Having long, shiny hair is every girl’s dream. We are all doing our best to keep our locks growing but there is the other side to that medal. What nobody tells you is that having long hair is not always a piece of cake. Actually, it can easily turn out in your worst nightmare.
12 Struggles Of Having Long Hair
Here are some of the most common struggles women with long hair usually face. Can you relate to them?
1. It gets in your way all the time
Has your hair ever gotten stuck in the door, in your mouth or in your jacket zipper? Or have you found strands of hair in your food, no matter how careful you were while cooking?
Well, you’re not alone because every woman with long hair experienced something like this. You can take the best possible care of your locks. Either way, your hair will get in your way.
Don’t even get me started on the troubles you’re going through when it’s windy outside. Your hair is literally attacking you! And no, getting up in a ponytail doesn’t help much.
2. It will be one of the reasons of your bankruptcy
Having long hair and taking care of it properly costs money. To be exact, it costs a lot of money. When you come to think of it, it’s almost like you have another family member you have to support financially.
First of all, you need a lot of hair products. You use more shampoo and hair conditioner than the average person. Add tons of hair spray, styling milk, masks, serums… The list goes on and on.
What about all the hair accessories you need if you want to have a different hairstyle every now and then? And we still haven’t come to the biggest cost of having long hair: the money you spend in hair saloons.
Every girl with long hair knows how expensive all treatments for her length are. Even the simplest blow-dry costs a fortune, let alone coloring or cutting.
3. It takes you forever to get ready
No, your boyfriend isn’t nagging without a reason. Let’s face it: it really does take you forever to get ready. And who could blame you?
If you want to look decent, you spend an eternity every morning before work to style your hair. And things get even worse when it’s time to go out clubbing or in a fancy restaurant.
There is no such thing as a quick shower for you. Washing your hair takes a significant amount of your day, and then comes drying it, and finally styling it. It’s no wonder you feel like a professional hairdresser after all that experience.
4. Hair shedding
Hair shedding is the struggle we all face, regardless of our hair length. However, it’s a real pain in the neck for women with extra long hair.
Even though the length of your hair technically doesn’t affect the shedding, the math is actually very simple. You have more hair strands and it’s natural that you end up losing more hair strands than the average person.
As a result, you feel like you’re living with a cat since your hair is literally everywhere.
5. It’s heavy and hot
Long hair is beautiful but carrying it around 24/7? Not so much. Actually, it’s heavier than you might think, especially if you have thick hair. It hurts your neck, and your back since it weighs you down.
What’s even worse is the fact that you’re constantly hot under all those layers of locks. Your neck area is sweating all the time so you end up wearing a ponytail or an updo every summer. But in that case, what’s the point of your long tresses?
6. Plumbing issues
We’ve already talked about hair shedding. However, I failed to mention what all those hair strands do to your plumbing.
Every time you take a shower, you leave a fur monster in your drains. So you have to clean it all the time, unless you don’t have a personal plumber on your payroll.
7. It gets tangled easily
The quality of your hair is irrelevant here: long hair gets tangled in a blink of an eye. When that happens, you have two choices: you might act immediately or you can ignore it.
If you choose the first option, it’s safe to say you’ll have to quit your job and brush your hair full-time from now on. On the other hand, if you leave it for later, before you know it, you’ll have a bird’s nest on your head. Of course, the nest comes with damaged hair as a bonus. The choice is all yours.
8. Sleeping turns into a nightmare
You thought your troubles with long hair end at day time? Well, you thought wrong. How could you even suggest that you’re allowed to sleep carelessly with this menace you have to take care of.
First of all, if you styled your hair in the evening, waking up with a hairdo is mission impossible. Also, it’s likely that your hair will get in your way during the night as well. And don’t even get me started on the excessive sweating.
But, wait, there is more. You can’t sleep on regular pillowcases. Instead, your hair needs royal treatment, and it doesn’t settle for anything less than silk. If you use hair ties during the night, you’ll have to choose a special kind— the one that won’t break your hair.
9. Cutting your hair is your biggest fear
Let’s face it: your long hair is a huge part of your identity and cutting it is your biggest fear. Even when you know that it’s time to chop off those split ends, you simply can’t cut ties with your long tresses.
You would never admit this to anyone, but you have to mentally prepare yourself before every visit to the hair dresser. Even when this dreadful act finally takes place, you always repent for doing it. Basically, you’re trapped in an endless circle here.
10. You can never find the right hairstylist
Finding a unicorn is less complicated than finding a soulmate hairstylist. You need someone who will take care of your hair as if it were their own. You need a hairstylist that won’t destroy your locks and who will fight for his life to keep your hair as long as possible.
You also need someone who is affordable and someone who will understand how important your hair it is to you. I told you that getting a unicorn seems more possible.
11. Split ends
Why are split ends so problematic for women with long hair. I mean, short-haired girls have them too. Well, short-hair girls get regular chops which means that they get rid of these damaged parts often enough.
However, as a long-haired woman, there is a never-ending dilemma: should you cut your split ends and make your hair more beautiful and healthier? Of course, that happens on the expense of the length. Or should you just leave everything as it is and wait for those split ends to magically recover, despite very well knowing it won’t happen? It looks like a lose-lose situation to me.
12. More hair tools and appliances
We’ve already talked about all the hair products you need. But what about hair tools and appliances?
Let’s start with a hair brush. You can’t get just any unless you want it to break your hair in no time. Or the brush is the one that will end up broken due to frequent usage?
The same goes for a blow-dryer. If you get a weaker one, you’ll end up drying your hair for hours at a time. Of course, flat irons, curlers, hair rollers, and other appliances are no exception.
All of this costs money and takes space. Just imagine packing for a trip— I bet airport security thinks you’re going on hairstylist symposium every time they take a look at your suitcase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does long hair affect your health?
If you have too long hair, it can affect your health in more than one negative way. First and foremost, it can cause headache and neck pain since it’s quite heavy.
But that’s not all. Longer hair is a magnet for viruses, bacteria and pollution.
Is long hair weaker?
Yes, longer hair is more prone to breakage and other types of damage. It doesn’t just look thinner— it actually is, in most cases. This is especially true for naturally fine hair.
The ends of your locks are older than the hair on the scalp. With time, this “older” hair becomes more fragile.
Is it bad to never cut your hair?
Yes, not cutting your hair on a regular basis ends up damaging your tresses. It’s actually pretty simple: every hair eventually gets split ends. And if you don’t cut them off on time, those split ends will split further up. At the end, the hair will snap and it won’t grow any further.
Key Takeaways:
- Long hair is beautiful but it asks for a lot of effort, time and money
- Shorter hair is usually healthier
- Most men prefer longer hair on women
- Regular chops are a must!