By Chinwe of Hair and Health
Some days I want to chop my hair down to a few inches. Other days I want my hair to magically grow down to my butt over night. In short, I can get bored with my length from time to time, and I know some other naturals can relate. Sometimes a temporary “length change” is all that is needed to get me out of this phase. Here are some ideas to help you cope if you are in a similar situation:
1. Rock a short or long wig
The beauty about wigs is that they can instantly change your look – and your length. If you temporarily want shorter tresses, try wearing a cute wig that is shorter than your hair. If you temporarily want longer tresses, rock a cute wig that is longer than your hair. Wigs come in so many different styles these days and even in textures similar to our natural hair. Go to the store or online and play with a couple!
2. Get braid/twist extensions
One thing I like about braid (or twist) extensions is that you can essentially hide your real hair for up to three months and forget about your length. Then at the point when you remove the extensions, you are probably eager to get back to your current length … or maybe, better yet, pleasantly surprised at the amount of growth you have retained in those few months. Do, however, remember to take care of your real hair (moisturize, deep condition, etc.) while in extensions.
3. Embrace hair shrinkage
Now if you are going through a phase in which you want shorter hair, embracing your shrinkage is probably one of the simplest ways (other than a short wig) to do it. Sometimes I desire the “shorter” look, so I wet my hair and purposely rock super shrunken twists or (on rare occasions) a shrunken fro. Other times, I allow my stretched, unseparated twist-out to shrink into tight coils over several days. Do any method that works for your tresses, and if you need any ideas, check out this earlier post on embracing shrinkage.
4. Add length with Marley braid hair
Marley braid hair is one of the cheapest extension hairs you can find that blends well with most natural textures. Because of that characteristic, Marley braid hair can be used to create the illusion of longer, bigger hair. Within a few minutes, you can have a longer ponytail, a bigger bun, or fuller updo … all temporary, of course. Check out this post for style ideas involving Marley braid hair.
5. Forget about length and immerse yourself in other priorities
This suggestion may sound a bit silly considering that this is a hair care site and many of us are here to read about or discuss hair. However, if your desire for long hair has gotten to the point where you are doing length checks everyday, might I suggest shifting your focus to other things so as to ease your obsession? Get to that spiritual journey you have been putting off. Get to reading that novel you have been delaying. Get to that closet cleanout, exam preparation, online dating profile, book writing, whatever. Have you heard the saying that “a watched pot never boils”? Well, immersing yourself in other priorities can help you refrain from staring at that pot every second.
Ladies, what do you do when you are bored with your length?
