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Hello all. I'm wondering how many here have had long hair for along time,like more than a couple of years. I get alot of questioning from people about my hair, as I have had it long for nearly 10 years, though the length has somewhat changed throughout those years. I get the impression that in the society we live in we need to constantly "update" and make changes to feel good about our hair. I disagree with that notion. What do you guys think? I just know I like my hair better long and I intend to keep it that way whether other people approve or not.
Thanks for your time and encouragement.
Peace
Brad
I've had long (for a male) hair for nearly 25 years, and past mid-back for more than 15. I honestly don't give a damn what the general public thinks about my hair. I will respect the opinions of other longhairs, but still, it is my hair, the way I want it.
I have had long hair for most of my life, and plan to have it long for all of the rest of my life.
I'm not bothered by other people's opinions, and I certainly don't want to keep changing my image.
Keep on growing!
I started growing my hair out in 1992, and have had what would be considered long hair since about 1994. It is currently nearly knee length and I am very happy with it. I intend to keep it long for the rest of my life.
Absalom
Hi Brad,
Ever since I left home at age 18, I've at least had longISH hair. But it wasn't until '91 that I started growing it really looooooong, --- my 1st full ponytail being in '93, celebrating my 40th birthday then. I kept growing it until past '99, arriving at near waist-length. Then I made a stupid, impulsive decision one day to cut it. That was on the first day of summer, Y2K. I deeply, DEEPLY regretted it. I was going through some mid-life crisis issues at the time, and thought that I was "ready" for a change back to short hair. Needless to say, I learned the hard way that I'm a longhair for life!
That cut was over 6 years ago, and my hair is currently long enough now to be able to touch my belt (if I "cheat" a little bit by tilting my head back and pulling on it - lol!)!!
- Ken in San Francisco
I had long-ish (collar length) hair through high-school, grew it to my shoulders in the early '80s whilst I was getting going in my career, made the mistake of cutting it fairly short (almost above the ears) in '86, and then immediately started to grow it out in earnest. By '88 I could get it into a ponytail pretty easily, and by the early '90s it was almost waist-length where it remains, terminal, today. So, that accounts for about 25 years, 18 of which are as a "treal" longhair.
Hi Brad,
you're right, it's quite simple in my eyes. A lot of young adults or close-to-adulthood kids spend time trying out several styles in order to find the one that is right for them. In your case, it seems that you have found out your identity (hair-wise and personality-wise, I suspect) a long time ago. Therefore, everyone in his right mind should advise you to keep your hair long forever - if you really needed someone to tell you that.
Beyond a certain stage in our lives, we don't need to try out all kinds of different styles (of course, we're still entitled to that if we have to).
In any case, let's resist those who push us for "updates", and Georges is absolutely right in criticizing the kind of manipulation that abounded in the 80's and early 90's. They said, "you've got to go with the flow", but another saying states "Only dead fish swim with the current." In that sense, let's be very much alive!
Let's grow it forever...
Hans-Uwe
Absotely. I am only 15, but I found out I wanted to have long hair when I was like 8. My family would never let me. Now, they still have their usual criticism, complaints, and bribes, but I think the fact that I love long hair has grown on them.
I don't know what I am trying to say really, it's just that long hair IS an important part of my identity. I don't think my hairstyle would ever change.
I know a coworker who's eight-year old child now has hair to the shoulders. Because of my presence, she felt that it is ok for a boy to keep his hair if he wants it. My opinions about gender expression, gender neutrality, seems to influence others in a positive way.
Have a nice day,
Georges
I've had long hair for about 4 and 1/2 years. I don't know how old you are, but I think you'll find that the older you get, the less it matters what other people think. My grandkids probably wouldn't even recognize me with short hair, so I guess I'd better keep it long.
I meant to attach this to the above message.
Awesome stories and pictures here. I'm a relative newcomer - decided in 2004 never to cut mine again. It's growing fast, and there have been things to learn about managing it. But wherever it stops, that's what it is. I work in creative fields, so it's perfectly acceptable.
