new thread
Once I began a conversation with a longhair in a book store. I told him about how I'd like to start up a support group for us and his absurd reply was "I don't want to go to arms about it, I just grew it out because I like it." I laughed and walked off. But is there any other reason to grow it out?
The other day at work a fellow co-worker, who is not stupid but sorta the goof in the bunch, popped off that longhair is "rebellious". Somehow me and him ending up in the same unit that day. For two solid hours he was flooded with "hair trivia"! Everything he didn't want to know about hair.
Once before I also told him "longhair covers up a lot of ugly, he could benefit from it." and when he said he "...thought you were a woman" I got him with, "do they have women on your planet?" Both of these got riotous laughter from everybody else. I think he is a glutton for punishment, haha.
Rebellious? I have a steady job, wife and kids. We ain't rich but it's a far cry from how I grew up. We didn't even have indoor plumbing until I was 10. It been a steady climb but always upward. What the hell would I be rebelling against?
But anyway, I started thinking, why do we like it long? This question for the board may seem naive and boorish to the old timers but I believe it's relevant. I honestly never asked anyone else with longhair why they grew it out in the first place.
I grew mine out for one reason; simply because I like the look.
Paul
Why do you wear your hair long?
I grew mine because I was contractually obligated to do so. I worked on the HBO series DEADWOOD and signed a contract not to cut my hair or beard for the duration of the shoot. After deadwood ended, I waas ready for a haircut but booked a film and signed another contract not to cut. The filming lasted 4 years and my hair grew vey long. Now I can't cut it because everbody in town wants to hire me for the long hair long beard combo.
I just started watching and I don't miss an episode.
I have noticed all the longhairs including, of course, Keith Carradine's "Wild Bill" who got killed off way too early. The character "Dan Doriety" reminds me of a lot of folks I grew up with.
The extras are predominantly longhaired it seems!
2 questions kailongbeard;
Can you tell us who you play. I like to watch out for you.
Have you grown to like it? The hair I mean.
Paul
I'll keep my eye out on the UK TV schedules :-)
I was a jurror at Jack Macalls trial Season one episodes 4-5 I was also the guy who teases Jewel in episode 11.
I worked on all episoded 1st season,but didn't make final cut.
As for do I like my new Look...It took a while to get use to but now I'm diggin' it. Gets me a lot of work. Now that it's long I want to grow to terminal length become the hairiest actor in Hollywood.
Pretty much the same reason, I like the way it looks. As I've noted previously, didn't originally plan on growing it as long as I have, but the longer it got, the more I liked it.
Yeah, you do have one of the coolest hair stories. A born longhair and never realized it until you retired from the navy.
I expect most of the replies will be for the same reason as us.
Paul
I wouldn't say "never realized it". I knew I wanted to grow my hair longer back when I was a teen, but my dad wouldn't hear of it. Then I joined the Navy, and the short hair was part of the package. I wanted to serve, so I accepted that sacrifice, but made a promise to myself that one day I'd get to grow it out the way I wanted. The only real change came when I discovered that the length I wanted wasn't what I'd originally thought it was.
I do not "wear" my hair. Or my beard. They are part of my body.
People who have in their minds that we "wear" those things are apt to think it is no more an imposition for us to remove them than things we actually wear, such as clothing.
Debunk that myth! One way to do that is to point out that "wear" is an incorrectly chosen word.
Bill
Point taken Bill.
For you I rephrase the question to "why did you grow your hair long".
You have your own hair site and I think it's a damn good one. You probably know more about hair than anyone here with the possible exception of Scott (imo). So you are one of the people here from whom I'd really like to hear an honest answer.
Paul
For me, I have long hair because that is part of my identity. From my earliest memory, I have always wanted long hair. I did not care whether any other guys had it, I did not grow it to be rebellious, I did not grow it to look like any idol. When something is part of your identity, none of that matters. I grew up in one of the worst hair-nazi environments of anyone here. I was surrounded by them. Despite that, I still always have wanted long hair, and once I grew it out, I realized a vast part of my sense of self had been missing until I did.
