What do you do with long hair....

[DaizyMae]

uvgtml's post about wanting her long hair back gave me a thought...you all know by now I have a lot of thoughts ...heehee....if this should be combined or anything, go ahead mods....

For those of you who have long hair, what do you do to maintain it??? Do you have any gripes about long hair???

Me, well, I'm glad you asked...heehee...first of all, last time I measured my hair was 26 inches long, <bragging, longest it's ever been> but it's grown some since then...anyway, I don't do much, really. I comb my hair with a special comb. The teeth are offset, one on one side, then one on the other side, etc. This is called a detangle comb. Ok, so I comb my hair BEFORE getting into the shower. I always use conditioner, usually a sauve product...oops...hope it was ok to say that.. When I'm done, I wrap my hair in a towel, not rubbing it but twisting the towel to dry my hair a little. If you rub, you will tear your hair, or tie it up into knots. After removing the towel, I pretend I'm at a heavy metal concert, and swing my head back and forth, this will dry the hair just a little more, and it will detangle it a little, also. THEN I comb my hair by starting at the bottom of it, putting the comb about 4 inches up from the bottom and getting those tangles out first. I continue the same way until I get it all combed. If you start at the top of your head, you are just "bunching" up the tangles that are in your hair, and it will tear.
In the summer I either braid my hair, or just pull it back with a scrunchy....they don't tangle my hair as bad as those skinny, rubber band type pony tail holders do. Well, I do use them when I braid my hair, I'd look pretty silly with great big scrunchies on two small ended braids...heehee I tried using those big clamp things, but couldn't get them to work right...sigh..In the winter I usually wear it down, or pull the front part back with a barrett.
Think my main gripes are it gets in the way if I leave it down and try to do dishes, etc., and it takes twice as much shampoo, conditioner, and even hair color, etc. I have been seriously thinking of cutting it, though, got my scissors right here...just can't bring myself to, yet....byw, the last time my hair was cut, I cut it, and YES, it looked great...heehee <bragging again >

Anyway, that's my story, so, what's yours???

[tasker109]

i had worn my hair long for about 10 years and trimmed the bangs and dead ends myself along with dying it when necessary. i just got tired of messing with it about a year and a half ago.....i will admit it was a lot of trouble. i always had to do something with it. i have it short now and i use a caruso steam hairsetter when i want curls. sometimes i wake up in the morning and all i have to do is run my fingers through it with a little mousse and im ready to roll. i use half of the hair dye so a box lasts me for 2 dye jobs. im very happy with it.....looks so fresh and healthy. i hate to see someone with llloooooooonnnnnggg hair thats dry and unhealthy looking and the person is so proud of it just because its long. i for one do not like long straight unattended hair. im sure its a pain in the butt anyway you look at it!! but thats just MHO....whats yours?

[Corganiacs]

Im a short hair gal It's shoulder length now, but it's due for another snip comes end of July

Since my hair is so thick anyway, having long hair will irritate the heck out of me.

[DaizyMae]

Originally posted by tasker109
i had worn my hair long for about 10 years and trimmed the bangs and dead ends myself along with dying it when necessary. i just got tired of messing with it about a year and a half ago.....i will admit it was a lot of trouble. i always had to do something with it. i have it short now and i use a caruso steam hairsetter when i want curls. sometimes i wake up in the morning and all i have to do is run my fingers through it with a little mousse and im ready to roll. i use half of the hair dye so a box lasts me for 2 dye jobs. im very happy with it.....looks so fresh and healthy. i hate to see someone with llloooooooonnnnnggg hair thats dry and unhealthy looking and the person is so proud of it just because its long. i for one do not like long straight unattended hair. im sure its a pain in the butt anyway you look at it!! but thats just MHO....whats yours?

