# long hair?



## MoCat (Nov 7, 2012)

While washing my hair the other day I got to thinking that if there was a long term SHTF what a pain it would be to wash and dry (a good 40 min with the blow dryer). 
Then I thought what are the pros and cons to having long hair. This is what I came up with:

pros : helps to keep me warm in the winter
entertains young girls and our cat

cons : amount of water needed to wash and time to dry

What pros and cons can you think of?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Use it as a fire starter... Seriously... Braid it to make the rope for your fire bow..


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

Well, since my hair is almost to my knees.... 

I have had short hair and much rather have long hair.... maintance is SO much easier.... wash everyday but i don't blowdry it.... braid and/or in a bun and it's done for the day.... no styling products, no curling irons or blowdryer needed, no touchups, etc.

In the even of a worse case scenerio situation...i wouldn't even need elastics or pins to keep out of my way.... it's long enough it can hold a braid all on its own....couldn't do that with shorter hair.

Having long hair also doesn't require as frequent washing as short hair... i wash it everyday now simply because I'm already there taking a shower. 

Long hair also provides emergency dental floss or braided twine.


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## stickinthemud (Sep 10, 2003)

I agree with TenBusyBees. I haven't cut my hair back since about 1985. Long hair is easy. Leave it down & it keeps your head & shoulders warm. Pull it back in ponytail or bun and it's out of the way & cool. For years I washed it daily & let it dry naturally. Now I only wash 2 or 3 times a week and hope to wean myself farther. What did people do before we were brainwashed by the "lather rinse repeat" mantra? Mom wore her hair long in a bun into her 80's & only washed it every couple weeks. Dad's Aunt had amazing long pure white hair (braided & pinned up) when she was 90-or so but I have no idea what her washing routine was.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

What if you hardly got any hair? lol! Male pattern baldness takes me out of this discussion!


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## haley1 (Aug 15, 2012)

Keep it long, when shtf cut it short and brad into rope


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm already a no-fuss gal, so I have my hair a little past my shoulders and wash it 3 times a week or if it's dirty. If TSHTF I'd grow it longer and wear it in a braid. My hair is curly, so I wouldn't cut it short or I'd look like a poodle.

There's a reason women kept their hair long and tied up in the old days - loose hair is a hazard when cooking over a fire.


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

With long hair you coild stitch a wound closed on a family membr if the need arose. No need to search for thread. 
Ohio Rusty ><>

A silent patriot waiting for he first volley .........


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Mocat you best start thinking about alternatives . . . . . That 40 minute blow-dryer routine will come to a screeching halt when the grid goes down.
Time to ween one's self from a habit...........


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## PaulaBlanch (Feb 18, 2013)

Love this topic! About 4 years ago I decided I was just plain tired of messing with my hair and stressing when I had a bad hair day. I got tired of the time and expense in getting it cut and highlighted every 6 weeks. And then, after doing all that work, my little brother (he's 42 years old) told me I look MATRONLY!! When I told my mother that I was thinking of letting it grow, she reminded me of how unflattering I looked in long hair...however, I have never, ever gotten past the growing out stage. My husband said "my ex-wife always had short hair", whatever that means I don't know!

So... after 4 years my hair went from very, very short to down to the middle of my back. So now I cut off about 1 1/2 inch every 6 months (actually my husband or one of the grown DD's does it for me). I wash it about twice a week. Never blow dry in the summer and in the winter only blow dry at the back of my scalp as that is the part that will stay wet for hours. I wear it in a braid or bun most of the time (I have babies that like to pull it), but it is definitely like wearing a warm shawl when it hangs loose down my back which is much appreciated in these Michigan winters. And wearing any kind of hat looks much nicer when you have long hair.

Cons:
When it is loose and I get in the car sometimes it gets shut in the door and I don't realize it until I lean away from the door and rip some hairs out. Braided or loose, I have had it manage to dip it into my food or when scrubbing something (like the toilet). I have had people tell me they always know me from the back, in a crowd, because it is so rare to see a woman with long hair anymore. And my husband likes it! And now he is growing out his beard, which I definitely like!


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

dreadlocks....is a choice to....do any of you women wear long hair from a biblical standpoint? or a head covering?

people us to take the nazarite vow for a certain period and at the end of it cut their hair off and it was used as a burnt offering to god.....sorry i drifted a bit on the long hair.


