Longer hair on older women

I love my long brown hair. I would never cut it off. For me, my hair is wash and go, too. I spend about 2 minutes brushing it out after I wash it, part it on the side and go. No hairspray, no gel, no heat curling, and absolutely no blow drying. Ponytail or clipped up when it's hot. Otherwise, I just go natural. I've cut it short about 3 times in my life, and everytime I wish I hadn't. I'm only 36, but I'm already going grey and have been since 21. I will not dye it.

My husband thinks it's beautiful and thinks I'm beautiful. To me, that's all that matters. Everyone else can go take a long leap off a short peir.

If anyone even thinks of chopping my hair off when I get "too old", they will meet my wrath!

I love my hair short and shiny. Being past the big M, shiny isn't easy to come by. I do not perm, do not color, and avoid too much heat styling. It is quick, easy, and with me living in dresses and acting feminine, nothing masculine or lesbo about it.

I haven't had an actual cut since college. I just trim it myself when it gets a little raggy. My grandmother had very long hair and wore it wound into a bun her whole life, so I do the same thing. Can't beat it for ease of care! Just wind it up, stick in two or three pins and it's good for the day. I don't own a blow dryer, I don't dye it, I don't do anything to it. (heck, I hardly brush it!!! Ack!) . There are times, like when I'm crawling under a piece of haying equipment trying to unplug it and I feel the pins starting to slip that I curse, but generally it's pretty good. Long hair has saved me a LOT of money over the years. My sis goes to a hairdresser every few months, want to be that runs $35-50? I've probably saved close to $3000 so far!!

Longshadow, that's a good point about donating your hair, though. My nephew had very long red hair and he cut it and donated it last year. He's in his mid 20's now and decided to conform a bit and do some good at the same time.

Jennifer

__________________
-Northern NYS

OK, here's a question, my mom, aunt and grandma all had thinned out hair(and still get it "done" every week poofy boufant) They all dyed it, loads of hairspray, really just putting it in a chemical soup yuk. I'm 41, have long hair almost to my butt, don't dye it, perm it, spray it. It's still thick(and so is my sis's long hair). So do we have the same way thin hair to look forward to? All that chemical and teasing can't be good for one's hair? I really like my long hair, I'd look dorky with it short. I did have a David Cassidy sort of shag when I was 6(my mom's choice). People tell me I don't "age", course I still have my same style as in high school. I do like my Lilly Munster baby skunk patch. My hubby likes it long, and I know the average Joe Blow(at least in my circles) like/prefer long hair.

Do I dare say I think my wild hair balances/camoflages my big boobs? With a short haircut I'd look like Brunhilda on steroids!

I am 43 and my hair is to my waist it is fuzzy and curly and VERY thick there is no way I could have short hair it would look like a brillo pad!!! LOL.
My hair is almost black with a TON of silver through out I think its very pretty. I went and had my hair professionally cut and colored one time about 12 years ago it cost over $100.00!!! Forget it I would rather buy baby chickens LOL

__________________
You Know You Need More!!!
Crashy

I'm 48 and have long hair. I've always had it long. Nothing out there dictates to other areas of my life so it sure ain't gonna tell me I should cut my hair at a certain age !

__________________
I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet.

my hair is longish and greyish, and straight. who gets to decide what is "appropriate" for which age group? who decided you have to cut, perm and color your hair?

Up until 18 months ago my steel grey, very thick, wavy hair was well past my waist BUT it took lots of time to wash it, and it took almost 2 days to dry and weighed lots of pounds up or down! I like the ease of washing shoulder length hair now and I can still put it up and it doesn't give me neck cricks! But I miss the length at times, just not in 100-degree summers at my new location. Decisions, decisons. BTW, I'm over 65.

I prefer my hair long -- I'm 49, and every time my hair has been cut short, I've hated it. Right now it's just below my shoulders, still long enough to pull back into a pony tail in hot weather. I do use hair spray sometimes (we have no air conditioning in our vehicles, so if I want to get to town without looking frazzled and windblown, I have to use hair spray!), but only when absolutely necessary. I don't really care for the way I look when my hair is pulled back into a bun, but can't stand long hair on my neck (unless it's cold out) or flying around my face. The length it is now is about right, I think.

My grandmother had two aunts who were both redheads (I think most of that family had red hair, actually), and lived to be 97 and 100. Aunt Agnes kept her hair fairly short and permed, but Aunt Loretta had her hair long enough to sit on it until she went in a nursing home not too long before she died. She always wore it up in a braided coronet. It looked very nice on her, too.

I like well-kept gray, or graying, long hair on a woman. I've seen some very attractive women with long gray hair pulled back into a single braid, which I think is my favorite way to see it. My mother, who is 70 and has white hair, sometimes lets it get long enough to put up with one of the diamond-cut pewter barrettes she sells, and it looks VERY nice that way (my mother was a pretty girl and young woman, and she's still attractive, if I do say so!). She kept it pretty short for several years because they lived in the desert and hauled all their water, and it used less water to wash short hair. But she does like to have it longer.

Both of my older daughters have long blonde hair. The oldest caused a car accident with hers (inadvertently, LOL!). She was all spiffied up for an interview with an apartment manager shortly before she got married, and I was driving her to look at the apartment. Going through Manchester (NH) on a six lane highway, we were in the center southbound lane, and two young men in a fairly new convertible came up on us in the right (outside) lane. As they passed us, they were craning their heads around to look at something -- the only thing there was to look at was my daughter! I told her, "Those guys are asking for an accident!" And just about five seconds later they had hit the center divider, spun across the highway (all three southbound lanes), and hit the guardrail on the outside! Thankfully there wasn't a lot of traffic right then, and they didn't appear to be hurt, though the car was probably totalled. What dodos young men can be!!