Bill
I feel very much the same way that Bill has so eloquently expressed.
That is exactly how I feel as well. I was a long hair long before I was able to grow it out. (thanks dad, years of dealing with you as the hair-nazi has strengthened my resolve and determintion, which isn't neccassarily a bad thing) When I did finally get out on my own and started growing out my hair, it was as if I could finally identify with the man I saw in the mirror as my true self.
Daniel
Hi Paul,
As I think I said before Paul, for so many years I had it different styles and many shorter. So I decided to just let grow and saves on the stylists charges :-)
Cheers,
John.B
Damn right John. The savings on haircuts alone are worth growing it out.
Paul
Hey Paul,
I like the way it look. Plus, It makes me feel special. I believe that if I "wore" it short, I would just be another guy; maybe, it's a shallow thought, but, err, that's it.
Vivien
Not shallow at all. I feel "the hair" makes me more... me.
Short hair makes people look too much the same, like they came off an assembly line.
Paul
I regard it from the philosophical aspect, among all because I like philosophy as a science very much and apply it to virtually all elements of my daily life. I admire the fact that long hair is such a hard-to-gain goal and costs you that much in the means of suffering criticism from others. It's something that gives long hair the same kind of sanctity and regality that the misunderstood and ever-bashed great minds, such as Jesus or Socrates, had.
I don't think I would relish the physical beauty of long hair per se, with all its flexibility and mystically sexy appearance, if it were claimed just like that, over night. In the same way like you would cherish more an averagely pretty girl who became your girlfriend after long waiting and efforts, that some megahot model who approached to you out of the blue. But that may be just me.
Nah, not just you, I feel the same about it.
Paul
I grew my hair out because my brother had/has long hair and I wanted to try it also. I remember never being quite satisfied with my short hairstyle, so I thought, might as well try long hair once. Now I really like it and I'm at about 20 months of growth. Maybe I will show some pictures in the future as proof :)
I think long hair looks good on anyone! I grow my hair long for two reasons:
1) It makes me feel good.
2) It's what I want, damn it! (oh, selfish me)
I've been a longhair all my life. I've just been suffering from long bouts of short hair. (I'm cured now!)
Bruce
I have a rather different story - contrary to what the Cowsills have said - it WAS from "lack of bread".
We hit a personal financial crisis 3 years ago and cut out a lot of discretionary spending. No more magazines, no more junk food, no more take out meals, and no more haircuts for "dad". After a few months people started "assuming" that I was growing my hair out and I thought "what the heck" and went along with it.
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
Follow Ups:
AndrewB
PS - finances are now much better.
Well, my parents kept my hair long (well, a mullet anyway. Maybe Ill post my kindergarten pic later) when I was little and was the only guy in 3 elementary schools with long hair. I was always "the long haired guy" which I liked. Also all the bands I listened to and my dad and alot of his friends all had long hair so I grew up with it. I didnt realize that most boys had short hair until like 1st grade.
Over time my hair got shorter and shorter until it was about 2-3 inches long in middle school. I never liked it but kept going in for haircuts about twice a year because for some reason the haircut=shorter hair thing didnt kick in till I was around 13. After two really bad haircuts I decided f*ck it, Im not cutting it anymore. After the summer I got my school picture and realized that it was the first one where my hair completely covered my ears, I liked it.
And then it bacame "allright, Im not gonna cut it untill I have longer hair than every guy I know." Then that happened around may and I got to "get the longest hair in the school" excluding maybe 3 girls with hair to their waste Im not far from that goal. Then a couple of my friends asked when I was going to cut it (just curiosity not said to be mean) and I really thought about it and cant think of one good reason to cut it so until that happens the hair grows. Then a gut who doesnt really like my hair bet me $50 bucks that I wouldnt cut it until graduation (I was planning that already). So now with money riding on it theres no way Im gonna cut it. Eventually I want to figure out my termina length, but I dont know if my guitar will allow that so we'll see where it goes.
That's a great intersting story! :D
Keep on growing!
-Andrea
That's a lot of reasons! And a hell of a story, thanks.
