new thread
Hi guys,
A few people have asked when I was planning an update, so finally, here is one! A little background, I actually started growing 3 years ago, but had a trim to around 3 inches in April 2004, so I'm saying 33 months from 3 inches. I discovered the MLHH in Sept. 2006 and joined in October. My hair in September was in REALLY bad shape from overuse of flat irons for previous 1.5 years, and I had thought it had reached terminal length, no increase in length in previous 6 months. For the last 4 months, my hair condition has improved (treated it MUCH kinder do to all the advice from everyone here), and appears to be growing again! (I would LOVE to have waist length hair!) However, I do have early MPB, which I am taking medication for. Anyway, enough gabbing, on to the pictures, any feedback, positive and negative (any ideas for making my hair look better) are MOST welcome!
A front picture, 3 months after my avatar picture, do you see any increase in length? (Please say yes, lol!)
side picture and length onto back, a little ways to go to mid back yet, but I HOPE it's getting there!
Thought it would be fun to show me with short hair, April 2003, I'm the one with the LOOOONG neck, lol! One of my co-workers, the young woman on the right, keeps saying I looked younger and better with short hair, and pestering me to cut it, but I prefer it long, think it hides the long neck better.
Someone who saw the short hair picture above thought I looked like a lawyer, LOL! Just to clarify things, I'm a chemist, here's me at work, short hair, 2003.
Enough for now, ALL comments welcome!
The update pic looks great, David! It's definitely an improvement over the short hair you had so long ago. Give it time and a healthy dose of patience and eventually you'll reach your goal. =)
-James
Thanks so much James, I love your website, I am really going to enjoy the journey along with you as you grow your hair long.
All the best,
David
of course!!there's a noticable difference.I also see a small difference in the volume,what do you do to make it volumous?anyway..Bravo!!your hair care has paid off,and you are on your way to belt length!! :)
Thanks so much Jacob! I really appreciate the support you have shown me as I have gotten my hair back on the road to recovery, without the support of this wonderful community I could not have done it. The hair may appear to have more volume because I had just washed it. I took the pictures last evening about 3 hours after washing (and 1 day after the hot oil treatment). Really looking forward to your next update, hope you can find the hot oil and try it.
All the best,
David
yes i can see it is longer.And your hair looks great
looks like you have a cool job(computers and many fancy machines)hehe
a:)
Thanks so much Aleksander for the kind words, without the support of this wonderful community I would still be damaging my hair, I love yours! My job IS cool, we have millions of dollars worth of very high tech equipment in my lab, everything is really state of the art.
All the best, keep your mane growing,
David
David,
You've definitely made some noticable progress. Well done! And after seeing the pictues of you with short hair, I think you look much better with long hair.
May you reach your goal!
Mouse
Thanks so much Mouse, I am really going to enjoy the progress of your lovely, wavy hair as you grow it long. I am so thrilled I discovered this community 4 months ago.
All the best,
David
It looks great! You've got a very nice head of hair, and you've have definately made some progress since your last update. Keep it growing, and I hope you reach your goal with record speed! :)
Thanks so much, Brandon. You have great hair yourself, you're making great progress, really looking forward to your future updates.
Keep it growing,
David
You have very nice hair David and you should certainly continue growing it until it reaches terminal.
It seems to have grown considerably since your avatar:)
Simon
Thanks so much, Simon. I am very impressed how much healthier and thicker your hair has becomes since your trim and you got away from the colouring. Keep looking after your hair and it will be really awesome.
Keep it growing,
David
Looks very good matey! I long for the day when I have that long hair! :)
Thanks so much Erik, for the words of encouragement. With the growth rate you mentioned, you will get there in record time! I am really looking forward to your updates.
All the best,
David
Hi,
I definitely see an increase. Remember that at your length 1 1/2 inches (assuming your hair has an average growth rate of 1/2 per month) doesn't seem like much.
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
Tracy
Thanks so much, actually I DON'T listen to her, LOL! Actually, I get along great with her, she's one of my favourite co-workers, and I think a lot of the time she's teasing me!
