Morning Quickie: To Cut or Not to Cut?

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="203" caption="my short hair inspiration"][/caption]

Lately I've been obsessed with short hair cuts. (And purple hair, but that's a different post.) Maybe because my hair is at a length now where I have to take serious care of it & put thought into styling or it looks a hot mess. Maybe because by the time I did the big chop, I was already past the TWA (teeny-weeny afro) because I transitioned for 10 months. Mostly I think it's because I miss those wash & go days and the time when one bottle of product lasted forever!

Anyway, I'm seriously considering whether to cut my hair next spring/summer. Even though it is growing like crazy (length check coming soon... probably) and I love long hair, I'm just not feeling it as much as I should. So I wanna switch it up. The drawback? People's reactions. For many of us, long hair is equated with beauty. I've previously discussed my own hangups with seeing myself with short hair after having long "pretty" hair be my redeeming feature for so long. And my father and grandmother both exclaimed that I "look so much better" with long hair and said "promise you won't cut your hair anymore" after I got rid of my permed ends. I didn't make that promise, and I know neither of them will have anything positive to say.

But hey, at the end of the day, it's my decision. Other people's long hair hangups don't have to be mine. My only concern at this point is finding a cut that fits my full face.

Are you all "long hair, don't care," "short hair everything," or "whatever works"?

Six Months Natural!!

This post should've been posted several weeks ago. My apologies!

December 1st marked six months since I cut off my permed hair and could say that I was completely, 100% natural! Initially, I planned to straighten my hair to do a length check. However, the plans for this past weekend prompted me to postpone that. However, I still wanted to share my length so far. Of course, when I straighten it, I'll have more pix up to actually show the length without any shrinkage. But for now, we'll have to make due with a good ol' taut pull of the hair.

Not really sure why I didn't measure my hair after the BC (probably because I was still in shock)... Major fail on my part, I know! So I can't say how much of this is from the 10 months of transitioning and how within the last 6 months. But at least I'll have something to compare with the 1 year mark!

I will be measuring different sections of my hair, since I know they are all probably different lengths. And once I get my hair straightened, evened up and cut into a style, I'll lose a bit more length and have to measure all over again. But anywho, here are the front, sides, back, and crown of my hair as of today ("today" being December 8).

 

 

 

 

 

Front: 8.5" stretched, 3" with shrinkage
Crown: 8" stretched, 3 5/8" with shrinkage
Left side: 7 2/3" stretched, 2 1/5" with shrinkage

Right side: 7" stretched, 3" with shrinkage
Back: 5 2/3" stretched, 2 2/3" with shrinkage

Of course, the length will be a lot easier to see once I straighten my hair. I guess that's pretty good for about 16 months of growth and after one trim. Can't wait to see what the one-year check will look like!

Dreaming of Length

 

I think I need professional help. LOL

Without fail, at least a couple times a month since I did the big chop, I have recurring dreams of having long hair again! :( The dreams are pretty much the same. I wash my hair, comb out my curls. At that point it's almost shoulder length, about where I think it is now. Then I flat iron it and voila! I'm slangin' silky-smooth butt-length hair!

If I hadn't cut my hair into a bob last year and hadn't done the big chop this year, my hair could very well have been down my back. Shoot, it was already approaching bra strap length. I think my subconscious is calling me stupid for cutting it, especially since I did love having long hair. Don't get me wrong, my coils are gorgeous--and different! I get compliments on my hair all the time. I'm just ready for it to get some hang time, to be long as heck again. And this time it'll be all big and fluffy! Maybe by this time next year I'll be there.

But someone pleeeeaaaase tell me I am not alone in this!

Have you ever been haunted in your dreams by hair issues? A cut, color, damage, etc? C'mon, I know someone out there has something!