One of my son's is in the 4th and defiantly has the longest hair. We're holding our breath, any day we'll probably get that letter, "cut his hair... not in compliance with school policy... blah blah blah."
Paul
I am only 13 months into the longhair journey, and I am fairly new to this site, but I have a few reasons for growing out my hair.
1. About 98% of the guys at my high school have either shaved heads or very short hair, so I'm growing my hair to be different from everyone else, I want to be individual.
2. (a little corny), I love Rock n' Roll music and I listen to a lot of the old classic and hard rock stuff like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Ozzy, and I play guitar, and long hair is a Must Have for headbanging. Haha.
But the biggest reason is because I like the look, and I've wanted to be a longhair pretty much all my life. I don't feel complete with short hair, I'm just not me.
Anyways, those are my inspirations for my long hair.
Luke.
Absolutely. What are those buzzed headbangers thinking? :-0
All very good reasons. I think I need to make a list.
Paul
Rebellious is a certainly a big part of it for me. It helps express that I don't care much for societies and social rules and games, that I can think for myself. But that I want to express that however probably means I care what others...oh well.
It's a thing of honesty to me, growing hair and beard is nice because that's what it does, grow. Cutting it then seems weird.
Perhaps a nihilistic approach results in maximum hair like that.
Ofcourse I also like the way it looks on some people, myself included.
Not that much of a hassle and for me it's easely canceled out by having to go have it cut all the time.
ot.: I'll have my 3 year update in November. After introducing myself in May I changed a couple things about my routine and that improved my hair I think, getting very close to half a meter in length now.
I don't think it was ever about rebellion with me but most all shorthairs (even ex-longhairs) claim that's what it is and only what it is. But otoh, your description of "rebellion" is appealing. I hate stupid riles and the "games" we have to play in society. It's a stacked deck, lol.
Cutting your hair seems weird? No doubt, I completely relate. The bi-weekly or monthly ritual that serves no other purpose than make you "fit in". Whatever.
I think it's strange that more philosophers didn't have longhair.
Paul
Always Hated Haircuts as kid and always wanted long hair for some reason I can never really explain....its just me I guess lol
Me too. That's called a being a born longhair. We've existed throughout history.
Maybe that's the real reason for the Nazirite vow of not cutting your hair. They were born longhairs and needed the hair rule so people would quit bugging them about it. Hehe.
First Nazirites sitting around discussing their new order;
"Hmmm... let's see now, we have a name, now how about some rules?"
"1, don't cut your hair!"
"Of course, goes without saying."
"2... anybody? anybody?"
"What about not touching corpses?"
"Yeah yeah! good one, who want's to do that anyway? That will get us out of death disposal duty!"
"3?"
"Oh who cares... we'll fill that in later!"
(Drunken celebration, next morning... horrible hangover.)
"Rule 3... don't... drink."
Paul
PS. It's just a joke. I thank God for those Nazirite vows!
I don't know any more. When I first began to grow it, I didn't see it so much as a rebellion as something different. I always thought it looked cool on other guys. I wanted to look like Daniel Day Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans. As it grew, I began to wonder what I was doing. Everybody hated my new hair and wanted me to cut it. I faced an uphill battle especially at work, where I was eventually given the ultimatum to cut my newly grown locks. I did and suffered through for another two years before I realized that the reasons I hated the bank job ran way beyond them asking me to go get shorn. Around this time, I developed the idea of hair as some sort of physical manifestation of spirituality: I once wrote a long piece, posted here, perhaps in the archives now, where I talked about little green frogs and nature and the spirituality of things. I hit on inner peace and the outer as a reflection of inner and so on. All good stuff, but I had to be in a certain state of mind to concoct such. I still didn't know exactly why I was growing it, but I really believe at some point I became obsessed with my hair. I don't know why as it doesn't even look that great. But I was obsessed nonetheless. It became something like regrowing my hair was symbolic of me taking control of myself. I finally did take control of my self (life) to some extent as I finally told the bank goodbye. That was three years ago in August. So much has happened in the past three years, both good and bad, I have been so busy, that I've had little time to think about my hair. It just grew. As for the "why" now, I can't pin it down. Maybe, because I can and could grow it; because I became something different; because there's no time like the present; because I, on some level, think that for a man to grow his hair in our Western cultural milieu shows that he owns himself; because, to paraphrase Ricky Nelson, "you can't please everyone, so you have to please yourself". But perhaps it's something else. I think I've never been as assertive as I should be. Long hair is a way of asserting one's self. I feel that to stand strong through the growing process almost helps one "grow" up even more. It helps one learn many lessons. Long hair is an "idiot filter" too. Anyone who can't see past it and get to know the person is an idiot. There are so many things. Really, I have found that dreams are hard to realize, and often when they come true, it's not what we wanted oftentimes. But I had a dream of having long hair, and now I have it, and it's not so great as most guys' hair, but it's mine, and I grew it, and I'm proud of it.