All the best,
David
Hi again,
I forgot this board allows html during posts (even though the end is .html [g]). My comment about pestering your co-worker was supposed to have a grin [g] attached.
I also forgot to mention that your discontinued use of a straightener seems to have helped very much. Your hair will continue to improve with every passing day!
Tracy
Hi David,
Thanks for the update. I've been looking forward to it. Firstly, I definitely notice some growth. Your hair falls lower on your chest than in your avatar pic.
I think your hairline largely exhibits the natural maturing that most men experience. Your hair appears to still be relatively thick and I predict you have a good ways to go before hitting terminal.
Was that woman's opinion solicited by you? If not, it took some nerve of her to vocalize it. She's dead wrong, of course. I think you look better with long hair without any question. A lot of men in their 50s don't have the hair you do so it's great you appreciate what you have and are celebrating it.
Question: Will you grow to terminal if it surprises you and goes , say, to belt-length?
Thanks so much, Jason, for the positive feedback. I did not solicit the opinion, actually I get along great with this co-worker otherwise, I think she feels "comfortable" giving me her opinion, it's SO hard to find women who appreciate long hair! I have never actually had any positive feedback from the outside world about my hair, I hope I get start to get some if I can get a decent length. It's great that your getting compliments, it makes the journey SO sweet!
And most definitely, I plan to grow as long as possible, I would love belt length, but I don't know if my terminal length will be that long. I thought I had terminalled 3 months ago, but happily, I haven't. I will be MOST happy and REALLY surprised if it reaches belt length. Also, I don't know how the MPB thing will play out.
All the best, keep that magnificent mane growing, hopefully to classic length.
David
They are out there though! I suggest you join LHC where you will receive tons of support both male and female.
hmm..that site works fine for me!!did it get unhacked or something?LHC here I come...:)))
The hack has been fixed. There are still issues with server overload but that's been happening for awhile. I'm psyched you want to join!
oh yes...I'm all about the female support!!(I don't get any in real life!!:(( )
The majority of the women there really like longhaired men but even leaving that aside, everyone there is just really cool. I've made some fantastic friendships.
Thanks Jason, I'll definitely have to check out the LHC, I assume they fixed their hacking problem.
All the best,
David
Good question. Will you?
I certainly plan to! The longer, the better!
David
Hi David,
Yes, a definite increase in length. Looks very good! Whatever you're doing to take care of it, keep doing it!
--Rick
Thanks so much, Rick, I would love to be able to grow it as fast as you, but I know I really need to be content with what I have, LOL! I'm definitely looking forward to retirement, and getting to California and meeting some of you guys.
Keep it growing,
David
Hi David,
Your hair is looking fantastic. It grows very quickly by the looks of things. I reckon your hair will easily reach mid back length, and I wish you all the way to your waist length goal.
Well done and good luck!
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thanks so much for the kind words. In fact, when I made my very first post to the MLHH back in September regarding damage from straightening irons, (a month before I joined and got an avatar picture), I remember you were the very first person to reply to my post. You have a VERY special place in my memory, the first person to reply to my very first post to what I eventually discovered is a truly AWESOME community!
Keep growing that fabulous, curly mane of yours,
David
I think you look so beautiful with long hair...
Thanks so much for the compliment, Tai Fu, I'm so glad people appreciate me with long hair. Your hair is coming along great, your hair grows so fast, you'll have hair as long as Jin before you know it! Hopefully everything's going great with the work on your guitar.
All the best,
David
Yea man, I went to BnQ to buy some clear lacquers so I can actually use my spray gun. Thing is the one I got from them is like water thin, and doesn't look like its gonna dry too hard either. So I went to another paint store and got this lacquer that said nitrocellouse on it... its yellow and quite thick.. Im testing it right now to see if it will dry hard too. As for the guitar... this picture says a million words (or peices)
The junk on the floor is the topcoat, and the guitar sits on the toliet. All it took was a little help in the form of the end of a stainless steel ruler. Moral of the story: DO NOT mix paint brand/type...
