The Struggle Is Real: 40 Pictures Illustrating The Daily Challenges Of Having Long, Shiny Hair

Do you see all those Hollywood stars with long and shiny hair? Glamorous and gorgeous, right? Don’t you just want to be like them at times? Don’t you wish you had a healthy head full of those beautiful long locks?

Before you go to the salon to ask for extensions, you might want to talk with people with long hair and see what they have to say.

Having long hair is not always rainbows and unicorns! Unbeknownst to others, people with long hair also have to contend with many things, including whipping other people’s faces with their hair or hair getting caught in zippers. If you don’t want to deal with those things, you’d better forget about your long hair aspirations.

But if you still want long hair, you better be ready to deal with some of the things we’re going to show you here.

Getting your hair tangled on the seat belt is no fun.

One of the hazards that is part of having long hair is having your hair getting tangled in something. It can result in a lot of pain and hair loss, and the person who posted this photo wishes everyone to know that just in case you’re thinking of growing your hair long.

Whenever you’re fastening your seat belt, make sure that all of your hair is out of the way because it’s not going to be a pleasant experience if your hair gets stuck. You might scream or even cry because of the pain.

Drying long hair naturally.

People with short, long, thick, and thin hair – everyone, really – should try to stay away from all manners of styling and drying implements because they can wreak havoc on your hair. You wouldn’t want your hair falling by the time you’re 30.

Easier said than done, we know, but if you’re committed, you can do anything and everything, including air-drying your hair or drying it naturally. You might have to get up a bit earlier, but it’s all worth it in the end.

You surely don’t want rats sleeping on your head, right?

One of the most important things to do if you have long hair is to find the right hair products. What happens if you don’t? You’ll end up with what people like to call a rat’s nest. Can’t wrap your head around that? Just look at the photo below.

Not a nice sight, right? We’re pretty sure you wouldn’t want that on your head. It’s difficult if you don’t have anyone who can brush the tangles out and sort out the mess on your head. Consider yourself lucky if your mom would help you out with this.

Saving money on hair products by buying in bulk.

When you have long and thick hair, you can easily end up spending huge amounts of money on hair products such as shampoos and conditioners, so the experts have let us in on a little secret: to buy products in bulk.

Doing so can save you a lot and make your wallet very happy. You may look like someone who has a hair salon for a business, but who cares? The most important thing is that your hair gets all the love and attention, and your wallet is spared from all the unnecessary expenses.

Appointments better not be canceled.

Don’t you just hate it when you go to the salon to have your hair done for an important event, and then it gets canceled at the last minute? Heck, girl, hundreds of dollars have been spent on that hair to look fine.

Trust us, that’s something that’s going to ruin your day. Even if they reimburse you the amount you spend on the salon, the time you wasted sitting on that styling chair is something you’re not going to be able to get back.

Cleaning your hairbrush is a daily chore.

You might get away with brushing once a week if you have short hair, but that’s not going to cut it if your locks are long. Hair can quickly accumulate; by now, you have already realized that you need to clean your hair brush daily.

It’s pretty easy for the brush to become unusable and look disgusting because of the amount of hair and dust on it. So, if you want healthy and long locks, you better commit to daily cleaning. It’s quite a bit of work, but you have to do it.

When your hair also wants to eat.

What do you do when you’re so hungry, and your hair gets in the way, and it seems to want to eat your meal too? Well, the simple fix is to get a hair tie and tie your hair in a bun. Wonder why the lady in the photo didn’t think of it.

This is one of the struggles that people with long hair have to deal with, especially if they forget to bring a hair tie. You can’t be spending the entire meal holding your hair back because, believe us, you’re not going to enjoy what you’re eating, especially if it’s steak.

When you need way too many bobby pins.

People with short hair might see no need for bobby pins, but they’re still a thing for people with long hair, even if we’re no longer living in the 80s or the 90s. In fact, they are a necessity for people with long manes, especially if you need to keep your hair up.

This poster wanted to demonstrate just how much of a challenge it is to style long hair for formal events – it’s so hard that she needed 83 bobby pins! Yup, you read it correctly; there is no typo here. She needed 83 bobby pins. That’s too much trouble if you ask us.

When long hair invades other people’s spaces.