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## majik (Feb 23, 2005)

I have quite long, grey, thick hair. I keep it long because it requires no styling products and I don't blow dry. I find that when it's long (and I have had short hair), it gets "dirty" far less frequently and in winter, I wash about once a week. I figure I use less water with long hair, and I certainly use less electricity. Since I'm a low maintenance gal, I'm not too concerned about looking "matronly" and it's quite a nice colour of grey, so I can allow myself what little vanity I need. Pinned up, I can stay cool in summer. Down in keeps me warm in winter. Mostly, I keep it in a braid.


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## TenBusyBees (Jun 15, 2011)

We had lice once a few years ago.... shaved the boys' heads, end of problem...for my DD, she has long hair too, and I we used hairspray.... cheap dollar store kind.... saturated our hair scalp to tip and let dry completely.... washed and combed with a fine tooth comb, no more lice or nits.... no retreating-once was enough, no pesticides, inexpensive, didnt damage our hair, and we actually had fun with the silly styles we plastered our hair into...definitely recommend keeping a few bottles on hand for when the shtf.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

The only long hair I have these days, not counting my nose and right ear, is in my violin bow. I'm losing them too. Why my right ear? Maybe because I shoulder the violin on my left side.


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## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

mine is past my shoulders, and i never blow it dry. i usually pull into a ponytail, then pull half thru again, so it is a big loop of hair that doesn't hang down. i wear a hard hat at work, and am paranoid that if i leave it loose or hanging, it could get caught in machinery.

the worst thing about pulling it up while still wet is that it stays wet all day long underneath, and in the hot humid weather, it can sour. i just use a vinegar rinse when that happens though.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> about the biggest problem in a real SHTF scenario would be lice.
> 
> I look to history to see what challenges were faced when medicine, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides were unavailable and hygiene was on the downturn - and yeah, lice.


Lice don't like oily hair. It makes the hair stick together and makes it harder to lay eggs and the oil smothers the eggs.


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## spacecase0 (Jul 12, 2012)

traditionally the big reason for having short hair is that no one can pull it when you are fighting that is why many men had short hair and women had longer hair, the women did not fight. and I can see lack of scissors keeping most people from bothering to cut hair short, just like lack of razors will cause many men to have beards again.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> well, there ya go - my experience with lice has been in hogs and cattle.
> 
> Fleas could also become a potential issue.


Fleas are a whole nother ball game! I HATE those buggars!


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## jessimeredith (Sep 12, 2004)

I used to keep mine long (still let it grow out on occasion). I have what my friends and I affectionately call a "white girl 'fro"...very curly, so I keep it about 4 inches long all around (sometimes shorter in the back). 

Pretty fuss free...I don't HAVE to wash it everyday, so I don't if it looks like it's going to behave for work. I do use those metal snap barrette things to pull it back into a faux hawk a lot, so I have a ton of those and small rubber bands.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i stopped cutting my hair 5 years ago so mine is quite long now but as WIHH said lice could be a problem.i remember when i was a child my brother brought them home and mother got them. her hair had never been cut and if it was down she could trip in it. what a time we had because dad wouldn't hear of cutting it. i think he used turpentine and a couple more things. probably stuff he had for the animals. you couldn't just go to the pharmacy for a bottle of something then.not where we were anyway. ~Georgia


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## Appalachia (Jul 11, 2012)

farmerDale said:


> What if you hardly got any hair? lol! Male pattern baldness takes me out of this discussion!


I resemble that remark.


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## willbuck1 (Apr 4, 2010)

I plan on everyone shaving their head at the beginning to stop anyone bringing in lice. After that I don't care how long someone has it but keeping it short enough myself to prevent giving someone a handhold.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Don't know if this is true but does make a good argument for long hair

Sorry to non facebook users if the link don't work

https://www.thehairshaman.com/nativ...d-keep-their-hair-long/#.UV21pHUmgUj.facebook

WWW


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> about the biggest problem in a real SHTF scenario would be lice.
> 
> I look to history to see what challenges were faced when medicine, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides were unavailable and hygiene was on the downturn - and yeah, lice.


 My mom told me that when she was growing up, kids sometimes got head lice. However, the black children didn't usually get them. The reason was that black boys hair was always kept so short that lice couldn't lay their eggs around the shaft of the hair. Lice couldn't survive on black girls heads because the hair pomades were oil based and the hair was always kept pressed with a (hot) metal straightening comb. I still own a manual, stovetop pressing comb, marcel curling iron and marcel waving iron.