I started growing my hair around 1990. I haven't looked back since.
From my website:
Fashion
One good thing about having really long hair is that it never
goes in or out of style. Fashion is all about change, and hair changes slowly. Really long hair transcends fashion, trendiness, and seasons. Instead, it is timeless. That's much better!
My joke about long hair being timeless is that trends come and go, seasons change, and nations rise and fall (*) all in the blink of an eye to a longhair.
Ed
(*) Germany reunited and the former Soviet Union collapsed while I was growing my hair.
wise words. Ein with his question has touched meritum of growing long hair. Long hair is over all that 'trendy' fashions, it needs lots of time to become one (and gives time to rethink it deeply), and, moreover, longhair being is also what you have inside.
That's why long hair isn't loved by nowadays fashion marketers. Longhairs won't buy new stuff every month, won't go to the hairdresser to do new trendy hairdo. No money/business to do.
Wonderful notice. I always saw hair as something fragile. Time for me to rethink :)
Adalbert
PS- ED, nice mane !
Hello Everyone,
I have hair past shoulder-length since 1979, and I have never cut it short besides maintenance trims since then. People often said I was obsessed with my hair, too attached to it, or that I should get preoccupied with more important things than superficial things like hair.
Yet, I have worked with my long hair, mostly in the IT industry and in the academic milieu which are quite friendly to long hair. I also received awards for community work, like helping in a fundraiser, and helping a fellow person with autism get help for a depression problem. I usually keep a bright, sunny outlook on life, and make people around me smile. If anyone starts moralising me about needing a style update, to be current with the times, my mood changes dramatically, and the author of such a discourse gets blasted with profanity. I may tell him or her, "How burning yourself alive, for a change, change is good, like you say ;) "
As I got older, especially past age 35 (I am now 47), I seldom had any disparaging remarks about my hair, and I can take some humour... A lot of people give me positive comments about my hair and that is what counts. Also my choice of style is not a democracy, since it is my personal expression. I do not count who likes it and who doesn't like it and base my style decisions. It only takes one person to like it... to make me happy, and it is my significant other :)
Have a nice day,
Georges in Montreal.
I first grew my hair to be long by guy standards when I was 15, and decided to grow truly long hair when I was in my 20s. Now I'm 48. It's a long while since anyone said I should get a new style for a change, maybe a decade or two (unless you count my mum!).
Even when I was a child, my hair was always at least an inch long. There seem to be a lot of guys back home in the UK especially who have buzzed hair now, which is unfathomable to me. Nobody in England ever had hair that short when I was a child (Americans yes, but nobody in England), whereas OTOH I was still only about 8 when long hair first started to be the 'in thing' (40 years ago!). In 48 years of life I have never had hair that short AFAIK (not sure about when I was born!), and I think I'd rather shoot myself than ever start.
I suppose if I had to I could live with somewhat shorter hair, but I really can't think of any reason why I would ever have to, short of chemo (Ouch!). Certainly not for a job or for family members. I really can't remember ever wishing I had shorter hair, although I have often wished it was longer.
Mid length styles are nice, actually, but if you've ever had truly long hair, especially if you've had it as long as I have, then it's asking too much to give up the ability to tie it back, plait it, etc., because then it would get in the way far more. Most of the time I wear it down, but if, say, I couldn't tie it back when I was working on my car, that would drive me crazy.
Finally, it's a no-brainer that anyone who has had hair this long for this long (!) sees it as part of their identity, if only because any other image looking back at you in the mirror would just look like someone else.
I have had truly one length long hair since 1992. I was thinking of cutting it in 2000. Luckily for me, I just had it trimmed to my uppper back! My hair is now waist length and I my hairdressor has retired. I won't be even getting a trim now, unless I can find someone that I can trust again! Don't know if I wil ever trust anyone.
Darrin