Now, what I'm about to say is NOT a hint that anyone else should follow suit. Everyone's temperament and threshhold for suer-long hair length is different.

     The positives of 38" TB hair: Pure beauty; in fact, its shape was far better at that length than it had been at its previous longest length at waist (around 31 0r 32"). And that occured twice, 15 and 25 years ago! Plus, she liked the feel of it.

     The negatives: The hair left down for more than an hour created time-consuming tangles. Even braided, which is her usual style, horrendous knots resulted from lack of combing during the day. Also, there was some fraying at the ends, not a lot. The *biggest *negative is that she hinted that she'd be soon calling her stylist, who hasn't seen her in six years, for good reason. (lol)

     So Saturday, much as I dread this job, the deed was done. I took my time and took her length to 32 1/2", right at hip length for her short torso. It looks outstanding, not as jaw-dropping now but just as stunning in its own way. It's a pleasant shock to see a neat, thick hemline on her for a change. The most rewarding result is that she is so pleased with it. (I promised to trim it at least twice a year in the future, so it never reaches that "hack it all off" point for her.) Oh, and the fact that it is still super long is extemely gratifying. What a relief that it's done, without a twinge of regret for either of us!  Blessings, Bob

This time around I'm trying some of the advice and treatments mentioned on this site that fit (time wise) into my routine.  So far I'm having far less tangles and can actually wear my hair down for a good length of time with out a squirrel's nest.

I've also gained back my 4" and then some.

It's sad to see any woman with beautiful hair take off any length, especially if she doesn't intend to grow it back.  

But, it's great that she didn't cut it way off!  I'm glad you got to it before the salon did.

 

I've always known that when my hair gets too long to wear down often, that's too long for me.  Feeling and seeing my hair all around me is one of the greatest feelings and one of the major reasons for growing it extra long.  To me, that's the enjoyment of having it long.  If I get to the point that I feel the need to wear it up most of the time, that's too long.

     Sue's last real cut, a bob, occured in late '01. If someone had told me that the day would ever come when I'd be trimming her hair *back* to tailbone, I'd have directed them to the detox center. Yet, it's true, and her hair has been at least waist length for nearly three years now. Honestly, *she* never had a "goal". It kept growing, and I kept encouraging. Esp. after decades of her becoming frustrated at mid- and lower-back levels, and chopping, and with all the naysayers in our families since she commenced growing *this* time, (too ooo...ld!), I'm still expecting to wake up any day now.

      Susan et al, I hope that you know the reason that you dream (or had dreamed) of extreme hair. It's awesome! (lol) But, the simple rule of thumb for long hair romantics is to grow it as long as *you* can enjoy it. There is not a person with vision untainted by beauty industry mantras who would claim that Sue's hair is not stunning right now. But I'm surely thankful for those rare women who *choose* super lengths which challenge convention. Best Wishes to All, Bob

I agree with Sarah, I love having my hair down around me. It also seems to be way to heavy to wear up for very long.