new thread
I've been reading a lot of messages on this forum to get an answer to my question, but I guess it has come to this. I have been growing my hair for 2 years now...I think. It has probably been longer then that. I really do like it a lot, and can't imagine myself with short hair. I grew it long in the first place because I was fed up with my thin lifeless hair. I could only really spike it and that wasn't very appealing either.
Now I can wear it in a pony tail....that is obvious. I have to wear it tied back if I want to actually be productive with studying etc as it gets in the way. The real problem lies it the time it takes to take care of the hair. The only thing I dislike about my hair the time it takes to wash it, dry it and comb it each morning. I have to wash it everyday as it gets very greasy. I haven't really tried to not wash it for a long period of time though. The most has been two days so I guess I have to experiment with that.
I was thinking of cutting it short again for the freedom that comes with not having to take care of my hair and being able to dry it in under a minute with a towel. I have read about some regrets on this site and have kept them in mind. So if you can give me any advice on the matter I would appreciate it. I have really just grown my hair by myself and haven't looked at any sites like this before.
By the way, one of the strongest pulls to keep my long hair goes in with a hobby of mine. I play the guitar and well I just love letting my hair hang loose and jamming out. It also helps when you like everything about psychedelic rock, and just ripping through scales lol.
The pic above was taken about 2 weeks ago.
Your hair looks great! In my experience, the time actually washing long hair isn't so bad, it's the time to dry it and get it to look good afterwards. If you spend time getting tangles out of your hair, try using conditioner after shampooing- it will make a big difference, and combing the wet hair should be easy then. Maybe if you describe in detail what you do with your hair each morning, people here will have some suggestions for ways to save time.
For me, if I had hair like your, I wouldn't cut it even if it did take more time in the morning (but in the end it's you who has to decide.)
Keep your hair so you can keep up with the website. If you cut it then you might not wanna keep posting on here.
Plus people probably like having a long haired friend cause they are more fun than normal haircut people.
Cheers
Buddy
Don't discount the value of experience. Some men choose to cut their hair, others cycle through short and long styles while others cut their hair due to baldness. The commonfactor? -all had long hair, and know what that experience was like and how they dealt with having long hair.
Therefore even if he does cut his hair he can still contribute his knowledge as well as his support to the board.
P.S. 80's hasn't posted since July 2nd, so it hasn't been forever , plus he did have exams too, so let's not jump the gun and assume that he cut his hair or that that was even a real possibility at this point!
My friend, you have one of the best heads of hair i have ever seen, is your hair naturally that calm straight, wish my hair was like that, hell, my hair, is wild, and wavy, too much trouble, any tips on how to get my hair like yours?
P.s.if you haven't figured from my post DON'T CUT IT
Sounds like you want to keep your hair. There is no question that it takes more time and some advance planning. Long hair is a way of life. It is a claim of power, power to determine myself and not conform to chains that have no rational basis but which are conventional "truths." Time spent caring for your hair is also time for self reflection. This is usually alone time. It can be a form of meditation to center the mind and let go of trivia that is holding me back. Raising your hands over your head is also a good exercize in maintain maximum range of motion. It is a great exercize to keep your shoulder muscles strong. Have fun with your hair. You do not have to wash it every day unless you are a mud wrestler. Do you really need shampoo everytime you thoroughly rince your hair. A little conditioner doesn't hurt but avoid the detergent as long as possible. But whatever you choose I hope it makes you and those you love happy. James
I don't think people need to take all that long with their hair.
In the winter months its more difficult because its cold but then
you should be able to take less showers.
In the summer I just wash my hair, which takes about 5 minutes,
towel dry it some, comb it and go and let it air dry.
Doesn't seem like a big hassel to me.
Hi Hand-of-Doom (or, should I say, hand-of-Hair-Happiness?),
your hair looks phantastic! As others have said, please give us some advice on how you make it look so nice!
If the time you invest is a problem, just try to shampoo less often, and if you're not getting totally sweatty, dusty, and muddy, you don't even have to wet it every day. If you use a shower cap, the hair roots at the hair line still will get wet (and that's where you'd want some water), and it'll take you a LOT less time to dry it.
