Live and let live

Duke, I got a real quick question for ya? Was you ever made to get your haircut as a child? You seem to "catch phrases" and go with the "Because my parents made me do it", or "my mom cut my hair". What gives? Lighten up, please!!!!! It is just a question. We are not in court here!!!! Debbie

i guess i'm the lucky one. i have a hairstylist that i've been going to all my life and she has never encouraged me to cut my hair short. in fact, her's is longer than mine, and when i tell her a half inch trim, that's exactly what she does.

It's funny that you say that about employers because at my most recent job (I left a month ago for school), I was the only person in my department who was consistently on time. And my boss never had two words to say to me about my hair, or any other aspect of my appearance (although one woman was spoken to about a low-cut blouse that was really not unlike many shirts that I've worn to work; of course, it might be because she actually had cleavage to show in it, I swear I'm not jealous!).

I don't even know who would argue that "long hair is unnatural." Listen to that statement, it's just silly.

People who tell me that I should cut my hair: too many

Some women are just plain jealous. Many men are attracted to long hair. Men love hair that is warm, touchable and blowing in the wind.

Other women think just about the latest styles only. I often get them telling me how I should dress too. I don't care what is in or out really. I think long hair is classic. I really don't care if people don't like my socks with my sandals either.

Often employers think someone with long hair is vain and will always be running to the bathroom to brush their hair. Their hair will get in the way of their work etc. (I use hair nets or put my hair up if it is interfering with my work) Or they will always be late because of all the time their hair takes in the morning. (actually I spend less time on my hair than most and have very few "bad hair" days)

Some say that long hair is just an extravagent waste of time and money. All that time shampooing, drying and styling. "You must use bottles and bottles of shampoo and conditioner". The reality is that I don't wash my hair everyday. Little miss muffin head wakes up with flat hair and has to spend 1 hr each morning washing, wetting, drying, gelling, fluffing and spraying her short hair. I just comb, brush and quickly bun or braid. I am just less frustrated with my long hair.

I don't use up an entire small country's treasury on shampoo, conditioners and styling products either. I buy salon quality products in large bottles. I have even started dating my products. I started using a bottle of conditioner in April and it is 2/3 used up. I paid $20 for it on sale. Now that is value.

Yes, stylist are interested in how our hair looks. Mostly they like to cut long hair because it is damaged. Their customer's hair is a walking advertisement for their services. I don't mind if they charge me extra for cutting my long hair. In the long run I am saving anyway because I only cut my hair once or twice a year at $50 a cut. Otherwise I would be getting that short "do" cut every two months at $35 a pop.

Maybe we would think that we would prefer to go to a stylist who specialized in long hair. Then we could get expert advice about growing and caring for it. There used to be one in town. She did charge alot. I never did go to her salon because she sounded so snobby on the phone. She went out of business. Her customers' hair really was a walking advertisement. I guess it was her attitude and maybe the economy that killed her business. Stylist cannot just specialize in colouring or one particular style or service. They have to offer a wide range of services. When their customers want to change their style and they are in flexible then they will lose that customer. I just take a suggestion to cut my hair in a different style (shorter) to be just a suggestion. I know the service is there if I want it.

I particularly dislike when people suggest that long hair on a man is "unnatural". There has always been traditional long hair styles for both men and women. In fact, just two hundred years ago, both sexes wore long hair styles. Men parted on the side and women in the middle. Boys also wore dresses until the age of six or seven. Of course I would never argue with the "long hair is unnatural" people because it is just a waste of time.

The best thing to do is just to look horrified and speakless at some rude remark about your hair and walk away. Sometimes people are just trying to make a suggestion with a good intention. I just smile and say thank you. That's the end of it.

I don't understand it. I'm not in the habit of telling other people what they should do with THEIR hair. I don't know why they feel comfortable telling me I should cut mine. I'm impervious to it, though. I love my long hair. And, on a rather superficial note, most men love it too.

A lot of hair stylists are guilty of being anti-long hair. I guess I understand -- I suppose they just see us as lost business. I have a friend who decided to start growing her hair long. She's an intelligent, professional woman, but she actually believed that she would need to get it trimmed every 4 weeks. Her stylist told her that this would make her hair grow faster. (As if cutting the ends would have some magical effect on the hair follicles.) The only thing that would have been growing is the stylist's bank account. My friend was nearly convinced to pay this woman $50 a month to cut off all of her new growth.

My mother is 61 and still has long hair. She's always worn her hair long and doesn't see any reason to cut it now. It really suits her and my father loves it. Women where I live seem to think that as soon as they reach a certain age they have to head for the salon and get the "Irish Mammy" 'do -- short, tightly permed grey hair. It instantly ages them about 10 years and they all look the same, in my opinion. I am Irish and I plan to have children, but I will never be an "Irish Mammy".

Hi All:

I totally understand why so many other women like having short hair. In many cases its easy and fast to manage. I think that's great for you gal's...

However, its not for all of us. Many of us love having our hair long. Why is it that so many women with short hair are always trying to convert us girls with long hair to "Cut it Short". ?

Why not enjoy your hair short, and let us enjoy of hair long. It just seems a week does not go by that some one I talk to tries to talk me into cutting my hair.

Live and let live....

What do you think ? Am I the only one who runs into this, from other women ?

Susan.