new thread
Hey guys, this is a wonderful board you have. I've really enjoyed looking around.
I've begun growing my hair out from a short buzz cut, and it's a fair 1 inch so far. My goal is 12 inches or so.
The hair on the back of my neck (nape) grows down particularly far, fairly close to the end of my neck. I'm unsure of how to get my nape cut if my plans are, as I said, to have 12 inch hair. I don't want it to look terribly unruly. I got my nape trimmed a week ago, in a similar manner that someone with a short haircut like mine gets their nape trimmed. I'm just fairly confused on the correct approach.
Thanks guys!
Never limit yourself on how long you want to grow it since in the future you may decide to have different plans.
Also avoid trims at all cost they make you look weirder, and on top of that they REALLLY slow down the already slow process of growing your hair. Since you never really had to take care of you hair and your planning to grow it, you may consider treating your hair very well. Avoid any type of harmful chemicals, if your curly or wavy please refrain from using straighteners the extreme heat damages your hair and makes it more prone to breakage and wear.
If you are talking about the baby fine hairs on the back of your neck as I think you are, than trimming that is fine as unless I'm just unique, they will never grow beyond an inch or two. I trim mine fairly often, mostly because if I don't then people start to realize that either I'm related to Bigfoot, the missing link, or a wolfman, before I even take off my shirt. But if you are not a very hairy person it may not matter, as your hair gets longer it will just cover those hairs up.
As far as other trims I would avoid them if at all possible. Hair grows slowly, if you trim even an inch you just added months to the time it takes to reach your goal. Oh and I'd leave my options open for length as well, it get to 12 inches will take a while, you may just decide on a different goal before you get there.
They aren't fine, really - they look and feel just like other hairs - they are adult, terminal hairs.
I'm a teenager, but I have a feeling I'm going to be fairly hairy. I'm going to try to put a picture of what I'm talking about.
Thanks everyone!
Hi Jemaine,
It seems you are about to enter the infamous "awkward stage". This is a period of time starting a few months from your last haircut until about 1 1/2 years into the process. During this time your hair will look scraggly, messy, and generally go in every direction except the direction you want it to go (down!).
The thing about growing long hair, and what most men new to the process aren't used to, is the fact that trimming does NOT make your hair neater. It will take you longer to reach your goal since you'll have to go through the same stage again and again thus making your hair MESSIER.
The simplest, easiest way to your goal is simply to let it grow and do absolutely nothing to it beyond washing and conditioning. Your hair is way too short to even consider trimming. The awkward stage is something we all have to go through and the best way through it is to tough it out.
I might recommend you take a look at Bill Choisser's (a member of this board) "On Being a Longhair". It is a highly informative read for new starters. Most of my advice here is gleamed from it:
http://www.choisser.com/longhair/
Good luck on your hair-growing journey,
-Dan
Thanks, I appreciate the info.
I do have a question, though. Is there any particular way I need to comb my hair? I can't part it at this point, but should I comb it up, comb it down, or does it even matter? I comb it down for school, since it's the most "tamed" look I can manage.
- Jemaine
The main issue is when you wear a ponytail. Personally, I don't get the back of my neck trimmed, but a lot of longhairs do.
The neck hairs show less with a low ponytail than with a high one (which is why high ponytails tend to be worn more by the gentler sex, who [usually] have less neck hair), and a braid shows the neck hairs less than a ponytail does, but requires longer hair to work unless the hair is 'blunt cut' to one length. Of course, long hair worn down won't show the back of your neck atall.
OTOH, if you continue to have your neck hair trimmed, it won't take so long to grow out if you change your mind, as it never grows as long as head hair. However, you should try to get only the naturally short hairs trimmed and not the longer head hair further up your neck, albeit that's easier said than done when it's at the back of your head where you can't see.