One of the things most people dislike about long hair is that it tends to invade other people’s spaces, which is neither right nor good. How would you like to have your desk occupied by the hair of the student in front of you?

Not a pleasant thought, right? But do you think the other student overreacted by chopping the hair off? You could just talk to her nicely and tell her that her hair has landed on your desk. Be nice, people; there’s no need for things to escalate.

Your shower constantly looks like someone is going bald.

There are two groups of people in this world: those who have long hair and those who are bothered, irritated, and disturbed by people who have long hair. Which group do you belong to? It doesn’t matter at all because your shower will look like this either way.

Hair will be clogging the drains, and the floor is going to have strands of hair all over. This will require constant cleaning, or else it’ll look like there’s something growing in your shower. That’s the price you will pay for your long hair.

Hair gets tangled everywhere.

If you have long locks, you’ll definitely be able to relate to having your hair getting tangled in all sorts of things, including combs, zippers, and pens. How does your hair even get tangled in pens, you ask? We have no idea!

Please, don’t ask us to explain because we are not hair experts. We’re just here to demonstrate how difficult it can be if you have long locks. This might make you want to chop off your mane, but if you can manage just fine, there’s no need to do so.

Collecting and being very careful with your hair ties.

If you have long hair, the hair tie is going to be your lifesaver. Believe us when we say this item will become more precious than gold for you. You should also keep one in your bag and in your pocket for good measure.

Lord knows what kind of chaos can ensue if you don’t have a hair tie with your person at all times. When the wind blows, and your long hair starts going in all directions, you need to be able to reach for your hair tie right away.

Top knots are a struggle

For most people, tying their hair in a top knot is as easy as 1-2-3. But for those who have very long and thick hair, it’s a daily struggle. Instead of looking put together, you end up looking like a homeless person.

You definitely don’t want to go out with that hairstyle, right? While it’s not that bad, you wouldn’t want to go to a meeting looking like that, and you wouldn’t want to go out to lunch with girlfriends with that hairstyle too.

Hmm, you wouldn’t want people to think you’re a horse…

Long hair is fine, but there comes a time when you really must trim it, or you could end up looking like a horse, like the girl in this next photo. She forgot to pull her hair through her jacket. She must have been pressed for time that she went out without realizing her mistake.

If you saw her on the street, what would you think? Would you be impressed or not? We wouldn’t be surprised if people started pointing her way and laughing. We know that’s rude, but if you went out without looking at yourself in the mirror, that makes you fair game.

Is it necessary to whip?

Willow Smith’s hit song Whip My Hair was one of those songs no one really wanted or asked for, but we ended up loving it. People remember and bop to this song to this very day, which is pretty impressive.

And it seems that the song has become an anthem for those with long and thick hair who have problems tying their locks in a ponytail. Look at that girl in the photo struggling to tame her mane. Sometimes you’ll wish you had thin and short hair.

Don’t DIY your haircut.

If you don’t want to look like a hair experiment gone wrong, you should resist the urge to cut your hair, no matter how great the temptation is. The result is almost always a disaster. It might seem very easy when you watch the YouTube video but trust us; it’s not easy in real life.

Better go to the professionals and save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache. Don’t risk looking like somebody was out to get you and deliberately made you look like someone who couldn’t afford a decent haircut. Trust us on this one. Been there, done that.

When your hair covers whatever you wear.

If your hair is as thick as that of the woman in the photo below, then it doesn’t really matter what you wear because people won’t notice. People won’t even get a glimpse of your wardrobe because the first thing they’d be looking at is your hair.

Others might be surprised at how long and thick your hair is, but most people will be wishing they had that kind of hair. However, if they knew all the challenges that come with that hair, they might just change their minds.

When your hair ruins a good photo.

This image perfectly illustrates why a hair tie is your lifeline if you have super long hair. Hair can get in the way of almost everything. It can get in the way of a perfectly good lunch, a perfectly nice dress, and a perfectly nice photo.

When the wind blows, your hair will fly all over the place. If it happens when you’re about to take a photo, it will be a moment to remember. You surely don’t want to be the subject of the funniest picture of the year.

Having long hair requires a lot of planning.

Yup, that photo below is just about right when it comes to plans and people with long hair. You have to time special events and dates when you wash your hair because you don’t want to look like a homeless person during those times.

