new thread
Well, I'm a few days early, partly due to excitment, and partly due to my busy schedule. I'm in the midst of moving back to the US from Japan. Anyhow, it's been one month since my last haircut, 3 weeks since I decided to grow out, and discovered MLHH. So far, I'm pretty satisfied and have no urges to cut. Also, though I'm definitley still a shorthair, this marks the lonegest I have gone without a haircut since I was 12. I do have one concern though. Texture. My hair feels very dry and fuzzy to me, no doubt due to the punishment it took from hair products not long ago. I know once the damage has been done it is irreversible, but I'm curious if there is anything I can do to improve the feel. Hot oil? In any case, It is very thick and wavy, so I anticipate alot of trouble maintaining it, as ringlet curls are quite common in my family. Any advice?
I don't think I've had the chance to say hi yet, so "hi!" =) Anyways, your hair is VERY similar to mine when it was that length, and I'll say that you really shouldn't worry about any damage at this point. That can be trimmed away as your hair gets longer. Click on my avatar and you can see my site, which will show you what you're likely to encounter over the next few months.
Best of luck on your growth, Gaijin, and also on coming back to the US. =)
-James
Thanks, Ive actualy been looking at your site peiodicaly. It's rather inspiring.
OK first up your hair looks in good condition. At best your hair is 2 inches long which means the tips of your longest hairs are at most 4 months old. Its not bleached or coloured. There is nothing you can do with ordinary products, gels, wax, mouse etc or even with a hair dryer in 4 months that will constitute serious damage to your hair.
Second your hair is naturally wavy so its gonna misbehave during the awkward stage and using gel or wax to calm it a little will do you NO HARM. If it's feeling dry then I suggest you start using a separate conditioner following your shampoo. This will help smooth your hair and make it softer and better moisturised.
There are plenty of brands to choose from the only ones to avoid are Head and Shoulders (which is like washing your hair with bathroom cleaner -really harsh), Wash and Go and Pantene (Both cause gunk to build-up on your hair).
Good advice and I will add one more... Relax! It gets better as it gets longer. Don't worry to much about wings, curls, the dippity doo's, etc. Enjoy the journey, every last awkward bit, because when your hair flops down over your eyes when your trying to read a map, it'll remind you of your greater goal... Long Hair!
Bruce
when your hair flops down over your eyes
I have a feeling that this will be a long time off with the extra time alloted for curls. Ah well, in it for the long haul eh?
Thanks for the tip!
There are plenty of brands to choose from the only ones to avoid are Head and Shoulders (which is like washing your hair with bathroom cleaner -really harsh), Wash and Go and Pantene (Both cause gunk to build-up on your hair).
The main advice I can offer is don't do any kind of cut or trim for two years; set a goal for this time and go after it.
Your hair looks in good shape; buy using the proper conditioner and possibly some leave-in conditioner it should be fine.
Good luck on the journey!
Big George
Gonna sound like an old record here but I agree with the part about setting a goal, I disagree with the part about making a covenant with yourself about not trimming.
For God's sake why make it so hard for everyone? If you don't trim then your hair is gonna look more untidy as you grow out. This makes it harder to live with and increases the pressure on you to get it cut from your family and peers.
OK this might not present a problem for you, its not obligatory to trim. But I fear too many people fall by the way side on their long hair journeys because they mistakenly believe they've got to "do-it-in-one". Patently you don't.
There is nothing wrong with once every few months having a small amount trimmed off the ends, and besides if you want your hair "all-one length", then you are going to have to trim up your lower layers at some point just to allow the top layers to catch-up. So why not do this gradually as your hair grows out if it helps you keep your sanity and reach your long hair goals?
Sorted - "trim as you go advocate"
why not do this gradually as your hair grows out if it helps you keep your sanity and reach your long hair goals?
