Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I’m debating whether or not to cut my hair. At present, it reaches my hips. It’s thick. It’s heavy. It’s a pain in the ass.

Well,… more like a pain in the neck, since the weight of it gives me a headache sometimes.

For five years though, right after I graduated from high school, I would grow my hair this long, chop it at the chin, grow it back to this length again, then chop it at the chin again. Each time I chopped it, I made two thick braids and cut above the upper bands. And get this: I’ve kept those braids, and I have a total of four of them, all of which are stored in a giant Ziplock bag.

I don’t know why I did that. I suppose I wanted to see how fast my hair would grow, and I wanted to see how much of it I could collect, and let me tell you, it grows fast and thick—yes, thick; I shed a lot, and yet even now my braided ponytail is still as thick as my wrist.

Anyway, for the last five years, I haven’t chopped my hair at the chin at all; I’ve merely trimmed it when it got too long. Why? Because at this length, I don’t have to dry it or style it; I just braid and go. A chin bob, on the other hand, requires some blow drying and a light application of hair product, or it just looks bad.

It’s a trade-off, really. Wash-and-wear hair? Or headache-free lightweight hair? I went for wash-and-wear because I commute for three hours in a day and don’t have time to spend doing my hair. BUT I’m moving closer to work within a month, and I’ll have bought most of that lost time back. So now I’m wondering…

Should I cut my hair? And if so, how much of it should I cut?

I don’t really have a preference when it comes to my hair length, and I’ve never really minded catering to other people’s whims. I mean, it’s just hair; it isn’t permanent, and it’s a pain in the butt no matter what I do with it. My first serious boyfriend liked super short hair on women, so I made it super short for him. Yet for my second boyfriend’s pleasure, I kept my hair super long. Now, however, I want a change.

I’m tempted to add another couple of braids to my little collection and simply chop my hair at the chin again, but I think it’s time I actually chose a hair style and length that I can live with for a while. I’m just not sure what styles or lengths would look best on me.

*Sigh*

To cut, or not to cut? That is the question.

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65 thoughts on “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow”

  1. Cutting your beautiful hair? Le Sigh.

    However, you are right about wanting a change. Any hairstyle expires after two years at the latest.

    How about something like this or this or this or maybe this?

    One of these would also look great on you.

  2. Well, don’t take hair advice from me, I don’t have ANY, but if it is causing you headaches, be gone with it. Long hair is sexy, but so is short hair. True appeal comes from within, and I would imagine that you exude an extrememly high level of confidence. You would still radiate the same amount of appeal if you had my hairstyle, so do what makes YOU happy. Have a great one April!

  3. My mom does the same thing. She gets it about waist level, braids it, and then lops it off. She sends her braids to Locks Of Love. It’s a very cool cause.

    What if you cut your hair off halfway? That way it’s still longish, but not short? (I’m rather indecisive, as if you couldn’t tell. 😉 )

  4. Oooh, Minnie! Those are great. 😀

    Why didn’t I think to look for styles and compare? I guess it’s been too long. Hmm… choices, choices.

    Broch, dear, I have actually considered shaving all of my hair off. It was for one very brief moment of insanity, and I’m over it now. Thank you for the vote of confidence, though! 😀

    And GeekGrrl? Your mother’s after my own heart. One of the main reasons I started collecting my hair in braids was the thought of donating it to a good cause—like wigs for kids with cancer or something.

    My only problem is, once I had the hair in my hands—my hair—I simply couldn’t part with it.

    There were other reasons as well, but they’re all moot. :o)

  5. I was going to suggest Locks of Love, but Geekgrrl beat me to it. You could always try a perm with shorter hair – a little mousse and go, but that might be too drastic . . .

  7. Back in April my hair was just starting to get long again. My perm had grown out about halfway and I was getting tired of ponytails and hair clips. So I had it chopped. It was a little scary at first but once I learned how to style it (which only takes about 5 minutes since there’s a helluva lot less to blowdry) I really began to love it. Now I’m kind of debating on whether or not I want to grow it out again because I’m liking it short so much.

    P.S. Carefull with perms… unless you spend some serious $$$ to get it done by someone with a very good reputation. A bad haircut can usually be fixed, but a bad perm can be disastrous.

