2 year update :)


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Posted by Avi (other posts) on March 08, 2020 at 08:07:06 Previous Next

Hello everybody! :)
I've posted here periodically over the past 2 years but I thought I'd finally post a more detailed update because I have a lot to say.
I first posted here over 2 years ago. I was a 16 year old kid in high school who'd wanted to grow my hair out since I was 2, and I'd never gotten to do so. I was nervous and scared as to what my family and friends would think, and whether I would be able to manage to do this or not.
Today I'm 19, an engineering student at Texas A&M, and confident with my mane :) My final haircut of all time was in March of 2018- it has been two years on my long hair journey.

Alright, some photos! My hair looks slightly greasy in the first few because I just did my nightly oiling- usually its not so prevalent :)

Here's where I started: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_QhNxb9jx7iI8H--pPRn4tDUDMr-ybK6


Here's where I am today:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_uP8l9f1wqizRiXiFUckPe1AwUx31G4P
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_w7OQeXk6b8MPSe0vbBKFqPz6Egc-DVm
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_xDkj1Hyp7APW_Rs4yKmPrBNpCGhrqV-

Back view:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KcxgSa-HYy8O2tK0zFSSZ2-UOwtE4UtU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18tYh_MkV6g8TLW2XUL2XiUG8IRFWI_S7


Braids(these are really messy but I'm still learning them :) ):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1R7eyUby8JNEDVKd1QkUy9F6YFxdOetNK

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_Sh2D7wLnNJR8GsPI_ru-ldvZk3zulhR

Just photos I like: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_USG0O2aMCyNFKnRO3sCTqy6y0osT-6f/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_XbHOV3eONccFQdcdxY16n9BrKemEK27

My goal for the time being is classic length- if I can get beyond that I'll go for it, but that is the initial goal at the moment.

I seem to grow at the regular rate, 6 inches per year. I've been fairly diligent about length retention and I've managed to retain all 12 inches from the past two years. I hope I can continue that length retention- if I can, I'll be able to reach my waist in one year, my hip in two years, and classic length in 3 years- exciting to hear! But I have to be careful and keep my ends healthy. So far I haven't spotted any split ends, but I'm worried they may appear soon. I avoid blow drying(I air dry), heat/chemicals(i have no reason to curl my hair or dye it), and I wash my hair once per week(in order to not overwash and make it dry). I recently began taking multiple supplements including collagen, biotin, folic acid, and omega3 to see if I can improve my growth rate. I also use coconut oil on my ends to keep them moisturized and prevent them from splitting. I'm from Southern India(TamilNadu), where coconut oil is widely used on hair. Women from my area of the world very often grow hair to classic length and often much longer. So I have high hopes that I too have a terminal length as long as them, and that my dreams won't be cut short by a genetic limit. It definitely worries me at times though, that a terminal limit on my length does exist- what if it isn't as long as I want?

My parents at first were not at all happy with my choice, and kept threatening haircuts. I love them very much, they're amazing parents, but I was very firm that this is my hair and that I would do with it as I wished. They've mostly backed off now- they make the occasional joke about how a haircut would look good on me but they don't push it. My friends have been very supportive as well- the female ones help me with hair care and often brush and braid my hair(I find this very relaxing for whatever reason). The male ones(my core friend group of "bros") enjoy making fun of me playfully, but they never cross the line and they're never serious about it. I make fun of them for various things too so it's only fair after all :) But they know their limits and they are supportive in that they don't target my hair or insist that I get a haircut. I do feel like my hair causes me to get less attention from women than my friends do- this saddens me but I'm more than willing to sacrifice it in order to meet my goals- this is more important to me.

Probably the biggest issue for me with my hair has just been hair envy/depression. I oftentimes will see people(usually women) who have achieved my goal of classic length, either on the internet or in real life. Obviously they have put in a lot of care and effort to get there and worked hard- they too were once where I was. But I can't help but feel jealous that I'm not there yet. Patience is difficult for me, and I wish I could just wake up tomorrow and have my hair at classic length. Seeing other people who have achieved their goals makes me feel depressed that I'm not there yet. I have immense respect for them and the time they put into making that happen. Had I started my journey earlier, which I could not because of my parents' strictness with hair, I would have also likely reached my goals by now- this just fuels resentment toward my parents, though I should not blame them for trying to raise me how they saw best fit. This envy/depression is a struggle for me, but I won't let it deter me from my goals.

I think that's about everything I had to say- Thank you all for being so supportive! In a time where I felt I was alone and weird for wanting long hair, y'all provided me a community where I felt normal and wanted for my wishes and inspired me to work toward my goals. I really have no words to say how thankful I am for that. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about my hair as well as the ups and downs of my journey so far. I will keep updating you and asking questions as time goes on- the journey has only just begun!
Sincerely,
Avi



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