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Hi!
I am 17 years old and I would like to grow long hair -knee or ankle-length- and to pierce my ears -both- and wear big hoop earrings. But I have always been a very "good boy", and I have always done what my parents liked. So I don't know how to tell them about it... Can you help me? I would really like you to tell me your experinces with long hair, earrings, or even both, and to give me some good advice that might help me to get out of this situation... Thanks.
N.
P.S.: Do you know where I could find pics of men having such long hair? Thanks for everything.
> I am 17 years old and I would like to grow long hair -knee or >ankle-length- and to pierce my ears -both- and wear big hoop
For many years I've had hair down to my waist, but I've never had
any interest in getting my ears peirced (or any other areas either).
My advice: go for it. Life is too short to live for what other
people want Do it because you want it.
Do you have a photo to submit for all of us waist length wanna bes?
Thanks!
You might try breaking your parents into gradually, bit by bit, instead of dumping the scenario on them at once. As long as you
maintain the other parts of your life as a "good boy" your looks
should not be such a big deal.
As others have said- try changing one thing at a time. It's easier for others to adjust!
Having said that, you may want to consider clip-on earrings at first- unless you're really going into it for the piercing itself. Clip-on are available in a large number of styles (including 2" hoops!), and can be removed when the situation warrants it.
Have you tried telling your parents? Don't mention the knee- or ankle-length part. Just tell them you're going to try growing it "a little" long. They may realize after a while that it might be just a phase you're going through, and will let you do what you want (obviously its more than just a "phase" if you're aiming for knee-length). Make sure you remain a "good kid"; that can help them see past the hair if they really can't stand it. After I'd been growing mine for a couple years my Mom really started to like it, so I've got an ally there. My Dad still hates it though. I'm 18 now and haven't cut it since I was 14. But as for the earrings- either try doing it now or else wait awhile - like until the hair is pretty long and your parents have accepted it. If you try telling them about both ideas at the same time they might give you more trouble.
By the way, isn't that what's great about this forum? We, as grown men, can come out and say we want to grow our hair down to our knees and no one gives us any grief. I wouldn't try saying that out loud to anyone except my closest friends. Most everyone else would say I'm nuts. Keep on growin'. everyone!
Hi:
how long is your hair then after at least four years of not cutting it? And how do you wear it most of the time?
Michael
I have long hair to my butt and pierced ears. I also like to wear hoops. To look more professional I often wear my hair up in a high braided ponytail, or French braided, or a French twist. Sometimes I wear the braided ponytail in a bun.
I agree with the other people in that you should make changes slowly until you are independent of your parents.
Be sure to always wear your long hair clean and neat!!! This is the best way to keep other peoples' respect when you wear long hair.
John
John,
Any pics of the hair down to the butt that you can share with us?
Thanks.
John
I'm a lot older than you and don't have the parental problems,but I started growing my hair out over a year and a half ago and have no intention of ever cutting it, about a year ago I got my left ear pierced and waited to see what kind of reaction I got. The reaction was none,around that time I started to get the obnoxious "time for a haircut comments. I decided to get my ohter ear pierced at this point, still little or no comments on the earrings. After the piercings where well established I started wearing hoop earings (takes 6 to 8 weeks with studs til you can make the change). Now I have reached my goal - shoulder length hair with hoop earrings (although I intend to grow my hair as llong as possible).
Today a friend said to me "how long you had both ears pierced? I said about a year, he said "shows how observant I am". The only other comments I've had have been positive on my new look.
As I said in a previous posting, long hair still seems to be less socially acceptible on men then earrings, just the opposite of what I expected. My only advise is do what makes you feel good and give you the look YOU want!
Personally I think long hair and big hoop earrings looks very hot on guys.
P.S. I usually wear hoop less then 1", but do have some 2 1/2" I wear in some settings, also because the holes are well established I can wear none if I'm in a conservative work situation that requires that (with my hair in a neat pontail of course).
Hope this helps you
ok, enough said about the previous topic. Here's a link to your present request:
Hi N, what's your first name? (Or a nickname if you don't want to reveal it for whatever reason.)
I'm in my early 30's now, and was also a good kid. I wanted to have long hair & earrings since I was about your age, but didn't till my mid 20's. I wish I'd started with the look I wanted earlier, good for you! I'm assuming you're living with your parents, and in your last year of high school - let me know if this isn't correct.
Of course once you're 18 (assuming you're in the US) you can make your own choices, unless you want to continue living with your parents and following their rules. But it's nice that you want to continue to be on good terms with them and to be considerate of their feelings.
In my opinion, small earrings - studs or loops up to about 3/8" -
look good with either short or long hair. I'd suggest first getting your ears pierced (with your parents' OK of course) and starting with these small kinds of small earrings. They'll look good right away even before you grow your hair out.
In the Pacific Northwest where I live it seems like about a third of high school age guys have pierced ears, it's certainly not unusual and doesn't seem to indicate anything good or bad about the character of the guy. It also doesn't seem to affect their chance to get whatever work they want, even in banks.
Also in my opinion, larger earrings - say, hoops or danglies of about 1" or larger - look much better with long hair behind them. My advice would be to wait till you have long hair before adding the big earrings to your collection.
Unfortunately, there's an awkward phase - well discussed in this board - when hair is grown out, until it's long enough to pull back in a ponytail or to stay back over shoulders without getting in the way of your face and looking a mess. This awkward phase typically lasts half a year or so. So if you start growing your hair out now, it could be an obnoxious mess around your face when you graduate (and, if you get a passport then, haunting you for the next ten years).
Unless you've read up on the awkward phase and think you want to tackle it now, I think you'd be better off waiting till after graduation to start growing it out, a year after you're out of high school you'd have nice shoulder length hair that would look good either up and down, and that would look great behind larger earrings.
Oh by the way, I'd just say "I'm interested in getting my ears pierced" - no need to emphasize it being both ears, the just-one-ear-pierced fad left the scene in the late 80's (and good riddance to it, I say).
In case you're curious, at work I pull back my hair neatly and usually don't wear earrings, occasionally I have small ones on "casual Friday" if it's with a group of friendly co-workers. This isn't that unusual in the high tech field. Visiting with my parents who still don't like my long hair, I have it pulled back and nothing in my ears. With friends and out socially, I usually have my hair down or use a variety of accessories - barrettes, multiple pull backs at the top and neck, big claws, etc. - and several big earrings, often 2" hoops in the lower hole and 1-1/2" danglies just behind 'em in my earlobes.
Hope this helps!
- Chris
I just wanted to thank you for your kind words and your advice.
Thank you very much for everything. :-)
So, what decision did you make? I'm curious how all our advice worked out for you!
- Chris
Iam twenty one years old . I started growing my hair long when I was fifteen. My mother thought it would look good. When I was eighteen I had my ears pierced both lobes. After my ears healed I changed them to hoops. I took a pair of my mothers large silver hoops.I put my hair in a ponytail with the large hoops It looked and felt great. Today my hair is halfway down my back. My ears are pierced four times each side. I wear very large earrings in my first two holes. Two months ago I started wearing dangle earrings. I like french hook earrings. My girlfriend gave me a pair of dangels that are 3inchs long.I love them.I cant see myself ever cutting my hair. But I want alot more earrings.I hope by x-mas my ears are pierced three more times and Iam wearring five inch hoops in my first three holes.