Why long hair????

This is a really good question and it's made me think.
Well ALL my life I have dreamed (yes, dreamed)of long hair. All my life I have had dry, bushy, broken hair. I also had a mother who could care less about hair, and so I kind of had no hope. When I first heard of the perm (in 8th grade) I would do it myself--sometime every TWO weeks--so you can imagine. In high school there was sort of a click of girls (my high school was ALL black folk) who had long hair. I would look at them and just die. Well I didn't get the hair thing figured out til I weaved mine 4 years ago and it grew. I can't believe I have HAIR. So Kia. you are fortunate you have always had what I have always dreamed of.
 
I think the reason why I want long hair is because to me, long hair is more versatile. A variety of styles can be created. And then there's that simple fact that I love just playing in my hair and experimenting. The short time that I had tracks was really fun because I played around with different styles on it.
 
Why do I love long hair?

<font color="blue">Because it's sensuous, sexy, and ultra-feminine!</font color>

<font color="red">Iris /images/graemlins/wink.gif</font color>
 
Hi Kia
This is a very interesting topic. My mother always had long hair past her shoulders. It was quite curly, but it was very soft. I however had very spongy, coily hair from my father, which it very difficult to see the growth. From a long time, I was told that only certain people can have long hair, black women can't unless they were mixed with Asian, European, etc. Even my cousin said so. But my mother said that is not true. My hair did grow past my shoulders when I had a curly perm. When I had my hair relaxed it grow to the bottom of my chin. I am 41. I started to research everything on black hair, what vitamins to take etc. Then I started reading books by Lonnice Brittenum Bonner, Pam Ferrell, Lisa Akbari and Cathy Howse, and I started to look at how I looked after my hair. I started to use European perms and straighteners for my hair and after a while I stopped. I cut my hair off and I stopped perming my hair. I took up swimmming and I noticed the more often I had to wash my hair, my hair seemed to be getting thicker. I use to lightly blow dry my hair, then I started to style my hair in twists when it was wet and the next day, I started to rinse my hair with bottled water adding glycerine and Infusium 23. In July my hair stretched reached past half my earlobe. On the 29 July I started to rinse on a regular basis. It is now late October and my hair reaches past my earlobes to the bottom of my chin, I still swim every week. I have stopped blow drying my hair altogether. I comb and style it when it is wet, which takes about 10-15 minutes. While still in some black hair magazines, they suggest people who swim on a regular basis, should consider having their hair short, even my other cousin who lives in Liverpool throught I have my hair cut short because I swim. I have a friend who believes that I must have my hair in a weave or braids, to get successful growth, I say no, I want my own hair. She keep on saying how short my hair is. After a couple of months, she was surprised how much length I have, it's so thick etc, it's grown so much. I am amazed myself. I think Kia that we need a lot of education on looking after our hair. We need people who know, how to look after our hair. Also sites like long natural hair, and nappturality and this one and others are to be congratulated in educating we Ladies in growing our hair long, looking after it and keeping it healthy and I have to say Praise God for the internet, because a lot of us who still be in the dark. I don't go to the hairdresser, all I use is water, glycerine, Aloe vera gel and my hair vitamins, I comb my hair every two days. Now I can see how some of us Ladies have been conned, when people talk about we don't have the right genes etc. I colour my hair and it is still growing, we are all success stories, we have achieved what others say we could not. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
http://public.fotki.com/cassandra28uk
 
I'd been thinking about this thread on and off yesterday and finally decided to reply to it. Since I started taking care of my own hair (around 13 or so), my biggest concern has always been keeping it healthy and trying to keep it from being FRIZZY!!! I never worried about my hair growing cause it always did and always pretty fast-- but I never knew the right way to care for it so every time I got it professionally done (normally once every 3 or 4 months), I'd end up asking them to cut off the growth I'd accumulate because my ends were so frizzy and dry that I thought they must be split... So normally my hair hovered around my shoulders at all times because I got it cut so much...

Anyway, my ex husband loved long hair-- his family made a really big deal about his sister's hair which was waist length most of the time we were dating and married. So he was always after me to grow my hair out. And I guess that subconsciously I always felt like I had to be rebellous against him to make him see ME for myself and not for living up to some image he wanted me to be... so that was another reason I'd never grow my hair much past my shoulders-- he used to always say that if he told me he liked my hair, THAT was the day I went and got it cut... and I guess subconsciously that was exactly what I did.

Anyway, toward the end of 2000 I made the decision to grow my hair as long as it would get in a year as an anniversary present to him for the next year (our 5th anniversary). So I made a promise I wouldn't cut it for that whole year which I kept... and my hair was a couple of inches past my shoulders when our anniversary in Dec. rolled around last year... but at the same time I started to see that I couldn't stay married to someone who never was happy with ME and always wanted me to be someone else.