  8. Good point on having less to blow dry, Nikki. I’d completely forgotten about that, and now that I’m thinking about it, I sort of miss the chin bobs I used to get after chopping off my hair.

    Hmm… chin bobs, then? Time to look at some beauty magazines!

  10. "My first serious boyfriend liked super short hair on women, so I made it super short for him. Yet for my second boyfriend’s pleasure, I kept my hair super long. Now, however, I want a change."

    A change of boyfriend is probably a really good idea. As for your hair You will continue to love the feeling of having really long hair and cutting it off really short. This is your pattern. It shows the quiet rebelious freedom and thrill of the extremes… accompanied with the very patient character building of starting from scratch. But because you know it will grow back thick and fast, (a little insider information) you are not afraid. Think I’ll click on Minni’e suggestions.

  11. I have thick hair I also got bad headaches. I for the first time got my hair cut s very short I love it and no more headaches.My husband likes it to. I am know wanting to go even shorter something like Holly Berry. Do you have any ideas I sure need some.I have a face that any thing looks great.

  12. You should cut your hair to your shoulders with a layered look to it and get some highlights…do something sexy…as for all your other hair, you should give it to the cancer cause, so that they can use your hair that you grow so fast to help others who don’t have.

  15. So far, Drew? I haven’t done anything to it yet. I’m still debating on whether or not to cut it.

  16. That’s an interesting story about growing your hair out long and then cutting it to your chin. How long would it take when you were in that cycle for your hair to get to your hips? Over a year? You said you had 4 braids but I wasn’t sure if that meant you repeated the cycle 4 times or just twice.

  17. Two thick braids for each cycle (left and right), with each cycle being two or three years (from chin to hips). The more times I had my hair trimmed in between cuttings, the longer the cycle took… but I didn’t really need the trimming; I hardly ever got split ends. In short, I did the cycle twice and, while I’ve had a lot of trimming done, haven’t had a major cutting since. Consequently, my hair reaches the bottom of my butt now.

  18. Two and a half years between cycles, eh? That’s a long time, although I guess it makes sense. At what point when you were growing it long the first time did you come up with this idea of growing it very long and then cutting it to your chin and then keeping the souvenir braids? I would bet it was a shock to have all that hair and then all of a sudden it’s gone. Did you do it yourself?

    So now, do you normally wear your hair down or in a braid? That would be a lot of hair if it was hanging loose and reaches the bottom of your butt. If I follow right, you’ve kept the super long hair for the last 2+ years, or rather, if you followed your old schedule you’d be about two years behind on getting your chop to the chin, right?

  19. April, do you have a boyfriend these days, and what is his opinion on the haircut.

  20. Your idea of a ‘major haircutting’ is a little different than the rest of us. How long were the braids?

  21. Drew, I cut it myself, but then I’d get it "cleaned up" afterwards by a pro because I always wanted to make sure it was straight. The first time I did it, it was only because I realized I had enough hair to keep as braids if I wanted to. My head felt so nice and light right afterwards. I normally wear my hair in a braid, and I’m actually about four years behind (I’ve cut my hair midway once or twice but never chopped it to my chin in the last six years). I only hesitate because people would actually weep to see me cut the hair.

    Nikki, yes, I do, and he would rather I not cut the hair at all. Or… he’d prefer I cut it to midway down my back (and not any shorter) if it means I wear my hair down more often.

  22. Steph, I’m not sure, but I think they’re about a foot long, much shorter than if the hair wasn’t in the braids. I’ve never actually measured them, but now I think I will if I ever find them among my yet unpacked boxes.

  23. April, here’s what you need to do. Since you want to cut it ALL off and your boyfriend wants you to cut HALF of it off, meet both the demands halfway and cut 3/4th of it. To add some flavor to the new style, you could add some layers and/or highlights. So what are you waiting for, take a pair of scissors to your briads, or have your boyfriend do it for you. If its possible, we’d love to see the before and after pictures posted on the site. Good luck.

  24. April, here’s what you need to do. Since you want to cut it ALL off and your boyfriend wants you to cut HALF of it off, meet both the demands halfway and cut 3/4th of it. To add some flavor to the new style, you could add some layers and/or highlights. So what are you waiting for, take a pair of scissors to your briads, or have your boyfriend do it for you. If its possible, we’d love to see the before and after pictures posted on the site. Good luck.

