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Hey guys . I've decided to join you all as I've wanted to grow my hair for ages. As you can see from the pic its only 3 months in and its really thick.how long till I reach the all important ponytail phase? Also I wanna grow a long beard too but I can only muster bits of hair under my chin and above my lip presently. Will shaving twice a day make this quicker?
Thanks ste
Ponytail..... anywhere between 12 and 18 more months. Shaving twice a day..... heard that a million times. Sorry to tell you that there's nothing you can do to speed up the development of your facial hair. All you will acomplish is to have oversensitized and very irritated skin on your face. The whole "hair grows faster when you cut, shave, trim it" is one of the biggest lies in the world. Think about it... if there's nothing there... what are you shaving anyway... if all there is are fine white hairs... do you think 1/2 a day is letting them grow. Do yourself a favor and stop it. Don't try it for your hair either. Growing anything requires patience. The only thing that could make your getting facial hair faster is testosterone, and that provided you are genetically designed to grow a full beard. Until I was 23 I had no significant facial hair, and even today at 28 I can't grow a full beard, and it's perfectly normal.
Some people never grow facial hair. Look in your family and if most of the men in it can grow it, you most likely will too. Do not torture your face like that.
Thanks for that. I'm sure it will come. Until then ill just let my hair grow !
Probably about a year for a partial ponytail but you won't be able to tie it all back. Expect closer to 2 years for a full ponytail (like the hair in front going into the tie etc.) I've been growing for probably 15-16 months and the front still doesn't reach all the way to the back.
As for facial hair, not much you can do there. It's mostly up to genetics.
Thanks for that. I'm just not gonna trim at all now and in a couple of years ill look as good as you guys
Welcome steviedee!
Long hair will suit you perfectly!
Ponytail will be a ways away but don't count the days, weeks or months. Just enjoy the journey!
Same for the beard!
Bruce
Hey StevieDee.
I am in the same boat as you. There is a lot of good info here and in the archive to get tips for the transition. Lots of stuff about hair care, styling, etc. One of the best pieces of advise here is the 2 week rule. If you don't know it is:
At any time if you feel like you want to quit and cut your hair, mark the day on a calendar and get it cut off. HOWEVER, if on any day within the week, you aren't 100% sure about cutting it off, then you should stick it out!
One of the most human reactions to anything that takes a while, is the feeling of quitting. Exercise, art projects, etc. all are worthwhile endeavors that can be derailed without patience & dedication.
Speaking of exercise, it is one of the few things that can ensure your hair is growing at full potential. Sometimes we forget to consider our hair as part of the body when trying to grow it. Some people suggest that hair massages and exercise can circulate blood and help your genetic growth rate to preform at maximum. Look up vitamins and food groups that make hair the health and strong. Nothing will push your hair past it's natural growth rate, but you can encourage it to work at it's best. People who are anorexic lose hair because of lacking nutrients. A good diet and plenty of activity will be your best allies. PLENTY of water too. Hair is living in the root like everything else and needs water. Alcohol and sodas will dehydrate you mildly.
This is just what I have read, and I am sure the real long hairs will correct anything I am wrong about. Like I said before, I am about as experienced with long hair as you. I have been reading tons of sites though. You would be surprised how much conflicting info there is out there.
As far as the facial hair goes, there are different chemicals used to make facial hair than other hair, so it's hard to tell facial growth. One good bit of news though, some of what grows facial hair (DHT I think) also regulates hair loss... So maybe you will be holding on to your scalp for a while!
I dunno.. But the reason why facial hair is sometimes falsely thought to grow faster after shaving is because it looks thicker. When hair is exposed to the sun for a while it gets lighter. When it is freshly cut and the dark stubble comes back, it can give the wrong impression of thickness.
I say that if you don't like to be clean shaven (like me) You should try and make it work for you instead of push it to do what it can't. My mustache can't touch my beard, so I fashion it not to try.