So, in 2002, I left the husband-- got a small trim and started learning how to really care for my hair and decided to grow it long because I actually LIKED it that way. Lost the husband-- kept the hair /images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm much happier this way!

nicky
 
Like henrilou I also had a mother who could care less about hair, and so I kind of had no hope. I want long beautiful jet black hair because, its only natual to let my hair do its thing, and because have a big face with big features, and so I need hair /images/graemlins/grin.gif Honestly I have always dreamed of having long hair on my wedding day, and I am working towards that, for the next 4 years.
My hair is naturlly jet black, and thick, and I just get excited when I think of what it can look like with time and the proper care /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Hey Nick,

That was pretty deep....I'm sorry about the break-up, I am sure that had to be hard. It's awfully hard on a person to be criticized for a hair-style choice without wondering if the person doing the criticizing actually cares about the person. And I definitely feel you, sometimes we just gotta do things for us, we have to feel free to express ourselves by how we dress, wear our hair, and the shoes we wear (in my case, as long as it's modest.), without feeling disapproval from our men.

I want to grow my hair out and my hubby wants me too, but sometimes it can feel like such pressure. I have to remind us both to beeee patient.
 
nicky you are a trip /images/graemlins/grin.gif
lose the husband keep the hair, thats a new one /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Hey Nicky. I'm so sorry to hear about your situation (divorce). I think it's very important that we accept ourselves the way God made us and the people around us do the same. I can tell you that when I was young my cousin literally used to cry cause her hair didn't grow and mine did and resented me for it. I never understood why long hair was such a big deal and put in our heads that long hair makes or breaks you, you know??? I just never understood it. It's primarily in our culture (our meaning black culture). I'm originally from Ethiopia but grew up in the US and back in my country, your hair is YOU, if you know what I mean. THat's just the way it is. I just wanted to emphasize to those that have trouble growing their hair to focus on the health of the hair and I think the length will come /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I want long hair just because I like it... but since you brought it up, I actually like shorter layers around my face because it honestly does a lot more for me.... my face doesn't look so "blah" and I actually look my age for once... so as I grow it out, (because I still really want long hair) I will probably keep some of it a little shorter in front. In short, I am keeping in mind what actually looks good on me when I wear it down, which is my preference.
 
I just want to see how long my hair can grow.
I was originally inspired by Wanakee after not paying much attention to hair growth.
I have started paying attention to having healthy hair and, like she said, the length has started to accumulate.
 
I want long hair cause
1. To prove to everyone that I can have it
2. My round face and short hair don't mix
3. It like the look
 
I want natural long hair because I've had my hair short and I know what I look like with short hair. I've also worn my hair long with the help of weaves. Especially being that I'm 5'10" and lost weight (130lbs), long hair frames me much better. It adds elegance to my look that I couldn't achieve with shorter hair. Additionally, lighter color hair works with me better, especially colors close to the blond family. Black washes me out. I have natural light brown highlights to my hair.

But, I got TONS of growing, more than most of the ladies on this board to reach bra strap length because of my height. I measured my hair a few nights ago and from my hairline to the ends my hair's 22" long. In order for me to achieve bra strap length, I believe my hair will have to be at least 28" long /images/graemlins/frown.gif

However, I'm aiming for Healthy, beautiful shiny hair foremost, bra-strap all over and then my ultimate, Aaliyah's length. Honestly speaking, I do not want to keep my hair that long, I just want to overcome the shoulder length hurdle and get it there. Once it's there, I'll probably cut my hair into a nice long layer cut.
 
I want long hair to see how far I can actually go with this hair growing quest.
I want to see how my own long hair will look on me.
I personally find it easier to handle the longer it gets.
 
Thanks AmilLion and welcome to the board. I haven't seen you around until today.

Unfortunately i do not have a hair journal, but I do have some picture posted on picturerail.com somewhere. I'm going to digup the link and post them somewhere. I haven't got any pics of my hair at it's length now, the last ones were taken in June I think of my hair in braid extensions and there were some other pictures of my hair back in the day.
 
Can't wait to see. I'm starting my hair journal or I guess you call it photo journal once I get my relaxer next Saturday.

I've started a hair journal, every time I wash my hair or do something extra to my hair, I record it (write it down). This way, I'll keep track of what products work for me and which doesn't. Since my last relaxer, I've experimented with tons of shampoos, conditioners, leave in treatments, condition washes as well as moisturizers. I believe I found the products that work best for me and I'm now committed to the program I will be consistent with. This includes alternating weeks between:

Coconut Hot Oil Treatment 30 minutes w/heat (I read these were very moisturizing)
Lather 2x
Protein Conditioner (20 minutes w/heat) followed with Moisturizing Conditioner (5 minutes no heat)
Leave in Conditioner followed by wildgrowth oil
Roller set hair, AIR DRY
*Mizani Rosewood for daily maintenance.