Thanks, Tai Fu, for the guitar update! It sounds like a lot of experimenting going on, can be challenging sometimes, really looking forward to see the finished instrument.
All the best,
David
Yea and the experiment is costing some money too. I got a can of lacquer from BnQ thinking it's nitrocellouse lacquer and it turns out it's not (nitro lacquer looks pale yellow to amber in the can, this one is crystal clear... so it means its either acrylic or something similar) and not only that, its water thin! I would probably like french polish it on or whipe it into wood like tung oil. Really frustrates me. So yesterday I went to a local paint store to hunt for better lacquer and I found this one that looks like it might fit the bill. It cost the same as any other lacquer and its yellow, very thick, and looks like it dries very hard too...
Thank God I have a spray gun now... aerosol can can become expensive especially if you experiment too much. I bought 1 liter of lacquer which should be enough for at least 2 guitars, for the price of 2 aerosol cans (which is barely enough for one guitar... and not to mention the inferior quality of aerosol lacquer...) Plus it is so much easier to press the trigger on a spray gun than to push buttoms on a spray can.
why dont you kiss him
Hey David - Tonight is your night bro! Looking very nice. It looks full and thick, esp. as it lays across your shoulders and down your back. I know you've had some set backs and the length isn't what you want at this point but you are a longhair by ALL standards. You've really put in a lot of hard work and shown great patience in your hair journey. I'm glad it's growing again and you've got a handle on the MPB situation. Hope you're feelin' the love and support this evening brother. Bravo! Bruce'ster
Hi Bruce,
Thanks so much for the kind words, I have to say I feel pretty AWESOME right now, I'm kinda at a loss for words, really, I'm totally OVERWHELMED with the support. I always knew that the day I did the Google search on "men's long hair" back in September, leading me to this site, was a real turning point in my life. I've been living in a world for so long where all I ever heard is "cut your hair" that it feels MIGHTY fine to get this much support. It's GREAT news to hear your getting support from your school about your hair, makes the journey pretty sweet, doesn't it?
Looking forward to your next update, and keep 'er growing, Bravo to you,
David
Your hair does look longer! Really, I am not just saying that! It's a good thing that you got away from that straightener too. Good luck with future growth.
Like the color too!
Bragi
Thanks so much, Bragi, I'm so happy that I got away from that darned straightener, those things should be banned, lol! All the best in your future growth.
David
Looking superb, David!
- Oren
Thanks so much, Oren, for the kind words. I'm really looking forward to your next update, hope it's coming soon!
All the best,
David
Wow David, that is a great head of hair you got there.
I can see about 3 inches of growth from your avatar, that's about an inch per month!
I think you should tell your female coworker to stop sniffing the beaker/test tubes. Just kidding, she just happens to be one of the humans that likes shorter hair, as that is the style she also wears.
I guess the hot oil is working for you, shiny and no frizzies.
Keep up the growing brother.
Later,
Chris
Thanks Chris, I really attribute my increased growth to the wonderful support I've received from everyone here since I joined in October, I had actually thought my hair had stopped growing back then! Ironically, my co-worker has actually grown her hair a lot longer, she just prefers it shorter on guys, as most women do. (I must check out the LHC, as suggested by Jason, sounds like a great community there as well)
Thanks again, and great growth to you as well,
David
Great progress - you seem to have a bunch of very jolly looking colleagues there!
Looks like a very interesting work environment - may I enquire as to what goes on with all that equipment?
Mogh
Thanks for the compliment on my progress. Actually, my job is an anaytical chemist, I am involved in ensuring that fish and food being consumed by Canadians is safe to eat by testing for the presence of unwanted chemicals, very interesting work, actually!
All the best,
David
Well David, ever since you arrived on the board, you have been talking about how damaged your hair has been.....if so, you have done a remarkable job of "recovery". Looks nice and healthy. And you have added length. Keep it going !!
Enjoyed the "before" photos....HINT: Don't ever cut your hair....it makes you look......oh so much like a chemist ! HA!
