should I cut my hair?

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Just trying to simplify my life as much as possible since I'm a single mom and will have to work through LPN school. I've been reading a lot about how you can't have your hair down on your collar for clinicals, and I just wonder if it'd be easier to do a short bob that I could either scrunch into curls (my hair's pretty wavy when it's short) or blow dry it quickly. Right now my hair is down the middle of my back, and it's really think. It probably takes a good 30min to blow dry it. What did you do with your hair if it was long?

Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Just trying to simplify my life as much as possible since I'm a single mom and will have to work through LPN school. I've been reading a lot about how you can't have your hair down on your collar for clinicals, and I just wonder if it'd be easier to do a short bob that I could either scrunch into curls (my hair's pretty wavy when it's short) or blow dry it quickly. Right now my hair is down the middle of my back, and it's really think. It probably takes a good 30min to blow dry it. What did you do with your hair if it was long?
I just went short after having shoulder length to mid -back hair for years.....I LOVE IT!!! It's in a sort of bob-shorter in the back with bangs.I keep it trimmed monthly and it's wash and wear...No fooling around-it's great....
Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

I had waist length hair when I was a student.I would wash it,plait it,still wet,coil it and generally by the time I got to work it was dry.

Specializes in Emergency Room.

Could you wash it at night and then style it in the a.m.? I've actually been deciding the same thing. I decided to buy some cute hair clips and bobby pins and hair spray for now. If it's too much or if I get pms (ha ha) I'll probably cut mine too.

A simple ponytail works fine for me. It's not that big of a deal because I usually don't leave my hair out anyway (it's always falling into my face!) but I think cutting it all off is a bit extreme. You'd be surprised how well a bun disguises even the worst hair day and it only takes about 5 min.!

I have worn my hair both short and long and I find pulling up long hair is much easier than keeping up with maintaining short hair. There is nothing worse than that awkward "growing out" period!

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I have ringlet curly hair thats long. I scrape it back into a ballet bun. Put a little hairnet over it to keep it neat and gel down the frizziest. Simple neat and function. I am normally pretty fussy over hair

Specializes in Former MA and NA, now an LPN student.

I have really long (down to my lower back) hair. It really hasn't been a problem for me! During clinicals I twist it up into a bun. It works!

I'd cut it -- I did, actually. :) You can always grow it later. Mine is chin length -- a "graduated" bob: very short on the nape and wedged in the back and a little longer in front. Very little layering, and I've grown it out before -- there's no awkward stage at all with regular trims. I can't wear ponytails or buns, because the weight and the pulling of all that hair just kills my scalp.

Just my :twocents:

Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.
I have worn my hair both short and long and I find pulling up long hair is much easier than keeping up with maintaining short hair. There is nothing worse than that awkward "growing out" period!

Exactly. Short hair is more maintenance than long hair. If you do not get it cut regularly it goes into a horrible stage for a while where you can not pull it all back into a pony tail. Then you have to use clips, pins, etc. and it always threatens to fall out of the pins and clips. Even with a bob, some clinical instructors still require students to pull the front back. I have seen it in my clinical group.

A simple pony tail is much easier and you will be saving money on those monthly hair trims and saving valuable time from going to those hair appointments.

just my 2 cents

Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

I've always had long hair too but when I did my CNA clinicals and having 4 kids, I just couldn't find the time. So I whacked it off. Much like another poster said.....wedged in the back and slightly longer bob cut in the front. Very easy to do in the morning and I dont have to worry about competing with my girls over finding scrunchies. Love it, its one less thing I have to deal with :)

You have to remember that not only do most (if not all) nursing schools want your hair up and off your collar, they also want it out of your face and eyes. So if you have a bob it could very well be in your face and fall into your eyes and would have to pull it back anyway.

I started nursing school with a very short cut. I quickly realized I didn't have the time to go to the salon every 3 wks to get it cut and colored, so it became unshapely very quickly. I had a time where it was too short to pull back but too long to go into the style it was cut for.

I ended up growing it out for school. It was much easier to get up in the am, jump in the shower and just pull my hair back, than it was to have to dry it, flat iron it etc.

I just graduated and my hair is fairly long now, but all I do IS pull it back. I miss the style of the short hair but love how easy it is longer to just pull back and forget it.

I'm stuck now, do I cut it short again or do I leave it longer (so I have the option of pulling it back quick for work).

I personally think shorter hair is much more work. Like the other said, you have to maintain it or it quickly gets to that "i can't do a thing with it" stage. You ALWAYS have to style your hair everyday. Short hair bed head is scarey, whereas long hair doesn't tend to get that bed head look :)

I'd suggest keeping it longer during school and then cut it later after you graduate. (if you keep it long you can just put it up and not dry it, saving you time)

I didn't realize how pretty some of my classmates hair was until graduation when everyone had their hair out of the clips, ponys etc. Wow! What hair does for a persons face sometimes :)

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