All very good reasons Matt. I have to say, I feel the same about everything you said.
Idiot filter! Haha. Did I come up with that one or did you? I know I've said several times here and irl, but I don't remember if you had already used it first here.
Anyway, looks like we finally agree 100% on something.
Paul
I wear my hair long because when I have my shirt off, it feels real good on my back when I move my head back and forth. Tommie
Yeah, I love that. I feel sorry for all the buzzers who dont get to have that feeling
O/T: who found that tie-tye site, its freakin awesome!!!
~Jarvis~
Hi Paul,
In my opinion, an EXCELLENT question to ask!! About every year or 2 a thread like this comes up at MLHH, asking the same or similar question as yours; but, each time it always feel fresh somehow to me, --- and definitely never a silly or naive one to ask around here. As far as the "rebellious" comment goes, I'll respond to that issue at the bottom of this reply; but, first, here's my basic answer to your original question..
I "WEAR" MY HAIR LONG BECAUSE:
1) Because I've always liked long hair, --- as well as from as far back as I can remember, I always hated having my hair cut!
2) I've always been attracted to the LOOK of long hair...
3) I've always enjoyed the FEEL of long hair, especially when blowing in the breeze (unlike when it's short, when it's no fun feeling the wind blowing through my bare scalp)!!
Those are my basic reasons, although I could easily "wax poetic" and go on & on with about a zillion additional reasons to add to that list. But, I think the above 3 are reasons enough to shut up any questioning anti-longhair (LOL)!!
The summer day that I impulsively cut my waist-length hair short back in Y2K, I felt like I had betrayed an old friend. I tried my best to just, "get over it"; but, as the days turned into weeks, I increasingly regretted my decision to do what I did on that fateful day of June 21, 2000. But, I have to admit now that I learned an important lesson from that experience. "Easy to cut, hard to grow" was a comment made to me by a longhaired neighbor of where I worked at the time. That summer I made a commitment to myself almost immediately after cutting it, that I would never do that again, --- and that I was determined to grow my long hair back, regardless of however long it would take me. The term, "terminal length" was unknown to me at the time, because I didn't own a computer nor know about a place called the Men's Long Hair Hyperboard; but, Y2K was the year that I made the decision to grow my hair back, and to do so as long as I possibly could get it to grow, --- in spite of me knowing that I would be an "old man" by the time I would achieve it! Time has proved that this commitment was extremely sincere, because at belt-length now, I feel as if I not only have my "old friend" back, --- but, even MORESO!!!
When I was a child, including well into my teen years, I was not permitted to have my hair long at all (even though I felt as if, on the INSIDE of me at least, that long hair on me just felt very natural and what I most wanted). When I left my dad's house at age 18, that ended the tyrrany of me having to have regular short haircuts. I no longer lived under my dad's roof, and I no longer asked him for any money, --- so, I no longer had to abide by his ridiculous haircut rules! I'm sure he thought of me as an ungrateful "rebel"; but, I gave up continuing my college education at the time in order to gain my own freedom from him. He also divorced my step-mom and kicked my three step-brothers out of his house earlier that same year, claiming that they were a "bad" infuence on me and my older brother. To this day, i am still close to both my step-mom and to all 3 of my step-brothers (all of which at one time or another had at least temporarily grown out their hair). Although I'm the only one in my family currently with long hair; to me, still having it long symbolizes freedom from an unhappy childhood, as well as letting go of a basically dysfunctional past.
