Why Long Hair?

I’ve posted here about how much fun I’ve had shopping on eBay for hair accessories. Just thought I would share my purchases.

The dragonfly barrette is just beautiful. It prompted one of my sisters to ask where I found it. So did the flowery/rhinestone bun holder… which I use on ponytails, not buns. I have no idea how you would use it on a bun. It’s too small. But that’s what the seller called it.

The Celtic silver holder is a personal favorite. I love going to Renaissance Faires, and that one just feels right. It’s pretty heavy; silver plated, as I recall.

The plain hairsticks are something I’ve been working on decorating, although I plan on leaving at least one pair of the wooden ones plain. I really think the shorter bone ones are better for decorating; the longer ones come out too long when you top them off. Doesn’t mean I can’t paint them to add a little interest, though. The wood bleeds stain, so a good sealer is vital for painting them.

I’ve recently discovered how delightful hairsticks can be for putting up my hair. No elastic to pull my hair, and they hold really well.

The challenge, however, can be in keeping the hairsticks from pulling painfully tight. For many styles, a single hairstick will hold the whole thing up. A second can tighten things up even further, but that can be the problem. Too tight means you might break or strain your hair; not exactly good when you’re going for length. (There is more where this came from … )

Pantene is a brand I’ve used for years. My usual routine with shampoos is to rotate brands regularly, as my hair seems to prefer this. However, I’ve found that my hair likes Pantene better than average, and I can go through a couple bottles without switching brands without feeling a buildup.

Right now I use Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal, and I’m still not showing any signs of buildup well into my second bottle.

Some people look at the ingredient list and don’t like what they see. Many people with long hair prefer to avoid the aluminum sulfate (a fairly harsh cleanser) Pantene often uses for cleaning as well as the silicone products they use in their conditioners. I haven’t been investigating these things for long, but certainly haven’t had a problem. (There is more where this came from … )

If you have long hair, you have probably heard of Locks of Love, a charity which accepts donations of hair for wigs. You may have even been told by friends and relatives that you should cut your hair and give it to them. But is this really a good idea?

Locks of Love’s publicity certainly makes it sound good. You hear about wigs being made for children with cancer. However, most recipients actually have permanent hair loss caused by alopecia areata. Obviously very sad too, but I suspect cancer is mentioned because it pulls more at the heart strings.

I’ve also found some question about what they really do with all the hair that has been donated. Their site states that they receive 2000 donations of hair through the mail every week, and make 1000 hairpieces. It’s not quite clear to me if the number of hairpieces is total since they opened or annual production.

So where is the rest of the hair going? (There is more where this came from … )

One of the challenges I have to deal with is hard water. I live in the San Diego area, and our water is very hard.

Hard water has a lot of stuff in it, and it’s certainly not gentle to your hair. Chlorine may be in your water, and you probably know from swimming how hard that can be on your hair.

One option is to add a filter to your shower head, so that some of the chemicals are removed before they get to your hair. This can add up pricewise, of course. You have to buy the initial equipment and regularly replace the filters. (There is more where this came from … )

One of the problems with long hair is how hard it is for your hair’s natural oils to get all the way down to the ends. You can help your hair feel great with a good conditioner, but oil can be really helpful.

My personal preference is to use jojoba oil. I buy it at my local natural foods store. I like to scent it with a bit of lavender oil too, since I love that scent.

It takes very, very little oil to do the job. My hair copes pretty well with being long, so I find I do best by only oiling the last few inches. If I do much more, my hair shortly looks oily, and that’s not the look I’m after. (There is more where this came from … )

I’ve recently had some fun picking up a variety of hair accessories on eBay. I used to think Amazon’s selection was pretty good, but eBay’s is amazing.

The majority, of course, are not my style. That’s going to be true for everyone, no matter your style. I’m not really into crystals and rhinestone, although I did select a bun cage that has a few rhinestones.

One trick to buying hair accessories on eBay is to check for more than one of the same item. Many items are one of a kind, but others are not, and you can check for one that no one else is bidding on. This lets you minimize your price. (There is more where this came from … )