Lather 2x
Moisturizing Conditioner (25 minutes)
Leave in Condition followed by Wildgrowth oil
Roller Set hair, Hood Dry
*Mizani Rosewood for daily maintenance.

Once I get my relaxer the next time, my maintenance will consist of different products.
 
Frankly, I think I look prettier with long hair. I've had long shimmering braids and weaves before, but I felt like such a pretender because it wasn't really mine. There's also the dimension of seeing myself as I really am, without relaxers, weaves, or any other alterations to what God gave me. So my motivations are a fusion of seeing myself at the height of my natural beauty.
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
kia said:
Hey guys.I;m not trying to offend anyone but I just wonder why everyone wants "long' hair. Personally, i hate my hair long (past my shoulders). Is it just to have long hair or cause you like the way it looks on your face??
Most men I know LOVE long hair just cause it's long. When I keep cutting mine, everyone is like "why did you cut it???" I"m like "cause i like this length on ME". Doesn't it make a difference to anyone if it looks right on them, or do you just want long hair just cause??? I'm just curious.

[/ QUOTE ]

kia, i am wondering if you still feel this way about long hair on YOU. are you still cutting it to above shoulder? /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Pandora said:


[/ QUOTE ]

kia, i am wondering if you still feel this way about long hair on YOU. are you still cutting it to above shoulder? /images/graemlins/smile.gif [/quote

Hey Pandora /images/graemlins/wave.gif
Yes, I still hate how long hair looks on me. Actually, I got a bad cut (too many layers)this past Dec. and I cut all the layers off all the way to my jaws /images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Now I got a good cut and I'm trying to grow it out. It's a little above my shoulders. I think the longest I will keep it is a little below my shoulders. Maybe 3 more inches of length. It's funny cause people like long hair on me but I think they like the hair not because it makes my face look good..if you know what I mean /images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Kia,

I've always had long hair (even as a child) and when my hair was shorter I could not style it or maintain it b/c I had no experience in styling it. It's easier to put it in a ponytail and I'm on my way. I very seldom curl my hair. I wear it straight most of the time. IMO, my hair is like my crown. It's just an attribute that displays a visual picture of who I am as a person. I love myself, so that means taking excellent care of every part of me, including my hair.
 
i'm tryna grow long hair coz all my life i've been told that if u see some1 with bra strap length hair either has a weave or is mixed so basically i'm tryna prove them 'theories' wrong and also coz i aint neverhad haie that was more than 10inches long i wanna see how long i can grow my hair and how i'd look wit long hair
 
well my hair had came a long way and had finally reached past my bra strap. however it was very fine so i cut it. now i'm trying to grow more thicker healthier hair more so than long. length never really meant anything to me. i think stressing about my length makes my hair grow slower! (lol) but i am starting to believe the theory that most men like a woman with longer hair. my current boyfriend freaked out when i teased him about cutting my hair! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif i had to set him straight that it's my hair and i'll do whatever i want with it. /images/graemlins/naughty.gif

ladies, no matter what our hair length goals are lets please do it for the most important reason: ourselves. /images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
u have 22 inches of length?/images/graemlins/shocked.gif im jealous. im 5'6 and i know that 22 inches is waist length for me!!!!!lets switch heads. lol
but just u mentioning that u have 22 inches all of a sudden made me feel like the quest for long healthy hair is possible.
the reason i want long hair is:
-because it looks nice
-you can do so much with it
-and just to prove to ppl that u dont necessarily need that "good hair" to have long hair just good care./images/graemlins/drunk.gif
 
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
jasmine said:
u have 22 inches of length?/images/graemlins/shocked.gif im jealous. im 5'6 and i know that 22 inches is waist length for me!!!!!lets switch heads. lol
but just u mentioning that u have 22 inches all of a sudden made me feel like the quest for long healthy hair is possible.
the reason i want long hair is:
-because it looks nice
-you can do so much with it
-and just to prove to ppl that u dont necessarily need that "good hair" to have long hair just good care./images/graemlins/drunk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Jasmine /images/graemlins/wave.gif, I think that when Amilion says 22" she means from her hairline to ends. (I could be wrong /images/graemlins/ohwell.gif). I also measure my hair from the hairline now, so I say that my hair is 17", but from scalp to ends it's about 10-11 inches at the longest point. I am only 5'2 so if measuring from hairline to ends I only need 23" to reach brastrap or about 18" from scalp to ends.

/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
ok kamilla why r u trying to steal my joy?/images/graemlins/mad.giflol
yeah what u say makes more sense. when i measure from my hairline to my back i need 35 inches. but when i measure from the nape of my neck to my waist the distance is 22 inches.(dang i got a big head)/images/graemlins/grin.gifso it would also depend on how you trim. cuz if i had 22 inches all over, the back of my head would b waist lentgh but the front would not. oh well/images/graemlins/drunk.gif plus i think i have a short torso anyways
 
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