As far as long hair being, "rebellious' goes...
That imagery comes from the era of the tumultuous 1960s (when long hair on men was a so-called "new' thing in Western Society, after all of the previous eras of the 1940s & '50s and before, when all males looked like they came off the assembly line from the same cookie-cutter). I was born in '53, and came of age during the tumultuous '60s, --- so, I remember living through that whole era of seeing my parents' generation looking totally SHOCKED whenever a man with looooong hair was brave enough to show his face out in public... And the longer the hair, of course that meant that the more "rebelious" that this longhaired guy must be, --- talk about "judging a book by its cover" (LOL)!!
I guess that must mean that I must be EXTREMELY "rebellious", then!
The funny thing is that "rebels" in any generation or era, generally-speaking, are both HIGH-ENERGY and also tend to be YOUNGER... (Think about it: old people tend to tire out a lot more easily, --- as well as rarely have the full head of hair of their youth - LOL)
Thanks so much for writing this thread, Paul!
- Ken (who's too tired at age 56 to be much of a "rebel" nowadays - lol)
Hi Ken,
Great answer we should get this put in the FAQ that's for sure.
Cheers,
John.B
Thanks so much for the nice compliment, John!
And while I'm thinking about it, on a whole different topic...
Re. your chocolate thread, below: I agree with you 100% about your comments of Hershey's & Nestle's chocolate companies being horrible chocolate. As a die-hard choc-aholic myself, Calbeau of Ghitard (spelling?) are by far my favorite brands. We did a blind taste-test when i was still in cooking school back in '83, and I've never forgotten how all my classmates as well as myself all voted Hershey's to be the worst (LOL), but the Belgium chocolates the best. It's all in the smooth texture and incredibly wonderful clean taste of finest quality dark chocolate (unlike the icky after-taste of cheap & tacky Hershey's - LOL)....
- Ken
Thanks, I thought it might liven up the board a bit.
You have a lot of very good reasons Ken, as always I love to read your ideas.
I'm thinking about making a list of these for budding longhairs to help with their "identity", (and for the anti-hair league to sift through and bitch about).
When I started growing it out, with my friends in high school, I never had anyone say why we was doing it. I just took it for granted that they felt the same as I but that was not true. They cut theirs, I didn't.
Paul
I have my hair long simply because I just wanted to. I just was never allowed to. I'm not really doing it to be different or anything I just wanted to do it.
I'm just glad I had the chance to actually go through with it, and I haven't looked back since!
-----------------------------
To look like a girl of course!He He.... just joking:)
Well I guess there has to be some reason since I've had my hair long for over 25 years and that's continuous.No cuts along the way with regrowing again...Never!I mean I've had trims over those years but never to the point where I would have gone short.To me long hair humanizes a guy giving him a softer appearance as opposed to the buzzed cut "I wanna crush your skull" meanie look.As for the question of why do I wear my hair long????Well guess I have Barberfobia:)
Mark
Huh? Some say I have that look. Lol.
Barberfobia! Too bad it's not contagious!
Paul
If it grows why cut it? It's part of you. nature. ;)
I just started having long hair and I love it. I'm never going back to short unless I would absolutely have to.
For that cute "Puppy-Dog" look that women love so much ! Ha!
So they just have to take you home with them, LOL!
Paul,
Little did she know she was putting herself out of a job but I had a hair stylist tell me I had the most beautiful hair and that I should let it grow. Have had others tell me the same thing. I finally took it to heart!
peace, jonalbear
Paul,
Interesting thread so far!
Long hair for me just plain feels natural and right - I feel "anatomically complete" with my hair and beard.
I also very much enjoy the feeling of both the long hair brushing against my back and the long beard brushing my chest.
- Oren
I know many of you may remember the reason I had in the beginning (won't go into it now cause to me it's not relevant) for growing my hair. Now that I have had it long for some time, I can't see myself going back to short hair again.
