Not wearing hair down because of insecurities?

[Meli]

Hair Length: Between waist and hip.

Goal Hair Length: Terminal.

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?:
My ends are damaged from rough handling, and the last 4-5 inches have extreme taper and "natural layers" caused by old breakage. I don't mind the see-through, as I prefer fairytale ends, but this extreme taper makes them scraggly-looking and rough, instead of naturally tapering.

When did you start feeling like that?: This summer - I have been dealing with lots of breakage since May. Before that, the ends did not look quite as scraggly as they do now.

How do you deal with it?: I wear my hair up or at least braided. I'm not very happy with my braid tassels either, but if I'm going somewhere I just wear a bun. (I would wear my hair mostly up even if I was happy with the ends - because I have fine, fragile hair and it is more protected when it's up, and also because it is comfortable to have the hair out of the way.)

Have things bettered?: Yes, it has. I have trimmed a bit more than an inch already, and I expect to still be able to reach hip length before the end of the year.

What is your stategy to improve its looks when down?: I have recently started trimming, and will do frequent microtrims until enough damage is gone. I'm not going for a thick hemline, though - I will just remove what's needed to not get my growth slowed by breakage. I still feel that gaining length is more important than removing the damage as fast as possible.

When will you be happy? : When I have removed the worst 4-5 inches. If I don't cut more than half of my growth, I should also have reached TBL by then - a length that I'm more familiar with and like better than my current length (that feels a bit short).

[girlcat36]

Voted very insecure!

Hair Length: APL

Goal Hair Length: Classic

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?: My ends are ridiculously thin, yet I can't chop! I am afraid of short hair.

When did you start feeling like that?: After I lost half my hair, and went bald on the bottom of the back of my head.

How do you deal with it?: Microtrimming.

Have things bettered?: My bald area has finally grown in enough(7") that I can get it ALL up in a bun. Finally!

What is your stategie to improve its looks when down?:More SMT's, occasional half-ups, and dark shirts.

When will you be happy? : When my hair is all one length and at least waist length!

[ChatoyantLocks]

Hair Length: Bermuda shorts length

Goal Hair Length: Terminal. I have no plans to ever cut it again.

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?: I'm mainly insecure about wearing my hair down in public when I am by myself. This is because I occasionally draw the attention of someone who is creepy, and it makes me uncomfortable. (I don't mind getting polite compliments from non creepy people.) I also find that my hair tangles more when it is down, so keeping it up is easier to deal with.

When did you start feeling like that?: I'm not sure. I think it was more a transitional thing, than a specific shift.

How do you deal with it?: I keep my hair up, if I'm in public by myself.

Have things bettered?: Yes, I'm nearly invisible if I want to be.

What is your strategy to improve its looks when down?: N/A

When will you be happy? : With my hair? I'm happy with it now!

[freznow]

Voted some insecurities.

Hair Length: Just past classic

Goal Hair Length: Knee and/or terminal

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?:
I worry about how clean it looks. I worry about people touching it. I worry about getting it caught in things. I worry about it making me a target. And I just don't want people commenting on it. Also worry about how thin it looks. (For some reason, I get TONS of comments along the lines of "Wow you're hair is long. But you know, you don't have a LOT of hair, some people think that long hair is the same as thick hair..." yada yada yada, mostly from Asian/Indian girls who I know aren't being offensive but are just used to long, thick hair. Not what I've got...)

When did you start feeling like that?: About spring 2006, after my last cut.

How do you deal with it?: Wear it up. Try new washing methods. Braidwaves.

Have things bettered?: Not much that could be done to get better other than having indestructible thick hair that never gets oily. lol

What is your stategy to improve its looks when down?:
Braid waves help. I'm considering henna for the strengthening, but don't really want added color, so I'll probably do a henna gloss as cassia alone doesn't do much. And only wear down on days it wants to.

When will you be happy? :
When I have thicker hair (I suppose I shouldn't complain, my hair's twice as thick as my grandma's), when I have stronger, healthier hair (possible...). I mean, it's not SO bad now. I do like wearing it up. I'd just like for it to have more slip when down and not be so vulnerable...

