new thread
3 months. Any advice about how I should care for my hair?
Looks good in back. I suggest that you keep it layered as it continues to grow. Looks better, and more interesting.
Keep it clean. Until you get 3 or 4 inches of growth, conditioner isn't really necessary, but if you do use it, do so lightly for now or it will make your hair look greasy. Stay away from scissors.
--Val
Thanks for the advice. I will follow it. I do not use any conditioner at this time. I wash my hair with shampoo on the even numbered days of the month and rinse. On the odd days of the month I wash only with water. When I come out of the shower I comb my hair back and let it air dry. Then I brush it back. I will not let a pair of scissors near my head.
Raymond
Wow,has it been three months already!Your hair does look much different than your last update which shows that its getting longer:)I feel Val gave you good advice on your hair care at this juncture.I can't wait to see you with mid back hair!Cheers
Mark
The biggest temptation many have, is the desire to trim as they enter the awkward stage. Just don't. You will end up prolonging the inevitable. Learn to love hair gel, Pantene makes an alcohol free one. Use gel to tame unruly locks.
"Use gel to tame unruly locks."
I would qualify that statement with "... if and when necessary." Or just let 'em be unruly. If you try too hard, it will look like you're trying too hard. The "awkward stage" is a great opportunity to let yourself be--and appear--wild and untamed.
--Val
Validus,
Thanks for your message here. I look forward to having long hair which will just fall freely over my shoulders and down my body. I look forward to it blowing freely in the wind. When I need to look "neat and professional" I will put it up in a pony tail. When the ponytail is long enough I can hide it under my collar.
Do you let your hair flow "free and wild"?
Raymond
The "coolest" look for me during the awkward stage, by far, results when I simply shampoo my hair, condition it, lightly towel dry it, and then either finger comb or lightly brush out the tangles. I'll give it a loose smoothing over with my fingers, shake it out a bit (sort of like a dog shaking the water off), and just let it be. This looks much better than trying to keep every hair in place (which won't happen, no matter what).
--Val
Hey Validus,
If you don't mind me asking; how long is your hair?
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
I'm presently at about 9 months worth of growth from a bare scalp (roughly 5 inches), although I didn't start growing it from bald this time around. The longest my hair has been is about mid-shoulder blade length, but that was nearly 17 years ago. My role in this community over the past several years has largely been one of support for other men (and my own sons) in growing their hair long. I've made a few half-hearted attempts at it myself during this time, but only recently have I felt that the time is finally "right" for me to do this for myself.
The image above shows my hair at 8 months from a bare scalp. It is now perhaps an inch longer than pictured.
--Val
Val, you've been very helpful to many people on this site. James/Tampa.Fl
Thanks, James :)
Val,
You've got a fabulous head of hair perfect for growing long! It was cool to see a recent picture and I urge you to keep on growing!!
You're definitely a constant source of support here and your intelligent and well-written posts are always appreciated.
Now emerge from that shorthaired chrysalis and join our longhaired bunch for good!!
Jason
Thanks for the kind and encouraging words, Jason. It means a lot to me, as you've been one of my "hairoes" since I first stumbled upon this community years ago. The picture above was actually taken some time last year, during a previous attempt at growing my hair long, though I cut it shortly thereafter while embarking on my second career and job hunting as a newly registered nurse. I'm now at a point in my life, both personally and professionally, in which I know I can provide for my family without compromising my own integrity and self-identity as a long-haired man.
--Val
I'm now at a point in my life, both personally and professionally, in which I know I can provide for my family without compromising my own integrity and self-identity as a long-haired man.
I remember you mentioned in the past about your need to remain shorthaired while seeking a position as a nurse. This is tremendous news that you have now reached the point where this will no longer be necessary. I hope that you'll take us along for the ride with regular progress updates.
I'm honored to be one of your 'hairoes'! :D
Hey Validus,
Thanks for the pic, bro.
God bless you for your work as a Registered Nurse. I serve as a chaplain in our local hospital. My nephew is studying to be a nurse. He is twenty (20) years old. I don't think he is a long hair. However, there is a nurse in the San Juan Regional Medical Center who has his hair in a pony tail and it is somewhere between half way between mid shoulder blade length and mid back length. There is a male social worker who has noticably longer hair, approximately collar length.
Thanks for the inspiration which you give to me and to the other guys. You said that yoou are encouraging your sons to grow their hair long.Are they longhairs? Do they enjoy growing their hair long? Are they discouraged (teased) by their peers from keeping their hair long?I'm sure that you must be very proud of them and that their hair must look spectacular!