There were at least two outbreaks of head lice when I was in elementary school, but I never got them, likely because of the straightening comb.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Peanut butter, smothers lice and conditions the hair.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

oh well, that's good to know. i should be alright for the lice part then. lots of peanut butter in my preps and i really want to keep my long hair. ~Georgia.


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

A woman I know said she only washes her hair 1x a month, and she has extremely thick, long, shiny, nice hair. She said that her grandmother told her when she was a teenager, that washing your hair every day or two, causes your scalp to over react by producing even more oil, thus continually needing washed. She did an experiment one summer, and her grandmother said not to wash her hair at all for 2 weeks. So she didn't, and said it was grossly oily. Then went for another 2 wks and it wasn't as bad. She kept gradually increasing the length of time between shampoos, until she said she could easily go for a full month without washing, just brushing thoroughly each day. Now, years later she keeps it braided to keep her kid's gooey hands out of it, and as a general rule, still washes it 1 x a month. Her hair does not look dirty, greasy, or smell bad, and her hair is beautiful and shiny. Her grandmother told her that's what all the ladies used to do, and it was very rare for anybody to shampoo more often than that.


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

Jim-mi said:


> Mocat you best start thinking about alternatives . . . . . That 40 minute blow-dryer routine will come to a screeching halt when the grid goes down.
> Time to ween one's self from a habit...........


 
I never blow dry my long hair. Dries out my hair and a waste of electricity. You sure won't be able to blow dry your hair if the SHTF. I will just put mine in a long braid down my back. 

When my hair was short and layered I had to wash it everyday for it to look good. No problem when my hair is long....


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I've had short hair since my sophmore year in HS. It's just too thin to wear long. However, I recognize that long hair can be faster. It isn't all kinked up in the morning, so it can just be pulled into a tail or twisted around and pinned up and away you go. I have to wash my hair if I go anywhere. I think long hair can be pulled up and out of the way to help you be cooler and it certainly doesn't look as bad after it's had a hat on it all day. If I wear a hat- I might as well pour a bottle of oil on my head. 

However, not all short hair has to be sprayed, teased, gel-ed, dried or whatnot. I do blow it most of the time, but don't have to. I just run my fingers through it a few times and go. And that's an advantage of short, thin hair. It's dry before I can get my teeth brushed.


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

Sigh, I miss my long hair. It was beautiful. Strangers would come up to me and tell me so. Ever see the pictures of Hawaiian women with very long, thick, dark hair. That's what mine was like. But, it gave me headaches, so it just touches the top of my shoulders now. Long hair is easier to care for in my opinion. Never blow dry it. Diluted cider vinegar as a rinse makes hair shiny and soft.


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## StargazerLily (Oct 11, 2011)

7thswan said:


> Peanut butter, smothers lice and conditions the hair.


Mayonnaise works as well. When we had lice in elementary school (not so very long ago) my mom tried the chemical treatment from the store and it did nothing. Our pediatrician said that most of those don't affect lice anymore, but that smothering them with something will work. Suggestions from then and this thread include peanut butter, hair products, oils, mayonnaise, or lots of cheap conditioner.


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## montysky (Aug 21, 2006)

My DW's hair is just pass her shoulders, our daughter's (11 and 7) have long hair about to the middle of their backs. I have very short hair just run a razor thru it, I wear cowboy hats most of the time or a ball cap and when I take it off my hair is still neat. our boys also have short hair.


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## tentance (Aug 16, 2012)

i have long hair, only wash it every other day or whenever it needs it. no conditioner. sometimes a little bit of hair spray to smoothe the top. never blow dry, EVER, the heat weakens the proteins in the shafts and will make them break. most of the time i shower before bed and my hair is dry in the morning. humidity is almost always 100% here, so if it was going to be frizzy it would have started some 32 years ago.


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Don't know if this is true but does make a good argument for long hair
> 
> Sorry to non facebook users if the link don't work
> 
> ...


I have heard this too, and thought posting it would give a reason in this forum, other than fashion......

https://indianinthemachine.wordpres...-why-nativeindians-would-keep-their-hair-lon/


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## sandsuncritters (Nov 18, 2011)

Interesting concept. I read of this some years ago, and it begs the same question now as then.

