new thread
Hey ya'll. Found your board while surfing the web today, so I though I would join and get some advice.
I am planning on growing my hair out; I don't know the exact length I'm aiming for, but shoulder-midback is going to be my starting goal.
I don't have a camera with me now (I'm in college) so you'll have to excuse the webcam shots.
So what should I be keeping in mind at this point? I have a lot of cowlicks. My hair seems straight, and I really like its color (actually a medium red-brown).
I just use a shampoo-conditioner mix (yay cheap college student)
Whats the way to approach this?
Thanks
Brad
Hey Brad. As a beginner you're probably 'overthinking' about growing out your hair. I did this also and would obsess about length. I've learned to just take care of it by washing and JUST let it grow.
Since you're starting out I advise strongly against getting trims. When your hair is near your goal then maybe get a trim if you really really want to. But, you won't need one if you take care of it.
Good luck, and keep it growing.
Hi Brad,
Welcome to the hyperboard. In my opinion it's the best place to go for men's long hair advice.
I also have straight hair like yours. Your hair right now is about the length mine was when I decided to stop cutting it (about 8 months ago), so I can give you a little glimpse into the future.
As it gets longer, the cowlicks should flatten out due to the weight of the hair, but until then you will be going through what is known as the "awkward stage" (starting about now for you and going on until the hair can be tied back reliably). During this time your hair will probably curl around the neck and generally be quite unruly. However, please resist the urge to trim your hair at any point until it gets to your desired length as this will just prolong the awkward stage. The vast majority of the people on this site will attest to this.
I would forgo the shampoo/conditioner mix and buy the products separately. The conditioner needs time to work into the hair to re-oil it and it doesn't really work with the shampoo in there at the same time washing the oils away. Your hair now is going to be around for a while so it's best to start getting into good hair care habits. If money is a concern, just think about all the cash you'll be saving by not getting haircuts or trims.
Finally, I would read Bill Choisser's page "On Being a Longhair"
http://www.choisser.com/longhair/
Most of the advice I have just given I learned from Bill's page.
Good luck in your journey to long hair!
-Dan
Hello!
Buy conditioner and shampoo seperately, personally I use surpermarket value conditioner... the funny thing is i find it does a better job than the expensive versions! It's worth a try, and is also a good habit.
Avoid getting trims until you are near your goal :)
"Buy conditioner and shampoo seperately..."
I agree because how can a shampoo+conditioner mix work?
-Shampoo gets rid of oleosity
-Conditioner brings the oleosity back
The shampoo will cancellate the conditioner and vice versa, so you're washing your hair with just water.
Good advice from the others, and hide the scissors!
Bruce
I agree with the rest of the guys, stay away from the shampoo and conditioner two-in-one stuff. It's bad news. Then again, I don't use shampoo or conditioner, ever (not for almost two years now).
As for letting it grow? My only advice is don't cut it! A lot of guys fall into the trap of getting "trims". The only real purpose of a trim is to get rid of unruly split ends, but if your goal is length then you need not worry about that. Just don't cut it until it's at a length you're happy with.
And NEVER believe any stupid myth about hair, such as trimming it makes it grow faster, etc.
Also, basically the entire back of my head is cowlicked. The only time it's noticeable is when I neglect to clean my hair and oil starts to accumulate. Otherwise it just gets flattened down by the weight of the hair.
Okay, so I guess I basically just paraphrased every other post in this thread. Ah well.
Stay away from scissors!
That's such a cool color you got there!
No worries, just let your hair grow and don't stress about it for now.
-Andrea