I have a receding hairline ... have since I was 21 or so. Believe it or not, when my hair gets too long, I tend to get depressed ... so I have to keep my hair (what's left of it, anyway) shorter than an inch or so. I prefer to keep it less than half an inch.

Well, I cut my hair short because it's just easier to maintain. I don't think it shapes my identity so much as it a reflection of my personality. I keep it short cause I like low maintenance and I'm lazy. When I grow it out it's a lot of work to maintain and I just don't have the energy to do that.

i cried every time they cut my hair when i was little.
my father was the one to send me of to school, caus my mother had to leave earlier; he had no patience to deal with long hair and a little girl's asthethic sense, whims and wants, so short hair it was.
now my hair has been long for many years; it's a of my esthethics, i don't look good in short hair, and i like to fuss with it. i like to wear it in different ways and stick stuff in it.
i don't die it now, but sometimes i wash it with some non-pemanent colour, esp in summer. or when i wear a purple dress; then i'll make it dark wine red. it looks good together. i love colours!

I think that if you like your hair you have more confidence. I like simple hair styles

I think without hair makes one more defensive and aware. Things look more, including the basic elements. A paisley bandanna pirate fold head piece will get one out of that for the most part. When I shave my own hair and gouge it to the roots and a buzz cut dosen't turn out clean I know its not going to be okay for some time and long term effects can happen. At the hair saloon, its like, will you please shape it up and not give me a round receding cowboy cut? I need it cut like a special plant. Blonde hair (bleached?) makes people come less close seems to be the natural response.

Hair Fantasy?

Mohawk.

"How does your hair shape your identity?"
My hair is to the mid of my back. For employers, this can be a problem, as they prejudge. For some people they judge me as a "hippie".
Others think I look like a rock star, or wrestler(I'm a big guy too, but not fat).
Okay, wait, sidenote....older theaters really piss me off. I was sitting in one of their seats watching "I Am Legend" and the seat wasn't broad enough for my shoulders....bastages!
Some judge me as a stoner, some judge me as dumb when they haven't talked to me, solely based on hair and size.
When I go into a store, security follows me more often, than not.
How does this strike me? It's annoying.
Will I cut my hair to appease these people? Hell no. I like my hair.
Sometimes I will, purposely give the appearance of nervousness, in a store, just to screw with those wannabe security guards(I, usually, do that when I have hundreds of dollars in my wallet in the mere case that I was pulled into the security office, so I can ask for management).
At a club on New Years Eve, it got us V.I.P. and to the front of the line and straight into the club(But, in the end..that was a semi-sucky night, lol). I don't mind the rock star thing, as I think it is funny, as I can sing well, but can't read a musical note.
When walking down a street at night, it leaves an open passage; others tend not to do the b.s. "Hi" and nervousness that I am going to rob them or something, as they casually cross to the other side of the street.
The bad and the good...people remember me, by my looks. The bad part is that people recognize me and I have a problem remembering faces, which tends to make them feel unimportant, though that isn't my intention.
I've only had my hair cut 1ce in the past 3 years and that was because it was dreading on me, unintentionally.
If I want to braid some strands, it isn't hard and looks much better than short braids.
I like my hair. Why give it up before it is necessary(My father never went bald, but..ya never know, though I think I skipped Mom's side, as her brother was 23 when he went bald and I am sitting at 40 with no baldness).
Honestly, I think most short haircuts look silly and too conformed.
If I ever decide to cut my hair to "normal" length, it will be my choice, not because society says to do that.
I don't do it as as "rebellious" thing. I keep my hair at the length I like.
The only issue that I have with it...I have to have it thinned out, more often now, as too much weight of hair, leads to neck aches.
+SW->

I have absolutely gorgeous naturally curly hair. It's the perfect thickness, texture, tones, and curl. All my life growing up people would come up to me and say, I love your hair! I hate you! I basically told them a gave damn and cut it off over and over. I've had it short for over 10 years, playing with it, dyeing it, controlling it. I realized I hated my hair. So, after a year of stalling, last Summer's Solstice I shaved it off, and now beautiful curls are returning and I love it. And then I'll dread it. Cause, ultimately, hair doesn't play much into my lifestyle. too much else to do. But love my hair now.

I got rid of the long hair when I went into the Marines. Back in the 80's, the "jarhead" buzz cut looked so stupid to most people. When my started to recede, I started combing my hair with a shaving razor. Now it looks badass!....I think,,,,,

LONG ,FLOWING ,GLOWING ! :) never cutting my hair,never again its to my ass now.i love my long Tresses .long.luv it ;ong

My hair and I have a very special relationship. Usually it reflects my mood and where I'm at in life... When I was in high school, it was long, until one morning I stepped out of the shower, took a look in the mirror and decided I needed a change...so I grabbed my fathers shop scissors and cut it all off. I mean ALL. I have very curly hair, so I could spike it, twist it, make it look like a rockstar. I also kept it dyed fiery red for most of that time. Over the next eight years I grew it back out. By last July 3 it was down to my butt again. I have to say I think I look pretty good with really long romantic flowy, curly locks, but at that point in my life I was feeling bored and depressed and wishing to be carefree and funky like I was way back when...so on a whim I had it all chopped off again (this time I let a pro do it, instead of just hacking away with some grungy chop scissors!). Once again, it was great to have it be so funky and free, but now a few months later I really want it to be long again! So here I am, growing it out once more. It's slow going.... and right now it's that weird in-betweeny length that doesn't do too much too well. But I guess that also reflects my mood, because I'm a person in transition right now. But I look forward to the day when I can braid pretty ribbons and feathers into my hair again!

Any suggestions on 1) how to get my hair to grow faster or 2)ways to wear inbetweeny hair that look rockin?

i've *always* wanted to walk down the street and see a girl with princess leia hair. :)

i've dyed my hair black since i was 17. it just instantly looked amazing and right. people asked me if it was my natural hair color.. and someone once told me "it suits you perfectly."

i now wear it parted to the side in front of one of my eyes. i like the sexy mysteriousness of it.. also, i have social anxiety so i feel a little more like i'm being protected from people. when it used to be really long in the front, i liked to hide behind it. when i chopped it off, i was very depressed and anxious.. but it's growing back now.

i cried after i decided to chop it all off one day after i was "bored". i never realized how much it meant to me when i couldn't touch it anymore.. i kept on reaching for it and realizing that nothing was there...