If the secret of long hair was true, why would it not work for "all ethnic backgrounds"?
Based on the test results, why would all military folks still be required to retain short hair? I would think that infantry scouts, forward air controllers, special forces, and seals of any ethnic background would at least be tested as a control unit.

In His Love
Mich


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## farmrbrown (Jun 25, 2012)

sandsuncritters said:


> Interesting concept. I read of this some years ago, and it begs the same question now as then.
> 
> If the secret of long hair was true, why would it not work for "all ethnic backgrounds"?
> Based on the test results, why would all military folks still be required to retain short hair? I would think that infantry scouts, forward air controllers, special forces, and seals of any ethnic background would at least be tested as a control unit.
> ...



The answer is, it probably would work for all, BUT you have to have those skills to begin with and be aware of them. The extrasensory stuff like "feeling" people sneaking up on you, is too intangible for large military organization to apply to everyone, that's why they exempted the "scouts".
Then you have the military tradition of being clean shaven which goes back all the way to Alexander the Great, and the reasons for doing so.......being uniform and taking away the advantage of being able to grab the head.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

vicki in NW OH said:


> Sigh, I miss my long hair. It was beautiful. Strangers would come up to me and tell me so. Ever see the pictures of Hawaiian women with very long, thick, dark hair. That's what mine was like. But, it gave me headaches, so it just touches the top of my shoulders now. Long hair is easier to care for in my opinion. Never blow dry it. Diluted cider vinegar as a rinse makes hair shiny and soft.


 My mom was like this, hers was to her knees. The headakes were bad because of the weight. My Gma died with long hair, I'll do the same and so will my part A. Indian Dh, his hair is beautiful and I braid it everyday for him.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I like long hair and would expect most to have longer hair should the severe SHTF happen.

Right now, I'm letting mine grow again - I had it cut into the "Dorthy Hamill" wedge again last summer, but no one can do it just as I remember it being done in 1976 by one of the fancier sylist in town. Then it could blow and just land where it was suppose to go. 

But - to do styled short hair, I need a trim every 4 or 5 weeks, and at medium cost that's about $40 and I am too cheap to want to spend that much. I was putting some color on my hair, but now letting it just be natural - still mostly dark but silver white growing out at the temples, rather neat.

I hope to get it long enough soon for pulled by styles.
And I only blow dry my bangs, and a bit of the wetness on the rest, then let it air dry -


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

My hair is just above my ankles, I ahven't used a blow dryer in over 20 years and I wash my hair once a week in the winter and about 3 times a week in the summer due to dirt and perspiration in the summer heat. I wear it up in a bun when working, in a braid or gathered up in a snood when going off or just hanging about. I used homemade shampoo, sage based and rinse with white vinegar. For extra conditioning when there is a chance of drying, I make a homemade hot oil treatment out of olive oil. I use no styling aids, no gels or sprays and no chemical dye. I use a natural dye rinse I make myself out of black walnut shells and cinnamon to keep the gray at bay but am thinking about letting the gray come on in, I am 47 afterall.

Someone asked if there was a religious reason for anyone, for me no. I have always loved long hair and always wore my hair at least waist length. My late husband always loved it and it was one of his dying wishes that I not cut it, so I have not.

In a SHTF scenario I would keep my long hair as long as there was a little water to grow the herbs I need to make the rinses and keep it clean.


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I have very oily hair. I hate washing often because it dries out the ends. I have researched for natural ways of cleaning hair, not alot of info on what was used before shampoo. I read Native Americans used the root of a "soap plant" that would lather and clean hair. I also have heard of using clay. 

But for modern use, a trick I found on youtube to avoid the oily look when not washing daily, use cocoa powder on the roots. I keep it in a shaker container and sprinkle it on my roots and work in with my fingers. It takes away the oily shine and gives my flat roots a lift. Works great for me, I can wash every 3 days now. Good for dark hair, light hair may need to use baking soda - cornstarch or something else.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Trixters_muse said:


> My hair is just above my ankles


Wow, I am impressed! Mine stops growing at about mid-back. Isn't all that hair really heavy? It's sweet that you've honored your late husband's wish...