Hope this helps and Welcome to the MLHH
Hey rux thanks very much much for your good advice. Maybe we can grow together . Yours looks like taking shape already . I'm just not going to touch mine and hope for the best. I'm 100% commited as looking through this site makes me realise how much better it is with long hair . Like you I've no goal length but at least mid back is good
Yeah, two people suffering through the awkward stage is better than one, misery loves company after all.
I am enjoying the shape it took by chance now, but I am about a month away from the terrible "Afro" stage. Looking into some good leave-in conditioner. something more natural and clean than wax, but good enough to keep it down.
Are you planning on parting it soon? I personally hate how I look with a part, but there is little choice at a certain stage.
Got any friends or family nagging you to cut it? I don't think there is a single person besides my ex-long hair friend who thinks it's a good idea.
Keep at it buddy!
I think mine will be awkward shortly too. I'm gonna have to part it at around Christmas otherwise its just gonna get really messy. But hopefully come spring it can be tied back and start to look long . I think I'm going to go to mid length at least and when my friends and family ask about a haircut I just shrug my shoulders.
Likewise keep at it and know what your doing will be fabulous
Hey Stevie
Like others have said a 'safe' ponytail generally requires about 18 months of growth, though a 'half-tail' can be achieved with around 12 months of growth and was a favourite style of mine whilst growing out all those years ago.
As for beard growth, I'm far from an expert. My own beard growth is exceptionally light. If I shaved today, I might have a 5 o'clock shadow by Christmas. But I doubt shaving twice a day will encourage growth.
Thanks for that sorted . I'm just not gonna chop anything. And do braids stunt growth and what's the minimum length ?
Tight braids like corn-rows, popular with people with Afro-Hair, can cause traction alopecia. Literally they can pull your own hair out. Which isn't conducive to growing your hair long. However, it depends on your hair type. Afro Hair is actually very fragile compared to European hair which in turn is less strong than oriental hair. So it really depends on your hair type and how tightly your hair is braided. Minimum length is about 3 inches, though it can be done by a skilled stylist with less, however the less hair you have the tighter the braids will need to be.
Conversely, loose braids like the ones I'm sporting in my photo above ^^ are actually a good way of protecting your hair from damage. But you need very long hair for this to work. So I'm guessing you are referring to the former.
Thanks for that . I've attached another pic. Like yours my hair is really thick so as I'm only 3 months in i don't think it would be practical to braid anytime soon. Yours are really cool so ill have them when I've grown it really long. In your pics for the double half tail you say this is doable in the awkward stage so how long till I can do this? Also if I dye my hair will it stunt growth? Thanks for all your advice and hopefully in a while my hair will be as fantastic as yours
While dying your hair won't stunt it's growth, be aware that once you start coloring your hair you're basically committed to continuing to dye your hair unless you want to cut it off and start over, or are willing to live with hair that changes color at an abrupt point. The exception is if you use a non-permanent color that is darker than your natural color. It will gradually wash out over a month or so of washing. (There are also temporary colors that only last one wash cycle, but I doubt that's what you're asking about)
--Dale
My Flickr Page
For the double half tail you need your bangs to reach just past your crown when you brush your hair back. And for the hair around your temples and just above your ears to reach the occipital bone at the back your head.
Depending on the size of your head you need about 6-7 inches of growth, so 13-14 months from a buzz-cut. Your hair will typically reach a safe ponytail after 18-22 months from a buzz-cut so this style is useful for the 4-8 months between these stages.
The 'single' half-tail typically becomes viable sooner, particularly if your hair was longer on top than at the sides before you began your journey.
However you can try these styles sooner (I'd say after 10-12 months of growth,) if you are prepared to use a bit or gel to slick your hair back or alternatively some hair pins.
As for dying your hair see, the comment beneath this one for some good advice. Also note that colouring your hair, particularly bleaching it can stress it out and cause damage, so I'd urge caution and only have it done by a trained stylist.