new thread
Hi guys,
I guess I've been a little down lately, due to what I feel is a lost opportunity. Recently, since discovering this board 2 months ago, I've been passionately desiring waist or longer length hair (I even dreamed I had waist length hair last night) after seeing some of the beautiful manes many of you guys have grown. Back in 1999, I had mid back length hair that was thick, healthy, and grew fast, that I cut in that year. (a long story) At that younger age (46), I could probably have easily grown it to my waist.
I 2004, I started growing my hair back. In the first year, I made good progress, but fell into the "I want it straight" trap for the next year and a half (straightening iron), until I discovered you guys and wised up. My hair was thin and damaged from the iron, and grew very slowly. I now treat my hair VERY gently, and it appears healthier, but still grows rather slowly, as you can see from my avatar picture at 2 1/2 years. I was wondering if there is still hope that I can accomplish my dream, or if I have squandered an opportunity due to my mistreatment of my hair? I apologize for the long winded post, but I just needed to talk.
David
Maybe it's what food you eat? There are some really great foods to promote hair growth...fish is all I can think of though. I hate fish but I had some the other night just for the good vitamins it has in it.
I'm sure you're taking the very best care of your hair. I can tell in your posts. But if your hair never does grow to your waist..just look on the bright side, you could be completely bald without any hair, now that would really suck. I really hope that's not my fate when I reach that age. A bit of a depressing thing to say but it happens.
I remember you saying in an earlier post that your hair is 15 inches long if I'm correct? well..you've been growing it out for 2.5 years right?well..do the math...divide 15 by 30 months..that's EXACTLY the average rate of half an inch per month!!I know us humans tend too worry too much sometimes..I know I do :)
I don't think you squandered your ONLY opertunity, I just think it take hair a little longer to grow, when you get more seasoned. But you'll definatly get it back!!! Shin ^_^ PS I believe you were the one who asked for the front shot...
http://www.mlhh.org/messages/161875.html
Hi David,
I think your doing the right thing in treating your hair much better. I used straightening irons and they have almost certainly thinned my hair slightly. I have sworn NEVER to use them again. Hopefully if you give your hair some time, you will get a new wave of hair that was previously damaged by the irons. Keep healthy and look after your hair, and most importantly give it some time to recover. I'm quite sure that your hair will be fine.
Neil
Give yourself at least 2 years before you give up. It takes a long time to grow hair.
Hey David,
Like Cerebral Assasin said, I don't think your hair looks short for 2 1/2 years. I think my own growth rate is slightly below average.
I think it's true that you may have damaged some of your hair with all the straightening but your roots aren't affected and gradually your virgin hair will become predominant. It's great that you have the thickness that you do and it's my belief you'll reach your goal.
You may want to consider a few supplements. Multivitamins, silica (horsetail), MSM and saw palmetto are all very hair friendly.
I'm sorry you cut it off when you were 46. May I ask if it was due to outside pressures or it was truly all your decision?
Hi Jason,
Strangely, it was because I took up golf that year, the hair was getting in my way. I had never worn a ponytail before and felt I would be very conspicuous with one on the golf course (and at work) so I cut the hair off in a quick decision. (much like the one Ken(Urban Cowboy) did in Y2K which he regretted deeply himself) Strangely, I had no desire for long hair until early 2004, and I have become very passionate about it lately. (Strangely, I'm still golfing, and have discovered how useful a ponytail can be) In fact, my hair in 1999 was very similar to yours, maybe a few inches longer and a bit wavier than yours is now. I admire your hair as much as anyone's here, and your web site is a true inspiration. I really hope you keep growing your hair--so that I can see what mine would have looked like back then had I not cut it.
David
David;
I have been following your posts since you showed up here and personally I think your hair is growing a fine pace and does not appear damaged. I suspect you are a tall man. Hair on shorter folks appears to be growing faster than on tall guys, as we instinctively judge length by ears, neck, shoulders.