My middle daughter wore her hair long enough to sit on from the time she was old enough to take care of it herself (about ten or so, I think). She had total strangers coming up to her in stores and wanting to touch her hair, which really bothered her. Then when she went to college, she was taking a heavy course load and working at the same time, and each time she came home it was a little shorter! It was just too much trouble to take care of so much hair when she was so busy. Plus, she discovered that her chronic headaches abated as she reduced the weight of her hair. She had it fairly short for a while (but always feminine), and is now back to below the shoulders -- she's married now, and her husband likes it that way.

Kathleen

BlueJuniper- Try using a little aloe as a a gel for flyaways! Works great, just use a tiny bit. Some folks put aloe and water in a mister bottle and use it that way too, but I don't know the ratios.

I cut my hair a few years ago, it was down past my finger tips. I braided it and cut it off, cried, called beauty shop, it ended up being about 2 inches long. I was having a lot of headaches and got tired of sitting on it. I liked it short, but hated having to have it cut every 5 wks. So here I am, it's almost down to my shoulder's. Yeah! I can get most of it back in a pony tail. I will be 43 this week. I dont think I will ever cut my hair short again.

One of the last times my mother spoke to me (she's still alive, just doesn't really like me, so...) ANYway, one of the last times she spoke to me was around my 40th birthday.

"So you're going to cut your hair now that you're turning 40." (It was more of a statement than a question.)

"Nope, Mom. Not going to happen. I will never wear my hair short. I LIKE looking like a female."

I'm not dissing those of you who wear short hair, God bless you all, but I cannot abide short hair. I tried it a few times, and it was absolutely disastrous.

Who in the wide wide world of sports decided that you have to chop off your hair once you attain "a certain age"?

I love my hair long. My husband loves my hair long. Why should I butcher it to comply with some horse poop cultural trend?

Pony!

No, all women should look like this!



Seriously why ask anybody else, wear your hair the length you like it. I'm male, but way back in my impetuous youth I wore pony tail one year (thankfully no pictures of it survive) but what a pain in the neck both literally and figuratively. I've always preferred short hair before and afterwards mostly because its low maintenence (especially with no indoor plumbing). Last time I cut my hair I gave myself a buzzcut. Hadnt had one since I was 10 or 11, but hey it didnt look bad and super low maintenence.

Now it would take me some getting used to a woman with a buzzcut but I could do it. Sure would have respect for her practicality. Probably my personal preference would be to see her with little longer do, more like this.

__________________
"What would you do with a brain if you had one?" -Dorothy

"Well, then ignore what I have to say and go with what works for you." -Eliot Coleman

When I was a kid, I had a stepmom. Her Mom had waist length hair, it was all gray and sooo beautiful. She was probably in her 60's at the time, and never took her hair down from the way she put it up except for at night. Then she would brush it out. Her dd, my stepmom, cut her hair really, really short and her Mom would tell her that woman are SUPPOSED to have long hair! It vexed her Mom so much that she cut her hair so short. LOL

So if you want your hair long, keep it long! It's beautiful that way, no matter what your age.

Dorian

Women not cutting their hair is mentioned several times in the bible that women should/shall not cut their hair - I think that's likely where the tradition was established. I think fashion got to be the strong influence for some in the 1920's ... and since then you have women who either go with faith, fashion, or whatever they feel is best for themselves.

My vote is for wearing your hair anyway you feel like -- either sex

Hugs
Marlene

__________________
It is the one with persistence and determination that brings great ideas into being.

I totally agree that people should do what makes them feel attractive and sexy. If that's long hair, go for it!! If it's a buzz cut, that's great, too.

I've had long hair several times in my life, most recently when I was married to my ex. It seems that with long hair I ALWAYS looked frazzled and tired. My hair is mouse brown, and very fine...to the point of stringy. After my divorce, I cut my hair short, and have gone even shorter now. Not a buzz, but kind of funky short. Longest part is probably 1 1/2 inches or so. I love it. I dont' look as tired, it's cool and easy to take care of, and I DO look like a girl. Short hair can be very feminine, and my BF thinks that it's very sexy.

Anywho...do what makes you happy. The great thing about people is the diversity of what's out there. Makes life interesting, don't you think?

Sassa

__________________
"Start Where You Are."--Pema Chodron

I am fully convinced now that I would be more satisfied with longer hair. I hope it doesn't look too terrible growing out but I will just have to bear with it until it gets better. Thanks for all the posts, simply wonderful.

I go from one extreme to the other. A pixie cut in the spring usually to half way down my back and bangs by the next spring. Have not had it cut this year at all and it is getting to be a pain having to take care of it. Takes forever to dry – I don’t use a hairdryer, hard to find barrettes that will hold all the hair so I feel like a little girl with 2 or 3 hair ties or barrettes to hold all of the mane in place out of the way. Probably get my DD to cut it off next spring; have to keep it now for extra warmth in the winter.

I'm 54 and if I'm expected to crop my hair short, then by golly, I'm keeping it long! It's still blonde thanks to L'Oriele, but anyone who thinks it should be kept differently needs to get a life.

The answer is in the female pelvis which results in what we men consider a sexy walk. Combine that lovely motion with hair long enough to swing and sway and you have something good going on, what ever your age....Glen

__________________
The more a man travels, acquires wisdom and learns about life, the more likely he is to marry a Country Girl.