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Hey all, hope everyone is enjoying their May ~ the weather here in Japan is erratic, to say the least...it's been rainy, sunny, muggy, warm, cold, and just about any other weather one can think of, with near-weekly earthquakes thrown into the mix.
I'm pretty happy with the progress my hair is making - I went to two 8 hour J-Rock/Metal ("hide memorial summit" was the show, if there are any other J-Rock fans here) concerts this weekend, and was able to headbang the whole time to my idols with ease...I was somewhat concerned that I might not be able to, but that definitely wasn't the case :)
Also, lately I feel like my hair is long enough to look decisively like "me", so I've been avoiding straighteners and even leaving the house without hats occasionally - doesn't sound like a huge deal, but it's a big step for me! Furthermore, I was noticing some breakage from the straightener and my hair was getting brittle, so I'm only going for that on things I deem "special occasions"...whatever that means...lol...
Anyways, I like to be thorough with my updates so I can see progress for myself, and get good feedback from people - sorry if you've seen some of the past pictures already, feel free to skip them and go straight to the new ones! And for any new members that may stumble across my update, basically, I'm a former proprietor of, mid-length hair, but had a complete disaster at a hair salon while attempting to go for a somewhat shorter style...way too much was cut off in general, and the right side is cut very differently than the left. However, this can't be seen in the pictures and isn't really noticeable anymore, but I have to say, it feels really, really, really weird on top of my head, even after seven months.
Okay - pictures!
As always, any comments/thoughts regarding growth rate or anything else imperative...I really can't tell if I have a fast growth rate, simply a small head, or both. I'm fairly positive I have, at the least, extremely healthy hair growth, considering my hair line has actually increased considerably over the past two years. Furthermore, my hair strands themselves are thick and dark, and those pesky yet beautiful "new hairs" are sprouting all over my head once again.
Additionally, I have two hair goals in mind. First, I want to get it long enough so I can even it out and reshape it into my old style, which looks like this.
That style took 14 months from what was essentially a shaved head, and I had 4 trims in between and the above picture was a trim/getting rid of the mullet. I know that might seem like a huge setback in terms of length, but among my peers, it is colloquially known as "the Tim hair", so I'd like to get it back to that so I can stop hearing "what happened to your hair?!" whenever I run into someone, haha.
Once I have "my" hair completely back, I want to just let it grow in that style, but to shoulder length...but, first things first...I'm "stuck" with this hair for quite a while longer (hopefully no longer than seven months though...I don't see how that could be possible, and I'll be very displeased if that is the case), and I'm doing what I can to make the best of it.
Anyways - sorry for the long post! I'm just a very thorough person in respect to any sort of writing!
As always, any feedback regarding growth rate, attainability of goals, or whatever else anyone would like to say is most appreciated! :)
This has definitely been the only difficult hair journey of my lifetime (I've grown it out seven times, I think), due to the initial horrible cut, but you guys have helped give me the motivation to stay away from those scissors...because even though it sucks now, the rewards will eventually be great ~ I can deal with having crappy hair for a while longer if it means eventually having my old mane back. :P
~ Keep it growing!! ~
The hair looks good, it shouldn't be much longer before you attain your goal look. I'd say avoid ever using a straightener on your hair, it gets rid of the cool slightly wavy look you have naturally. Take care.
Peace,
Ryan
Hi Tim,
What a wonderful update, and you have come such a long ways in only 7 months from the first photo. Your growth rate appears to be above average, and your hair is healthy with lots of shine. Be sure to keep it growing!
All the best,
David
Lookin' good! :)
Great update and it appears that you ARE right on track for having fabulous long hair in the future. The texture and colour is absolutely superb. Best of luck to you on your journey.
Hi Tim
I am 17 months in growing out my hair, and it is almost reaching my shoulders.
It is interesting that you live in Japan and get all that crazy weather. I am from Seattle, overseas, and the weather there is more steady. It is generally cool and cloudy, and we get frequent light rain. I like to study weather and collect data on it. As for the earthquakes, we rarely get those, about once every ten years. But I clearly remembered a nasty one 7 years ago.
By the way, about the music, I do have a collection of Asian pop music. I have never been to Asia, but I did made a couple of friends online that live in China. I like medium rock and alternative, but not the hard stuff.