Ran across a photo of myself from 2003 when I had a buzzcut and thought to myself what the hell was I thinking? Even my brothers who thought it looked great are now envious of the length and have come around and been very supportive.
Hmm guess I'm rambling or maybe it's the beer haha. But suffice it to say, my current mindset is that I grow it because I like the way it looks on me and want to see how far I can go with it.
Paul, I've enjoyed your posts and hope I didn't stray too far off the question. BTW used one of your Why do you have long hair replies to a kid that asked me Why? Told him, if I cut my hair it would look like your Dad's and shuddered. Thanks for the ammo.
Charlie
I like to stand out, and long hair helps to differentiate you from all the other guys. It's also a sign of dedication to keep your hair looking nice. And lastly it just looks so metal and barbarian like.
I began to admire long hair on men since the 1960s and wanted to have it long too but was not allowed to but I did grow it out since 1992 and did not cut it since, though I don't have much of a terminal length to boast about.
I also feel that longhairs have a certain liberal, tolerant outlook on life which I share, so I feel it identifies me as such and generally feel comfortable around longhairs.
Because ever since I was old enough to really think about my
hair I wanted long hair. I had to wait until I was out living
on my own to really start getting it long though.
When I was 12 I wanted it long after seeing someone on tv with longhair. It looked awesome so I wanted that too. Never made it past the 6 months and never bothered to try again.
Until two years ago when I came into the metal scene and was inspired again to grow it out. I thought it would be cool to be able to headbang. Now that I can I don't like it because of the tangles. But I do like my hair a lot so that reason enough to keep it.
I hated getting my hair cut as a child and loved summers when I didn't have to get it cut for school. The downside was that August always came too soon and then it was back to the monthly trims.
I first grew it long after graduation, and kept it long for about two years, so it was about shoulder-blade length. It felt really good and I liked the look, but I was looking for a new job and thought I'd have a better chance if I cut it shorter.
Jump forward ten years and I had left that job, but was still a short-hair. I'd thought about growing it again a few times but never got past the awkward stage. I know this sounds a bit corny, but I had a dream one night in which I had long hair again and it felt great. Then, a couple of days later, I was in the gym, running on the treadmill and watching MTV. They were doing a Red Hot Chilli Peppers special. Seeing the guy running across the desert with his hair blowing out behind him reminded me of what I'd lost and I decided it was time to try again. That was about four and a half years ago.
I've only had one trim since then, 'to even it up' and that was at the end of June, 2005. My hair now hangs to just below belt length when it's wet and I have no plans for any trims in the near future. I don't know if I'll be able to reach knee length, but time will tell.
As for why I keep it long, I like the feel of it. It's also very relaxing to brush my hair if I'm feeling stressed - next best thing to having a pet. On top of all that, I love the look of surprise on people's faces when they realise just how much there is of it.
I used to get a lot of criticism early on, until it got to about shoulder-blade length, but now, the only commments I seem to get are compliments, so I'm not complaining. The only real downside I see to longer hair is that I love the feeling of the wind in my hair, but if I let it loose on a windy day, it takes about an hour to brush it through again. Still, it's a small price to pay.
I once had a co worker comment from the back I looked like a
women. My retort was "man....you must know some dog ugly women"
followed by "I suppose you were staring at my ass too?......do
these jeans make me look fat?" It got a laugh at the time.
we constantly have many new users so these posts are a good way
of getting to know everyone. Besides we have not had this
question in quite a while and it's nice to get away from the 10
most frequently asked questions threads.
Why do I wear it long? I wondered what I would look like.
Having a high hairline which sucked when I was younger but is ok
now as I've reached the age I don't care anymore. Once it grew
I liked it and kept it and contrary to myth found it took no
more effort to wash and care for than short hair, for me anyway.
as it grays I still like it and plan on keeping it well into old
age until the nursing home makes me cut it. LOL
Kevin
I can always remember no liking haircuts, starting in my teens at the end on the 60's a lot of the guys were wearing their hair longer, guess I want to follow the crowd. The house rules at that time was, no long hair, so I submitted to the rules. I'm 53 now and about 3 yrs. into growing it out, so to answer Pauls question,it's because I always want to.