Since I started having my hair long enough for a pony tail, daily hair care only has taken a fraction of the time it took before!
Good to have you around, and happy growth!
Hans-Uwe
How long do you spend in the morning or whenever taking care of/fixing your hair? 15 minutes, 20 minutes? What else are you going to do with that WHOLE 15 minutes that you would save?
Hardly anyone has a schedule so tight that this little amount of extra time freed up would make a whole lot of difference either way. I know I waste way more time 'spacing out' or watching something stupid on TV or whatever than I ever spent on hair care. How do you use your time? How important is your hair to you?
You have some nice looking hair. It's certainly up to you what to do, but you sound like you like it a lot. You should, you have like that perfect straight hair that always looks good.
I've noticed that people who want to cut their hair are often the ones that wash it every day. I'd probably feel the same way if I did that. Just too much hassle.
I just wash it twice a week.
I feel the same way man. I only wash my hair once a week. I find my hair looks better and is more managable the longer I go w/o washing.
From the photo it looks to me as if you have enough length to be past the stage where washing and drying is a hassle. your hair looks fairly straight naturally so you can probably wash it and go about your business letting it air dry and because of its length not worry about it drying in some bizarre shape. you can expedite the drying by getting paper towels which are real absorbent and blotting your hair with them. They will wick away the extra moisture.
you've just answered it yourself
why to cut it
1) the time it takes to take care of the hair
which has been answered for you by others here
why NOT to cut it
1) I really do like it a lot, and can't imagine myself with short hair
2) because I was fed up with my thin lifeless hair
3) I just love letting my hair hang loose and jamming out
it looks nice (says she who likes guitar playing long haird blokes LOL)
Personally, I think your hair suits you well, and gives you a bit of a hippie-ish look, in a positive way, that is. But that's simply my opinion. If you feel that it's too much trouble to take care of, then hakuna matata -- cut your stress down to size.
That said, if you love your hair as much as you say, you should ask yourself if it's not really a wall of laziness or perhaps inundation from things in your daily life that's making you want to get rid of the strands. Perhaps it's simply a greater discipline you need to get into, one that may help you in other things later on in life. Don't get me wrong - I'm not calling you lazy or undisciplined; I'm just saying. Think 'bout it.
Experimenting with less frequent washings is a good idea. It'll take a while to see reliable results - your hair doesn't simply change its routine of oil buildup after a day of not washing. It can take a week or more to see what's going on, so I suggest you gradually expand the gap between washings to every 2 - 3 days for about a week and a half, and see if your hair has improved. If not, no biggie, just go back to washing it every day.
And again, it's your decision. We're here to support you in whichever choice you make. Good luck!
Peace
DONT cut it man. YOU WILL regret it if you do. THINK how long it took you grow it this long and it looks FANTASTIC. Work around your roadblocks, you'll be happier and releaved that you did.
Dude, you hair looks perfect. You have perfectly straight hair which is the easist to care for. I wish mine was that straight. My hair has some waves and frizzing to it, which makes it a real pain in the tukus to take care of, and less than ideal to grow really long. Guess what? That did not stop me. (Click on my photo to see. The frizzing is most apparent in the bottom half of my hair.) It is your hair and your choice, whether to cut or not. My personal opinion here is to just let it grow. Waist length would look nice.
Absalom
HoD, there are a few things you can do to help with the time burden of your hair. If you use a boar bristle hairbush on the morning of the day after your shampoo you can probably get away with a day without washing. The natural bristles absorb your hair oils and move them down into your length so your hair won't be as oily on the top.
Using a more gentle shampoo can also back down the oil production for some people. Alternately, when you are washing a heavily silliconed shampoo like Pantene is going to make your hair dry faster since you absorm less moisture. A microfiber towel you can put your hair up in (an example is linked at the bottom) will also suck up moisture and speed drying once you take it off. You can also wash at before bed and dry overnight if you don't mind sleeping damp.
Good luck with your experiments to find out what works for you.
Elizabeth