UUMMMM....<swallowing> I guess you saw my pics... I just had to put THOSE pics in...naturally, not one of them look good though, now that I check them out again... I know, I know, you probably weren't making your comments directed right at me, relax, I'm not upset...really I'm not!!!
But I must admit my hair does get dry looking sometimes, not all the time, mind you, but sometimes...those are the times I say.....whack it off, but then I can't bring myself to, and start taking better care again. You know, actually when I think about it, my hair gets dry when I start taking new medications....hummmm
I'm also with you on another thing...I don't personally like the long straight look, either...and mine keeps looking that way more and more...pulling all my curls out...waaaa
I can't wear short hair, maybe shoulder length or bra line length would be nice, though...hummmmm
<taking back bragging rights> sigh..... heehee
Thanks for the reply....

[mama2calli]

My hair's a lot longer than it looks, just because it curls up! (you can see my pic in the other mama2calli thread!)...I usually wear it down just because it's so curly, and tie it back when I cook or am doing housework... every now and then I braid it when it's wet... I don't plan on cutting it either, just once a year to trim off the dead ends, but it takes forever to get a long length because for every 6 inches it grows, it curls back up another 4!

Kath (1-1/2 days to go!!!)

[3tbear]

Nothing fancy here, I just wash it, put conditioner in it, take a round brush, blowdry the ends up sometimes, bring some of the hair up from each side, make a tiny bun and put 2 clips on top to hold it. I'm a low maintenance hair person. It's just easier that way. Sometimes I won't curl it with a round brush, just let it go straight, but there is always some kind of curl in it 'cause it is naturally wavy.

[rafala]

I have long hair and i love it!! my sister cut about a foot off in april and it is still to my bra strap in length. all i do is wash with shampoo and always condition. wrap it in a towel afterwards. use a pick to "comb" it. I wash my hair at night, unless i go jogging early in the morning, and let it dry over night. then in the morning i usually put a scrunchy in it so it is in a ponytail. sometimes i use a barrette but not very often.

my biggest complaint is that amount of hair i lose all the time. if i reach back and "brush" my hair with my fingers i will get at least 5-10 hairs. In fact i have to go clean out the shower drain because it is all clogged from my hair!! now that is nasty.

I have thought about short hair but really think long hair is easiest because i dont have to style it or anything. I also cut the ends myself since i always pull my hair up it doesnt matter if i cut it straight or not

karen - who had hair down to her butt a few months ago, and will again by xmas time

[Maxie X]

I gave some ideas in the other long hair thread.
Couple of tips...
I used to trim my split ends...I no longer have split ends. Things that I am doing differently.

1. I eat mainly whole nutritious foods, no processed foods, no soda, minimal chemicals. Makes a BIG difference (with everything...skin and finger nails also)

2. I use Pantene PRO-V Conditioner daily and Pro-V Deep Fortifying Treatment (conditioner) Restore & Renew weekly.

Like I mentioned before, I wash & go. But if I'm going out and need to look neat, I comb my hair like Daizy, bottom up, and use Pantene leave in conditioning spray (great detangler for kids too!)

I color my hair also but I only do roots and only use half each time. I use Herbatint, permanent herbal hair dye cream/gel.

I get LOTS of compliments on my hair. Most think it's my natural color.

I just measured my hair, it's 30". Here's a recent pic.
well...I don't know how to post a pic here, but it's at this website

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

My profession is a preschool teacher (that pic was taken off hours in my daycare). We do lots of messy projects and I have 3 little ones of my own and have had long hair the whole time. I just double up my pony tail in a scrunchy either in back or on the side. I can put up in bun with thin pony tail holder & butterfly clips. I sometimes will split the pony tail in 2, braid each & wrap them around the pony tail making a braided bun, secure w/ butterfly clips. I also swiss braid (opposite of french) if time allows..which I'm outta right now! hehehe Thanks for letting me share

[mayfly]

DaizyMae, where is your picture? I looked all over.

I am a newbie with long hair. Its to my hips, but this is the first time. I have been growing it since I was a teenager, it would never grow. Then I quit getting perms although only once every 2 years I guess they made my hair brittle.

then shock of shocks my hair began growing curly after my 4th child. Why I have no idea, it has always been stick straight. Thats also when it began growing like a weed.

