I need some hair advice.

jCamsquared · December 2009

My hair is long. I've been growing it out for a while to donate it, so I'm talking halfway down my back long. I am so ready to go back to my old standard of shoulderish length hair.

However. I want to make sure it's long enough to do a cute updo for my friend's wedding in April. So I was thinking I will just get it trimmed today, and wait until after her wedding to cut it short and donate.

The more I think about it though, I want it short like yesterday. Last month even. I'm so sick of it.

Do you guys think that it will grow enough in the next four months to do a cute updo? And, I have a ton of split ends, so I think I need to cut off 3" to get to healthy hair. How long does the donated part need to be?

Jessis62781 · December 2009

Most hairdressers I've worked with have told me that it is easier to do an updo with shoulder length (or even a bit shorter) hair than super long hair. I say chop it love.

Dee1028 · December 2009

I say cut it, shoulder length hair is more than enough for a nice updo.

We want before and after PIPs though.

ETA: I think it is really amazing that you are donating your hair, good for you!

weelass24 · December 2009

I think it's 12 inches to donate.

mrsadamc 05 · December 2009

The Locks of Love website says 10 inches minimum.

capinjen152 · December 2009

When I donated it was 10 inches. I'm with you on wanting to cut- I'm growing mine out to donate again and it is killing me!

mrs.vig · December 2009

As a hairstylist, 12 inches is the standard amount to dontate, because it should be 10 inches from the ponytail, not including the amount that you take in consideration of cutting above the ponytail with is the extra 1-2 inches.

Does that make sense?

Also it IS easier to do an updo with shoulderlength hair, so I say cut it and keep it healthy for the wedding, as it will still grow from now until then.

jCamsquared · December 2009

Okay, 10 or 12 I still have enough. About a month ago DH measured to see how much was left after a foot and it was still past my shoulders.

This is a horrible picture from the attempt at a belly shot with the tree, but you can see my hair down my back - it's a few inches above my bum.

Edit to DD picture.

Thanks for the help ladies!

Jenandtonica · December 2009

Friendly advice: Really look into what company you donate your hair to. Locks of Love, while extremely popular (probably because it's fun to say), sells their wigs - they do not donate them to cancer patients.

Pantene Beautiful Lengths donates their wigs to women who have lost their hair. Wigs for Kids donate their wigs to children who have lost their hair. Neither make the recipient pay for the wigs, and they manufacture them on their own, where as LoL upcharges the wigs they sell to pay a third-party manufacturer.

On top of all that, LoL takes in more donations than they can use, so they donate the hair to commercial wig companies that then sell the human-hair wigs at their full retail price to the general public.

jCamsquared · December 2009

Don't worry, I have heard about Locks of Love already. It may have even been you who told me that before, last springish. I definitely won't be donating to them.

But now that I have decided to do it today, I need to get any info about it! Eep! And I am going to surprise J, he thinks I'm just getting a few inches off still.