[color=#191970]ok, ladies, (and gents too) the former hairstylist is coming to you pros for hair advice! i am in the first semester of a 2-yr surgical technology program after 10+ years as a colorist/stylist.
[color=#191970]my hair has been short since my 12yo was born, and about a year ago i started growing it out. right now my hair is at that annoying length between chin and shoulder. it is just barely long enough to put in a ponytail without anything falling out, but the ponytail is a big silly puff on the back of my head. thinking ahead to 10 or so months from now when i will start clinicals, would it be wiser for me to grow it out longer, or just go short? i like short hair, but i also wanted to go long once more before i get too old to pull long hair off. my thinking is that if i grow it over the next year, it will be long enough to put all up under the hat/cap.
the problem with long hair, though, is that my hair is extremely thick and wavy. when i shampoo it, it takes about 45 minutes to blow it dry if it's long. at longer lengths i usually shampoo every 3 or 4 days. (shower cap on off-days, i still shower lol) but if i am going into an or, i would want to be freshly shampooed every day. i am not willing to get up 45 minutes early to blow it out, and it takes 2/3 hours to air-dry. if i put it up in a bun wet, it will still be damp inside 24 hours later, probably even mildewy at that point .
short would abviously be simpler in the morning, i can air-dry short hair on the way to work, but more maintainence haircut-wise. my apprehension is that this is really my last chance to have long hair. also, my hubby would love to see it long again. he doesn't get final say, but i still wanna make him happy if it isn't too much of a pain in the rear for me. if i go short now, it will most probably end up staying short until i leave this earth.
i am at the point where i need to choose whether to cut or grow, and i really just want to make the best practical decision. i would love long, but i am not going to base my decision on how cute i look. i am also happy in short hair, if it needs to be so. if someone can share experiences or things i can do to make the long thick hair work in the or, i would love it. if most or gals just end up going short anyway, i'm gonna do it now, because the puff ponytail is driving me insane. i also want to avoid starting clinicals and realizing that i have to really quick find someone to cut it because it is a problem in the or.
i hope this doesn't sound like a silly or shallow question. it really is important to me, and i would love some inside info. my hair has obviously been a big part of my professional identity in the past. the criteria for a professional image are very different in this industry than my previous one. [color=#191970]
fwiw, color is not an issue, i will not be going magenta or blue anymore, i outgrew that phase!
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