Frank
Well I grew My Hair For The Same Reason I loved (THAT IS UNTILL IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME :(. )It And Plus We Can Do All Differant Things With It, tis fun.
(We Dont all need To look like we came off a production line lol)
LONG HAIR IS FAR BETTER... IN MY EYES ANYWAYS :P
my youtube channel :)
That's a great shame as your hair looked really wonderful there. But still your starting again and perhaps the circumstances will change this time before you get to that length.
Keep it growing and we are always here for support.
Cheers,
John.B
It just feels natural and good!
I hated haircuts they always turned out bad. my hair was very curly and thick so the summer cut was a buzz (god I hated that).
then I turned 14 and just discovered Metal I wanted long hair from that moment on. I had long hair by 16 till...to my dismay I had my hair cut off during very bad relationship while in my 3rd year of college. (to keep this from becoming a novel I'll spare you the details). After that was over and realizing how much having long hair meant to me I grew it back and its been long ever since. (I'm now 32 and ya I'm still into Metal)
Mike
I had boring haircuts from when I was little to when I was 15. Then I decided to grow a fringe and have one of those "Emo" haircuts. (Even though I never and I still don't listen to Emo music, but I liked the look a lot) So I kept that haircut for almost 1 year, then I started to spike it up too and had a style known as "Peacock" and got some red highlits. Got tired of Peacock I just left my hair down with fringe and then dyed it red. Then I decided to grow it out at least mid back. I recently decided to return to my original color.
I decided to grow it long because I started to like the look and got inspired by several people, famous and not.
-Andrea
Ever since I was 10 or so, I wanted to grow my hair but didn't voice this to my parents for whatever reason that I regret now. But since I gave the ol' scissors the boot (to paraphrase Daniel R.), I haven't had a haircut since. And also, the majority of girls in my grade that comment on my hair make positive ones :-)
Quite simple - I like long hair and have no one whose views even have to be dismissed.
Didn't really expect that many responses!
I tried to answer them all but I've been sick and just run out of juice. (No, it ain't swine flu)
Everybody had some damn good reasons and a lot I hadn't considered. So thank you all.
I think I'm going to condense and merge all of 'em into a blog called "Reasons to grow your hair" or something. I'll do this as soon as I feel better. Thanks again.
Paul
Its Only Hair
... 'cause I know how much health issues can really suck!!!
Paul, Hope you are feeling better soon!
peace, jonalbear
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Flashback to 1992. I had short hair with a rat tail. Up to that time, the longest my hair had been was maybe 8 inches. It was time for a change. I was inspired by a couple who attended my church. They had 3 small sons age 4 to 8 with waist length hair. There were about 4 adult males there who had mid back and longer hair as well. I then decided to grow it. My first goal was waist length. It took maybe 4 years to reach that length. I decided to just let it grow to full length. It is currently the length you see in the photo.
Scott
I'd echo a lot of the reasons guys have already posted. The foremost reason being that I simply like the idea of having long hair. Secondary reasons, if I were pressed, are that long hair is both Biblical & manly - and both characteristics are in line with who I am.
- Fr. M
Hi Paul,
I know I am late to reply to this thread, but the main reason I wear my hair long is rather simple. I just prefer long hair over short hair! I had moderately long hair most of my life (shorter than now) from my early 20's until ly late 40's, then had short hair from late 1999 until early 2004. At that time, I realized that short hair was not for me.
David
Sorry to come late here to this thread and have had a good time reading up on the other posts on all the diverse reasons that guys here like long hair.
my own reasons are that from my earliest memories I have always wanted to have long hair. I can remember way back when I was 5 years old being allowed to have hair long enough to cover my ears to hid the hearing aids I used to have to wear to school back in 1975 when they were first fitted at that age. My hair was allowed to grow a few inches on the back of the neck but never like having haircuts. My mother was the family haircutter and my father, and other brother all got haircuts when she felt our hair was looking too long and untidy. Luckily she never forced buzzed/crewcuts onto us.
