Often, women have one of two objectives when they go natural. They want to grow longer hair or, they want to get their hair into better health. Sometimes it is a combination. But just because you grew your hair to your desired length does not mean all of your problems are gone. In fact, long curly hair comes with their own set of challenges.
Problem #1 – It takes forever to set
As your hair grows longer, you have more to work with but it also takes longer to set. Whether it’s bantu knot outs, twists, flexi rod sets etc, be prepared to wait–probably all day.
Problem #2 – You settle for less
When you have a huge head of long hair, it can be challenging to conjure up the energy to style it. This often means a ponytail or bun will have to do. When we do style, we like styles that last for a few days so we don’t have to re-do our hair the day after day.
Problem # 3 – It’s heavy
Long hair, especially when it’s curly, can be really heavy, especially when wet. Even when it’s dry, product itself can add weight.
Problem #4 – Wash and go’s are not wash and go’s
For someone with long curly hair to do a wash and go, it takes time. Sure, it takes time for everyone but when your hair is long. You have to take the time to define each densely packed curl and you can easily end up with undefined frizzy hair if not. Once the product is applied the wash and go can remain wet for half of the day easily. Not only that, once you go though all that trouble it doesn’t last very long.
Problem #5 – Hair tie fiascos
Hair ties are a whole other story when it comes to long curly hair. They are difficult to get tight and easily loosen due to the weight of your hair. If you do get them tight, they will be stretched out and you may only get 2-3 more uses out of them, that is, if they don’t pop and break as you’re trying to get your hair into a ponytail because you are hair is too thick.
Problem #6 – To straighten or not to straighten…
Some ladies love to straighten their hair from time-to-time but the thought of all that work can be enough to deter you from doing so. It’s long, huge and sometimes you have to wonder, how will all this hair condense into a sleek straight look? The answer is: it takes a lot of time and elbow grease to do so.
Problem #7 – No shape
If you let your hair grow without shaping it or cutting it in layers or other style such as the deva cut, it can be very boring — long, curly and shapeless. Eventually, you need to get it cut or shaped in some way because if you don’t it can look like a pyramid. You just don’t get that bouncy cuteness of shorter hair unless you get it shaped.
Problem #8 – It’s a built-in cushion
Having your hair operate as a pillow doesn’t sound like a bad thing, but it is if you want to preserve your styles. When your hair is at a certain length it just starts to get in the way and you have to come up with techniques to keep it out of your way.
