"Dear Edie,

I saw your web page about long hair, but I really can't go to a salon every time I go dancing. My hair is halfway down my back and pretty thick, so when guys spin me it slaps them in the face if it's in a ponytail or it gets tangled in our arms if we try to do multiple spins.

I've tried French twists and buns and it will not stay up. I'm ready to cut it all off unless you have some other suggestions.

Hope to hear from you"
- Ready to Cut it Off

Dear Ready to Cut it Off,

Some women dance fine with their hair down. Their partners don’t mind spinning, turning, and dipping them. Most men think long hair is sexy, SO FOR GOD’S SAKE, DON’T CUT YOUR HAIR!!!.

Believe it or not, men don’t really mind if your hair hits them, or anyone else for that matter. I know of several women in the Los Angeles area that have long, thick hair down to their butts. It’s so thick, it’s almost impossible to put it up, so they just leave it down, and hit everyone around them with it. Some of the other dancers stay clear of them to avoid getting hit, which is great for the girls with the long hair because they and their partners end up having more room on the dance floor! (consider that a great benefit!)

Trust me, your hair bothers YOU more than anyone else. Unless the dancers are complete pricks, they’re so fun-loving, they don’t really care. They’re too busy dancing and having a great time getting their fix. They just stay clear. One time, a clump of a Salsera’s hair ended up in MY MOUTH for crying out loud. I remember just spitting it out and kept dancing. I haven’t even thought about it until now, I was on a such a Salsa high…

But if leaving your hair down is really aggravating you, you can put it up in a ponytail and learn to just "deal with" adjusting, tightening and fixing it up in between virtually every song. There is nothing wrong with that. I’m constantly re-doing my ponytail between dances, and my hair isn’t even that thick! Don’t stress over it. Many women have this problem, and just deal with it, myself included. Here are a few suggestions that I’ve put together.

• Put your hair into a very VERY tight double, or quadruple French braid starting from the crown of your forehead, over your head, down, and then finish it up with a ponytail draping over the back of your neck and in between your shoulder blades. Hair spray the heck out of the entire braid, from your forehead, over your head, and then through the ponytail.
• Take half your head of hair (the top half) and pull it back into a ponytail. Leave the rest hanging down. This keeps your hair out of your face, and the smaller amount of hair will stay in due to decreased mass.

• Take all your hair, and tie it into a knot on the back of your head. It may require some wrapping, and adjusting between songs.
• Buy one of those cloth-covered double wires (looks like a wire hanger), and tightly roll-up your hair in that. You may have to re-roll it up on occasion throughout the evening.
• You can braid your hair down you back, and tuck it into your shirt. I’ve seen this work with much success.
• You could also cut your hair shoulder – length, and when you want to go out to the movies or dinner with your boyfriend, where a long hairpiece (this is what I do!). Here, you have the best of both worlds! Spend your money on a quality hair piece. Try to get "real hair" as often as possible. I’ve own several hair pieces! They’re fun and healthy for your own hair, because you don’t have to ruin your own hair styling and blow-drying.

The best thing to do is just leave your hair down. Let me know how everything goes, and what you decided to do! Take care luv.

- Edie, The Salsa FREAK