Pros and Cons of a haircut

[HoneyRockette]

I am still strongly considering cutting my hair. Even though it may seem like I a overreacting, I honestly don't think my hair can be salvaged. It is damaged completely. The bottom half is overprocessed, the top half is underprocessed and it has braid damage from top to bottom. My hair grows far too slow to just let it grow out and gradually trim it off. It would take me years to grow out this damage before I can acheive my goal length. I want to at least look cute in the process. Even though I would love to have midback length hair sooner, the main focus here is HEALTHY hair and my hair is anything but healthy. I would be one of those sad women who holds on to sickly unhealthy length just because it's long. I made my own little pros and cons list:

Pro
I'll never have to spend more than thirty minutes doing my hair in the morning.
Con
On the days when I can just wake up and throw my hair into a ponytail, I'll have to spend up to thirty minutes doing my hair.

Pro
A hair cut will show off my elegant but goose-like neck.
Con
A hair cut will show off my elegant, but GOOSE-LIKE neck.

Pro
A haircut will accentuate my more subtle facial features.
Con
A haircut may accentuate a few undesirable facial features.

Pro
A haircut adds flare to fashion and is an accessory in itself.
Con
I can never dress down in a flannel shirt and worn blue jeans in the fall because I risk giving off lesbian vibes.

Pro
A haircut may boost my confidence.
Con
A haircut may make me feel insecure around long haired women.

Pro
My hair will already be cut into a style so I never have to rack my brains trying to come up with a style for a social gathering or club.
Con
Because my hair will be cut into a style, I will run out of styling options at some point.

Pro
My hair will always be healthy because I will be constantly trimming it.
Con
My hair will need to be constantly trimmed.

Pro
I will be getting rid of this dry, damaged hair.
Con
I will be getting rid of about fifteen inches of length.

Pro
It would be easier to start over from scratch if my hair gets damaged again.
Con
This would set me back about three or four years in terms of reaching my goal of 25 inches or more.

Pro
I won't be discouraged anymore after a year when I realize I haven't grown anywhere close to six inches (or even three inches because I actually lost length last year).
Con
My hair does have to grow out eventually and it will look hideous when it does.

I can't think of anymore right now but I have had this list in my head for a while. Would you all think I was a big fat quitter if I cut my hair? My mind is going every which-a-way on this matter. I don't know what to do. All of my offline friends and family have something to say, even though none of them know ANYTHING about hair. That is why I am coming back here with this problem. I actually think about cutting my hair day and night. It wouldn't really be giving up. It is actually just starting over. How else do you correct majorly damaged hair? I know it is ultimately my decision but I need advice from people whose opinions I actually trust. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[deborah11]

honeyrockette,
you seemed to have thought about this issue a lot. i actually think that u have already made up your mind. i think u need to do what is best for u. listen to the voice within, make a decision based on what is best for you. you know yourself and your hair better than anyone else. also saving your hair will require lots of patience and TIME. consider all of these factors when u make your decision. i am confident that u will do what i best for u. i have seen your pictures and u have beautiful hair which i am sure will look beautiful long or short. whether or not to cut your hair is a very personal decision. good luck in making your decision. keep us posted!

 

[sweetcocoa]

I agree with Deborah. What I did was cut it off in 'chunks'...like 4 inches the first time I cut. You'll be amazed how much better your hair looks just getting rid of the oldest and usually the most damaged part first. The rest of the damaged hair is usually not as bad as the ends. So try chopping off 4-5 inches or 'half' of what you feel you need to chop off then go from there...I see no reason to do it all at one time.

 

[Integrity]

HR,
If your hair is damaged,cut it /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[pmichael52172]

I feel your hesitancy. I had breakage that was hard to notice to others but I couldn't stand it. The thinness and breakage forced me to wear my hair curly all the time to give it a thick illusion. But in turn, it was wearing it in tight curls that lead to tangling and then morebreakage.

I was given a coupon by a woman at my church to come to her shop and get a free "overhaul" - cut, relaxer, color, the works. That was last year for my birthday and she gave me a year to use it. I decided to go ahead and get the damage corrected because it wasn't like the breakage was going to get healthy all of a sudden and then catch up. I went with the usual bob and it was the best thing I ever did. If you want to see a pic (not me) of it Private message me with your e-mail address. I didn't get the color because I wanted less stress on my hair as possible. My hair was shoulder length and was fine but the damge posed too many do's and don'ts and I couldn't "enjoy" my hair with confidence. Now, people want me to keep this length because it looks much thicker and the 3 inches that were cut is hardly noticeable.

Do what you are convinced is best, but it's hair - it will grow back and if you correct the damage now, it will grow back sooner. We don't think you're a quitter if you cut it... this is not a contest and you didn't sign a contract. I think more of us would give up length to have healthy hair anyday. I always believe that if your hair is healthy, the length will automatically come - it will come easier and quicker than you can keep up with.

