Longhairlovers Psychology

from Healthy Hair Secrets Revealed (2005)

by Jennifer Bowers Bahney

The term "long hair" means different things to different people. If you currently have a pixie cut, you may be think that someone with hair to the shoulders has "long hair."

At Longhairlovers, we consider long hair to be shoulder length and longer. We don't advocate that everyone grow their hair to their knees. Not everyone should and not everyone can.

There is a school of thought that says, "Let it grow -- the longer the better!" For some people, this philosophy works just fine. Women such as Diane Witt and Crystal Gayle are world-famouse for their extra-long hair. But I'll be the first to admit that extremely long hair can be unattractive if it's not well-cared for. That's why I advocate healthy long hair -- hair that looks stunning, not straggly. Before you can really begin your long-hair journey, however, you need the right mindset, or what I call Longhairlovers Psychology.

Commitment

The first step to growing healthy long hair is to make a commitment. So often when we go through life changes, we get the urge to cut off our hair for a fresh start, only to be disappointed with the outcome. We all know many women -- including ourselves -- who have cut their hair for a new job, before starting college, or after a divorce. There's nothing wrong with getting a hair cut, but make sure you're getting it for the right reasons. A hair cut won't change your life; it will just make you look different. Whatever you do, don't act on impulse. That means that before you submit yourself to the shears, ask yourself how you want to look in six months or a year from now. If the honest answer is, "I want to have beautiful, long hair," skip the hair cut in favor of a conditioning treatment.

Support

The best way to stay committed to your hair growth goals is to find a friend or support group that will be with you every step of the way. Start a long hair club at work or school where you can swap tips and hold a "measure in" to record your growth at the beginning of each month. Or join a social media group such as the Longhairlovers fan page on Facebook and Twitter. We all have weak moments when we need help getting motivated. That's why friendly support is so important.

Acceptance

Before you grow your hair long, you need to make peace with your hair type. Learn to love your curly, straight or wavy hair and work with its natural texture. Constant perming, straightening, and coloring can irreversibly damage hair, which will then have to be cut off.

Maintenance

I used to think that as soon as you decided to grow your hair long, you should stay as far away from scissors as possible. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Letting your hair grow wild will only cause split ends to travel up the hair shaft, making your hair look damaged and your ends uneven. There's no truth to the tale that cutting hair will make it grow faster, but regular maintenance trims and treatments will keep it shiny and swinging, and you'll be less likely to cut it all off in a fit of bad-hair-day frustration.

Hair maintenance can include highlights or color as long as you use gentle products and techniques. For people with hair past mid-back, I always recommend that they have a salon professional color their hair. Long hair is older and more porous, and may absorb color unevenly. It can be difficult to get it right yourself unless you really know what you're doing.

Highlights are a good option for long hair because touch-ups usually only involve the roots. This means hair that has already been highlighted will not have to be touched again, which cuts down on dryness and breakage.

Patience

Growing long hair takes plenty of patience -- it's not something that can be accomplished over night. As a general rule, hair grows 1/2 inch per month. That means that most people's hair will grow 6 inches per year no matter what miracle products they use. Instead of spending your money on magical claims, take the time to learn the truth about hair growth and care.

Investment

Growing and maintaining healthy long hair takes an investment of time and money. During the months or even years it takes to reach your desired length, you'll want to invest in gentle, top quality products that work best for you. You'll also want to be more careful when heading to a salon by telling the stylist exactly what you want done and how much you want taken off. And, instead of spending your money on monthly hair cuts, you'll want to pamper yourself with salon or at-home scalp massages, dusting trims, and deep conditioning treatments.

Your investment of time and money will pay off in a glorious head of hair!