surprising changes as hair grows longer

[chen bao jun]

Ok, so I found this old thead.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...d.php?t=110147
to my surprise and embarrassment it is full of advice from ME to some poor soul. The reason I was surprised and embarrassed was because I found the thread while doing a search on what a person could do about their hair braiding itself at the bottom while they french-braided, because this is now happening to me.
I didn't realize when I wrote all the advice in the thread copied above that it wasn't happening to me because my hair at APL was too short to have ends to wrap around themselves. Now, at a bit below BSL, the ends are long enough to do that and they DO.
While I can handle this problem, especially after reading advice on that thread from Madora and Curly Cap (who actually knew what they were talking about)what other things that you never thought could happen now happen when your hair is longer?
I am just waiting for split ends to appear--I've never had those, but on the other, when you've never had long hair, you actually don't know anything about long hair problems.

[Aurum]

This is an interesting thread. I too had trouble keeping braid sections apart when my hair started getting longer.
So many day-to-day things have to be considered now that I have long hair that were never a problem before. I have to make sure all of my hair is in the car before closing the door. When I dry my hair I have to put it over my shoulder so my back isn't soaked when I sit on the couch. When I go to sleep, I have to arrange my hair perfectly or braid it to contain it. Don't want to get strangled in the middle of the night. Not to mention the pains of backpack straps, purses, coats, clothing in general... you get my point. When you become a "long hair," your entire way of life changes!

[meteor]

* Self-braiding is a problem... and it only gets worse. But at the same time, braided buns are so good for staying tangle-free.
* Also, as hair grows longer, sectioning along the scalp becomes harder (crown braids, French/Dutch braids, etc).
* More generally speaking, all hair manipulation becomes a bit cumbersome and produces more tangles.
* Tangling is an issue, but texture is probably a more important factor than length.
* The weight of hair when it's wet is going to become more and more problematic (hair absorbs 30% - 45% of its weight in water).

But overall, they are really not serious problems at all and I find long hair AMAZING and totally worth it, regardless!

[chen bao jun]

Oh, yeah, I love my longer hair (its not actually LONG yet) and want it to grow more. But some things are definitely different and I didn't expect them. Not only don't I have long hair but I really know very people who do.
The only one that really bothers me is that my hair takes so very long to dry now.

[molljo]

For me, I think the whole idea of it getting caught on things will really take me by surprise, even though I hear that problem echoed here all the time. I've never had long hair, so I think the first time this happens I'll feel like I've really *arrived* you know?

[AmyBeth]

A change that surprised me is feeling the weight of my hair. Pre LHC, I had waist-ish hair but it was so fine and thin with raggedy ends, and I never felt it on my back, even when it was wet. About a year ago, with good care (and henna) my hair got to hip length and I actually felt the weight of it in the shower for the first time. I was so euphoric! A couple of days ago(at just shy of BCL), I took it out of an updo and actually felt the weight while dry. I never thought I could experience that feeling. I actually long for the self braiding to happen, because, try though I did, I could never get my thin damaged hair past my waist pre LHC.

[Kina]

Ok, so I found this old thead.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...d.php?t=110147
to my surprise and embarrassment it is full of advice from ME to some poor soul. The reason I was surprised and embarrassed was because I found the thread while doing a search on what a person could do about their hair braiding itself at the bottom while they french-braided, because this is now happening to me.
I didn't realize when I wrote all the advice in the thread copied above that it wasn't happening to me because my hair at APL was too short to have ends to wrap around themselves. Now, at a bit below BSL, the ends are long enough to do that and they DO.
While I can handle this problem, especially after reading advice on that thread from Madora and Curly Cap (who actually knew what they were talking about)what other things that you never thought could happen now happen when your hair is longer?
I am just waiting for split ends to appear--I've never had those, but on the other, when you've never had long hair, you actually don't know anything about long hair problems.

Well, I've been meaning to send you a message thanking you for some advice you gave me a while back on managing my hair (which has been below bra strap for most of my life) because of you, i can get up in the morning, shake my hair out of it's clips and go on about my day.

You suggested wetting my hair, putting whatever product I liked in and putting it up for the night. Because of that, my curls are refreshed and my hair looks nice when I take it down in the morning.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I CAN DO THIS!

Huge change and improvement for me.

now, I can't french braid my hair anymore because of the length and the resultant tangles, but I can look at least as a normal as possible for me again and don't have to run around with "despeinada" as my theme song any more.

[browneyedsusan]

For me, I think the whole idea of it getting caught on things will really take me by surprise, even though I hear that problem echoed here all the time. I've never had long hair, so I think the first time this happens I'll feel like I've really *arrived* you know?

I think it's a bit bothersome when it gets trapped between my back and a chair back, especially when I'm driving. I didn't see that coming.

[Cheyne]

*Sigh* I was hoping chen was going to tell us about super strength or invisibility that comes with longer hair.

I never thought that my braid would get caught in my belt when I was getting dressed, or that I would have to hang my hair over the top of the chair back and let the fan dry it enough so the back of my p.j.'s aren't soaking wet after washing.

[LauraLongLocks]

* Self-braiding is a problem... and it only gets worse. But at the same time, braided buns are so good for staying tangle-free.
* Also, as hair grows longer, sectioning along the scalp becomes harder (crown braids, French/Dutch braids, etc).
* More generally speaking, all hair manipulation becomes a bit cumbersome and produces more tangles.
* Tangling is an issue, but texture is probably a more important factor than length.
* The weight of hair when it's wet is going to become more and more problematic (hair absorbs 30% - 45% of its weight in water).

But overall, they are really not serious problems at all and I find long hair AMAZING and totally worth it, regardless!

The part about ALL hair manipulation becoming more cumbersome and producing more tangles, and the one about sectioning... I think that's why I keep going to the same bun over and over again lately. It's just easier and less tangly.

If I forget and take my hair down before changing clothes, I am learning to put it right back up until I am done. Getting caught in the bra all the time, or having to arch my back and lean my neck way back to keep it off my back while I'm putting on my bra is not fun. It's nearly to my pants waistband, and as I go through my pregnancy and pull out all my full-panel maternity pants, I will definitely have hair to my pants, lol. Soon I'll have the waistband as another problem while getting dressed. So, yes, keep my hair UP while changing clothes.