Hair -- to cut or not to cut -- that is the question...

[helwen]

More for my own benefit than anything else...


Short Hair

Pros:
- wash and wear
- no hair accessories cluttering the top of the dresser
- no tangles
- dries fast
- no fussing with it on the way to kung fu classes
- uses less hair care products

Cons:
- no fun with hair accessories
- no fun with braids, putting hair up in different styles
- would have to find something acceptable to wear on my head at SCA events, that does _NOT_ cover my ears
- might not be able to get a nice hairstyle that can be mostly self/Fitzw-maintained
- more frequent hair cuts


Long Hair

Pros:
- fun with styling
- great accessories!
- Short of cutting my hair _really_ short, long hair is easier to get up and off of the neck on a hot day
- hair cuts can be done at home
- easy to do stuff with for SCA events
- rare hair cuts

Cons:
- takes a long time to dry
- tangles, split ends, etc.
- uses more hair care products
- hair accessories take up space on dresser, add clutter


Before I took up kung fu, I didn't have much of a problem with having long hair. But only certain hairstyles work well for class, and leaving it down is definitely not an option. I go to class a lot more than I go to SCA events -- I just can't stand wearing anything over my ears because it affects my hearing. For whatever reason, I just need to have as much of my hearing ability available to me as possible.

Short hair is so tempting for the day-to-day convenience, but I don't want to be stuck having to go to a hairdresser every couple of weeks. That simply isn't acceptable. I could do what I did my last year in college (short, straight across the bottom, just a wee bit past the bottom of the ears), but my hair naturally falls forward, so I'd have to maybe wear headbands in class.

Blah. Not sure seeing it on "paper" is helping at all...

NOTE: Hm, one thing I left out of my list -- currently my front hair, which was bangs a year ago, is still too short a year later to stay in a single pony tail or braid by itself. So I have to do a little braid on either side that mixes in some longer hair, in order to carry the shorter hair to the back. Hence being time-consuming.

Comments

[the1butterfly.livejournal.com]

Am I allowed to vote for long hair? Day to day I just twist it in a bun and secure it with two butterfly clips. Doing that even with super long hair makes daily care easy.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Yes, daily care isn't hard. It's the kung fu classes that are. Bun is no good if we're doing breakfalls

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I'd talk to sorciere_de_neige for her advice. She's cut your hair and knows how it falls.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, have thought of that, but haven't gotten that far :) She is the expert though :D

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

Perhaps leaving it long and using a scrunchie or a buff?
Buffs are tubes of lightweight jersey, which can be worn multiple ways.
There's a website where they can be purchased, which shows methods of wearing
I love the things. They are easily made from an old t shirt.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Hm, one thing I left out of my list -- currently my front hair, which was bangs a year ago, is still too short a year later to stay in a single pony tail or braid by itself. So I have to do a little braid on either side that mixes in some longer hair, in order to carry the shorter hair to the back. Umph. I should put this in the main post....

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

This is the buff website. http://www.buyabuff.com/
A simple line of stitching up can turn a retired t shirt
into one. The site shows several ways to wear them.
You seem slightly wistful at the thought of going shorter.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Hm, has possibilities. Esp. being wicking fabric.

Thanks :)

Long Hair

[dianaim.livejournal.com]

I had long hair in college (20 Yrs ago). After a big family event, I let a hairdresser cut it into a bob. I have not been able to grow it back for 20 years. Something always forces me to cut it during the various awkward stages (work, in my eyes, etc.).

So unless you want to have short hair for a VERY long time, I would think this over very carefully.

You could always go a bit shorter, but up to you ears, my vote would be no.

You will be at the hairdresser every 4 weeks for a trim to keep the shape and the head bands will give you headaches after a bit.

My 2 cents :)

Re: Long Hair

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks, appreciated :)

Long hair hands down.

[hiddennature410.livejournal.com]

Sorry but I say stick with long hair and start browsing internet for new and different wasy to put it up. My mom has the same problem now since she can't grow her hair long again since they cut it to a blob. :/