Your hair looks awesome and you say that it is now one (1) in. longer! You have given me much encouragement to grow out my hair. Let me begin to return the favor. Your hair looks awesome. I hope that you grow it to terminal length. As Jason said, it is time to come forth from your cocoon and fly with us in beauty and majesty. I think that you have earned the right to grow your hair to whatever length you want. Our longhaired presense will inspire others to live freely and to express themselves freely. A definition of health is the ability to grow. Keep us posted as to how you are growing.
Raymond
Thanks you for your encouraging words, Raymond. It will be my pleasure to share with you in the journey to longhairdom.
I have four children, two boys and two girls. All have long hair of their own volition. My older son, now 10, has received some teasing about it from time to time, but he is a very strong-spirited lad, and doesn't let it get to him. My youngest son, at the age of 3, sometimes gets mistaken for a girl, although experiencing just 30 seconds of his very masculine personality is usually enough to set the record straight! Neither of them wish to have their hair cut short, and my wife and I are happy to let them wear it as they please. Above is a picture of my oldest boy, taken this weekend as he was giving his little sister a ride on our friend's paddle boat. As you can see, they didn't inherit their light color from me!
--Val
Hey Validus,
Thanks for sharing the pics of your two (2) sons with me. Their hair is stunning. I'm glad that your oldest son is strong-spirited and that he doesn't allow some slurs from others discourage him from growing his hair and thereby expressing fully who hs is; a born longhair. I'm glad that all four (4) of your children have chosen to grow their hair out. From the pictures they seem to be fun-loving youngsters. I hope that the valuable lesson which you and your wife are teaching to your children, especially your sons to express themselves and who they are even in the face of opposition will help them to grow strong and confident in character and personality. You and your wife are to be commended and applauded for encouraging your children, especially your boys to grow their hair out naturally. I hope that they choose to grow their hair to terminal length and never to cut it. You should be very proud.
As for you and me, our freedom to express ourselves has been long in coming and hard won. I sincerely thank you for the help you have given me by way of advise in having the courage to grow my hair out. I also thank you for the encouraging words you have given to during these last months to resist opposition and to be strong and confident enough to be who I am; a born-longhair. I am grateful to all of the guys on this hyperboard for their encouragement and support to be the longhair I was born to be. Are you taking biotin? I hope to purchase some at GNC and I will let you know what I experience. Let me know when you reach your milestones such as the awkward phase, being able to bite your hair, being able to put your hair into a ponytail, when your hair first touches your shoulders, . . . etc. I will do likewise. Go for terminal length, bro. I'm pleased and honored to share this journey with you.
Your longhaired bro,
Raymond
Thanks again for your kind words, Raymond. It's appreciated.
As of now, my goal length for hair growth is mid-back, although I may very well decide to go for terminal length at that point. Yes, I do take biotin (2 milligrams daily), and have noticed accelerated growth of my hair and nails while taking it. I would recommend finding an inexpensive brand at a department store, and suggest a dose between 1 and 3 milligrams per day. More than that shouldn't hurt you, as it's a water soluble vitamin, but at that point you'll just be creating expensive urine, as the excess will be excreted via the kidneys.
I'm looking forward to your future updates, and intend to post my own, as well, probably on a bimonthly basis.
Best regards,
Val
Val- It's great that you are letting your kids find their own identity and not subject them to today's conformity standards of ones image...I have never seen a picture of how long your hair is...Would be great too see an image of your length.
Great photos of your children, Val. It's so refreshing to see. Your sons certainly wear their long hair well.
Thank you, Jason. My wife and I have certainly enjoyed having longhaired sons, despite the occassional annoyance of small-minded people. One lesson we can be sure our children have learned is that authenticity trumps blind conformity every time! The fact that the vast majority of the MLHH's members--and of men's longhairdom in general--realize and embody this, is truly refreshing to me.
Have a great weekend, my friend :)
--Val
authenticity trumps blind conformity every time
Words to live by!
Jason, love the words of wisdom, take care James / Tampa,Fl
In the image above, my 3-year-old son is pictured in the forefront, reveling in the joy that is roasted marshmallows :)
--Val
Good progress, like said before keep it clean.
You can also try to wash with water more often and with shampoo less often. The longer the hair gets the more oil is soaked up so the longer you can go without shampoo. Shampoo is very harsh on the hair so don't use it to often or to much at a time.
I stopped using shampoo and only use conditioner and my hair improved a lot. But I must warn you it can be a bit oily in the beginning as your hair has to ajust.