[prosperina]

Voted: somewhat insecure
Hair Length: ~BSL, but heavily layered

Goal Hair Length: Hip

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?: I used to feel bad about the uneven color, but that has cleared up wonderfully. Now, it's the annoying layers, and the fact that unless my hair is newly brushed/combed, it sticks together (no tangling, believe it or not) and looks matted and uncombed, which makes it look shorter.

When did you start feeling like that?: since I started growing out this damned bob almost as soon as I got it. (2+ years ago)

How do you deal with it?: deep treatments to hydrate hair, which really don't do anything but make me like my hair more, and half ups, which seem to give the illusion of more length.

Have things bettered?: I think so. Since my hair has grown, it's less bushy, and the shorter layers seem to have grown faster than the longer ones.

What is your stategie to improve its looks when down?:half ups, fun earrings, more conditioner to handle frizz

When will you be happy? : I try to be happy now, but I will really be pleased when my hair has either no layers or more subtle ones, and when it hits at least waist. And faster growth would be nice too.

[ZaBasDa]

I voted blue cheese because I find that stuff mildly revolting and creepy.

Hair Length:Almost waist.

Goal Hair Length: Mini-goal is hips, but I want to get to terminal.

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?: I'm growing out various shades of dye/bleach/henna combos. And my curls are starting to look more like waves. It's hard to have good curly days.

When did you start feeling like that?: Around bsl and when I was forbidden to dye my hair anymore. Oh and when it started falling out due to my PCOS.

How do you deal with it?: I braid it or bun it for any day after wash day.

Have things bettered?: Not really, but they haven't gotten worse.

What is your strategy to improve its looks when down?: I'm henna-ing to try and even the color and I remind myself that my hair looks better than I think it does.

When will you be happy?: When my thickness comes back. And if my hair could stop being weighted down by the length. Hip length will be nice though.

[FrannyG]

I have absolutely no insecurities about wearing my hair down. I cut a few inches off my hair recently after going blonde again after The Brunette Experiment failed. Even before my cut, I felt very good about wearing my hair down.

I trim about 1/3 of my growth every 3 months, so I gain length, but keep my ends fairly thick at the same time. In other words, I trim my hair to keep up with the slowest growing hairs.

If I didn't do that, my hair would look very see-through, as I experienced at waist length during my initial nine months of LHC growth.
I only answered a few questions, because most did not apply.

Hair Length: Closing in on BSL (again! )

Goal Hair Length: Tailbone or longer

When will you be happy? : I am very happy right now, and continue to become happier with every passing month of new length

[Tangles]

Voted somewhat.

Hair length: almost APL
Goal length: Waist
Reason for feeling insecure: Dryness problems that worsened after henna. Layers that flip out all over the place. Awkward length. Occasional "poofiness."
When started being insecure: As soon as I started seeing some growth the dryness also seemed to increase. And as I said, henna worsened the problem.
How do you deal with it: Updos, wearing my hair wavy to disguise flaws and layers.
Has it improved since then: No.
When will you be happy? When my hair is a couple inches longer, the layers have grown out more, and I've figured out a routine that won't leave me feeling crunchy.

[MadHatter]

My scalp produces an unreal amount of oil. I have to wash it every other day. On wash day, I keep my hair in some updo because it gets so nasty and piece-y near the scalp.

[birthmarkie]

Hair Length: APL - BSL

Goal Hair Length: Tailbone

What is the reason you feel insecure about wearing your hair down?:

Less respect than when it is up, not wanting to play with it too much, getting tangles from lack of containment, uneven/scraggly ends, pieceyness

When did you start feeling like that?: a couple of months ago

How do you deal with it?: microtrimmer, I compromise and wear it down at home and I try to wear it down once a week or so when I'm out

Have things bettered?: "Planned Hair down days are actually okay now..not great but I can be proud of its length and condition." -- ditto

What is your stategie to improve its looks when down?:
no collared shirts when it is down, hairbands, clean hair, straight part, thoroughly detangled as much as possible, leave-in for baby hair control

When will you be happy? :
I think I'll be happy when my hair layers are all long enough to stay behind my shoulders. Right now my straight hair splits off into three pieces and it is not a flattering look from behind. So, approximately one more year. But I think the more days/week I feel okay with it down, the better I'll feel.