I'm at a very important cross road, readers.
So quit thinking about the Olympics…hold off on the Presidential Election…forget about the fleas hiding under your bed…
We've got important business to take care of.
For the past week (excluding attending Church), I've been wearing my hair in a messy bun. You know, like this:
Or on bad days, more like this:
This hairstyle has been brought on by the following factors:
1. I need a hair cut. It's lost all shape and structure.
2. It's hotttttttt here. And having the extra hair off my neck is nice.
3. It's so humid here you can forget about curling your hair. It just ain't happening. Totally. Pointless.
4. I haven't had my eyebrows waxed in two months. This has completely screwed up my face, thus leaving me totally deprived of all shame when it comes to beauty. The hair was the next to go.
Which reminds me, I need to go shave my legs and paint my toenails. I haven't let go of all standards. Yet.
So here's my dilemma, in which I seek your solemn and truthful opinion.
Do I….
1. Cut my hair into a stylish and easy-to-do shorter version? Something like this, perhaps:
…or do I…
2. Begin the tedious and lengthy process of growing my hair out long so that I can easily pull it back and style it (assuming I would actually take the time to do it, of course…). In a dream world, it would be luxurious and thick, like this:
Now, remember, we have another baby coming in a few months. Time spent doing said hair style is very important, and while this is pretty cool…
…who am I fooling. I'm not 18 anymore. I don't have two hours to stand in front of the mirror staring and styling myself.
I very much enjoy the ease of a shorter style. You can kinda scrunch, spray & go, while maybe straightening a few pieces around your face to help the style look finished. Like this:
But I also love the ease of a ponytail. Perhaps too much. Perhaps it's far too easy for me to pull my hair back into a sloppy bun and call it good – girlfriend isn't trying very hard because she doesn't have to try very hard.
But I really hate feeling sloppy. Which is how said bun makes me feel.
Whenever I've feeling sloppy, I go and visit my friend Angela at The Pariseienne Farmgirl blog. She always inspires me to style myself in a way that is perky, fresh, and functional. Love her.
Alright. Let's vote here people. I wanna hear it. Short. Or long.
How do you rock it?
Update: I am very excited to announce that the NO-POO challenge has gone off without a hitch. I am a complete no-poo, no-conditioner convert. We've been at it for over four weeks now and my hair has never felt better. It's uneventful in a way – I was assuming there would be grand fireworks or something, but the reality is the baking soda mixture and vinegar rinse work just as well as the shampoo and conditioner – virtually working the same right across the board. I've hardly noticed a difference, besides a cleaner and healthier scalp. After a longer period of time, I imagine I will see more positive changes in the way my hair grows. Total success.
I believe we need a current photo of you to make a more informed decision. 🙂
I think long for now. With two little ones you’ll want to pull it back. Especially if it’s hot there. I can’t stand hair in my face when I’m changing diapers and mopping floors.
I say get it cut. I know pulling it back would be easier at times, but with a shorter cut you can always use a clip to pull some of it back if you need to. Also, it will make you feel pretty to have a new cut. Don’t need to see a current photo — you are adorable and whatever you decide will look great. Oh — love your blog!
LONG for sure! I have done it all with 4 kiddos (all within 5 years) and when I look back at pictures I realize I really looked better with a messy bun or pony than I ever did with the short haircut that was supposed to help make everything eaiser. That’s the vanity answer as far as practical goes, it feels so nice to pull it up and get it all out of the way. Short haircuts are also kind of expensive to maintain. There’s my vote! Can’t wait to see what you decide.
I cut my hair short after Brittney was born and hated it. It took so much longer to “fix” short hair than to just be able to throw it up in a ponytail, bun, claw clip, etc… The key is to have it the perfect length. Too short, bad ponytail. Too long, bad updo. Don’t make any drastic changes, if you decide to go shorter, do it a couple of inches at a time.
I have enjoyed having short hair, and it is way faster and cuter on me than when I have long hair and don’t do it. I occasionally miss having a good pony tail, but I feel much more stylish when my hair is short (again, at this point in life, with 3 little kids). Do you like short hair? Have you had short hair before? Did you like it then? You definitely don’t have to get a cut that is high maintenance as far as styling goes, but I will say that I do have to get it cut more frequently.