 

[NayNay]

HoneyRockette you are a mess!!!!! /images/graemlins/drunk.gif
but I feel you girl. I wore my hair short for 4 years (shaved in the back) and it was about 3 inches long at the most in places. I liked it. Upkeep sucked (trims every 10 days) but I did everything and anything and girl I wore my tee shirts and jeans and didn't send the Lesbo vibes LOL!
It will give you a very sophisticated look. I have a long neck too and I didn't look like a giraffe LOL! I just had 6 inches cut and my hair is above my shoulders now in a bob and can I tell you my hair is HEALTHIER! I had thin ends and they were frizzy (damage from DR blowouts) and my hair was very uneven. Now I don't have the breaking, the frizzy ends nor the see thru ends. I say cut it gradually. You can ALWAYS go Shorter but not LONGER! Good luck on your decision. I will try to post some pictures of my shorter hair one day LOL!!!

 

[Guest]

/images/graemlins/huh.gif</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Con
I can never dress down in a flannel shirt and worn blue jeans in the fall because I risk giving off lesbian vibes.


[/ QUOTE ] /images/graemlins/shocked.gif WHAT?!? Get outta here with that, ma'am!

I think that if your hair is damaged, get it cut. It's better to look cute than to walk around w/damaged hair just b/c it's long. There's a lady in my office with the thinnest hair, it's long, but you can tell it's damaged. It looks like a dirty ferret tail!I just wanna grab that little wispy ponytail and cut it off. In my opinion, your pro's outweigh the con's. What styles were u considering?

 

[NayNay]

Carmela you are hilarious!! A long thin ferret tail! Get those scissors Girl!!!!!!

 

[pmichael52172]

Listen to Caramela, it's a woman here that has medium/short hair that still shows breakage... horrible. It looks like strips. She said she went to this salon and asked the stylist, who was gay could he fix it without cutting so much. He said, "Honey, I can't do nothin' with this cat hair" /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

She said she got up and walked out and to this day is still hanging on to strings. I've been begging her to just start over. I even sent her pictures of cuts... I'm tired of running around for her... my hair looks good, why should I be doing all the work? I told her then just live with it and stop asking everybody about it.

Honeyrockette I know yours is nowhere near like this, but just let it goooooo, let it gooooooo /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Crysdon]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
It looks like a dirty ferret tail!

[/ QUOTE ]


That is so dog-gone funny /images/graemlins/grin.gif. I hate to see women (and some men /images/graemlins/blush.gif) with the "vertical blinds" look /images/graemlins/frown.gif.

 

[hairfanatic]

Honeyrockette,

I don't think you are a quitter if you cut your hair at all. Just know this...it will grow back! /images/graemlins/smile.gif You said it yourself that you don't think it could be salvaged. I think it is better to get a neat hair cut than to walk around with damaged hair. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

You talked about being set back...we have all been set back with our hair before but like you will...learned a better way to take care of our hair when we cut it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Honeyrockette,

You made a lot of excellent Pros and Cons about your hair. But, I think what is really happening here is the fear of losing your confidence and self-esteem due to your hair being short and there is nothing wrong with being honest with your feelings. When I first went natural, I too felt a lot of the things you felt, but as I saw my hair grow back healthy, and got support from others, I was so appreciative of it. After a while, people were starting to admire my hair which confirmed my decision of cutting it...WAS THE BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE!

Here are a few more PROS for you.

If you cut it now, by the summer it WILL be a nice lenghth of healthy hair that you can do something with.

You now know what your mistakes were and can get your hair healthier and longer than before.

You can experiment and learn to love that you have beautiful lips, eyes and people can see your true beauty without you hiding behind your hair. Once you experience this and see how it does grow back, you will NEVER be afraid to cut your hair again! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

You CAN wear it well and with confidence.

You can offer support and encouragement to someone else that will be contemplating the same thing one day and you can be a role model. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

And...if you don't cut it...SO WHAT...YOU ARE STILL OUR HONEYROCKETTE! /images/graemlins/wink.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[HoneyRockette]

Thank you everyone. Thank you all so much. I think I have made my decision but I still have until March before I act on anything.

Caramela, I wasn't serious about the lesbian thing. I don't even own any flannel. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Hairfanatic THANKS A MILLION!!! Your post really made me think.

 

[Guest]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Caramela, I wasn't serious about the lesbian thing. I don't even own any flannel.


[/ QUOTE ]
Honeyrockette, I'm glad you've made a decision about cutting your hair, whatever you decide I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Just for your information you can't tell a lesbian by how she looks, all lesbians don't walk around looking like minature men. You should watch your comments, if I were a lesbian, I would take offense to the comments about looking like a lesbian. I'm sure if you get a short cut, you won't look masculine, which I'm sure is what you were trying to say in that post from before.