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Trixters_muse said:


> My hair is just above my ankles, I ahven't used a blow dryer in over 20 years and I wash my hair once a week in the winter and about 3 times a week in the summer due to dirt and perspiration in the summer heat. I wear it up in a bun when working, in a braid or gathered up in a snood when going off or just hanging about. I used homemade shampoo, sage based and rinse with white vinegar. For extra conditioning when there is a chance of drying, I make a homemade hot oil treatment out of olive oil. I use no styling aids, no gels or sprays and no chemical dye. I use a natural dye rinse I make myself out of black walnut shells and cinnamon to keep the gray at bay but am thinking about letting the gray come on in, I am 47 afterall.
> 
> Someone asked if there was a religious reason for anyone, for me no. I have always loved long hair and always wore my hair at least waist length. My late husband always loved it and it was one of his dying wishes that I not cut it, so I have not.
> 
> In a SHTF scenario I would keep my long hair as long as there was a little water to grow the herbs I need to make the rinses and keep it clean.


Good for you!, and besides when I grow up, I'm going to be a Mermaid,and all Mermaids have Long Hair!


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## MoCat (Nov 7, 2012)

7thswan said:


> My mom was like this, hers was to her knees. The headakes were bad because of the weight. My Gma died with long hair, I'll do the same and so will my part A. Indian Dh, his hair is beautiful and I braid it everyday for him.





vicki in NW OH said:


> Sigh, I miss my long hair. It was beautiful. Strangers would come up to me and tell me so. Ever see the pictures of Hawaiian women with very long, thick, dark hair. That's what mine was like. But, it gave me headaches, so it just touches the top of my shoulders now. Long hair is easier to care for in my opinion. Never blow dry it. Diluted cider vinegar as a rinse makes hair shiny and soft.


Yes the headaches can get bad. If I let my hair get too long then I can get headaches. Had not thought of that, it is just habit to trim it before it is hip length. 

Oh and I should have noted that the blow dryer is used in the winter. My wet hair froze one morning walking to school as a kid, I have never for got what that was like, not fun.


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

7thswan said:


> Peanut butter, smothers lice and conditions the hair.


 I have heard this before.. I can also say my Polish (immigrant) grandmother put mayonnaise in my cousins long blonde hair to get rid of lice, and it worked


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Head lice have become so resistant to the OTC chemicals that many of them don't even work anymore. We found out the hard way when the granddaughter ended up with them. We used an olive oil routine and it really works so it makes sense that the mayo, PNB and any other oily treatment would do the trick. You just have to repeat the treatment at regular intervals to kill additional hatches:
https://www.google.com/search?q=oli...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

I used to have hair long enough to sit on but it's been short for a long time. I have considered growing it long enough to have a ponytail or braid. Maybe I could pull some of these facial wrinkles out with a tight ponytail!


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## tentance (Aug 16, 2012)

> and besides when I grow up, I'm going to be a Mermaid,and all Mermaids have Long Hair!


i live right near weeki wachee, the only city of live mermaids, and have been there enough to tell you that only one of them has good long hair, the rest are just past their shoulders. it just looks longer in the photos because its spread out in the water


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## Little_Bit_Red (Nov 19, 2010)

holy crap ladies! man, can't imagine trying to grow my hair out....

Hereditary, my family has very fine hair, all the way back to my grandparents....

So, my is very fine and very thin so mine is short. If I had my way, I'd shave it with clippers to look like what Demi Moore had in the movie "G.I. Jane".

Right now, my hair short, above my ears and lays close to my head.

In a SHTF, I don't know what I would do - but i am betting for cleanliness, I'd shave it off and wear a scarf or hat.....


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

designer said:


> I have very oily hair. I hate washing often because it dries out the ends. I have researched for natural ways of cleaning hair, not alot of info on what was used before shampoo. I read Native Americans used the root of a "soap plant" that would lather and clean hair. I also have heard of using clay.
> 
> But for modern use, a trick I found on youtube to avoid the oily look when not washing daily, use cocoa powder on the roots. I keep it in a shaker container and sprinkle it on my roots and work in with my fingers. It takes away the oily shine and gives my flat roots a lift. Works great for me, I can wash every 3 days now. Good for dark hair, light hair may need to use baking soda - cornstarch or something else.