Thanks for Sharing
Walter
Thanks so much, Walter, I guess I feel pretty good about things right now, could not have done it without the support of you guys. I got a great laugh about the "chemist" remark, if only I could persuade a few of them to grow their hair out!
All the best,
David
David,
your hair looks great! I do see a lot of extra length compared to your avatar picture, and improvement in condition. Personally I think you look better with long hair. Keep it growing and best of luck with reaching your goal!
-Mihnea
Hi Mihnea, thanks so much for the encouragement, always great to hear that I DO look better with long hair, your hair looks awesome too, I must say.
Keep the updates coming,
David
No problem! and thanks:D. yeah I should have an update really soon.
-mihnea
No problem! and thanks:D. yeah I should have an update really soon.
-mihnea
Wonderful update and terrific looking hair! WOW!
Thanks for letting all of us see how well you are doing.
Thanks so much Justin, it means a lot to me. I really could not have done it without the support of this AWESOME community, without the support I still would have been abusing my hair. I am so glad I did that google search back in September and discovered you guys.
All the best, keep it growing,
David
Great to see the length, David! The shine is there and I really don't see too much of the thinning you've been mentioning in earlier posts; your hair looks really nice. I would love to see pics of you in various styles to see what other looks you have. (Not saying I don't like your current choice for styling, btw, it is just that you have long enough hair to do all sots of stuff from buns to tails to braids....That is where I think long hair starts getting really exciting.)
I must say, long hair just goes well with a lab coat. (Even if, unfortunately, it doesn't always go well with a supermarket uniform - sorry, Jake!)
The shine...does it come partly from the V05 ot Oil?
Cheers, fellow Canadian!
Shawn
Thanks Shawn (and fellow Canadian!), for the kind words. I haven't actually tried some of the other styles, except ponytail of course. If I get more length,(and more nimble hands!), I might consider braiding, I have always been awestruck by Jason's braiding skills. I have to say, I agree that long hair and labcoats do VERY well together, now if I could only persuade my co-workers to think the same thing!
Actually, my hair is actually normally even a little shinier than the pictures (I had just washed it, and the shine is normally best the day after), (great to hear you thought it shiny even though I thought it a bit less shiny than usual) I haven't really had a problem with lack of shine in my hair, it only really lacks shine if it gets frizzy from bad weather, etc. I don't think the hot oil made a huge difference except making it a bit softer and less tangly.
Anyway, keep growing those manlocks,
David
I can definitely see an increase in length between this and the photo in your avatar- you should be able to see it pretty easily too. So, if ever you're discouraged by your growth, just compare the pictures, hehe. It works for me at least.
Nice update, David. Good luck with continued growth!
Thanks so much, Gylfi. I have to say I am pretty encouraged, could not have done it without the support of everyone here. I was certainly impressed by your growth rate!
All the best, keep it growing,
David
WOW............... Your hair is looking great david. It is long and healthy. Well , Thankks for sharing those awesome pics!
all the best
chris
Thanks for the encouragement, Chris. I had a pretty good hair day on Wednesday (weather was nice and dry), so I snapped the pictures. Hope the humidity is lower in Miami these days, looking forward to your next update.
All the best,
David
David, your hair looks great, and thick too.
You look soooooooo much better with long hair, now you are a cool and unique individual insead of 'one of the pack'.
Great work and keep it growing!!
Best regards.
Thanks so much, to another Dave, for the encouragemnt. I am unique as the only longhair in my workplace, with the possible exception of one other guy who started to grow his hair out last summer, just have to wait and see if he gets through the awkward phase lol! (He has really nice hair, so I hope he keeps it growing, I have been encouraging him.)
Thanks again,
David
Definitely looking much better longer than short. And it sure looks like you are making good progress. Congrats!
Thanks so much, Pablo. You have wonderful quality hair, I can't wait to see how your hair journey turns out.
Keep it growing,
David
Hi David,
You are looking good with your long mane! I think it is in great condition, you are doing everything right. I've learned to ignor negitive comments on my choice of hair. There are two types of people in this world: ones that believe we should all think the same way they do, and ones that realize that each of us is different and may think differently than they do.