So since I am new I did everything wrong. Finally I learned to brush my hair before the shower, always use conditioner. I use this funny brush after it has been in the towel for awhile, starting with the tips. I just purchased a new hairdryer that I LOVE, drys my hair in minutes. I only blow dry when I am going out immediately, otherwise I just dry around my bangs.

My biggest tip, I only wash it every other day. I have fun using shampoo for blondes, don't know if it really makes a difference. Also conditioner for shine, and shine spray.

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by mayfly
DaizyMae, where is your picture? I looked all over.

I am a newbie with long hair. Its to my hips, but this is the first time. I have been growing it since I was a teenager, it would never grow. Then I quit getting perms although only once every 2 years I guess they made my hair brittle.

then shock of shocks my hair began growing curly after my 4th child. Why I have no idea, it has always been stick straight. Thats also when it began growing like a weed.

So since I am new I did everything wrong. Finally I learned to brush my hair before the shower, always use conditioner. I use this funny brush after it has been in the towel for awhile, starting with the tips. I just purchased a new hairdryer that I LOVE, drys my hair in minutes. I only blow dry when I am going out immediately, otherwise I just dry around my bangs.

My biggest tip, I only wash it every other day. I have fun using shampoo for blondes, don't know if it really makes a difference. Also conditioner for shine, and shine spray.

Here ya go.......
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[mayfly]

Well that was fun!! Thanks Naomi Marie- so are you real sisters, or soul sisters?

[tasker109]

daizy mae.....i hadnt seen your picture before so my response wasnt directed at you. its just how i feel. long hair is hot and messy and always in the way.....you cant really style it either. you just pull it back in a ponytail or in a banana clip.....truthfully i wish bald was in....hehe......a la sinead oconner!!!

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by mayfly
Well that was fun!! Thanks Naomi Marie- so are you real sisters, or soul sisters?

Soul sisters!
I hate that pic of me, YUKK, GAG!

[sweetiris]

I don't know exactly how long my hair is, but I would guess it to be about 6 to 8 inches past my waist. I don't do anything special to it. I rarely wear it up or anything. Most hair accessories will NOT stay in my hair. No matter what it is, it's like my hair rejects it, and it always ends up falling out. Some people always ask if I braid it, but I rarely do, it's just naturally wavy.
I too comb it starting at the bottom. I can't even imagine what a mess it would end up if I tried starting at the top. I can also only really comb when it's wet if it's been really tangled. I've heard a thousand times that it's really bad not to brush before washing and then try to comb the tangles out after washing (supposedly cause a lot of breakage and split ends). Never seems to be a problem with my hair.
I never ever blow dry my hair, I always let it dry naturally. It takes forever to completely dry. Sometimes I can wash it in the morning and it will still be damp underneath that night.

The only complaints I really have it that it has a tendency to get stuck everywhere. I always get it caught in the seat belt buckle, never realize it until I get halfway out of the car, then suddenly I get pulled back in. OUCH! It really hurts. Also when the wind is blowing I need a seeing eye dog, that hair gets in my face and I can see NOTHING. Also when the wind is blowing I have to be careful if I'm walking with someone. People say it really hurts when my hair blows around and smacks them on the face.

Oh, also I never use a brush, only a comb, my hair loves to try and eat any brush!

[aprilgail]

For any of you thinking about cutting your long hair short you could always donate it to locks of love... [Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children across the U.S. under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
We meet a unique need for children throughout the United States by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics. Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses we provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.


HAIR DONATION GUIDELINES

We accept 10" minimum hair length (tip to tip), not wigs, falls, or synthetic hair
Please bundle hair in ponytail or braid
Hair needs to be clean, dry, and placed in a plastic bag
We need hair from men and women, young and old, all colors, and all races
Hair may be colored or permed, but not chemically damaged (if you're not sure, ask your stylist)
Hair swept off the floor is not usable
Hair cut years ago is usable as long as it has been stored in a ponytail
Hair that is short, gray, or unsuitable for children will be separated from the ponytails and sold at fair market value to offset the cost of manufacturing
You may pull curly hair straight to measure the minimum 10"
The majority of all hair donated comes from children who wish to help other children
Layered hair may be put into more than one ponytail for donation