I love having long hair, mine is waist length. I think I've had every style except to buzz it all off (including blood red, which I would love to do again, but my mother said it would make her sad-she's so cute). I think of the ways scripture addresses hair, like Israelites taking a female captive and wanting to marry her would have her shave her head, clip her fingernails, and let her mourn her family a month before espousing her. Or the woman who washed the feet of Christ with her tears, and dried them with her hair. I've used that image as a devotional meditation of sorts. I used to work in an assisted living facility, and in the evening I would have 8 or 10 people's feet to wash, and I would imagine that they were Jesus. So one day I had a woman whose feet were very dirty, and I asked myself, if I didn't have a towel would I be willing to let down my hair to dry her feet with. I did have a towel, thankfully, but the internal stuff that happened when I was meditating on that question was intense. It was like, well of course I would, but it even thinking about it was humbling. Try visualizing taking your beautiful hair and cleaning someone up with it, what a way to nail your vanity to the cross huh? I also value modesty, and have had to use my hair as a covering before. I also just enjoy having it long. So it's not like it's all just for the future spouse, but lately I've been praying about donating some to locks of love, and I had the thought that I would grow it out for my husband, and donate some when we get engaged if he approves, and give him the option. After all, people will still need wigs in a year, and then I'll have more left after donating some. I find it easy to care for, it does require a couple hours down to dry, but then I just twist it up and either tie it in a knot or put a pen through. I don't know what the difficulty is, to grow it out... you simply wait. I guess that can be hard. As for pulling, I don't find it terribly painful, you get used to it. I actually like the secure feeling of a nice tight style, but it makes me look like a mean authoritarian lady LOL Plus I've worked with people who have aggressive behavioral problems, so they pull hair, and pinch, and smoosh their hands in your face. =)