I typically cut my neck hair and sideburns off when they get too messy.
Is it possible for one's sideburns and neck hair to get long enough to fit into a ponytail.
If so I would be saving my hair, because I make a mistake each time I cut the offending hair off.
From what I've seen when my sidburn hair begins to get long, it seems to be of a very different type of hair, much coarser, than the actual scalp hair, but given that there are some men with extremelly long beards, I would bet it is of the same hair and may be able to reach... great lengths. (couldn't resist).
As for neck hair, I haven't touched mine in over a year, and it doesn't seem to grow longer than 2 or 3 inches. My guess would be, either it has a shorter terminal length, or is just much slower growing than the rest of the hair if the follicles are actually capable of longer hairs.
Just my guesses from observation.
-Austin
It is possible. I personally shave off my sideburn hairs, my beard hairs and my forward neck hairs.
Regardless
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I am at 3 1/2 years and I have never shaved or cut either. They both go into a pony well.
I've been growing my hair for about three years now and trim my neck hair and sideburns fairly regularly. From past experience (I grew my hair for three years about fifteen years ago) they never got long enough to tie up, so the choices were to trim, leave them loose and fluffy or to use hair grips. I chose trimming as the best option.
It may be different for you though. Try not trimming for a year and see how long they get. You may be lucky.
HTH
My sideburns are included in my ongoing terminal length challenge with Oren (along with my goatee and 'stache). My sideburns include the hairs growing as far down as 2.5 inches below my earlobes. After 22 months untrimmed, the individual sideburn hairs already extend most of the way to my waist - with no sign of slowing down. If the goatee is any indication, I can expect the 'burns to eventually extend below my belt. Obviously, I can easily include my sideburns in with a ponytail, or pretty much anythng else I decide to do:)