To be quite frank, having long hair is almost like a security blanket for me. I've had long locks mostly my entire life and haven't been able to cut it short, maybe ever. However, with long hair comes a lot of responsibility, and for those of you who know what I'm talking about, you are fully aware of all the things that only girls with long hair understand.
Don't get me wrong — I obviously love having long hair. There are a lot of perks to it, but there are also a handful of annoying things you have to deal with when maintaining your luscious strands. I remember this one time I got so frustrated with my long hair that I almost had the urge to call up a salon, make an appointment, and cut it all off. It became too long, too heavy, and just a nuisance to deal with. But in the end, I'm glad I didn't, because making a serious chop is something I need to emotionally prepare myself for.
To avoid ever having the same freak out again, I learned to be aware of these specific things that comes with having long hair, and that instead of reacting in a negative way, be more proactive about my long hair problems. Yes, having long hair without being frustrated might seem impossible, but if you know and accept all the things I'm about to talk about, you'll be in way better shape — promise!
If you have long hair, you're probably already used to these dilemmas, but if you're looking to grow out your hair, you should probably make note of these things:
It Takes Forever To Shampoo And Condition
OK, so you should always take time to shampoo and condition your hair. But with long hair, it will literally take you an hour to shower, at least for me it does. Making sure I shampoo all the roots of my hair and condition all the ends is a straight-up mission, but it's definitely worth it when you walk out with strong and shiny strands.
Tangled Hair Is Always A Thing
Bumble and bumble Prep, Sephora.com, $8
When you have long hair, detangler easily becomes your best friend. Believe me, I've come up with a way to specifically brush my hair every morning to reduce the amount of tangles I get in a day. But even then, I'll usually spritz detangler every couple of hours to avoid the pain of detangling my strands.
Curling Your Hair Takes A Lot Of Persistence
Once you finally finish curling all of your long hair, you feel extremely accomplished. The only thing is, it probably took you a good chunk of an hour to do. Getting all of your strands evenly curled is truly a struggle when you have long hair. Sometimes one or two strands of hair don't curl all the way and sometimes you have to repeat it because it didn't curl evenly. But once you have all your curls in tact, you feel amazing, and you feel like you managed to squeeze in an arm workout, too.
Straightening Your Hair Results In A Lot Of Split Ends
Just like any one else's hair, using heat tools for your strands can give you split ends. But when you have long hair, especially long layered hair like mine, you tend to get many more split ends. And they're literally everywhere. I usually try not to straighten my hair too much, but instead, just let it air dry.
Braiding Your Hair Takes Forever, Too
Yes, braiding your hair can take more than just a couple of minutes, especially when you try to french braid. And sometimes your arms can get extremely tired, making you want to give up. But don't, because those overnight beachy waves will be totally worth it. If only we had a little helper like Pocahontas.
You're Always Afraid Your Hair Will Get Caught In Something
When I was younger, I would hear of all the scary stories about girls getting their hair stuck in pool jets. From then on, I was scarred — I would fear that my hair would get stuck in everything, from rollercoaster rides to car doors — basically anywhere with a moving crevice. Call me overdramatic, but I always try to put my hair up during any outdoor activity I take part in.
Beach Hair Can Sometimes Be Problematic
Living Proof No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner, Sephora.com, $25)
Beach hair can either go really wrong, or really right. Sometimes you can have flowy hair with natural volume, or it can be just be a big tangled mess of frustration. I've learned that leaving leave-in conditioner in my hair before I head to the beach is a huge help.
Your Hair Will Smear Your Lipstick
Sephora Collection Color Lip Last, Sephora.com, $14
If you plan on wearing lipstick, it's best to avoid any kind of lip gloss or cream-based lipstick when you have long hair. Why? Because your long hair will smear that product all over your face.
Zippers Can Be Dangerous
OK, this one is a big issue for me. Sometimes jackets are almost unbearable to wear when your hair gets caught in one of the zippers. It's painful, annoying, and just plain awful. I've learned to be extremely careful when putting on my leather jacket.
You Can Experiment With A Lot Of Hairstyles
On the plus side though, you will never run out of hairstyles to play around with. You can rock a new look every day.
Bed Hair Isn't Always A Bad Thing
Having long hair means yes, sometimes you can say you #wokeuplikedis. You find that day-old hair is the best ever, especially when you wake up with more volume and effortless-looking waves.
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Images: Courtesy of Author; Courtesy of Brands; Giphy (7)
