An interesting topic, even if it is small potatoes.
Personally, I’ve had long hair since adolescence. If I let it go, my hair gets bad split ends, but will grow just past my waist.
I let my hair go without a trim for seven years before my last trip to a salon.
I definitely felt much lighter afterward, and I enjoyed using less shampoo as well as the shorter dry time.
I also felt a bit of the “phantom limb” syndrome, and obviously more vulnerable.
There is one story I remember well, from one of my very long hair days.
I was at the supermarket, waiting in line at the pharmacy. If I remember right, it was antibiotics for my daughter’s ear infection that brought me there.
Anyway, two Muslim women were in line ahead of me. I was silently admiring the scarves that completely covered their hair.
One woman was explaining to the other that, if the hair was visible, demons would get tangled in it. Her explanation was much more in depth, but I got distracted because my hair was waving around me like a banner at the time, and I was suddenly sure she was saying all of this for my benefit.
I also thought of my mother telling me that kidnappers look for women with long hair, ponytails, etc because they are easier to grab.
I don’t live my life by these ideas, and it has been over a year and a half since my last cut. But that bit about covering hair with scarves and headdresses interests me, because I’d never heard it before.
Also, judging by the shape of the scarves, it seems the threat of demonic entanglement doesn’t stop those folks from keeping long hair either. They just take precautions, maybe.