By Geniece of Beautifully Made
I don’t know about you but as a new natural I was inspired by the luscious, thick fros of women who rocked their fierce tresses with grace and ease. I knew that one day I wanted to be able to style my hair in a large round afro or wear twists and braids that swung effortlessly down my back. Growing long hair wasn’t just about imitating an ideal of femininity for me. I wanted to wear certain styles that in simple terms required that I grow my hair out. Now that I’ve essentially reached my goals I want to address some of the challenges associated with long, tightly coiled hair.
Okay, I know some of you are going to roll your eyes. I don’t blame you. I too could barely listened to the so called difficulties associated with having long hair a few years ago. I don’t want you to think of these as complaints. Rather, think of these issues as helpful pointers to keep in mind as your hair grows longer. You may think that the changes you encounter are specific to you as your hair grows longer. Hopefully, by sharing my experience, you will be that much more prepared to embrace you long curls, kinks and coils.
The Time
The increase in the time it takes to deal with my hair has increased in ways I simply did not imagine. Take blow drying for example. I don’t blow my hair out often but when I do, I practice caution and care. In May of 2010 I blew my hair out for the first time since beginning my healthy hair regimen. I was done in one hour. Now, two years later, it takes me two hours to blow out my hair. While it takes me twice as long my hair isn’t necessarily twice as long. An additional five or six inches can add anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to detangle, wash or style.
What you might find is that if you previously wore time consuming styles, you may no longer have the time or energy. At one point I wore mini twists exclusively. Because it now takes anywhere from 6-8 hours to twist my hair it’s a style I only where one to three times a year. I find that styles on loose hair work best because they generally take less time. With the added length, however, I find that updos take on a unique and elegant appearance that I enjoy wearing.
Styling Options
On the whole I have found that my styling options have increased. I especially like being able to spend 5-10 minutes and whip up a style that looks like it took much longer. With the increase in styling options, however, you will likely notice that styles you enjoyed at shorter or medium length hair no longer work after you’ve reached a certain length. The perfectly round fros and puffs that I loved early on as a natural simply don’t work now. The hair tends to flop on one side and stick up on another. Alas, my fro days seem to be over.
Long Hair Isn’t for Everyone
After reaching a certain length you may realize that you enjoy your hair at a shorter length for one reason or another. There is nothing and I repeat NOTHING wrong with getting your hair shears and cutting off a few inches. Now be prepared from the plea of family members and friends to “not cut off all that pretty hair”. Yes, some folk will guilt trip you into keeping your hair long. However, at the end of the day you are the one managing your hair and if you feel more comfortable at a shorter length then by all mean do what makes you happy. While your hair can be your “crown and glory” it’s nothing compared to feeling confident and comfortable with the style of your choice.
Ladies, what do you think? Do you want long hair? For women who have had both long and short hair, what are the pros and cons of each?
I actually think I’m going to shoot for mid-length hair (I want my twists to be about shoulder length when they’re dry) because my hair is very fine and retaining length has been tough! I’m also around 7 inches, and I’m already starting to feel a bit challenged by keeping it in order while I wash it because it is also dense even though the hairs are fine. I won’t ever let doing my hair take over my time, so if it gets unwieldy that will be that!
LMAO hilarious comments. My hair is long but in the summer it shrinks up to my chin and you know what I let it rock because it is SO DAMN HOT that I actually embrace that plus it takes forever to blow dry it. The last time I blow dried it was probably a few weeks ago and it took me over an hour after that I said HELLS NO not doing that again for a while. I get like 80% shrinkage can you imagine? sheesh! I can’t lie though, I enjoy my long kinks I can throw it in a bun straight out the shower or rock dope blow outs when I am in the mood and let my hair swing. I can’t complain AT ALL! :)
oh and here is a photo of it straightened back in feb (as I said it shrinks to my chin) crayyy! So I have no idea how long it really is right now.
I like short (less than 4 inches) and long hair (more than 12 inches). I hate everything in the middle. Short hair is the easiest to detangle and styling doesn’t take too long because there’s less hair to do. I love long hair because it’s easy to do lazy styles like a single braid, a bun or two-braids. I hate that mid to long hair takes so long to detangle and requires extra special attention to things like SSK’s, protein/moisture balance, spritzing and sealing almost daily. Short hair can take a beating but if you don’t care for your hair well, it’ll be difficult to get to mid-length hair and beyond.
I second the body aches and pains! I’m 22 and I sometimes feel like I’m 82 from craning my neck to wash, style, detangle, see and otherwise manage my hair. I’m mid transition (I’m a long hauler) and I’ve got a little over 5 inches of new growth and 7 or 8 inches of relaxed ends left, and so it’s been a definite struggle in some respects. I’ve always had long hair, but recently the allure of short hair started to get a bit stronger. It’s SUPER hot this summer, my hair tangles, and sometimes I run out of ideas for styles (like today). It makes me want to chop, and since it’s already been about 10 months since my last relaxer, I feel like people around me are almost annoyed that I won’t (You’re making US sweat just looking at you- cut it already!!). I like my long hair, it’s a big part of my personal landscape of myself, but I fantasize about rocking a lovely short sassy, bold TWA (although maybe not so teeny to be honest). When it gets really hot, I flirt with the idea of just hacking off my stringy uncooperative ends, but all in all, I started this business to grow my hair back healthy and long after damaging it. I must press on.
Shorter hair is for me, I don’t ever plan to spend hours doing hair. I don’t plan to grow it out either just not my thing.
I have really enjoyed this article and the comments. Lord, I want long hair, but do I really want long hair? LOL
i think that face shape should be considered when someone decides to grow their hair long. i have a round face, so personally i think that longer hair looks better on me.
someone with more facial definiton (like a halle berry) can wear a wider variety of hair lengths.
i totally agree, there are “more hair more problems” that can be very limiting… i guess a lot of it depends on your hair type and whether you enjoy spending time on hair. personally, i like having long hair because, for me, it’s so low-maintenance. i have super thick but super fine hair that dries into a mostly straight high waist length and when stretched is fully waist length. i rinse my hair at least every other day to keep it detangled and seal it with shea butter. because my hair is really thin, the low-maintenance aspects of the “wash and wear bun” work well for me, even though the style is pretty boring.