Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Short

My hair has been long (to some degree) my entire life, and I like it that way. Last summer I decided that I wanted to grow my hair out to terminal length (the length at which it breaks off rather than growing any longer). I anticipated that my 'ideal' length was about my tailbone--36" long--but since it had never gotten that long before, I wasn't sure whether it could get that long, thus the goal to find terminal. It grew quite fast for the first few months, but has slowed a lot since the new year. I presumed this meant I was approaching terminal, and while it hadn't quite stopped, it was definitely feeling like this was about all there was.
In addition, in the last few weeks I had realized that my hair was longer than what I like. It's been getting in my way and has been noticeably thinner at the end. I have concluded that my ideal length--my perfect length--is right about my waist (in the 28-29" range). Having reached that conclusion, when Hubby asked me to cut his hair last night, I asked him to cut mine too. He asked how much, and I said "well, cut it to wherever strikes your fancy; I like it around my waist, but it can always grow." He enjoys the variety as much as the length, so I figured he'd cut it a little above my waist. He took all my hair in a big handful and cut it in one big SNIP (remember how I have thin hair? Yeah, not difficult to cut it all at once!). Then he let go and discovered that it was pretty slanted, so he had to even it up a bit, and voila, now I have short hair.

Before: 33" long

After: 25" long
Ok, so it's short to me anyway! It's just going to grow. But this time, rather than making every effort to reach terminal length, I'll probably just get it out to my waist and then keep it trimmed there.
Or maybe not.
That's the fun thing about hair: so long as you take care of it, you don't really have to commit to a length, because it will keep growing. ☺

12 comments:

Becky N. said...

I really have to laugh out loud that you call it short at that length! That's my definition of long! :)

I usually become annoyed by my hair being long (or, your version of short)... while I'm a mother and have to take the extra time to take care of it. But lately the length is growing on me (ha ha, no pun intended!), and I've been thinking about letting it get to about your current length. We'll see how long that idea lasts when summer approaches. ;) I don't think I've let it get much past shoulder length in the last decade!!!

At any rate, your hair is still beautiful. And I certainly can't tell that it's thin!

sara said...

I think I would cry :) I have always always wanted long hair. Growing up it was SO thin and extremely fine. With every baby I've had it's gotten thicker though! I now really like my hair although it's still on the thinner side. I have tried really hard to grow it out but I have one spot in my hair that is always REALLY dry and damaged. Even when I cut it ALL off and started over. Weird!

Marly said...

wow, I hadn't realized your hair had gotten that long.
My hair is perfect when I sit in a chair and I can feel it being pulled. I guess that's about mid back :) I think I'm almost to that point. I really need a trim and I don't trust my dh to do it.

Eli, Leslie & Victoria said...

I think your hair is beautiful! I have done that a couple times grown it out to my waist then cut it off. then grown it out again. I have actually given it to locks of love 2 times and my daughter who is 4 did it once. last summer she got 12 inches cut off and i had 14 and then in 2005 i cut off 18. it acutally makes me feel really good helping children who have lost all of their hair or had to shave it off. for more info here is the site. http://www.locksoflove.org/

Kelly said...

Wow! That's quite a difference! I think I may have been a little sad - but it looks so pretty both ways.

Kelly

Christa said...

my hair was always long as a child, and the I cut it "short" (your version of short) and then my step mother's version of short...almost pixie (which I HATED). Now it's still "short" (your version, I guess I really should say "our" not your) I guess, I don't really pay much attention to it...it's hair... but I thought the other day of cutting it much shorter, like a girl in my ward, I'm still thinking. It got really un healthy after I had my twins because of the stress of have preemies, and then again when I lost the baby earlier this year. So I would like to give it a clean healthy start over. It's just hard to have short hair for me because it's so thick...I look wierd if it gets too short.

Janeen said...

Wow, you have really beautiful hair! What is your secret to keeping it looking so good?

I would like to grow mine out and I keep trying but it gets frustrating at times. It only really seems to do well when I'm pregnant, then it grows like a week. If I find out I'm pregnant, I may get it cut to give it a nice place to grow long again. I've been doing the no-poo thing and trying to get that to work out but I have thick, wavy/curly hair so it's a lot of work to deal with sometimes.

Unknown said...

i like it lots better! i would love to see it with some layers:)

Mallory said...

I think my terminal length is your short length. I just can't get my hair to grow any longer than that! It's really quite sad, because I would love for my hair to be much longer. I have had short hair for much of my life, but then I grew it out in junior high/high school then I buzzed it to 1" about 2 1/2 years ago. Now it is just below my shoulder blades. I'm trying not to cut it too much. I'm trying to grow out layers. But I'm SO impatient.

Jess the photographer behind the lens at JWilsonPix said...

Roflmbo!! If your hair is short... then what exactly do I call mine??.. Like non existent.... lol...

I always say Im going to grow my hair back out long.... and it starts to tickle my ears and get in the way and so then I chop it all back off... I LOVE my hair short... It takes 5 minutes to do.. I dont need a lot of products or accessories... and I can cut it myself to my style.. Im not sure I could keep up with it long.. And IM a stylist!! =)

Quinn said...

That is quite a haircut, but it is still long :) Are you enjoying it?

Katie said...

Jenni - you are so brave!! That is awesome that you trusted your dh to do that. And it's awesome for him that he got to see something a little different :-)

And yes, I agree that your new length is VERY short ;-) I also want to grow to terminal length, but I keep falling off the bandwagon and mistreating my hair, so it'll probably never get there, sigh.

I am glad my husband refuses to tell me what he wants me to do (with hair/clothes/etc.), but sometimes I wish he would tell me what he likes so I could do it for him :-)

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