You want to be presentable and well-kept, and you want to make an excellent first impression. Have a job interview? Save the date in your calendar as a reminder that you ought to wash your hair or go to the salon.

Thank the heavens for wireless headphones.

If there’s one thing people with long hair should be thankful for, it’s wireless headphones. These devices have made such a difference in the lives of people with long manes. They no longer have to worry about untangling their hair, like in the photo below.

Sometimes the tangles are so bad that you have to cut some of your hair to free the headphones. Sometimes, you’re in such a hurry that you have no other choice but to reach for the scissors. Oh, the hazards of having long hair!

Drying your hair naturally will take a lifetime.

If you have thick hair, then you know that it’s going to take an eternity to let it dry naturally. Although it’s the safest and best option for your hair, you’re rarely going to do it unless you’ve woken up exceptionally early and have time to spare.

Drying your hair naturally may also make you look like you’ve just been struck by lightning, and you don’t want to be walking around all day looking like that. For now, your hair dryer is still your best friend, so get a reliable one.

You feel like bugs and critters are all over you.

When your long hair unexpectedly falls on other parts of your body, such as your legs or knees, you might jump out of your skin for fear that bugs and critters are all over you. Relax, it’s just your hair making you paranoid.

When you have long hair, you have to get accustomed to the feeling of someone constantly touching you or brushing against you. Unless you live with a tarantula at home or a hairy animal, or you live in the Australian outbacks, you’re probably safe.

When you have spiders on your hair.

We don’t mean actual arachnids here, but rather spider hair. What is that, you ask? You must be a person who’s had short hair all your life. You get “spiders” when there are knotted clumps in your hair. The photo below will do much of the explanation for you.

Doesn’t look appealing, right? They can be everywhere: on your head, floor, and hair tie. What’s most concerning for folks with long hair is that they may be shedding too much hair in the process, and that’s not good. No woman wants to go bald.

You need to find good towels.

When you have long hair, you can’t just use any type of towel. You need quality towels that are absorbent enough to dry your hair in a short time, contrary to thin and cheap towels. You also can’t use a small towel.

Why? Because a small towel won’t be able to contain all the amount of hair you have. You need to wrap all your hair tightly, and when we say ‘all your hair,’ we mean all. This can be a problem when staying at hotels, so you might need to bring your own.

Your hair gets in the way of your friends.

When we say get in the way, we don’t mean it lightly. Your long hair could also end up hitting your friend in the face, and that’s not a good thing. It might be funny at first, but the more it happens, the more it becomes annoying for your friends.

If you long hair is untied, it probably has a habit of whipping everything in its path when the wind blows. We pity the person behind you or beside you – they are going to have to put up with the wrath of your long hair!

Drain problems will haunt you forever.

If you have long hair and they all end up in the drain, one thing is for sure; you’ll need power tools to unclog the drain, just like what you see in the photo below. You better learn to unclog the drain yourself if you don’t want to spend money unnecessarily.

We want to stress the fact that healthy locks are not a curse – but having long hair does come with a little baggage, so to speak, especially when they start falling. You just have to make sure that you put something on the drain that prevents the hair from getting in.

We can hear Britney’s song in the background.

When we see men with long hair, only one thing comes to mind, and it’s Britney Spears’ hit song, Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman. Don’t get us wrong! We love the song, and we sang to it for a long time when it became a hit.

There is an abundance of men who have long hair. Some look great, while others don’t. If you’re a man and long hair fits you and makes you happy, go ahead and sport your long locks. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with.

Suffering while in the car.

When you have long hair, and you have no plans of tying it, you should never, ever have your windows down because it’s not going to be as glamorous as it looks in movies. On the contrary, your hair will be flipping and whipping in all directions.

It won’t make for a pretty picture at all. As a matter of fact, if someone took a photo of you, your face won’t be visible at all. Hair is the only thing people will see, so what’s the point? Don’t ever ride a car with someone who insists on keeping the window open.

Get rid of that plastic.

Get rid of that plastic comb or hair brush because plastic isn’t going to cut it if you have long, thick hair. You’ll only be disappointed and waste money if you insist because they’re going to end up like the photo below.

You better invest in quality wooden combs or hair brushes because they will last longer and are more reliable. In addition, plastic is also not good for the environment, so you’ll be hitting two birds with one stone. Not bad at all!

Long, wet hair makes your clothes, well, wet.

