new thread
Hi everybody...I go by the nickname Gman by many and wanted to say "hi" to you all. I found this board a couple years ago and have visited it from time to time. I thought it was time to finally post. I'm 33 years old and was a a longhair back in my mid 20's. I'm a native to Northern California and have lived in a very liberal coastal town for a number of years where long hair on men was/is very acceptable. But, because I absolutely couldn't stand the bad hair phases when growing long I just kept my hair pretty shaggy the past five or six years since I cut my long strands. I've never felt comfortable with the "clean cut" look and feel. Most of my friends (of all types) tell me that style just isn't me. I feel most comfortable with myself when I have some length going on but feel absolutely at peace with LONG flowing hair. My wife , 2 kids and I moved away from out beloved coastal town (too expensive now) and landed temporarily here in the high desert of Northern Nevada where my wife grew up as a kid. We moved here March 2005. The summers are so incredibly hot here that the first week of June 2005 (my first nevada summer) I buzzed my head using a 1" attachment. I immediately felt very strange...off centered, if you will. This just wasn't me at all. So, I've been growing my hair back ever since...16 months now and not one cut. My hair seems to get thicker as I get older and I think it's going to be around most of my life so I'm growing it until it won't grow no more...terminally? I've also kicked around the idea of letting my beard (that I've had since I was a teen) grow out for a while as well. I've been inspired by Oren's beard growth and some of you other long beards as well...I think I'll give it a shot. My wife is very supportive of my long hair ambitions and since I'm self employed I really don't have any barriers. Here are a few pictures of me and my progress:
2 weeks after the buzz
16 months
another 16 month shot
another
and another
Thanks...I hope to get to know you all over time.
Hey Gman, welcome to the board. Looking good so far, you have a great hair texture and style, I think it looks cool. I have been growing about 15 months so not to different.
I hope you are enjoying the growing :)
Long hair + beard = better (¡Ä©÷)
Blond beards look great longer.
Welcome to the board, hope you enjoy it.
Cute kid too!
Bragi
Great to have you here, Gman. Love the story and your description of how your hair is for you, and the pictures are great, especially daddy-and-child picture. I have three of my own, but grown and almost gone from the home now--one in college on her own, and two teens still at home.
The two younger ones have very little memory of me without long hair.
Welcome to the community!
Robert
Thanks for the welcome, guys! I'm glad to be here. I'm enjoying the growth process again and especially the horrified reactions I get from my overly conservative in-laws every time they see me...I love it! Since growing I've only contemplated cutting it off once...back in January or so. But, I kept with it and am just about past my worst hair phase...the bangs. All my hair tucks behind my ears except for the very front bangs that will tuck behind my right ear eventually. I'm about 3 inches away from being able to tuck those back without falling out easily. They seem to grow the slowest every time....argh! If I don't wash my hair for a few days they tend to stick to the other hairs and aren't much of a problem. But normally I've always got them in my face. My hair grows a constant half inch a month so I reckon in 6 months they won't be a problem anymore. The other side of the bangs tuck behind my left ear pretty well so they aren't an issue unless it's windy. I just need to make it to the 2 year mark and then it's all gravy from there...no problem!
Robert...I've got a 3 year old boy and the pictures are of our almost 7 month old daughter. It's a crazy household at this stage but probably not as much as having 2 teens around. My time will come, though :-)
Bragi...yeah, long hair and beards rock!
Chris...your hair looks great for 15 months. Keep it up, brother!
Thanks again, guys!
~Gman
Hi Gman:
You have a lot of similarities to me. I am 33 and I also have 2 kids.. I am at 18 months myself, with no trims at all. I also have a beard too. Your hair looks longer than mine though, even though you are only at 16 months!
I think you hair looks really good. Strangely enough your hair also looked pretty cool when you had it short. Welcome to the board!
Wow...definitely similar stats for sure. How are you liking your hair so far? First time growing out?
Hi There:
This is my second time growing out my hair. I had it long back in college when I was 20 years old. I really enjoyed it then, but my dad pressured me to cut it.
I'm having a lot of fun this time around. I use a bit of gel and tie it back at work (Stuffy corporate office setting). I usually get nice comments from other men at work, who said they had long hair when they were younger too, they tell me to keep it long while I can.
In my neighborhood, I'm definately the only dad with long hair. Fun to be different, I think. Somehow, having long hair gives me a confidence I don't have when I have short hair. Think I'm going to go for a mid-back length. How bout you?
I cut my long hair the night before starting a job at a major software corporation when I was 26. Turned out that it was absolutely acceptable for men to have long hair there. I was bummed because I had no idea. It was my first (and last) time I worked at a big company like that. I just figured I had to look clean cut. Good lesson learned.
I'm thinking terminal length but definitely want it at least mid-back like you. Got any pics of your hair progress floating around the board here?
Yeah, I'm the only long hair bearded father in my neighborhood. When I had short hair last year my neighbors were pretty friendly. As it got longer they became more and more distant. I get weird stares sometimes and the occasional "Damn Hippy!" yelled at me on the road...but, nothing left to do but smile smile smile. I'm comfortable with myself and my appearance so it's all good.
Hey Gman, your hair looks good. It sure is thick. Your scalp did not show even when your hair was only 1" long. As thick as your hair is, it should tie into a ponytail as thick as your wrist, once it gets long enough to all tie back. Keep growing it.
Absalom
Thanks...yeah, it seems to have gotten even thicker than 10 years ago when I grew it out. I was a really fine haired toe-head when I was a kid. As I got older it got darker and thicker. Right now is the thickest it's ever been. Not sure if it will get thicker or not. My uncle was a thin haired blondy, too, and developed "lasagna hair" (as he called it) in his 20's.
By the way...you've got impressive growth. Is your hair still growing or has it stopped? How long have you been growing that thing? Looks great!
I have been growing it for about 14 years. It seems to still be growing very slightly. I got some recent length increase by changing some of my bike riding habits. Damage from sitting on my hair was a problem. I now fold over the last 12 inches of it so I don't sit on it. The result is fewer damaged ends and at least 3 more inches of length. It curently is about 18 inches past my waist.
Absalom
GMan;
Welcome to the Board, and welcome to Nevada. (I am on the Nevada side of Death Valley.....It is so hot here, I think it is cool where you are ! HA!)
Your hair looks great and longer is definately better for you.....you may find that the dry climate will change the texture or at least the tendency to curl.
Thanks for sharing
WWT
i see your hair is at a similat stage/type as mine...i tuck mine behind my ears a lot and gcurls at the bottom :P