new thread
Hello everyone. I stumbled upon this board after reading an article on the net about hair growing and some tips about it. This is my first time ever really letting my hair grow out, so I have a lot to learn about taking care of it, how to treat it right so it continues to grow and stay strong, etc.
I started growing in October of 2009. This is (so far) the longest my hair has ever been and I am pretty happy with it, even though most of the time I look pretty shaggy and unkempt, despite my best efforts to make it look presentable. I did have a few questions.
Some of my main concerns are: How often should I get the ends of my hair cut for split ends? Is it normal that every time I comb my hair I comb out hairs (Sometimes I comb out none, sometimes it's around 5 strands or so) Should I start washing my hair with expensive shampoo and conditioner or is it really not necessary? I have more questions but I'll leave it at that right now.
I'm including two pictures. The one with the short hair is from October, and the one with my hair longer is from today. I know people's hair growth varies on a bunch of different things, but does this look like a somewhat natural length for the amount of time I have been growing?
Well, I apologize that this is turning into a novel, so I will end it here. Any help is appreciated!
I see a lot of pictures and stories on here that are inspiring, and make me want to continue on my quest to become a long haired man.
I did not start trimming the edges until it got to my shoulders.
Others on here suggest not trimming it at all but if you don't you will get split ends.
I've did research and split ended hair does not grow to its fullest potential and it makes it much easier to break off. Not to mention it doesn't look as good as trimmed, kempt hair.
I suggest trimming not even half a inch of every 4 months or 6 months. It's up to you though.
You don't need to buy expensive stuff. I just use simple shampoo and conditioner you buy from wal-mart. The kind specified for your type of hair of course.
It's normal to comb out some strands of hair. Your hair sheds.
As it gets longer you'll accumulate more hair it seems.
One tip. Don't vigorously towel dry your hair. just gently press the towel to it and Don't blow dry. the less heat and chemicals to your hair the better!
I would get a wide tooth comb for your hair and when it is wet go through it very slowly and gently. starting at the bottom then working to the top back down.
Good luck on growing you hair. As you probably know patience is a big key on the journey to the length you desire. =)
Any other questions feel free to ask.
Thank you all so far for the great advice you have given. I can tell you all know hair very well because you have pegged things about me spot on. I appreciate all the compliments and will post more pictures when a noticeable difference has taken place. Thanks again!
Looks like yer well on your way keep it growin man.
Welcome to the board! You may have to experiment around to find what works best for your hair type as far as routines go. You look like you have straight hair however I thought I had just plain straight hair too before I started growing out, but now its shoulder length and I can get into into a good ponytail and its straight except it has curls at the bottom, which I like, so you may end up with a slightly different type of hair then you thought you had. It is important to have a good routine down, as far as combing/brushing your hair goes it is recommended that you start near the ends of your hair and work your way up so you don't push the tangles down into each other (thus creating a bigger tangle). Try to make a habit of keeping your hair untangled every day and you will enjoy your hair much more, a quick few minutes with a detangling device of your choice (I prefer my fingers) at intervals of your choice throughout the day makes all the difference in the world. Since your hair appears to be straight it may be worth getting a boar bristle brush, these can be used to move your hairs natural oils from the scalp (where you don't want it) along the hair shaft to the ends. At risk of going on for too long about hair care I will leave it at there, I am sure other members of the board have much to contribute, good luck!
Hi Orin and welcome to the mlhh!I have to be honest,and a bit biased,but you look light years better with longer hair even going into awkward stage.That's what you will experience early on and why your hair will be difficult to manage until it gets long enough to tail.I'd avoid trimming at all since it will only make your journey through the awkward stage that much longer.Doing a search and destroy method for splits is fine but your hair is young and I can't imagine you having that problem for awhile.Your start looks encouraging and in a year you will look back and be amazed how cool you look:)Beyond that is icing on the cake!Cheers and happy growing:)
Mark
Welcome to the Hyperboard!
Do not trim your hair until you get it to you desired lenth and you want to even the hsir or something like that and make sure you use a brush with bubbles at the ends and "brush" your hair every day so it would not "dread" (get rat's nests and so foth)
Your freind
Birdman
You have come to the right place. Below is a link to a site from our former tech crew chief, it has a lot of good info you might find interesting and will answer many questions you may have. If you have some time give it a read. This is also in our links section.
Also a hearty welcome to the group.
Kevin
Welcome Orin !
Your transformation is already incredible...the longer hair and facial hair really give you a overall great appearance.
Your hair has a fine texture, so you will likely have some fly-a-ways, flips and frizz while going through the awkward stage.....keep in touch with the board and we will get you through it......colour is wonderful.
As you have always had short hair, the new length will feel strange and you may think it is "messy"...not so, the joy of longhair is to let it move naturally with an ever changing appearance. Your straight hair will make a great ponytail.
Good Luck and I look forward to following your progress.
WWT (Walter White Tail)
Me 2. About 4 years ago.
Indeed. It is certainly a learning curve but the community is here to help. The archives are an invaluable source of information too.
Longest ever? I had buzz cuts and very short hair most of my life too, mainly because of school restrictions on growing hair.
It doesn't look messy to me. Quite nice actually.
You shouldn't have to worry about split ends yet, maybe in another year or 1.5 years. Right now you just need max length.
Hair shedding is normal. Best thing is to find a S&C combination that works best for you and your hair type. I have curly hair so I hardly even use shampoo and stick with natural conditioner(cone free).
Making solid progress. Love the orange colour. Will look great as it gets longer.
I'm notorious for writing 'essays' on forums, lol. I can put everyone to sleep if i wanted to. lol.
Right on!
Welcome Orin!
It looks like you are of to a great start. Others have pretty much offered some great advice to start with. If you take good care of your hair, I don't think you'll need to worry about split ends for a few years.
Treat your hair gently like a fine wool sweater that you don't want to wear out.
- Oren
Great change, I like the beard as well!