  25. So you’ve had the hip length hair for nearly 4 years! I bet the braid has become almost a part of your identity. It’s a prominent feature in your little cartoon pictures. You ought to wear it down when you’re out every once and awhile just for kicks. That’s an impressive amount of hair anyway you look at it.

    What caused you to do the chin chop the second time?

    Is right now the longest your hair has been in all these cycles or has it always gotten down to your hips before you cut the braids. I think I’ve heard where people reach a point where there hair starts breaking and won’t get any longer. So do you think you could grow it longer if you wanted?

    Do you wear it double braided very often (i.e. like you do when you cut the braids). I would bet that is a cute look.

    Are other people besides your boyfriend wanting you keep the long hair?

  26. Drew, you hit it on the nose. The braid has become a part of me, which is why it’s so prominent in my self-portraits. I used to wear my hair down every now and then, or simply keep it in an unbraided ponytail, but this is the longest it’s ever been, so it’s harder to keep from getting out of hand when it’s down.

    My second chin chop was for the first boyfriend. He liked the boyish style that all the women were wearing, so I chopped it off. Later, it turned out that he wanted it even shorter, so I chopped it again before it even had a chance to grow. That was the shortest I ever had it, and I’ll post a picture of it sometime when I get around to it.

    As for my hair breaking, I have maybe a few split ends, which is kind of a feat considering how infrequently I get my hair trimmed. Since this is the longest my hair has been and it’s still healthy, I have no idea how much longer it could still grow. The only thing slowing it down, if anything, is my very bad habit of plucking hair strands from my scalp just for the heck of it (if I don’t like the way the strand feels between my fingers, I pluck it out; don’t ask me why).

    I have worn my hair in a double braid maybe twice without chopping it, and whenever I wonder out loud about cutting my hair the people around me (co-workers, friends, anybody) usually cry out, "Oh, my God. Why?!"

    It’s what keeps me growing.

  27. Well, as a guy I would want you to probably keep the hip length hair. It’s unique to have that long of hair that actually looks good. I’m sure the braid is cute and endearing too.

    For the sheer audacity and thrill the chin chop is a decent alternative. The dramatic change would be exciting, albeit less so for you perhaps since you’ve done it in the past. The prospect of growing it long again would keep things interesting in the longer run. You would also get to add two more even longer braids to your collection.

    But it sounds to me as though you, and your boyfriend, would probably miss it though. So my opinion would be to keep the braid/hair. Compromising by chopping 3/4’s of it off doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Part of the reason I would want to keep the longer hair is ’cause it’s SO long. It’s just kinda neat and interesting.

    Also, how often do you wash and braid it? Is that a weekly thing. I would think you couldn’t wash it to often ’cause it would just take forever to dry. The girls I’ve dated that haven’t had nearly that long of hair took them FOREVER to dry their hair.

  28. I wash my hair every other day, and I use a lot of shampoo and even more conditioner. After I wash it, I wrap it up in my towel and wear my towel up in a turban. During this time, I let all the excess water soak up while I get dressed.

    Once I’m dressed, I take the towel off and brush my hair while I’m bent over with my head upside down. I brush from scalp to the ends of my hair, which I will sometimes hold up with my free hand. At this time, my hair is still soaking wet, but it’s easier to brush right after a shower if it’s still wet.

    When I’m assured that I’ve brushed out all the tangles, I tie the hair up in a ponytail at the top of my head. I use two ties at the top — a practical one that will keep the hair in place and a nice one over that one which is mostly for appearance.

    Then I brush the ponytail to further free it from tangles, and that’s when I start to braid it to the end. I tie that end up only with a practical tie.

    Throughout the day after that process, my hair stays a little damp. How damp depends on my surrounding environment (humidity affects how fast it dries). Usually, though, it’s dry by the end of the day or by morning of the next day.

    Only after it’s dry do I ever, if I’m inclined to, leave my hair down. And I don’t ever use a hair dryer on it. It’s far too much trouble on hair this long.

  29. You’re a latter day Rapunzel . . . or at least you’re headed for Crystal Gayle country.

    I wouldn’t want to have to work that much on my hair! I’d do the chin chop and try out short hair for awhile. Four years of that would be long enough.

    Then again I might chicken out too.

