I've had long hair for years now, and I think it has finally reached its maximum length at the bottom of my back. I get a lot of compliments on how long my hair is, but people that have never had really long hair can never quite understand the struggles that come with having long locks:

1. How long it takes to brush your hair after a shower

Seriously, why must this take so long? I spend about 10-15 minutes brushing through my hair after I shower to get all the knots that keep forming out and to get my part right. To make it a little easier on myself, I bought a smaller brush that I leave in the shower to brush it quickly while I have conditioner in it. But no matter what, it's still a pain in the butt to get brushed out.

(You know you've made it when seven people favorite your tweet.)

2. Wearing your hair down when it's hot feels like you're wearing a blanket

I have such a love/hate relationship when it comes to wearing my hair down. I feel better about myself, because when my hair is pulled back, I look like a man, but when it's hot out, having it down is just miserable. It's basically like wearing a blanket on your back, and if you're really unlucky, it will stick to your shoulders or other uncomfortable places.

(Miley found a solution in just not wearing a shirt buzzing her head.)

3. People randomly touching your hair

I promise I'm not lying when I say this: I've had not one, but TWO random strangers in CVS just touch my hair. Both times I was in line waiting to pick up prescriptions when a lady decided she was going to run her fingers through my hair. I turned around, obviously confused, and both times they replied with something along the lines of "I'm sorry, it's just so long, and I couldn't help myself."

Like, what? I might like the look of someone's pizza, but you don't see me stroking their crust because I 'couldn't help myself.' Since the second time this happened, I only get my prescriptions through the pharmacy drive through. For the most part, girls like the feeling of people playing with their hair, but by people they know and have given permission to do this to. Do not under any circumstances just start touching a random girl's hair.

4. Not knowing how to respond to "Oh my god, your hair so long"

It's basically the same thing as someone pointing out how tan you are. Are you supposed to say thank you? Are they saying it like 'Oh my god, it's so long, please get it cut,' or are they saying it in envy? Either way, this statement isn't a compliment, it's a fact. Every time someone points it out to me, all I really say is "Yeah, I know." If I feel like they're saying it because they think it's too long, I'll do an awkward giggle and mention how I really need to chop it (but I know I probably never will). It's an awkward statement, and I hope I'm not the only person with long hair that gets awkward replying to it.

5. Having it get in the way of everything

Sleeping, eating, writing, driving with the windows down, long hair is always getting in the way. The worst is when it gets stuck in the window or door of your car when you're trying to close it. This always happens to me, and I always try to handle the situation in a way that saves those pieces of hair, which results in me almost crashing my car. Leave no strand of hair behind, people.

6. How long is takes to style

Fortunately, the longer my hair gets, the more naturally it dries straight. But just thinking about curling my hair gives me anxiety. I can't curl my hair myself, so I have a friend who does it for me when I feel it is absolutely necessary to make this commitment (about once every two years). For those of us who have long hair and who need to style it every day, it takes a lot of time and effort. On a positive note, curls look really good on long hair, and holding an curling iron/straightener/blow dryer for more than 20 minutes gives you a great arm workout.

7. The fear of getting a haircut

The thought of cutting long hair is a scary one. Friends will sometimes say to you that you'll look good with short hair. Maybe you trust their opinions, but what if they're wrong? It took you years to get your hair to the point it is now. What if you cut it all off and look like a British man, like Regina George would've?

When I was a freshman in high school, I was awkward and still had braces. I went to get my haircut and I told them "Just a trim." They took off seven inches. SEVEN. I'm sorry, but in what universe does a trim mean taking away half of my hair? I was traumatized and didn't get my hair professionally cut again until a few months ago, when I was 21. I waited seven years to get my next trim, one year for every inch they took off last time. Now I'll get my hair trimmed more often (maybe once every three years) to keep it healthier, but everyone with long hair has something of a fear of having short hair.

8. But having random urges to cut off your ponytail

I might be the only one that ever gets this urge, but it happens to me pretty often. I've had my long hair for years now, and sometimes I just think I want a change and will actually consider chopping it off right then and there. Obviously, I back out each time. Hopefully, one day, I will build up the courage to chop it off and donate it.

(I got no favorites on this one. :( )

9. Finding pieces of hair literally everywhere

Is it just me, or does everyone with long hair shed like a dog? Yeah, I understand this is gross, but it gets everywhere. I don't have much to say about this one, and I can't really explain why it happens, but I've found that the longer your hair gets, the more it falls out.

10. Always searching for the perfect hair tie

This is probably the biggest struggle I face. It's so frustrating when you finally decide you want to put your hair up but you don't have a hair tie handy. Asking a friend that doesn't have super long or thick hair is usually pointless, because they will offer you the thinnest, weakest, saddest excuse for a hair tie you've ever seen. I appreciate the offer, but do you have 10 more of these so that my hair has a fighting chance of staying in a decent ponytail? Thick hair ties are an essential investment for people with long and thick hair. Stop wasting my time with these pathetic hair ties, people (but at the same time, thanks for trying to help me out).