new thread
I owe you guys the courtesy of letting you know I cut my hair about 3 weeks ago. I went through the 2 week rule on several occasions over the last few months, and decided each time I would not regret cutting. My decision is based on general health issues, depression and financial hardship.
Looking after my mane was becoming a burden and over the last few months or so whenever I looked in the mirror I was seeing someone I didn't want to be. I also felt it was becoming an unhealthy obsession for me, constantly doing more and more update photos & videos each month. I tend to get obsessed and addicted to things and it was getting to the point where I was on the computer all day and half the night updating my pics, chatting about my hair or otherwise.
I really enjoyed having my hair long and it's something I can be proud of.
I know a lot of you have cut your hair short in the past, and have regretted it and been so upset you cut it but to be honest I feel nothing either way, and I've had it short for a few weeks now.
I will not post a short hair pic as I don't want to give those buzzcut guys a cheap thrill. I don't plan on doing any new monthly updates until I get to three years, which is a journey I am not willing to start again at the moment so it may be even further away
Moderators if it's OK I would still like to remain a member and hang around, drop in from time to time as this is a really great place offering so much support, full of great guys.
My photobucket account will remain open, (click on my avatar), as will my yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mattshairgroup/
One day when I have climbed up this mountain of problems and am looking out over the top of it to a better future I will grow it back again, at the moment it's a low priority.
The burnt out tree represents destruction, but if you look closely you will see the new leaves growing already ;)
Until the leaves (my hair) grow back, I wish you all well and thankyou for this wonderful place.
MattT
Hello Matt
During some month last year, I have felt the same thing. I think I can understand what you feel.
Well said !
I wish you all well too !
Bye
Vivien
As has been said many times on here, you have to be happy and comfortable with who you are. You did a wonderful job of experiencing long hair, many wish they could have the head of hair that you sported in this photo you posted here.
Although my preference is for long hair, I can understand the underlying issues and the fact that you had more important issues in your life to deal with. I had short hair for almost 30 years. Good thing is, when you once again make the decision to go long you can do so. Going short is not a permanent sentence.
Good luck to you Matt, and I don't thing there is anyone here who would not welcome you on here whenever you so choose. That visit may be the inspiration for starting the journey once again when you settle some of the other issues you are facing.
I wish you the best no matter what the length of your hair!
Big George
Wow! Like Axel said about me when I cut off a major portion of my own hair "I didn't see this coming!" Well I sure didn't. Matt you had some of the thickest and best hair I had ever seen here on the board. Don't take that as criticism of what you did however, it is just a true statement. I am sure I was not the only one to envy your terrific hair.
If you have been reading here lately you know that I have posted about my haircut and the reasons were very similar to yours. Burden of caring for my very hair when my heart isn't in it. Financial distress cause I was not working and worry about having the hair I did would make returning to work even harder than it was. And in the mirror I would also see a "stranger" who wasn't quite me even though I at one time dreamed of seeing something like that in the mirror. Perhaps cruel and ironic tricks of Nature, who knows? I alsoo had bad depression and health issues tangled up with the hair. So if anybody here can relate to what you were experiencing I probably could.
Only difference for me was that I didn't obsess over it except in the sense that I was always wondering if I should cut it or not (perhaps that IS what you meant to by obsessing about your hair too lol).
I also read the horror stories of people like Ken who had their hair cut and then went into depression and that scared me off cutting for the longest time. I finally summoned my determination and cut it anyway. But perhaps the fact that I was already depressed before the haircut helped prevent that from happening after the cut. For about a day I was depressed and even then I KNEW it was health related but part of me still wanted to assign the blame for the depression to the fact that I just cut my hair. Turned out that feeling went away the next day and like you now hair is a non issue for me. I don't strongly feel the urge to grow it back or to cut even more off. I took the safe and compromising path and cut it short enough to tail it out sight and out of mind :). Should I decide to grow it more again (which is happening now anyway lol) then I won't have to go through the awkward stage again and if I decide to cut even more it won't matter how long it is when they start.
You had damn fine hair and every reason to be proud Matt, and EVEN MORE reason to be proud of what you did when you cut it to serve yourself. You made the choice as difficult as it was.
You resisted the urge to just go along with the crowd here and just let your hair grow when you weren't happy. Following here and growing without limit is just as bad (if you aren't truly choosing it for yourself that is) as blindly following the crowd in the real world and always keeping your hair short (without thinking either).
I am glad you didn't feel bad after the cut as I didn't either, proves you made the right choice despite some worries about it.
Speaking as the one heretical moderator here (because I am not growing to terminal and even cut back over a year's worth of growth) I have no problem with you hanging out here, for the exact same reasons. This is a great group that is about much more than just hair after all. If this board still tolerates an apostate as a moderator (for now anyway) then I can't see why the you shouldn't be able to hang out here too :)
Matt I wish you the best of luck with overcoming these mightly obstacles in your way. I am also climbing over such horrors and steep treacherous paths as I expect most average people never have to face. For people like us who can appreciate that making it through the day is a major triumph, others may not see much in the way of accomplishment, but they have never walked our path either.