Hey Vincent,
At this point, how often should I wash my hair with shampoo?
Raymond
Everybody's hair is different, and some need to use shampoo more often than others. Trial and error is the only way to learn what's best for yourself. Once you've grown a few inches of hair, however, it's generally a good idea to use conditioner after shampooing, as the ends of your hair (the oldest part of the strand) will need the rejuvenation and protection from the elements.
--Val
Like Validus says, just experiment everybody has different a hair type. As long as it looks clean it's ok.
What you do now with the odd and even day's sounds great. After that you can try to go two days between washing and so on. Or you can use less shampoo and see if it still cleans you hair. I found out I only need a tiny drop.
Hi Raymond,
I agree with Val, Hairball, and Carol.... So do as my heading says...............
Glinka
Good advice from everyone so far, I agree with Vincent about just rinsing in warm water most of the time, but I do shampoo once a week after applying Vatika the night before. Yiur hair is certainly progressing well.
Ian
Looking good brah! You've got a wicked low hairline... I'm a little jelly.
Just keep it growing and don't trim would be my advice !
cheers
It looks beautiful just the way it is. :)
It's most important to get good nutrition. That's where hair comes from. Beauty is an expression of health, and health is dynamic. Black tea slows aging. That's from 'The Ultimate Tea Diet' by Mark 'Dr. Tea' Ukra. Beans & grains lower blood sugar and reduce cholesterol, tea dissolves fats, almost eliminating clogged arteries, Lots of dairy provides lots of building blocks for hair among other things.
Nice to hear from you. Take care.
- John C
Hey John C.,
Thanks for the nutritional information. I am very interested in optimum nutrition. Nutritional information that will help to promote health, longevity, and hair growth is especially interesting to me.
Thanks again!
Raymond
You're welcome Raymond, I'm sure. I'd recommend that tea book highly to look into for it's wealth of information. Tea is one of the fountains of youth, which was a goal to find all my life. ;p Especially the chapters on teas' health benefits, and comparison to coffee, which is detrimental. When I was nineteen a good female friend taught me nutrition and cooking by giving me a very good book which has colored my life immeasurably. It is, 'Laurels' Kitchen. A Handbook of Vegetarian Cookery And Nutrition.' Some of the information is outdated, like the belief that all saturated fats are bad. Coconut oil is saturated but actually lowers cholesterol. Those studies of fats four decades ago were done on hydrogenated coconut oil. Any hydrogenated oil is no good anymore.
Hey John C,
I picked up some Black Tea ith Ginsing and honey this evening. I had some with supper this evening.
What food enhances and supports hair growth?
Thanks for the recommendation of the book.
Raymond
A relatively inexpensive nutritional supplement which, in my own experience, seems to accelerate the growth and improve the health of hair, is biotin (one of the "B-vitamins"). It is actually beneficial for one's skin and nails, as well. I take two milligrams daily, at a cost of approximately 10 cents per day.
--Val
Hey Val,
Thanks for recommending Biotin. I'll give it a try and I'll let you know what the results are in my next Update report.
Thanks again, bro!
Raymond
Val, my brother john has always had a knowledge of supplements and he buys his in bulk form for a lot less, and this is going to sound strange but everything that people use so do race horses but obviously in a larger portion but anything that you may need in the way of supplements can be bought online in bulk very cheap for race horses. p.s. sometimes i think that racehorses are are taken better care of than the best human athletes on the planet.
James / Tampa,Fl
Thanks Val!! ;p I knew there were things like this & have heard people writing about them but didn't know exactly what it was or that it was indeed natural!! Didn't know it was cheap either!! Cool!! ;p I'll have to look into it!
- John C
Val-You are correct on Biotin, I have been taking it for almost three months now and the results have been awesome! I can really see the difference in less shedding and looks thicker and shinier...I was at friends get together last week and a couple of people who haven't seen me in awhile asked me if I permed my hair because it looked fuller...I was of-course not, it's just growing and getting fuller.
Hello Raymond.. I dont intend to lead the board astray with my post, or even start a theological discussion here... haha, but I seem to have read on your blog youre a catholic priest. Its amazingly interesting for me, who spent two years in Seminary back when I lived in Spain, yet dropped out for my own reasons.. Its extremelly interesting to me, since I had never seen a longhaired father back in Spain, so I just think its awesome youre growing yours...