Perhaps soapwort was the plant you read about that the Indians used? I know some natives did use it. Another good hair washing herb is pinecone ginger, hawaiian women use this and it smells wonderful. As far as oily hair, my DD has it and she uses mint and rosemary to clean her hair and inbetween shampoos she uses cornstarch in the same way you use cocoa powder. I will have to tell her about the cocoa powder, she has dark hair too. Thanks for that tip


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

Mom_of_four: It grows slow now, an occasional trim keeps it from getting much longer. It is heavy, which is why when I do wear it in a bun it's just for a couple of hours. I favor the snood mostly because it keeps it off my back and shoulders, it look neater than a frazzled braid or falling bun and I make my own snoods so I have all colors and styles to choose from. Also there is no such thing as a bad hair day with a snood, lol. For those who don't know, a snood is a hair net, sometimes with a hairband attached, think 40's era. As for honroing my DH, he was a wonderful man who gave me two great kids and almost 18 years of Happiness. I would do anything for him, even now 

7thswan, if I planned to grow up, being a mermaid would be fun.  These days I am having fun playing Rapunzel with my 5 year old niece.She brings her "Tangled" movie over and we watch it and I have to act out the parts along with the movie.


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## Strange Bear (May 13, 2002)

I always said that if someone grabbed me by the hair to control me that would be the last time I had long hair.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Strange Bear said:


> I always said that if someone grabbed me by the hair to control me that would be the last time I had long hair.


 Someone grab my hair , or try to control me, I wouldn't be wasten no time on cuttng my hair. Someone better be protecting some vital bodyparts.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Remedies to rid oneself of lice are nice to know, but it is even better to avoid getting lice in the first place! Putting something on the hair doesn't get rid of residual bugs that might be sitting on your couch or crawling in your bed. Once you notice an infestation on your head, you probably have a larger problem/infestation.

That is the beauty of a straightening comb. Most preppers have a way of cooking/heating that involves a wood, coal or gas-powered stove. A metal straightening comb is laid on the stovetop until it is hot and then combed through the hair. Not much different than using a flat iron or curling iron today, except that no electricity is needed! Using one once or twice a week would catch the problem before it ever got off the ground.


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## Strange Bear (May 13, 2002)

I would be cutting my hair after the trial.
:hysterical:


7thswan said:


> Someone grab my hair , or try to control me, I wouldn't be wasten no time on cuttng my hair. Someone better be protecting some vital bodyparts.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> about the biggest problem in a real SHTF scenario would be lice.
> 
> I look to history to see what challenges were faced when medicine, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides were unavailable and hygiene was on the downturn - and yeah, lice.


Lice prefer clean hair. The risk of lice would be coming into contact with someone who has lice. I think the best use of long hair would be to attract a mate lol.


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## doodlemom (Apr 4, 2006)

terri9630 said:


> Lice don't like oily hair. It makes the hair stick together and makes it harder to lay eggs and the oil smothers the eggs.


Replied before I read down this far.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Never had long hair, except my Junior year. My first barbershop haircut before school started. Mom took me to the appointment and told the barber she liked short hair. I got short hair alright, made me mad and didn't have another until I got married, more than a year later. Basically a buzz cut, very short on the sides and back and 1 attachment longer on top, always by Sweetie. Used to be a little longer and kept a part in it, not any more. I still have a full head of hair, no bald spot, just short....James


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

People used to use a decoction of larkspur seeds to kill lice. Larkspur - all parts - is toxic, so not something to be used carelessly. 
https://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=538

If the SHTF, I think there will be a strong comeback of the medicinal cottage garden, provided that preppers include the appropriate seeds in the stores.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

I usually cut my hair in the late Spring....A bob cut just below my ears and let it grow....I find that my gray hairs show when I pull my hair back and I'm not loving that! I always had short hair growing up because I was tomboyish and into sports...
My hair is no muss no fuss....no special products and never blow dry....plenty of wave on its own!
Black flies in Spring and summer are nasty at your hair line but it matters not about the length...they are just pesky blood suckers that we have to deal with!


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## Raven132 (Mar 3, 2013)

I cut my hair almost 2 years ago and at that point I could sit on it. Haven't cut it in 9 months and it's almost to my shoulders. I am down to washing once every 7-10 days and have no plans on going short ever again.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I have very fine hair, but a lot of it, and it tangles SO badly when it's long that I wear it short by choice. I usually cut it myself, graduated comb clippers on the sides and back and scissors on the top, in "almost-a-boy-cut-but-not-butch" style. I gave up on trying to hide the grays a long time ago, and my dark brunette hair has gone about 50-50 silver. I actually kinda like the color.