You talk about "traps", and we can easily fall into the "comparison trap" (I once heard it said that "...comparison is the source of ALL unhappiness..."..."he makes more money than me, she looks thinner than me", etc, etc.). We have some incredibly attractive men with fast growing, thick hair on this board and it can be disappointing to some of us when we look in the mirror. (A few years ago someone posted a topic along the lines of "What do you see in the mirror"....my response was I felt I looked like Tom Cruise, but the Mirror said a cross between Don Rickles and a Cocker Spaniel !) Where I am going with all of this is that we grow our hair for our own enjoyment. My hair is thin, thinning and slow growing.....but I just love it. On "good hair days", the gray-white colour looks like high dollar highlights and when I wear a hat (usually) the illusion is of a very full head of longish hair. I really do not think that I appear my true age of 60+. (Except in that hateful mirror most mornings! HA!)
On flatting irons; I have feel that if they are used in moderation and on the lowest setting they do not necessarily damage hair.....I use one (teflon-coated, ceramic, ionic) occasionally after shampoo/conditioning, just to tame the frizzies. I also work in the desert heat wearing a hard hat which is a lot hotter than the iron.
And finally, during the past year I thought my hair had reached terminal length as it did not seem to be growing at all. I also was losing weight (which I thought was a great thing). As it turned out I was very, very sick without knowing it. Now that I have seen a doctor, gotten on medication and have things under control, my hair has very noticeably started growing again. We have read on this board often that a good diet and healthy lifestyle will effect hair growth and condition. I think my inadvertent experiment supports that.
So cheer up, eat well, look in the mirror and say:
"Damn ! I'm good-lookin' with all that beautiful hair flowing over my shoulders !"
Walter White Tail
Hi Walter,
I really appreciate your wonderful, inspiring post.(caffeine inspired or not lol) I am not that tall (5'9") but I do have a long neck which makes it seem as though it takes forever for hair to get down over my back, etc. I have to say you do look great for a plus sixty! I know myself its also too easy to fall into the comparison trap--don't we all!
I'm sorry to hear of your health problems, but really happy you now have things under control and that your hair is growing properly again. I'm so thankful that I've been blessed with good health.
May we both maintain good health and lots more hair growth.
Long hair forever!
David
Hi David,
Just thought I'd share my experience in response to yours. When I grew my hair from 1995-2000 (then cut it all off) it was much thicker and longer than it is now. I've now been growing for 6 years but my hair reached terminal length at about three and a half years. I think my hair is now actually getting shorter! (i.e. the terminal length of the news hairs is shorter than the terminal length of those they replace). This is the reason I don't bother with progress pics (regression pics??) - I'd never get the 'great mane, dude' comments because I'm realistic enough to know that it's not a great mane! My hairline is receding and I'm going grey too.
Am I downhearted? Well I was at one time but I've had to accept that this is what my hair is doing at the age of 44. That's the roll of the genetic dice. Like Bill said in a recent post 'I haven't looked like a teenager since I was a teenager' (or words to that effect - hope you don't mind me paraphrasing, Bill). Like Bill, I don't have long hair because I have particularly great hair (although it would be nice if it was) - I have long hair because it "warms my soul". I know that I actually 'look' better (and younger) with short hair but I don't FEEL better with short hair and that's what matters to me.
Now, your hair may not do the same as mine and you may have many more years of long, thick, healthy hair ahead of you. On the other hand, your hair may never do what you want it to i.e. waist length hair. Try to accept your hair as it IS and not feel down because it's not how you WISH it to be. Enjoy how it makes you feel now.
Kind regards
Laurence
Hi Laurence,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I know we can fall into the trap of wanting more than what God has given to us. I know now that I'm a longhair at heart and will keep striving to grow my hair as long as my genetics will allow me, and also be content with what I have. Part of the reason I have been feeling down is because of the way I treated my hair during the growing out process.