Cheers from Miami, Rick
Hey Rick,
Yes, I am proudly a Catholic priest. I am also a longhair. I don't think that the two are necessarily incompatible. I want to try the longhair part of me. I realize that being a longhair makes me a minority in the adult male population and it makes me a minority among my brother priests. I intend to style my hair in a "neat and professional" way. When my hair is long enough I intend to put it into a very tight ponytail. When the ponytail is long enough I intend to "hind" it by putting it under my collar. When I had my hair "buzzed cut" three (3) months ago many people especially older women said that they missed my locks. I do not want my hair to become offensive to others such that it would drive a wedge between them and God.
I would appreciate your thoughts, bro.
Raymond
Hello Raymond. I have to apologize for the delay.. but Ive been awfully busy these days with my new job and quite frankly, the board just slipped me. I have nothing but encouragement for you, father Raymond. As I said earlier, I grew up in Spain, and went for two years on to become a priest myself. Back there we had a young teacher, called Father Rafael, he wasnt a long hair, but his attitude was a very refresing one. Being in his 30's he clicked very well with young guys like us, and would come on after school to have one beer and chat about cars, videogames, and what not. This father is probably one of the ones that marked my youth the most and I always remember him with great affection, even though I desisted in finishing my studies.
Where I am getting is, the church is a great institution with its virtues and defects, and sometimes unfortunately tradition over imposes faith. We, the flock, can be deceived by what we always have seen done one way to be the correct and only way. Your approach to this, If you allow me, should not be to hide and trying to mask these changes, but rather to educate your flock. Teach them and guide them towards the light. Father anyone can read words written in a book, anyone can painlessly follow the road already marked, but its up to you, the everyday priest to guide these people according to your best judgement. If anyone becomes offended by your hair, and Im sure some will, then engage them, and ask them for reasons, and give them answers. Teach them rather than letting them become more astray due to your omission. Far more can be told about the piety of an individual than the hair speaks, and your actions, not your look is what will count at the end. I am very excited about this you are doing and I hope you will keep us posted, for is something important is being achieved in this blog, something greater is what you undertaking on your daily life. I await your comments... Greetings from Miami. Rick
Raymond, how does your archdiocese feel about it? James / Tampa.Fl
Hey James,
My beloved diocese is the Diocese of Gallup. I haven't seen anything in writting about a priest's choice of hair length. The priest with whom I live just suggested to me today that I cut the hair on the side of my head very short and he would get a red dye for my hair. I don't think I replied to him.
Our bishop, Bishop James Wall is about 46 years old. He has a shaved head.
I think that I should not draw undue attention to myself. However, I am a longhair, a born longhair. I have desired long hair for as long as I can remember. I feel a bond with other guys with long hair. I think that I can grow my hair long and keep it neat and non-obtrusive by pulling it back into a tight pony tail. In that way if you look at me directly into my face you percieve a man who has his hair combed back. I will then "hide" my pony tail under my collar. At night when I am in my room and when I am away I will let my hair fly freely.
Raymond
Raymond, the hard part is getting past the 16-19 month thats about the time you can get thing into a tail maybe. anyway i wish you the best of luck, i read alot and i know there hierarchal rules in the faith you are living with.all the best to you and may the light of the lord help you through this. James/Tampa,Fl
Hey James,
Thanks for the words of encouragement, bro. I will keep the board posted as to the progress of my hair and to reactions to it.
Raymond
Raymond, I agree with Kubanpanzer that you should not hide your hair, but rather engage the curious in conversation about it. I was raised Catholic, but as an adult left the Catholic denomination to become a non-denominational Christian. One of the main reasons I left the Catholic denomination is that very little was ever explained to me; they would teach "do this, don't do that," "believe this, not that," "behave this way, not that," but seldom actually explain WHY. If you try to hide your hair in the hopes that no one will ask about it - or be offended by it, you are closing the door to honest conversation, explanation, understanding, acceptance, and enlightenment. If you invite people to share their thoughts/feelings about your hair, you are opening the door to all of the aforementioned. Perhaps God is calling you to grow long hair for a reason, a reason you do not know yet, the affects of which you cannot predict - a personal trial, so that you may better understand something that you do not now fully understand. You know He does not always work in straightforward, obvious ways. What you ultimately learn may have nothing to do with hair. If you are not already keeping a personal daily/weekly written journal, I suggest that you do so, for writing frequently brings clarity. And I thank you for your service, Father Raymond.
Hey Laura,
Thanks for your words of encouragement. I will heed what you say and I will keep the board posted on my hair and on reactions to it and what I learn.
Raymond