Keep on growin'
Bruce
Thanks so much, Bruce. I'm really stunned at the overwhelming support I have received from my update pictures, I'm actually at a loss for words! I've developed a much thicker skin lately, and I really don't get many negative comments from friends, co-workers, etc. I hope when I get more length, I will start getting postive ones!
All the best, keep up the great growth,
David
Hey David you're hair is looking positively sweet and you clearly look after and maintain it very well and I really hope that the treatment for the early signs of MPB is going smoothly for you as you have a really nice mane going on. This board was a turning point for me as well as I really had no clue about maintaining my hair until I found this awesome board and learned from all these great guys and girls who already had gotten to their goals. I hope you are having a great New Year
Thanks so much for the kind words, I'm pretty happy that my hair's condition has improved lately and has started to grow properly again. It will be interesting how the propecia works for the MPB over the next few months. I'm looking forward to your next update!
All the best,
David
Now that your mane is long, growing a full and short but wide goatee might help make your neck look shorter. As a horizontal element (wider than it is tall), it would break the long vertical lines that dominate your image at present. It would be worth a try - you could grow it in a month or so, and if you just didn't like the look it could then come off.
Your mane is gorgeous, by the way. Keep it growin'!
Bill
Thanks Bill, for the kind words and the tips. I have never had a beard of any sort in my entire life, I have actually given it some serious thought lately (It would certainly give me a whole new look, I guess it takes a little courage to get the nerve to grow one as I'm sure I would get a lot of reaction from my colleagues, I know I should not even think about what they think!), it would be interesting to see what colour comes in if I do grow one. Your beard has always been an inspiration for the beard growers here.
All the best,
David
And if you grow enough of one, it will surely hide your neck! I don't have much of a neck, but even if I did, nobody would ever see it. [grin] I think you'd look best with a shorter beard though, one that hides your chin and the first inch or so of your neck below. Then people would see less neck. A long beard can make your face look even longer than it is, if it is combed downward. I was pretty sick when this was taken, but ignore the face [grin] and look at how long everything looks with the beard like it is combed in the picture:
I prefer my beard to be combed to be more bushy, like this, but if it gets long enough, gravity will probably have different ideas:
Thanks! Yeah, I think the hair mass in my beard may exceed that in my mane. I'm sure the next time Absalom is over here he'll want to ponytail both and measure their diameters at the tie. ;-)
Bill
Like this. (Photo above was taken about two years ago, but my beard is a similar length now.)
Bill
That is SUPER cool, Bill! I've never seen a beard ponytail before, that's awesome!
david
Go for it, dude! I think a short beard would look fantastic on you.
Thanks Jason, I skipped using the razor this AM, lets see how it goes! Hope they don't freak out Monday AM, but who cares what they think, right?
David
You will certainly reach waist length. Your hair looks super! Don't even worry about what your co-worker says. You just need to concentrate on what you want in life. It isn't like you want to change the world. You just want long, beautiful hair and there is nothing wrong with that.
Well, it certainly looks like you are achieving your goals. Keep up the good work and let us know how the beard is coming along too. And quit worrying about your neck! I have a short, fat, flabby neck and a greaaaaaaaat giant pumpkin head, (now that's scary). Take pride in what you have and keep on truckin. Best wishes to ya!
Thanks so much, Jeffrey! I have to say I've been feeling pretty upbeat, and totally stunned lately with the incredible response I've received from my update, never dreamed I would get this many replies, it's also going to be VERY interesting to see how the beard looks. I'm also trying out the Knox's gelatin as you mentioned in your post below, hope you can get some pictures showing your full hair length up soon, your avatar doesn't show all of it from the front. (Your recent update only showed the back)
All the best,
David
Hey Bill, here is my front ponytail. It all fits really well now. My beard is now long enough to get caught when fastening my seat belt. It happened today. I am going to grow it out to terminal length.
Absalom
Beard ponytails indeed. Yeah, we're just two goofy longhairs:
Bill
Great looking beard and mane Bill!