I'm totally with you on that one. I plan to have it trimed to keep it off of my ears, and cut the straggelrs on my neck that are just fuzz in a bid to stay a bit more professional looking as it grows. My goal is olny shoulder length, so this should work out nicely I think.
some leave-in conditioner it should be fine.
What brand would you reccomend, or are they pretty much created equal?
Welcome back to the States and welcome to the board Gaijin! Visiting Japan sounds like something very cool to do but I have not done it yet. Were you a student over there or what were you doing if you don't mind my asking?
As for hair you never know what your going to get until you let it go on its own. Often getting a surprise or two on the way. Your hair looks fine now, not really damaged at all. Lots of conditioner will help if you hadn't had to use conditioner before. You will get a better idea what you need as it grows further.
Congratulations on the start of your long hair journey, enjoy the ride, occasional bumps and all :)
I'm originaly came with the US Air Force. But then after I finished my tour,I got married and started working as an english teacher. I had planned to stay until May 08 but work is rather scarce latley. In any case, thanks for your advice on the coditioner. I think i may try a new one. Maybe a leave in?
Hey hows it going?
I can see your in for a rough awkward stage but your wavy hair will be awesome when its really long. There are already some good suggestions posted so I wont repeat them but I will add start thinking about what you want to do when the hair gets wild and annoying. That's to say hats, bandanas, stockingcaps, things your comfortable wearing almost all the time for a year or more.
An example one of our users "Sacrament" avatar show him wearing a
stocking cap. He's in Texas I believe so in the summer that's not practical. Simon "Simpa88 in Northern Sweden could probably wear one almost all year but he wears bandanas.
Some food for thought anyway otherwise condition the hell out of it that should help.
Good Luck and look forward to your updates and any stories of your experiences growing it out.
Kevin
So far I'm considering a rather ugly conservative side part/slick 50's bussiness do for work, and just embracing it and letting it rage out into a white guy fro thing when I'm off. It could be fun... or look awful... or both!
Hi Gaijin,
First of all, congratulations on your first update and thank you for sharing your progress. You have excellent and thick hair, and with a little TLC, you will soon be blessed with a fabulous head of long hair. The awkward phase may be a bit frustrating in the early stages, but if you stick with it, the rewards are well worth it. If you find that your hair appears too dry, perhaps you could reduce the frequency of shampooing, as too frequent shampoos can dry out your hair. Also, be sure to condition every time you shampoo. Best of luck in your hair growing journey!
Keep it growing,
David
Thanks for the tip. Even at this length I am considering the bennifits of shampoo every other day or less.
Hello Gaijin-san. Are you sure you want to leave Japan? Such a nice place to live I think.
Anyways, if your hair feels dry or damaged, try finding an extra moisturizing conditioner. Condition your hair every day. When conditioning, leave it in your hair for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Then rinse with cool water. Afterwards, don't blow dry your hair. Just let it air dry. Your hair should start feeling much softer using these techniques. Hope it helps.
Thanks for the tip. Perhaps I just haven't been leaving in mhy conditioner long enough.
As for Japan, it's not bad. But I find that those who haven't been here have are usualy very surprised about what they thought they knew. I blame anime for misrepresenting this country. Most anime fans are totally unprepared for the culture shock. lol
お結婚式おめでとう。Well, I think the Japanese written language is hell to learn. I can't stand kanji (or foreign otakus), but the people are wonderful. It really does taken some getting used to living in Japan. I agree that foreign otakus really don't belong in Japan, because most have no idea what they are getting themselves into until they actually arrive here. Hehe. Just remember that once you go back to the US, you will be just another face in the crowd. ;) Good luck with your hair and your new bride!
That's ok. I'm married to Japanese, so I'll be back often. lol As for Nihongo, I found hiragana and katakana to be pretty friendly. Sentance structure and syntax wasn't too bad either. But kanji, oh man. I'm right there with you. Is it just me, or does every knaji you learn seem to have 100 meanings lol. It's never the same!