  30. Whoa… lol… funny you should say that; I was thinking along the same lines of Rapunzel for a future topsy turvy toon, but my hair isn’t nearly as long as Crystal Gayle’s. It would be plain torture to have to deal with hair that long. Hers makes mine seem short by comparison.

  31. April, isn’t your current length just plain torture, let alone trying to emulate Crystal Gayle. Take it from me, my hair was very long once (to my knees), and a royal pain! My life revolved around it and it defined me.

    Off it went — I got my life back and I now am myself. Smartest thing I ever did, haven’t regretted it a bit.

    And as for the folks who tried to talk me out of it, they got over it in minutes. After all, it was my hair, not theirs!

    Hope this helps in your decision.

  32. Oh, my… to the knees? I can’t imagine trying to move around with all that hair. I knew a girl in high school who had hair that long, and she left it down all the time. She was in the Flags group, so I can’t figure out how she did it without seriously hurting herself.

    I wish I could eat my cake and have it, too. I’d chop it at the chin, at the back, and not at all… all at once!

  34. As the guy above said, I too would be crushed if my girlfriend had hip length hair and chopped it off. Then again, I lllovvve long hair. I think you should consider b/f feelings if he has a thing for hair. Whatever, be happy!

  35. Ok, my take.

    I agree with your boyfriend. I’m a guy. We stick together on these topics.

    Hip length hair, for guys like us, is a rarity and a treasure.

    But…

    Summer’s coming, and I sympathize. Perhaps a compromise-cutis in the works. But it’s your hair, and the decision is yours.

  37. You have to wash your hair more often than I was thinking although it sounds like the drying part isn’t as difficult as I would’ve guessed.

    It sounds like growing up your hair was usually longer rather than shorter?

  42. april,

    I’m interested to hear the ‘hair’ update tomorrow. I’m almost hoping you decided to keep the braids now that it’s come to it.

    A cute ‘toon nonetheless!

  43. I just checked back. I really hope that you changed your mind. Hip length hair sets you apart. I can’t understand why a beautiful lady would wish to return to ordinary. Keep it growin’ April!

  44. Short hair is awsome! Cut it and keep it that way! Snip, Snip, Snip!

  47. If you want to sell any of that hair you saved I am willing to be a buyer. We use human hair to make porcelin dolls. Thanks

  48. If you want to sell any of that hair you saved I am willing to be a buyer. We use human hair to make porcelin dolls. Thanks

  49. If you want to sell any of that hair you saved I am willing to be a buyer. We use human hair to make porcelin dolls. Thanks

  51. I think you should shave your head… I did it… I love it (yes I am female) it’s an amazing change and doesn’t require any maintenance. It does get mixed reactions, but as long as you stay confident it’s beautiful.. and it brings out your eyes A LOT.

  52. I think you should shave your head… I did it… I love it (yes I am female) it’s an amazing change and doesn’t require any maintenance. It does get mixed reactions, but as long as you stay confident it’s beautiful, and you can draw on it or buy those little baby bows… and it brings out your eyes A LOT.

  53. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.

  54. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.

  55. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.

  56. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.My e-mail turbomord@yahoo.com

  57. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.My e-mail turbomord@yahoo.com

  58. Hi April. Its August 03 have you done anything to your hair. I love to cut it for you if not. Where are you located. I buy uncut hair and if your willing to sell me your ponytail i would also video the big cut. Plus i would buy all your cut braids too.My e-mail turbomord@yahoo.com

  59. Well Nikki, I really think that you should seriously think about a nice headshave. You know, firing up the clippers and running them right throught your hair. Or, wrap up your hair in a bun or braid or ponytail and just whack it all of. Then u can donate it or keep it. Personally, i really think you should hop in the barber’s chair and shave it all off. I’d also be glad to do it for you, Just email me where you live at airjordan45000@hotmail.com

  61. i would not shave it that is way to dramatic way way way. just cut it to your shoulders and get choppy layers. it will be really cute. just do it. but whatever you do don’t shave it. please don’t shave it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  62. dont cut your gorgeous long hair.you need a boyfriend who will wash it and take care of it for you

  63. I have very long RED hair that I would like to sell. The color is my own, never dyed and no perm, the red is a mix of copper, pumkin and lite red. please email alogsdon@zfxflying.com I am in KY. Thank you

  65. well I didn’t cut my hair, it’s about 28 inches long from the back of my neck
    sorry it took so long for a up date.

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