long or short?

[Mia]

I have the same problem as Emily_in_NC, I color my own hair(I have to use three boxes because it's so thick), and up until this next appointment have cut it myself...but it is also getting so dry and damaged feeling on the ends. I love the feeling of fresh cut hair, it's so bouncy and healthy feeling. My inner hippie is still loving the long hair though.....

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'm a short hair kind of gal - it gets cut every 4 weeks, and there are some months I wonder if a shorter time period would be better!

Here's a photo of my helmet head after a day of cycling in Hawaii back in 2003:

[singletrackmind]

Well, it's been butt-length most of my life but last year I donated 13" to Locks of Love. THAT was an adjustment! Sooo much lighter, easier to maintain, and the shampoo/conditioner savings! I still had enough for a short pony and that's how I wore it. All that and I still prefer long and I'm glad it's back. I'll take the heat, the tangles, the leaves and sticks just to have my hair. I wear it in about 5 ponys spaced the length of it unless I'm lazy, then it's just one.

[roughingit]

If it's any consolation to those who are graying, many of us younger longhairs think it looks really awesome to see someone with long gray or silvershot hair! I just don't see why on earth society says that women must cut and colour their hair once they reach midlife and beyond

[Mia]

You're right...have you ever seen Twister? The woman that plays the Aunt has beautiful long gray/silver hair. I color my hair because I just get bored with it and love to try new looks, have only found one gray hair so far.

Also, DeniseGoldberg, that hair is just too funny . Looks like you have tiny little mohawks sticking out of your head

[latelatebloomer]

if I didn't have to color my graying hair. I color it myself, and it's a pain to do with longer hair (have to buy two kits), and it tends to get more damaged and drier the longer it is.

Emily, maybe you could try what I do. I LOVE the idea of being a mature lady with long silver braids - but am not ready for that look at 45 - AND I seem to have an allergy to hair dye (weird, not allergic to much else). A healthy, natural look is important to me. About 3 times a year, I go in for "half-head highlights." Using foil, the lovely Gina matches my natural colors and blends out most, but not all, of the silver. My hair doesn't fry, and I don't get lines or roots. And it's a lot less expensive than most color jobs.

And one day I'll wake up and say, enough, I'm ready to be the "Silver-braided wise woman of Applebachsville." Onna bike, of course.

[emily_in_nc]

Agreed, there is very pretty "silver" hair, and then there is drab mixed brown/gray ("salt-n-pepper") hair, which is what mine would look like if I didn't color it dark blonde. It will probably be lovely someday when it's all white, but it's going to be a long time getting there. I got my first gray hair at age 25, am 44 now, and still have plenty of brown mixed in (about 50/50). It's just not pretty hair and does make me look older if I don't color it. I don't feel compelled to do so by society, but only because I like the way I look without my salt-n-pepper hair much better!

Emily

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, maybe you could try what I do. I LOVE the idea of being a mature lady with long silver braids - but am not ready for that look at 45 - AND I seem to have an allergy to hair dye (weird, not allergic to much else). A healthy, natural look is important to me. About 3 times a year, I go in for "half-head highlights." Using foil, the lovely Gina matches my natural colors and blends out most, but not all, of the silver. My hair doesn't fry, and I don't get lines or roots. And it's a lot less expensive than most color jobs.
And one day I'll wake up and say, enough, I'm ready to be the "Silver-braided wise woman of Applebachsville." Onna bike, of course.

Great post! I didn't see it when I wrote my last one. What is your natural color, and how much gray do you have? Your highlighting sounds gorgeous, but I have medium brown hair with quite a lot of gray, and I am pretty sure I'd have roots if I only had your procedure done three times a year. It does sound pretty, though. And I LOVE the long silver-braided woman imagery! Yeah, I could see myself like that as well...but I might be 75 before my hair is all silver. My mom is 70 and hers still isn't quite all there!

Emily

[Mia]

Hey Emily,
Checked out your recovery blog a little bit, Wow..you look way too young to have gray....very cute hairdo, nice color. New here, so I don't know what kind of accident you had, will look up the post later. My DH had a pretty bad dirtbike accident a few years ago...recovery is definately a long road. Congratulations of starting to feel better.

[emily_in_nc]

Hey Emily,
Checked out your recovery blog a little bit, Wow..you look way too young to have gray....very cute hairdo, nice color. New here, so I don't know what kind of accident you had, will look up the post later. My DH had a pretty bad dirtbike accident a few years ago...recovery is definately a long road. Congratulations of starting to feel better.

Thanks, Mia - you're too kind! I am 44 but am usually told I look quite a bit younger - I am sure I wouldn't hear that too often if I didn't color my hair! I like the color I use (Natural Dark Blonde by Clairol Nice-n-Easy), and it's cheap, so I'll probably stick with it. My injury was a fractured pelvis (three places). It was quite serious, had to have surgery to put in a 6" metal plate to hold my ilium together. Fortunately, I am doing GREAT five months later. Not 100%, but much better than I'd expected. Thanks for your compliment!

Emily

[LED_now]

I do the "kerchief" thing as well. But on days without it - days u just gotta feel the wind - it has to be sunscreen ... Another good thing: Mine's too short for ever having 'helmet hair' again! lol 1/2 a cm

[Dianyla]

I often wear a Du Rag (bought in the ethnic hair dep't of almost any drugstore or grocery) in summertime just to keep any wispies out of my ears. If you have fine hair that is prone to breakage, it's a good idea to wear something snugfitting and silky in between your hair and the helmet.

When it's wintertime and really nasty out, I wear a pair of opaque tights/nylons on my head. My braid goes down one of the legs, the panty goes over my head, and I wrap the spare leg around the base of my braid. This keeps grit from getting into my braid especially on rainy rides, and it shortens my braid up to a safer length.

When I do two braids, I just put one down each leg.

[caligurl]

I often wear a Du Rag (bought in the ethnic hair dep't of almost any drugstore or grocery) in summertime just to keep any wispies out of my ears. If you have fine hair that is prone to breakage, it's a good idea to wear something snugfitting and silky in between your hair and the helmet.

When it's wintertime and really nasty out, I wear a pair of opaque tights/nylons on my head. My braid goes down one of the legs, the panty goes over my head, and I wrap the spare leg around the base of my braid. This keeps grit from getting into my braid especially on rainy rides, and it shortens my braid up to a safer length.

When I do two braids, I just put one down each leg.

oh.... i HAVE to..... call you.... PANTY HEAD!

[Dianyla]

oh.... i HAVE to..... call you.... PANTY HEAD!

Bwahahaha!!! Actually some of my friends tease me about the pantyhose thing. I keep threatening to switch to thigh-highs during the summer heat.

[RoadRaven]

In the process of growing my hair again

Like Led, I had a number 1 in 1996 as part of my graduation... it is undoubtedly the best hair cut I have ever had... no shampooing or brushing - brilliant...
I was asked often if I was having chemotherapy or if I was gay...

Currently hair is shoulder length and to stop the bits that annoy me in my face, I wear a head band and tauck the hair at a back ward angle under it. Sometimes I tie my hair in a stump of a ponytail if its really hot, but not often.

Head band has the added advantages of;

- absorbing some sweat from my brow

- protecting my forehead from the sun (I don't put sunscreen above my eyes)

- helping to hold my helmet in place so it doesn't move in the wind