.

[Lady Neeva]

Longer hair actually costed more. It's the hair toys (paltry, by LHC standards) that are costing me a fortune.