At what length does your hair get attention in public?

[Rio040113]

I voted MBL to Waist, any attention I ever got was when I was younger and it was Waist, now it's Hip+ I get none (from strangers) although I very very rarely have it loose outside (special occasions only) and I tend to give off a very strong 'leave me alone' kind of vibe anyway (social anxiety).

1. At what length does the public attention you receive become negative, if that has ever happened to you?
Used to be Waist, had some silly comments and one girl 'feel' for extensions (I did tell her I wasn't wearing any!)

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it?
Never had a stranger do it but a friend did recently (Hip+) and it really p*ssed me off actually...

[1nuitblanche]

I haven't ever grown past tailbone, but people started commenting on my hair when it got to be about MBL.

1. At what length does the public attention you receive become negative, if that has ever happened to you? Public attention has only been positive for my hair. Although people did tell me that much beyond classic would be too long.

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it? That also started about MBL.

[LauraLongLocks]

I haven't received any public attention for my hair, but I started wearing it up almost all the time since about APL. It's now MBL, and recently I had my first cut and donate suggestion given to me when I took my hair down when I was receiving a massage. The massage therapist said I could cut it and donate it. She wasn't pushy or anything. I just said in an aloof voice, "Yeah, I could." I never have any special enough occasions to warrant wearing my hair down in public, so I suppose that is why I haven't received attention for the long hair in public yet. I guess my husband needs to take me on a date to a fancy restaurant, or take me out dancing. I pretty much go to the gym, the grocery store, the feed store (I have livestock), and church. I really don't get out very much. I think when I reach waist, I'll take a picture and post it on Facebook.

Thank you for answering my poll. I started it to help me figure out what my goal is. I admit it, I'm vain. I want to have beautiful long hair, enough to get noticed in public (if I ever go anywhere with my hair down, ha ha!).

[Cheyne]

I started receiving attention at waist (possibly due to my age) but I wear it down so rarely it doesn't get attention often. The "donation" comments started from the hairdresser who cut my hair in 2011 (I was BSL+). I told her it was dyed and I couldn't donate.

[0xalis]

When I was a child and had elbow length hair, I got lots of positive attention. My hair hasn't really been long since, but I definitely got attention with every new haircut. For some reason people commended my "bravery" when I got a pixie cut

[Tota]

1. At what length does the public attention you receive become negative, if that has ever happened to you?
When my hair was a bit over APL and all virgin for the first time in 12 years (and I was SO proud) a lady at the drugstore tried to talk me into buying a haircolour. She was nasty. She said I shouldn't bothered growing my hair virgin because I would have to dye it eventually anyway. That's the only incident I can remember.

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it?
In my country hair donation is not so common so people don't talk about it ever. You can sell your hair at certain salons (they make wigs but certainly not for charity) but not many people know that.

[HintOfMint]

Kinda funny actually, my hair started getting attention around APL to BSL. It was thick, wavy, and layered really nicely, and frankly, a really good look for me. Of course, the attention only increased as it grew longer. Around waist it started to become one of my defining qualities, but the attention definitely started at a shorter length.

ETA: whoops, forgot to answer these questions:

1. At what length does the public attention you receive become negative, if that has ever happened to you?

Well, depends on "public attention." My friends have already started with the gentle, well-meaning comments that I should cut back to waist or BSL, and have done so since I was around hip, of course in the context of some beauty discussion we're already having. However, the attention my hair receives from people I just met or perfect strangers has been all positive.

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it?

I don't believe that has ever happened to me. Frankly, being Indian helps stave off those kinds of comments because many assume that having long hair is culturally or religiously significant to us, so telling us to cut our hair would be pretty gauche.
However, once in high school, we had a substitute teacher on the day Locks of Love came to our school to do some public shearing. He looked around our class and noted "how many young ladies still have such long hair," as a way to shame girls into cutting their hair for a so-called charity. However, at the time I had my hair shorter than a bob, closer to ear length. He looked at me and went, "oh you're cool." Of course, I was 14 and a complete jerk so I felt rather smug at the time. Looking back it was a horribly inappropriate thing for a teacher to say to a bunch of 14 year olds.

[LauraLongLocks]

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it?

I don't believe that has ever happened to me. Frankly, being Indian helps stave off those kinds of comments because many assume that having long hair is culturally or religiously significant to us, so telling us to cut our hair would be pretty gauche.
However, once in high school, we had a substitute teacher on the day Locks of Love came to our school to do some public shearing. He looked around our class and noted "how many young ladies still have such long hair," as a way to shame girls into cutting their hair for a so-called charity. However, at the time I had my hair shorter than a bob, closer to ear length. He looked at me and went, "oh you're cool." Of course, I was 14 and a complete jerk so I felt rather smug at the time. Looking back it was a horribly inappropriate thing for a teacher to say to a bunch of 14 year olds.

That is beyond inappropriate! In high school I wore my hair short (always between pixie and chin), but I was just the sort of girl that would have been offended, anyway, in behalf of my long-haired friends. These people who think we should all cut our hair and donate it are welcome to do so themselves. I don't know why they feel the need to shame those of us who have carefully grown our hair to long lengths into cutting our hair off and giving it to a so-called charity.

[lapushka]

I think it's beyond classic that gets the most attention, because it's so rare! Other lengths are still quite, well, "normal".

If you comment in addition to the first poll question, please answer these additional questions:

1. At what length does the public attention you receive become negative, if that has ever happened to you?

2. At what length do total strangers tell you to cut your hair and donate it?

I'm waist, and before was almost TBL. The above has never happened to me, but then I always wear my hair up! So it's never an issue!

[bananahanna]

When I was a child and had elbow length hair, I got lots of positive attention. My hair hasn't really been long since, but I definitely got attention with every new haircut. For some reason people commended my "bravery" when I got a pixie cut

this happened to me when i got a bob! it was below chin length, too. IMHO i think it's braver to bleach hair or dye it (which i have done.)

ETA: My hair got attention in public at BSL but mostly from people i saw infrequently, mainly to tell me it was getting "so long" and asking if i was "growing my hair" (obviously, can't really stop it from growing).