If the SHTF, I think I'd still keep it short. Wouldn't have to worry about styling it, and washing it would take only a fraction of the water and time of washing long hair and getting it dry.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

I wear mine just below my shoulders. I like it long enough to throw it back and keep all of it off my neck, but short enough that it only takes me a few seconds to brush. I only blow dry if I'm trying to look pretty or it's ridiculously cold out. I think I'd definitely shave mine if the SHTF. I wouldn't give a hoot what it looked like either way if the situation were that dire, so I'd opt for not having to even think about it. I wash it every day now, but I'd like to cut that down.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

MaggieJ said:


> People used to use a decoction of larkspur seeds to kill lice. Larkspur - all parts - is toxic, so not something to be used carelessly.
> https://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=538
> 
> If the SHTF, I think there will be a strong comeback of the medicinal cottage garden, provided that preppers include the appropriate seeds in the stores.


I've been working hard on my own med. garden.


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## wottahuzzee (Jul 7, 2006)

My hair is usually long, more or less, anywhere from shoulder length to almost waist. I cut it every so often, usually donate the hair, and then let it grow back out for a while. 

However, the day the balloon goes up, the caca hits the fan, I am going to look like one of those French women who got caught consorting with the German troops. Buzzzzz


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I've got long hair. I cut off a couple of inches whenever the ends get dry and uneven. 

I only blow dry rarely. It makes my hair too dry and brittle. So I wash and condition it at night and it is dry by morning.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I was thinking of this thread while I was in the shower washing my hair (haha) and thought I'd add something slightly off topic. For those of us who aren't going to shave our heads or keep our hair really short, we need to stock up on bandanas, metal barrettes, and other ways to tie it up. Elastic scrunchies and bands will rot within a couple of years, and plastic headbands and clips will get fragile and break.

I don't much like hats, so I'll probably use a bandana. And I've got lots of paracord that I can use to tie the end of a braid.


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## terri9630 (Mar 12, 2012)

Mom_of_Four said:


> I was thinking of this thread while I was in the shower washing my hair (haha) and thought I'd add something slightly off topic. For those of us who aren't going to shave our heads or keep our hair really short, we need to stock up on bandanas, metal barrettes, and other ways to tie it up. Elastic scrunchies and bands will rot within a couple of years, and plastic headbands and clips will get fragile and break.
> 
> I don't much like hats, so I'll probably use a bandana. And I've got lots of paracord that I can use to tie the end of a braid.


I've used a couple of strands of my mares tail to tie back my hair. I guess if you don't have a horse tail to use you could pull and braid a few of your own long hairs to tie it up.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

During my reenacting days I studied how women did their hair in the mid 1800's. They didn't wash it very often. Clean hair is hard to style, which is why we use products to "dirty" our hair today (mousse, gels, etc.)

I read a story written by a girl who was part of an experiment on hair washing. She was on the team that didn't wash their hair for a year. She said in the beginning she was embarrassed by the oily hair. BUT... after about 2 or 3 months, the oily feel started balancing. After 6 months her hair was great. She wrote that it had a wonderfully musty smell that was like a natural perfume. She said she will never go back to washing her hair again. One day we may all experience this. 

I have long hair that I wash once a week. My hair doesn't get oily, greasy, or tangled, I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. 

I've cut my hair short 2 or 3 times in my life. Each time I regretted it. I discovered that short hair will be hot on your neck and ears during the summer. You can't pull it up like you can long hair. The "grow out" phase is terrible, very little to do with hair that's to long to hold a cute short style, but to short to put up. 

Long hair can be put up and styled to look like short hair. There's no way at all to make short hair look long. I love my long hair and will probably never cut it off again.


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## Wags (Jun 2, 2002)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Don't know if this is true but does make a good argument for long hair
> 
> Sorry to non facebook users if the link don't work
> 
> ...


Interesting article - I'm tempted to try it but I don't really want to cut mine all off.


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

Spinner said:


> I discovered that short hair will be hot on your neck and ears during the summer. You can't pull it up like you can long hair. The "grow out" phase is terrible, very little to do with hair that's to long to hold a cute short style, but to short to put up.


Depends on how short you cut your hair. I've had mine man style short for years and it was very cool. I've let it grow out the last 2 winters and cut it again in the summer. You are so right about the grow out stage. It is horrible! I think this year I will leave it at just above my shoulders. That will be long enough to pull it back in the summer and short enough to mostly stay out of my way. Of course that could all change on a whim and I could whack it all off again LOL


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