new thread
Long story short, I have recently lost almost everything I have plus I don't have a job so I am living with my (very loving) parents temporarily while looking for work. I have been growing my hair out for 1 1/2 years now so I probably have about 9 inches of hair or so. I do not have a pic but my hair is very curly, frizzy, afro-like. It is like a giant fluffball on my head, very wild looking. I personally love it but apparently not too many others do. My parents tell me that no one will hire me looking like this and I understand. They are basically forcing me to cut or put me on the streets. They told me if I had straight hair it would be a little different. I am thinking in a few months or more it will be long enough to keep pulled back but it is not quite there yet. I wonder if there is a styling product that would make my hair look decent. I don't know but if I cut I will have to cut most of it off because it looks wild after just a couple inches of length and I never would've started growing and wearing this ridiculous hair on my head for the last year or more if I knew I was just going to cut it off. I guess I need to get some kind of styling product and hope it works. I'll see if I can get you guys a picture. Any styling product suggestions for giant frizzy hair? I just heard of Redken curl perfector I am going to see if I can afford it and if it actually does anything for me.
Sorry to hear about your troubles, Drew. Don't take this the wrong way please, but from what you've described your parents don't sound too loving. Anyone who threatens someone to give up something they love or else they kick them out is not loving in my book. I know you are going through some rough times, and again I sympathize, but I think the last thing you should do is cut it. If you have to use gel or product to style it, I say do that. I also think you should sit your parents down and tell them how much it means to you, and if they are loving parents they want you to be happy and respect how you feel.
Now that my rant is complete, i think if you are able, use some gel or mousse and use it to pull your hair back. It may not reach into a ponytail, but it may be more socially acceptable.
Good luck, my friend.
...which is interesting since your having curly hair is THEIR FAULT, not yours!
When you talk to them, you might mention that not looking like what seems right for yourself will cause you to take a major hit on your self-esteem, and people lacking self-esteem are easy for employers to spot (you can't hide it) and are seldom hired.
Bill
If you truly desire long hair then I'd say stick with it and don't cut it, or you'll lose all of your current progress and feel quite bad about it. There is probably some way you can slick it back or hide it under a hat or something until it grows past the fro-stage. I know curly hair takes longer to grow out but in my opinion it's some of the best looking once it gets long! Best wishes.
I have curly hair as well. Marc Anthony's "Strictly Curls" helps tame it down a lot while maintaining some waves in your hair. You could give it a shot.
It's a tough time for you. I hope that your life improves.
Do you have enough money to buy a wig to cover your real hair until you find a new job?
yeah this isnt so much about my parents wanting me to cut as much as it is about being able to find somebody who will hire me with this mess on my head. i almost feel like an idiot applying to these places with this giant ridiculous hair, why would these customer service places hire me like this? i gotta find a product for my hair or cut. ill figure it out i am sure. the thing is, if i cut when am i going to be able to grow it out again? ive been trying to grow my hair out for 5 years or more but there is always some social reason why i can't grow out my wild looking hair. to the rest of you, grow on!
I was going to say that your only 'out' from the situation is to straighten your hair somehow, but it sounds like you aren't into the 'freakout' either, not just your folks. It will (eventually) stop growing straight outwards and grow down instead when it is longer and has some weight to it, so it sounds like you only need a relatively temporary solution (just for another year or two, LOL!).
I wish I knew the perfect product to suggest, but the only thing I can say is don't use a straightening iron - they work but they damage your hair. Only people with short hair can afford damage, because they just get the damage cut off repeatedly. My own hair is thin and fine with soft waves, so let's hope that someone with the same type of hair as you posts the answer to your problem.
Well, it might just be kinda like this as the Country stands at this very moment:
Long Hair, Short Hair, Banker Haircuts, Highest of high College Degrees, Post Graduate Studies and even 35 years of A+ working experience = NO JOBS. During a time of economic collapse even the best cannot find employment at McDonalds. A nation that once produced things, is now one involved in wars all the time.
Funny but not really. As we slip further it just may be that Long Hair on Men will be seen everywhere. People will not be able to afford Haircuts and Food is a top priority.
People get so hung up on the idea that having long hair might prevent them from getting a job, but the fact of the matter is that having short hair will not guarantee you employment, either. Even then, if cutting off your hair--altering your physical appearance and literally becoming something you don't want to be--is what it takes to be employed, how HAPPY will you really be? My advice is to stick it out, get creative, and figure out how to make your way in this world as yourself, an authentic human being. When it's all over, it's the only choice you won't regret.
--Val
Justin, those are very wise words and you are very astute. The endless warfare and meddling in other countries has brought this country down to its knees economically.
Whatever a person's appearance or education level or work experience won't change the fact that there aren't enough jobs to go around right now.
Hearing a longhair complaining of his parents' severe disapproval never leaves me without painful reminiscence. It's one of the most painful, yet most nonsensical fights a young person can engage in. I guess I saved myself from getting kicked out by being a good student and respectful, otherwise none of my father's threats EVER made me cut my hair. I suppose you, too, can try my method, though I don't know how allowing your parents are.
Also, like Justin said, how come they don't know that nowadays all sorts of males are equal in their chances to get a job? And how will the employer be convinced of your PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE on the basis of your HAIR LENGTH? I mean, the solution is an absolute no-brainer, it's as logical as they come. You can work if you can work, not if, by some magical means, your hairstyle (?!) allows you so.