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And this is how it looks an hour later when dry. I ONLY will Finger Comb. No brushes or combs ever for my type hair.
I have decided to keep my hair at waist level and indeed did have it cut back to this a couple of months ago. My reasons:
1. The usual average for long hair growth is to the waist. Though mine had gone 4" further, most of those 4" were not of good quality anymore and the wonderful natural V shape becomes lost. In fact, that natural V shape looks at it best (in my case anyway) about 4-5 inches above waist level.
2. Knowing that I had hit "terminal," I decided on "Classic Waist length long hair" as looking the best of all and will now go for trims probably 2 times per year so as to make all look the best.
3. I am very happy with my hair and have no plans to ever have it cut except to waist length. (Actually it is cut a tad higher and soon grows back to the waist.)
Excellent Justin! It looks like your routine has served you well. And the beard looks great too!
Take care,
Bruce
Thanks ever so much Bruce for the compliments. But, when the shoe is on the other foot your own long hair looks sensational! :-)
Justin~
Your hair is gorgeous, Justin. I can understand keeping it at waist length. It looks thick all the way to the ends that way. It is also easier to take care of as well.
Mine is about 18 inches past my waist which makes it a bit difficult to care for. I have had thoughts of trimming it back a bit but have never done it.
Anyway your mane is gorgeous and I am glad you found a length you are comfortable with. Quality is important too and you probably get far fewer tangles by trimming off the damaged ends.
Long hair forever.
Absalom
Hey Absalom -
You are just always too kind. Thank you for what you have said.
*Yes, it IS easier to take care of now compared to when it was about 4" below waist level. But really, that extra amount of hair in my case by the time it had reached that point had just had it and set me up for "Tangle City" like you wouldn't believe. And for all of the work involved just wasn't worth trying to save soomething that was barely there anymore and didn't even look well despite lots of conditioner.
*If you do because it finally is just about impossible to care for, most likely you will be glad that you did. I LOVE long hair, but I DON'T LOVE spending 2+ hours on it a day fighting knots and tangles. Now there is really nothing at all to fight. (About -5 minutes spent daily.)
*I am glad also. Again, thanks for your compliments. So much appreciated.Hmmmmmmmm. Tangles? What are they anymore? LOL
Take care -
Justin~
Super cool hair Justin, you have hair somewhat like mine so it is nice to see what I can look forward to, assuming I am as lucky as you are. Awesome mane Justin, be proud :)
Hey Chris. Actually I like your hair better but at the rate you are going I cannot see how you will be able to miss waist length since this is the normal average for all men. Thanks for the kind words, and before you know it your own hair will be just as long as what I am keeping mine to. You never know..........you may be lucky enough to surpass this length and it will still look great which I hope is the case for your dynamite super long hair. :-)
Justin~
Hi Justin,
We like the natural V-shape, sob and your hair looks in great condition..:-)
John.B
I LOVE the natural V shape. It is my favorite of all! Too bad the V really vanished below waist level. But, that is what happened as the hair was so worn-out, uneven and so thin you wouldn't believe.
Thanks for your ever so kind compliments. Yes, my hair IS in good condition..........but now I know its limits as to looking well. I note there is still a nice curve to the back as I told the person who removed the hair at the ends that was no longer
looking nice at all that I DIDN"T want it cut straight across.
As for haircuts? Well, I think you know how I feel about those. But when the hair had grown past looking well and has reached below waist level, it just didn't at that point make any sense in trying to save something that couldn't be.
Take care John and thanks again-
Justin~
Very impressive Justin! So long and thick...you have truly exceptional hair.
I agree about preferring to keep the ends fresh rather than have ones that are too damaged. Your ends will stay very thick and healthy with trims every six months.
Thanks for the update,
Jason
Thanks so much Jason and you are so right. When the ends finally get to the point of just about nothing because Terminal has been reached they really don't look all that good. As just about everyone knows, I am one of those against haircuts. (But of course when I say this I am talking about just letting the hair grow out..........not when Terminal has been reached.) The only other area that can use some attention now and then are Split Ends. But with myself that is a "Target and Destroy" thing.
Hey Justin,
That is TERRIFIC hair you have there!!!!!!!!!!!
It's interesting for me to read your reasons for not keeping the last 4 inches of your mane that reaches the full terminal-length, as I am facing the same decision...
At the moment, I'm still just curious enough to continue growing my mane out a little llonger, "just to see" what will happen... Will it grow another few inches? Will it be worth keeping those extra inches, if it thins out anymore? How much more time and trouble will be required out of me if I do keep those extra inches? Etc., etc...
My guess is that eventually I'll probably make the very same decision you have made here with your incredible-looking mane, --- which, to put it plainly, is just hands-down PERFECTION!!!
Take care, --- and see you around "the ranch" (lol)!!