Be well Matt and if you need another friend to talk to please email me if you wish. Having someone understand can make a huge difference. Take care mate and bravo for getting on the right path to recovery! :)
Your hair was one of my favorites here on the board.. It makes me a little sad.
I know what you mean about being obssessed with long hair and always being chatting about it and posting pictures, I was like that too. I have come to a point where it is so long that is already a part of me that I am used to so I don't feel such a big need to be always taking pictures and such...
Anyways, if you're happy that's what matters. You still have hair to grow anyways, whenever you want ^^ And do keep visiting the forum, I'm sure everyone would like you to!
Wait ... wait .... hold everything (edit in a soundbyte of the screeching brakes of a sixteen-wheeler here, please), hey Matt T., may I first convey my OTHER sentiments on the John S. website to you, too? But, hey man, if your decision to have your magnificent mane alter'd had to do w/ payin' the rent or (k)not and/or replenishing the larder or (k)not, hey, ya gotta do whatcha gotta do. I'm jus' sorry t'see that THAT'S the way that this world operates nowadays. Twas ever thus, I guess.
In addition to your pic of the charred tree re-budding into fresh, new growth as an allegory as it pertains to your radical changeover, I'm also drawn to think of card sixteen of the Major Arcanum, the Lightning-struck Tower, for the very same reasons you describe here in you post.
Well, as an artist whose hereditary thought processes are ALSO prone to cyclic patterns of obsession and abandonment, I fully sympathise with your adventure and your decision to (temporarily!) put a stop to it. And, too, I also fully know that we'll all see ya back within the fold again. Happy trails, Matt T., and I'll see you again.
VERITAS CONTRA MUNDUM!
Quenyan
Hey Matt,
As with many here this post certainly blindsided me.Its always sad to hear when guys with awesome longhair choose to cut it off but I certainly understand where you are comming from.Fortunately I've never been in a position like you described but I only wish you the best and it would be great if you stopped in occasionally to let us all know how your doing.Truely your hair was picture perfect as you shot shows and we'll all remember you that way.So Matt in spite of it all I wish you a great Holiday and I know your life will come together as the saying goes "I'll BE BACK!".Be well my friend:)Mark
Hello Matt,
I dont post often these time but i really needed to reply to your post beceause i'm sad to know that you cut your hair. when i joined the board i was happy to see someone who had a similar hair type to mine even if my hair is now different looking than on your last hair pict.
Anyway i only hope you are happy and hope you will grow your mane back !
Please come on the board sometime just to say hello even if you are not a longhair anymore.
I hope all your problem will be solved soon.
Thanks you, you gave me a lot of inspiration.
Cya brother
Oh, i'm quite shocked to hear this Matt, but i fully understand your decision, what ever makes you the happiest, you have to follow your heart, either way you had some awesome hair and was a big inspiration for all of us here.
Take care!
Simon
Hi Matt,
I have to say I was a bit surprised to hear that you had cut your awesome, thick, wavy mane.
However, I really respect the fact that long hair is not for everyone, and the decision to have it has to be strictly up to you. The most important thing is that YOU are happy, and the hair is secondary. Perhaps, one day, the desire to have long hair for you will be re-born.
Remember, you are ALWAYS welcome in our community, long hair or short. The hyperboard is not only about hair, it is a place where everyone can interact with warmth and friendship. I do hope you stick around, and my blessings go out to you in whatever you choose for your future goals, hair and otherwise.
Take care,
David
Aww... that's such a shame, Matt, but you have to do what is right for you in life. I wish you all the best, and please do still check in now and then. Hope the holiday season finds you well. =)
-James
So sorry to hear that health and finances led you to cut your hair. You sure had gorgeous hair. Perhaps in the future, you may have an opportunity to grow it once again. Good luck and keep in touch.
Carol
Thanks for all your kind words, you can't believe how much it means to me at the moment. To be honest I expected a huge backlash but I would have been prepared for it (unless there was a huge backlash and it was moderated away during the night?)
Sorry that I don't have the energy to go more in depth with my problems right now, I will drop in from time to time in the future!
Take care all,
MattT.
Matt
I'm sorry to hear this but do understand you have to make descisions based on what you know and feel. I myself have had many trials and tribulations over the years but never associated
my hair with these or had the desire to cut so I'll have to say I can't relate but again you have to do what you think is best.
As for your desire to remain a member I would love to have that happen but I think it may be an issue. As your not a longhair anymore and have no immediate plans to re grow your hair. You of course are welcome to post and hang around but I feel it might be the proper thing to have your avatar removed. I'll defer to the other mods on this as we have to consider all the users and precedent and all that.
I wish you the best and hope thinhs look up now that you've made a change.
Cheers
Kevin
Matt
I'm sorry to hear this but do understand you have to make descisions based on what you know and feel. I myself have had many trials and tribulations over the years but never associated
my hair with these or had the desire to cut so I'll have to say I can't relate but again you have to do what you think is best.
As for your desire to remain a member I would love to have that happen but I think it may be an issue. As your not a longhair anymore and have no immediate plans to re grow your hair. You of course are welcome to post and hang around but I feel it might be the proper thing to have your avatar removed. I'll defer to the other mods on this as we have to consider all the users and precedent and all that.
I wish you the best and hope thinhs look up now that you've made a change.
Cheers
Kevin