To cut or not to cut, pros and cons

[Priska]

I keep thinking of this. My hair is now hip length but I keep thinking if I should cut it to Phoebe from friends - length. But until now I have kept my length. I'm afraid of regretting and loosing about 3 or 4 year's work. Pros of cutting in my mind: my hair would probably look tidier and neater in every day life and maintaining and styling it would be so much easier. I could have my hair down without getting horrible tangles.

Pros with not cutting it: hip length hair down is so gorgeous, if I'm ready to put some effort and time to it. At least I can do it to some parties and events, if not every day. Some hairdos like milkmaid braids looks better with hl hair. I'm a little overweight and feel that big/long hair creates some nice balance to it. If my hair is little, my body looks big compared to my hair.

I'd like to hear your thoughs about this either with my hair or your own

[Lady Winchester]

Mine's approaching waist and I'm not cutting it! I may give it a trim when the no-trim challenge is over, but to go back to any shorter than mid-back range, nope, no way, not going to happen! I've never had waist length hair, so it will be an interesting challenge. My great grandmother had long hair until the day she died, and she lived until she was 97. My Mom said that she double braided her hair and wore it up like a crown, so perhaps I should try that (but not every day, since I'm way too lazy to do a complicated hairstyle like that). I don't have long hair because of a favorite character, I just prefer it to short hair (which is too high maintenance for my liking). If I want to be inspired by a fictional character, I would go for Rapunzel (when she had long hair, not that short pixie cut, since I would hate to have that style for the rest of my born days) or Tauriel from the Hobbit movies (I'm no book purist, so I didn't mind her character).

I may have to switch up my style on occasion (from a ponytail to a section of hair pulled back and secured with either a smaller barrette or a medium sized butterfly clip), since my neck muscles can get strained if I wear the same style too long, but I'm not chopping it off! I've lost it to chemo, and it took three years to grow back to the length I had it before (mid back range), so why would I want to go through something like that again (though I might get my former color back, since I read about someone that went through chemo twice. The first time, it turned her hair darker; the second time, her hair changed back to the color it was before the first time, but I don't want to repeat the experience just to see if that would happen with me, since it might turn it gray the next time, which would totally wash me out)?

My Mom even asked if I want a few inches chopped off and I said that I would do it myself (I bought a starter kit on the Walmart website, since I got a few $200.00 gift cards for Christmas since my parents bought me a PS5 for my last birthday, and my relatives thought that I would use them for games, since I didn't ask for one with the system itself, since I have lots. Thank goodness for backwards compatibility, since it would cost a small fortune to replace all those games). She still has horror stories from when I cut my bangs off when I was a child, but I didn't do too bad last time I had the urge to chop it off (she just had to even it out a little, since I use the ponytail method).

[Nefcerka]

Hi Priska,
give it a thought if you can spare the time, sit down and write ALL pros and cons you can think of, then give it time to weigh them and decide. Losing 3-4 years of work, as you put it, might result in major regret.

Do you like wearing your hair down all the time? If so, shorter length might be for you. (If you don´t mind the damage that comes with wearing hair loose.)
Or do you like having the ability to put your hair up for practical and protective reasons and only show it off on special occasions? If so, keep the longer length.
Or you can cut just a little for a start and see how you feel? Not two-three milestones, but just one. Like from hip to waist. If you do regret it, it won´t take so long to grow back.

(I cut from almost TBL to WL a month ago, because I wanted a better hemline and easier washing and handling, and I already want to grow back. Luckily, my hair grows fast and I only set myself back by a year or so.)

[GordonMurphella]

I cut back to collarbone every few years just to get a fresh start. It feels great for about as long as it takes me to miss my hair Then I hide my scissors for a while. It's hair, it grows. Do it if you feel like it. Don't overthink it.

[embee]

I don't know what Phoebe and friend length is. I don't find that defined in any list of lengths...

When I cut my hair I was happy for a day or so and then very sad about it for a few years.

[Priska]

I don't know what Phoebe and friend length is. I don't find that defined in any list of lengths...

When I cut my hair I was happy for a day or so and then very sad about it for a few years.

Thanks for telling your experience. Phoebe's hair length was mainly something between bsl and mbl.

[Dark40]

Right now, my hair is just about waist length, and I am not cutting it. I really think once you cut all of your HL hair off you will regret it later.

[SandyBottom]

I would recommend holding off and thinking it over for a bit. If you do decide to cut, I second starting with a single milestone/few inches and see how you feel from there. You can always take more off but once it's cut, it's cut. For me, my hair was worn loose right down to tailbone or classic length and the tangles didn't get worse from the length, it was the friction of rubbing on my clothes mostly. YMMV

[Chasemi]

I agree with the three common sentiments here: 1.) It will grow back, so do what makes you happy! 2.) Cutting back by just 1 milestones at a time can give you a better chance to test the waters, and 3.) Consider thinking about it for a bit! There's an "official 2 week thread" here dedicated to that exact purpose

[WednesdayAddams]

That's such a big jump. I'm with the "REALLY think about this" camp.