The picture below illustrates why people with long hair badly need thick, absorbent towels. If you don’t want to look like you just got out of the pool in your office clothes, you better head to Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

If you don’t dry your hair thoroughly, the water from your hair is going to soak your clothes, and if you didn’t wake up early enough, you’re not going to have enough time to change and make it to your appointment on time.

You won’t like your hair after you get rid of that ponytail.

You won’t be able to let your hair down after a bun or a ponytail because it’s not going to look nice. Trust us; it’s happened to us before. See the doll in the photo below? That’s exactly what the hair on your head will look like.

This means that you should always keep a comb or a hairbrush ready in your bag because it will be a great struggle if you don’t have one. The safest thing to do is only to let your hair down when you’re home and don’t plan to go out anymore.

Putting jewelry and taking it off can be an uphill battle.

Putting jewelry on and taking it off is not as easy as when you have short hair. If you put your necklace wrong, you can end up with a tangled mess that’s going to leave you with a reduced number of strands.

Aside from that, it’s uncomfortable, and it isn’t a good sight. You’ll need someone else to help you take the necklace off and untangle your hair. So, good luck with that if you live alone. This is the time when roommates come in handy.

Checking your reflection to see how your hair is.

Before you go out that door, you have to check your reflection in the mirror so you can see what your hair looks like. You want everything to be in order, which means checking more than just the top of your head.

This is where your phone comes in handy. You can use it as a second mirror, like the girl in the photo did. By doing this, you can make sure that people won’t make fun of your hair because it looks just fine.

Going to a new hairstylist can be a frightening experience.

If you have long locks, you probably have a favorite hairstylist. It can be frightening if your hairstylist decides to leave town or change careers because then you won’t have someone who has an intimate knowledge of your long locks.

For people with long hair, even the simple act of going to a new hairstylist can be a horror story. What if they don’t cut it right? What if they end up ruining your hair? So many things that are out of your control that could go wrong!

People want to touch your hair all the time.

If you have long hair, you can expect people to want to ‘pet’ your head constantly. Not that you’re an animal or something, but for some reason, many are fascinated by super long hair, as if it’s such a rarity in today’s world.

These are the kind of people who do not have any respect for personal space. They cross boundaries as it’s something that happens frequently. Some may pay you a compliment before invading your space, but it’s still an invasion nonetheless.

You need quality hair ties.

You need quality hair ties just as much as you need quality towels. They go hand in hand with making sure that you have all the support you need in this world. One without the other just won’t do; they’re a pair.

Hair ties are inexpensive and won’t cause a dent in your budget, so make sure to get quality ones, and you won’t regret it. Low-quality ones tend to get tangled, which will hurt a lot, and you could spend precious time straightening out your hair.

#Zippers can be threatening too.

Zippers are valuable because, compared to buttons, they make it a whole lot easier to close our jackets, pants, and other articles of clothing and even bags. People can’t imagine a world without zippers, but they can be threatening to folks with long hair.

The little teeth, that’s what we’d like to call it, can easily snag anything and everything that gets close to them, including hair. And if it has happened to you once, you know just how difficult it is to pull your hair out of this trap.

Windows can be hazards for people with long hair.

Something as commonplace as car windows can become a hazard for people with long manes, especially if they forget to tie their hair or close the windows. We go back once more to the importance of always having quality hair ties.

It’s a lose-lose situation. If you keep the window open, your hair will keep whipping your face, and if you close the window, there’s the chance that your hair could get caught, even if you try to grab as many strands as possible.

Your hair can become a mustache too.

We’ve discussed how long strands can be much of a burden at times, but they have comedic purposes, too, provided that you have a sense of humor and know how to have fun. Need a mustache? You can easily have one.

No need to look further; your long strands will help you with that. Who said long hair didn’t have other uses besides getting into other people’s faces, getting caught in zippers and car windows, or getting in the way of a good picture?

Don’t even think about buying those teeny tiny accessories.

You’ll be wasting money on those tiny hair clips and accessories if you have long and thick hair. Yes, they look cute, but they won’t be able to do much for your hair because they can’t offer you the support you need.

No one wants humongous clips on their hair, but people with long hair don’t even have a choice. How else will they manage the tentacles on their heads without these clips? Such a dilemma, right? For now, this is the only solution.