Is There Ever Such A Thing as Too Much Hair?

Largest afro according to Guiness, but how can she see?

For some naturals, the focus is all about length -- mid-back, waist length, butt and hip length hair.

But at what point is too much? At what point is too much length or hair a bad thing?

So many hair sites and forums "ooh" and "aah" the longer the natural hair. I sometimes wonder how well-known naturals with long hair icons like Cipriana and Sara manage with their hair. It's got to take hours to wash, detangle and style -- a routine that you have to do all over again in the next few weeks or so, depending upon your washing schedule. And these aren't heat trained naturals with flat ironed or press hair, naturals with twist outs, fros, braid outs and clouds of kinks that are probably prone to SSKs and tangles.

When Is it Too Much?

I think about all of that hair and I get tired just thinking about it. That's why some naturals swear off length like it's the plague. They want length, but manageable length that won't take all day to wash, comb, dry and style. So they forego super long hair for just long hair.

I get it. I've seen a few pictures on natual hair blogs of hair that totally overwhelms all facial features; all you see is hair. That's never been my M-O. For me, hair should compliment, not hide, your facial features. I never want to "hide" behind  my hair.


Yet, for others, length is the ultimate quest.

But if you're complaining about how long your wash day and regimen takes now at shoulder length, can you imagine how much it will take when your hair is waist length? Or, how much more products you'd use?

Would You Make the Sacrifice?

That's why some naturals skip length; it simply takes too much time. That's part of the reason why I cut my hair off in 2006. I'd had enough of hair, and doing my two young daughters' hair. So I cut mine all off. Like shaved off.

Today, my daughters are old enough to maintain their own hair. As of late last year, they've been getting their hair professional styled so I rarely touch it. Six years late, my hair has grown back -- and then some.

But I sometimes miss how easy it was to maintain my hair back then when it was just short curls -- not a lot of product, no fussing over deep conditioners, and not a lot of time spent detangling. True wash-and-go hair.

Short Hair As A Preference

Short hair, for most of us, is a choice -- a choice that I will probably make again some day. Everyone doesn't want, or need, long hair.

I tell myself that I'll keep growing my hair until I'm 40. Then I'll probably cut it all off and get a TWA. Besides, short hair makes most women look younger. At least, I think so. Instead of worrying about split ends, tangles and matting, I'll worry about a different type of maintenance regimen -- as in making sure I get regular cuts and trims to maintain my TWA. 

Maybe I'll keep it that way. At least for a while.

What do you think? Would you forego length? What is your maximum length?