- Ken
Great pics, Justin, and what a great mane you have!
I see Ken is thinking along the same lines (below) when it comes to trimming off sparse ends, and Absalom has (gasp!) spoken of the same. I've wondered about that, too, but at the moment I'm glad I have not, for a special reason. I'm growing my beard out, and the beard is already overpowering my mane so I need the mane for balance, while my beard also holds the frizzing out mane in place making the frizzing less obvious (recent pic above). I think I'd not look as good with that last four inches trimmed off; however combing its tangles does take a few minutes each day.
I also don't have so much length that trimming would not push me back a bit into an awkward stage. Although the ends might look messy, losing their weight might make everything look even messier. This is not the case for guys like you who get the frizzout below mid-back.
It's funny how hair grows from the roots, but somehow terminal length hair often seems to "know" it's gotten there at its ends and deteriorates there. Mine doesn't split or break off, it just gets tangly and frizzy.
Bill
Thanks Bill and what a super great photo of you and Larry. :-)
Sure hope I am not going to be the cause of some sort of cutting fad now, but you know what terminal hair looks like and have read how it was affecting my own hair. Yours being curly probably means that you don't have the same problems and that the hair just eveporates at the ends to nothing on a continuing basis. Besides, having that extra weight I do believe is probably necessary in your case. And of that beard............wow! That will hide everything. And you are so right. What you have now between beard and long hair looks in splendid balance and goes with you perfectly. :-)
Hey.........rumor has it that Ken and Absalom are suddenly going to surprise us with a downdate of their newest "Buzz Cuts." LOL! :-)
Take care and my best to you and Lary.
Justin~
Your beard is just lovely Bill. It keeps looking better as it gets longer. Wish mine had straight hair like that. It would be much easier to maintain.
Absalom
Hey Ken..........thanks so much! (But your own is hardly anything but terrific as well!) :-)
It took me a long time to decide, but after my update of early last Sept. where my hair was at waist level it only grew 3-4 inches further and from there would go no place. The ends were all wispy and ratty looking and WORST of all were causing tangles and snarles that were so bad that at times I would finally just give-up and have to snip off hair........sometimes with some good portions going with it. Unacceptable! That was the final straw for me. I gave it my all and made my decision. Sorry to hear that you are now facing a similar situation. But, despite Ken, you have gorgeous long hair! :-) (Just getting rid of those ends "if" at terminal isn't such a bad set-back as all they do is just cause a whole lot of trouble and your hair STILL looks very long and becomes a pleasure once again to work with.)
And you are now doing "exactly" what I had been doing before reaching the conclusion I finally arrived at.
Perfection? WOW! Nobody has ever told me that before. :-) Most guys are not as lucky as Absalom or EdG in getting much beyond the Classic waist length.
Darn, and to think, I was almost right there last Sunday but it was a bit chilly down your way so I came back to get my old coat of precious colour.
Take care Ken.
Justin~
I can live with my usual 2 hour drying time...faster if I go out with it down, faster yet in the unlikely event of warm sunny weather.
The key I've found is getting past the dripping stage as fast as possible. I have a microfiber towel[1] that I wrap my wet hair in (no rubbing) and it sucks the water out like you wouldn't believe. Sopping...just loose water squeezed out, to no drips in about ten minutes, then take the towel off and air dry. Finger detangle when dry.
I think about trimming from time to time, but I know I prefer the natural hemline, my ends are in pretty decent shape[2], and I know my hair will grow back to the same length and shape at 1/2" per month[3]. I and my reflexes have gotten pretty used to this length hair, so it isn't much trouble.
The benign neglect I've learned at this and other sites has certainly paid off in the condition of my ends.
[1] I'm cheap, so I use a pet towel, rather than the spiff and expensive people towels (google for "microfiber dog towel").
[2] Meaning I get tangles all through my hair, not just at the ends. :(
[3] No way am I going to get regular trims to maintain an artificial length and hemline. No violent objection, just too lazy.
Hey Trolleypup :-)
That's great. Everyone is so different.
Wow.........never even heard of a "Microfiber Towel." I finger detangle as well when dry.
I can hardly blame you for wanting to keep the routine that is a success for yourself.
I use "Winco" brand. But, they're nice and soft.
Ever try using detangler? It sure helps fantastically in my case. I have the kind that they sell for kids.
Yeah, I know what you mean about the "Lazy." That is exactly why I rid myself of the hair that I did. Just too lazy to fight with it for hours and be losing a battle that could never be won at the point I was at.
The joy in your face says it all. Congratulations, Justin.
Elizabeth
Thank you very much Elizabeth. Now, if you really want to see true joy, just look at the beginning of this thread under "cute." That was the other pic I almost put in instead of the one I did. LOL
Justin~