First post here. I am trying to grow my hair to legth but have basically gotten to the awkward and annoying stage. Should I be trimming the hair on the back of my head near the top of my neck to let the rest of my hair on front and on the sides catch up??
If I don't, it looks like I will be sporting one of those 80s style mullets soon....have read on some posts that you just let it grow. Sorry no pics, but my hair is physically thin( ie the strands) and I get significant "flipping" in the back....Any suggestions?
If it really bothers you you can trim the back of the neck hairs till the rest of your hair grows out to cover it but I would just recommend growing it without cutting. I also experienced "flipping" in the hair, and it annoyed me, but after it gets a bit longer the flip will most likely (well it did for me anyways) turn into waves/curls.
Good luck
One of the reasons so many here advise NOT to go get trims is that many guys have posted some horrible experiences with salons and stylists. You can avoid 99% those problems if you go to a reputable salon, preferably one that you've learned about that has a longhair following (this can be recommendations from long-haired women, if you don't know many longhaired men in your area).
Generally speaking, stay far far away from the cheap haircutting chain salons -- even women I know have complained that everybody that walks out of those places all look alike!
If you DON'T trim, your hair will get looooong FASTER, -- in other words, you'll at least get through the "awkward stages" faster! But, I myself didn't necessarily care about "speed", especially the first time I ever grew my hair out (during the '90s): I was more interested in trying out different longhaired styles on me, including how my hair looked DURING the "in-between" stages...
Having said the above comments, during my 2nd time of growing my hair out (after a stupid decision to cut my hair short during the summer of Y2K), in that case, I just wanted my long hair back -- so, I did less trimming in general, and no "re-styling" trims (only trimmed off half an inch each time I went to my stylist guy.
Nowadays i don't even go in for ANY professional trims, because my hair is long enough to simply trim the split ends on my own (using what is often called the "Search & Destroy" method of trimming individual hairs w/ split ends).
It's all up to you, and whatever makes you happiest during the awkward stages. For me personally, if I can't stand the way I look, and if a small trim would make me feel I can endure the awkward stages better, I'd opt in favor of a trim... YES, it will delay my getting it long enough to tie back into a tail by a month or 2; but if it helps me ENJOY the awkward stages more, then this is why I did trim during my own awkward stages while I was first growing...
Just go to a very highly reputable salon -- even though it will cost you more $$$, they are WORTH IT!!!
- Ken in San Francisco
I don't mind mullets but they are a little outdated and might be the source of much ridicule in regards to your hair and appearance. A short fringe(like what I wear) is a much better option to help you get through the awkward stage . You only need to trim the hairs on the front of the head so you're not loosing any length.
Mullets are awesome =)
But seriously: Keep the long hair in the back. The awkward stage will last shorter. If you think you look silly. Put some gel in your fringe and slick your hair back. It will appear longer than it really is. Plus if you don't trim it, our hair will have nice layers when it gets longer.
Good luck with your hair!
// JIM