When I was 15, I decided to grow my hair long for the first time and got no opposition or encouragement from either parent. They were pretty good parents overall and never were hairnazis like some of the guys on the MLHB have had in their history. So for two years I did a crash course in HOW NOT TO GROW LONG HAIR and abused the hell out of it through sheer ignorance and very bad hair care and after 2 years hacked it all off and just adopted a medium length shaggy hairstyle for the next 20 years or so with a couple of short hair flings just to see what it looked like short.
I am what Bill calls a Born Longhair - having long hair is a part of my identity and I am only now beginning to feel complete and whole on the inside the longer it grows on the outside. Also I see my hair as being a part of me, and it feels like joyful freedom. When I see short hair I think of repression and control which I have fought against all my life.
When working I kept it at medium length but always wanted it longer but was forced to conform to the workplace standards which sucked. As I am now on a Disability Pension and no longer work I am know free to allow mother nature to take it's course.
Duncan
I have always been fascinated with long hair on men all my life, since when I was younger, all guys appeared to have their hair short. When I was younger, I rarely saw men with even shoulder length hair, and I get really interested when I do. I remember on Christmas Eve in 1999, when we go to my grandma's house for the annual get-together, I met up with a long-hair who I talked to for a while. That was the only time I saw him, although my interest on him lasted for a long time due to his long hair. When I went to high school, there were a couple of long-haired guys on campus. I even tried to grow out my hair while I was in high school, but I did not get anywhere with it.
Matthew
I first wanted to grow my hair out because it was 'in' at the time, and because everyone told me not to! And because my heroes had long hair, the rock stars and the hippies of my day, all the people I wanted to be like. I'm still puzzled whenever people use 'hippie' as a derogatory term - I thought they were wonderful. I still do. WTH could be wrong with wanting peace and wanting to protect the environment? And a little weed never hurt anyone. To me the hippies were and are positive role models. My own life has been a bit more conventional, but I could tell a few stories (not online, though).
When I eventually reached the stage of having really long hair in a 'blunt cut', I found that it was much more manageable than short hair or layered hair. YMMV, but I have always had hair that is fine, thin and wavy. It's only since it's been long that it has had enough weight to stay put for longer than five minutes without being combed again. Five minutes is NOT a figure of speech, but the ACTUAL amount of time it stayed in place without combing when it was short, or even when it was long, but in a 'layered' cut.
The only other ways that I know of meeting that last particular goal are either a buzzcut or hairspray/grease/some sort of hair glop! In my day and where I came from the former was only seen on the heads of skinheads with a predilection for beating up Pakistani immigrants and rival soccer fans, which is about as far away from a positive role model as you could possibly get if you tried. Whatever else I wanted to be, I knew for sure that I never wanted to be like them!
As for hairspray, have you felt the touch of lacquered hair? Looks good, feels terrible. I actually tried it in the early '70s, when long, layered, hair was in vogue on both genders. It worked, but I didn't like it. I couldn't bear to touch my own hair, which otherwise ought to be one of the pleasures of having long hair. That's also partly why I grew out all my layers, as they wouldn't stay put without being sprayed in place.
Also though, layers went out of style on guys in favour of a blunt cut, but this was good, because I discovered that without the trims necessary to maintain layers you can grow your hair longer, and it becomes more manageable. That's what you call a win, win scenario.
Women would understand what I am talking about with layered hair, as well as any fellow old farts who are old enough to have worn the style. If you don't know what I'm talking about, all you need to know is never to ask a hair stylist for layers, and if they suggest layers, say no.
I originally grew my hair long because several of my friends had started growing theirs. I kept it long because I liked the feeling, the sort of comfort my hair provided. I also like the look. I like the fact that I can feel comfortable outside the social norm. I also like it long for my dad. He always wanted it long but either his job or my mom wouldn't let him. So it's partially in tribute to him. But most importantly, it's just part of who I am, I'm not happy with myself when I have short hair.
I do it because I want to I guess.