-Oren
Thanks! You're growing an awesome "chin mane" yourself! It has a great wave in it.
I guess you and I are among the few going for beards longer than an inch or two on here. Along with Absalom, Daniel, Jon, Keith Seddon, Linux Longhair, Longhaired Paul, Ron, Trolleypup, and Victor, if the avatars are to be believed. That makes 11 of us, out of the 314 mostly-men in the users' directory, less than 4 percent. We're rare, and unique looking guys, indeed!
What's interesting is that, of the ten guys we're talking about besides me, I have personally met five of them! Three live in the Bay Area here, and one used to. We must be a hotbed of long beards here! [grin]
I really should get up a new avatar that shows my beard longer, but I want it to match my homepage, and I've been a bit remiss at that. Besides, with my beard growing, I'd just have to do it again! Well, I hope. Who knows, of course, what terminal length will be.
Bill
Cool pictures, Bill. I skipped shaving this AM. Let's see how this new journey goes, this is going to be a HUGE learning experience! I don't have ANY idea what I'll look like, could be fascinating!
David
If anyone comments, you'll have a good response, "I have a long neck and I want to see if a beard will make that less apparent. The only way to find out is to grow it."
Be prepared for the likelihood that you will still want to shave. I read somewhere that only 1 out of 16 beard growers don't shave around the edges to shape their beard. (I'm one of those 1 in 16, because my beard just happens to have natural edges where I want them to be.) If you want your beard to have a certain shape to minimize the "long face and neck" look, you may have to shape it with a razor. I'd wait a few days until you have something visible to shape before first doing that, though.
Enjoy the journey!
Bill
Hey, that is great! I think that you will look really good with a beard. I had no idea that you had ever even considered growing facial hair. If you are going to trim it I would suggest that you buy a quality trimmer $$$. The cheap trimmers won't hold up, but a good trimmer will last a very long time. I use to have a beard, and I may eventually grow mine again. My beard doesn't grow with clean edges like Bill said his does. Mine grows up under my eyes and everywhere else. Gezzz, I hate shaving! Well, good luck to you and I think it will be fantastic! Just be sure to keep those pics coming in as this will be very interesting.
Great update! Keep it growing (as long as you want!) :)
Thanks so much, I definitely plan to keep it growing!
All the best,
David
Hi again everyone,
I'm absolutely at a loss for words right now! I am absolutely, totally, stunned at the tremendous support I received from my update pictures, this is beyond anything I ever dreamed of. This is a totally AWESOME community, and THANKS AGAIN!
David
29 responses Dave..29 responses!!you know,I'm a mathematician..and us mathematicians have a saying that goes somethin like this...
"numbers don't lie!!"
hehe,of course,the responses you get here and in the real world,should be the "icing" on the cake.The important thing is to be happy with your hair,even in occasional bad hair days.
you must feel on cloud nine right now..great!!(as you should be,of course,with that terrific looking mane of yours)I'm happy for you :))
Thanks again, Jacob, I have to say the last couple of days have been a real high point in my life, I am really filled with emotion right now! Keep growing that lovely thick hair of yours, all the best.
David
Hey DavidN, your hair is coming along very well. The photo shows this well. Your hair seems to grow fast. Keep growing it.
Absalom
Thanks so much Absalom. Coming from you, that is HUGE praise, I really appreciate it.
Keep it growing,
David
You've got great hair, it looks very healthy! You are an inspiration to me!
Greetings
Wessel
Thanks so much, Wessel, I really appreciate the kind words. I really look forward to seeing how your journey progresses, keep the updates coming!
All the best,
David
> One of my co-workers, the young woman
> on the right, keeps saying I looked
> younger and better with short hair
DavidN, I'm going to have to side with your co-worker. For example, I have a more positive impression of you -- of who you are -- based on the way you look in this photo. That also would make for a more flattering avatar than the one you're using now.
Thanks, Carla. I am always open to constructive criticism. I appreciate the frank and open comments, I guess I do prefer long hair on myself, I appreciate the fact that not everyone will agree.
All the best,
David