I understand that it can be hard to grow out your hair. You hair can get damaged if not properly cared, and that makes you want to get a trim. What you got, that's was a ridiculous haircut. The person who cut your hair last fall was definitely under-trained, inexperienced or was not thinking right. It sucks to lose so much hair (you only intended to get a small trim), and that your sides are uneven.
I can understand why you decided not to go out to the public after that haircut since you did not want to be embarrassed. I would get embarrassed if someone asked me "What happened to your hair?" too. Now that your hair is closer to the original, you are starting to go out again,
I have a smaller version of that experience about two and a half months ago. I had been growing out my hair for 14 months then, and my hair was thick and sturdy. It kept my head warm on cold winter days. Then my dad wanted me to get my hair trimmed for my cousin's wedding in February. Originally, he wanted to take me to the hair salon, but I opted out and so he trimmed my hair. After the trim, my opinions and my dad's opinions were different. My dad thinks I looked good for the wedding, but I looked like a Chinese woman. My hair was thin, flimsy, and my head felt cold. After the trim, I also noticed that the hair on my right side was a tiny bit shorter than the left side. I regret the trim.
The best thing to do to grow out your hair is to just let it grow. You can comb it to keep it neat. When you grow out your hair, you are sure to go through an awkward stage. In other words, your hair can get messed up by the wind, etc. Trimming your hair will only extend the time in the awkward stage. If you let your hair grow out naturally without interruption (I.e. trims, coloring), you will quickly pass through the awkward stage and get the long hair you want. I am glad to know that your hair is healthy and growing.
A few simple rules in mind - let nature run its course, and steer clear of scissors and hair shops. Just let it grow!
Remember, I, who want to be a member of MLHH, and the other members on this site, am on your side.
Regardless
Thank you for the reply!!
I don't actually live in Japan, I'm only studying abroad right now, until August...I'm from Seattle too!! :P
Small world, huh?
I completely agree with your sentiment about the Seattle weather...lol...basically always the same with slight variations during seasons. I remember that earthquake as well, that you referenced. Speaking of earthquakes, we had one just last night - off the east coast of Japan there was a 6.8 magnitude quake, and it was felt all throughout the nearby areas. My area in Saitama got hit particularly hard, and I was unpleasantly woken up at 2 am.
But anyways - on to more important topics, like hair! :)
As for me and my own experiences, I'll just say I'm a self proclaimed hair growing expert, considering there have been only two instances of my life of me having a typical "guy's short haircut", which were experimental phases in my life. Otherwise, I always just let it grow - I've never seen the point of cutting it, because, well, hair grows! There's no point!
However, even though I always tend to let my hair grow, I'm more of a purveyor of the "mid-length" styles...I tend to keep it between six and ten inches, because my hair is EXTREMELY thick and heavy, and, well, it starts to weigh me down, haha.
After my disastrous experience though, I don't ever plan on getting it "cut" again...just one more cut in the near future to completely even it out, and once it gets back to my ideal length of seven inches, I'll let it hover around that - maybe go to shoulder length, but I'm really a fan of the mid length styles.
Back when I got my hair cut in October, I was actually somewhat bored with my hair - I didn't want a short haircut, but a restyling, really...I asked for about 3 inches off and some layers cut into my hair so it would be a big lighter, but the stylist cut off 5-6 inches and layered it in a completely arbitrary manner, and the right side of my head is STILL much shorter than the left, and thin and uncomfortable on top of that. I don't really mind the length at this point, and I'm thankful to have strong hair that grows rather quickly...I just wish it was even so it wouldn't look/feel weird. My girlfriend recommended that salon, and let's just say I will never take her advice on any hair places again, or anything else having to do with hair.
I'm really sad to hear about your hair! It is just the worst when that happens, ya know? Honestly, after my hair was cut, I didn't feel like "me", and I STILL wear a hat almost every day, lol. What does your hair look like now? Do you have a picture?
Yes, I have picutres showing my hair. Read my "17th Month Update" thread posted by me, which is currently posted on the board. It has two pictures that shows my current hair state, plus a picture of me shortly before the unwanted trim, and a picture of me shortly after the trim.
Regardless
My MySpace
By the way Tim. When you come back to Seattle, I would like to be able to meet you and get to know you better.
Regardless