All the best and thanks again,
David
Hi again everyone,
I just wanted to say that words can't begin to say how much I appreciate the kind words and words of encouragement from everyone who responded. My only regret is not discovering this board earlier in my growing out process. I may not have responded to every one of your replies but I appreciate the support from EVERYONE who took the time to respond. I know now that I was born to be a longhair (the period when I had short hair was a period I needed to go through to realize this), and as some others have said, long hair is in my soul. I certainly endeavour to keep attempting to reach my goal, wherever my terminal length lets me. Again, many thanks.
David
Hi David,
I won't be able to add anything to the eloquence already stated, but just to add my support. At 46, I too regret some opportunities lost. (I think Oscar Wilde said "youth is wasted on the young.") But you have wonderful hair, whatever length you ultimately achieve.
Best wishes,
Arnold
Thanks for the compliment, Arnold. You've made my day.
All the best,
David
I can understand that frustration of what you think you may have lost, but your hair is growing very well now and looks amazingly healthy to me. This is a great place to vent about things like this (not many other people would care I suppose).
Just talking about it somewhat can help relieve that down feeling.
One good thing about lessons like that is that you really do end up appreciating your healthy hair now (which might be shorter) much more than if you had left it alone and had no problems with it.
Your hair looks terrific now, and while I know I am very guilty of trying to change the past mistakes I have made so I know exactly what you mean, you are definitely going in the right direction now.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the kind words. Particularly I was down over my mistreatment of my hair, but hopefully time will heal. It's great to hear from at least a couple of guys who have told me my hair is looking half decent. (I also plan my next update around mid January, 3 months after my Avatar picture--this will give myself and others a chance to assess if my "kindness" to my hair pays off.)
Also, I have really envied your growth rate--I'm sure it's the fastest of anyone on the board.--I DO hope you grow your hair to waist length or longer, as you most certainly would easily get there.
I also was sad to hear of your recent health problems but am thrilled you are feeling better and wish you all the best in good health in the future.
David
Hi David, I think your hair looks healthly and any damage caused by straighting must be negligible. I think as we get older we are more impatient on a lot of things. If you think back to the mid ninety's, your hair may have grown at the same rate, but the mind says no. Maybe it is the envy of your younger self that says that your hair is not the same as it was. If you stand outside of yourself and look at it objectively you'll see that your makeing good progress.
Take care,
Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Thank you for the thoughtful insight. I guess it is far to easy to yearn for our youth and the tendency can be to view it through rose-coloured glasses. I plan to look at my hair's progress more objectivity when I post my next update (mid January), 3 months after my avatar picture.
All the best,
David
Hi David, when I started growing out my hair in 1992 I fell for the same trap. I wanted it perfectly straight and used a straightening iron on it. My hair did seem to grow slowly. I stopped using the iron after probably a year or two into growing my hair out.
It is not too late to grow your hair really long. What is likely happening is that most your damaged hair strands are breaking off. Check some of your "shed" strands. Are a lot of them short, like maybe 6 inches long. If a lot of the hairs that you lose are relatively short, then this would explain the slow growth problem. Once the damage is gone, your hair should start to grow faster.
In my case, except for one slight trim, I let nature prevail, and allowed the damage to break off by itself.
Absalom
Hi Absalom,
Thanks so much for the encouragement. In fact, I do notice a lot of shorter than normal shed hairs (I actually posted a question about this a few weeks back--I had actually thought this may be a sign of oncoming MPB) In fact, I don't shed a lot of hairs really close in length to my longest hairs, and my actual shed rate has dropped significantly since I started treating my hair better. I was surprised to hear that you, too, fell into the straightening iron trap years ago, but obviously the damage done to your hair is long gone as evidenced by the fact you have the longest hair of anyone here.
Thanks again,
David
Hi David, things will continue looking up as the last of the damaged ends break off. Your hair should become more manageable too, with fewer tangles.
I was surprised to hear that you, too, fell into the straightening iron trap years ago, but obviously the damage done to your hair is long gone as evidenced by the fact you have the longest hair of anyone here.
As well as being among those with the longest hair, I am also one of the oldest here at 53 years old.
Absalom