I had short hair when I got pregnant, and it was a race to my due date to grow it out, I wanted it to fit in a ponytail so bad for the first few months of parenting when I would have little time to style it. I didnt make it, I actually asked for clips out of my bag during hard labor, because I could feel my hair sticking to my wet neck in the birth tub! But I eventually grew out, and I have vowed I will never cut it that short again while still in my baby making years! But it can be make easily stylish while short……
…..quite a dilemma. Either way, post pictures! And post on of that baby bump!!!!
I always would chop my hair short after I had a baby thinking it would be easier and always would regret it. Then would come the long process of growing it out. I think you can make a ponytail chic and I braid my bangs and twist into an updo in ten minutes flat! I love the cool flexi clips that lilia rose makes. But its all up to you 🙂 and of course dang dave 😉
I say start by getting a trim and maybe add some face framing layers. Get those eyebrows done and paint your toenails. You’ll feel much better about all of that stuff in general. THEN, you can think again about whether you want to go back for shorter cut.
Tina
Does Stuart have an opinion? I know if I asked Bret he would much prefer longer and pulled into a messy bun or ponytail than short. And just thinking for myself, now that we have a little one on the way, I’d much rather go longer and pulled back. If I could get away with only a couple quick clips to tame my hair when it’s short, I might, but it’s just too dang straight. Clips tend to fall out after a very short time. But, as others have said, go with whatever makes you feel lovely or wil be easy to fix in a lovely way when you want to. Missing y’all muchly!
-Melanie
Long, clean and simple.
—
George
I know for me, I always feel 80,000 times better when I get my eyebrows waxed 🙂 But that is my thing, I would rather spend the money on that than my hair. I wear ponytails 99% of the time, and last time I got my hair cut, it was too short to wear in a ponytail! It is still growing out 🙂 There is something to be said for the loose bun … I love it! I guess I have haircut fear .. that I’m going to hate it 2 seconds after it is cut, and then you just have to wait for it to grow! Good luck 🙂
I vote for long. I’ve been growing my hair out these past couple years and I’ve never been happier, not to mention that it’s never been easier to take care of my hair. Seriously, I don’t know how people think short is easier. I had to STYLE short hair. And once it grows down to about where your bra is… it’s a breeze. Half a twist and a hair stick (or pencil, or knitting needle, or whatever’s handy) and it’s up. And done.
Also, I’m very excited about your hair experiments. As soon as I use up my current stash of tiny hotel bottles of shampoo I’m looking forward to giving it a try. 🙂
I love mine long. 🙂 It is so much easier than short! I had mine cut and layered to about bra length a couple years ago and hated it. ( I realize this IS still considered long by most people, LOL!) I have not had my hair cut since…it is now down to my hips and I am debating whether I should cut it or not- like maybe 4 inches or so. 😉 Long is simple for me. I can put it in a twisted bun, braided bun, or pig tails and I am set for the day. I use a pretty clip to keep it up in a bun, and it stays there all day. ( I use a Flexi-clip- they are gorgeous and work great!) For the record, I have 3 children, 6 and under with #4 on the way in Dec. Long has always worked for me!
short. 🙂
Long. I have had the same thought as you about two times a day since I started living in a hot climate and taking care of children (each one of those does nothing for your long hair.. let alone the two together.)
Then I got it cut. And I hated it. Not that it didn’t look good, just that I missed my long hair, despretly. Like I wanted to curl up in a ball until it grew back. Every single morning I would stand in the mirror and wish my long hair back. I missed my messy buns, my braids, my ability to copy cool hairstyles when I see them, and most of all I miss the pony tail. And this may sound weird, but I felt like I had lost part of my feminity. I REALLY missed my long hair blowing in the wind and I could feel lit on my back.
After having said all that, I have never had a baby, and certainly not two young ones in the heat of AL, so I can’t say wether keeping long hair is worth it for you, but I have grown my back out and won’t cut it again for a looong, long time.
I definitely vote long.
Long! I think it’s easier to pull back, braid, etc. Short always seemed harder to me to fix. When I was born, my mother had hair all the way down her back. I’m trying to grow mine out so my hair is just as long when my first is born. Like mother, like daughter. 🙂 I figure I’ll keep it braided or pony-tailed most of the time. Hopefully, it will grow quicker doing the baking soda/ACV rinse!