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Given that it had been almost four years since I had had a comparable cut to the one I had a week and a half ago, I had a little trepidation about how I would feel as the days passed. Would I still be happy with my decision? Would I miss the length? How would I now feel about wearing it loose?
The truth was that I had reached a critical point with my hair. I would never cut it short, of course, but I was just not getting the enjoyment out of it as I had in the past. I guess you could say it felt stale. When I was first in the growing out process, I naively thought it would not only keep getting longer but keep looking good right to the ends. It was a bit of a harsh reality when I had to confront the fact that I wasn’t particularly pleased with how my hair was looking.
Now, almost two weeks later, I can unequivocally say I made the right decision. Braids don’t stay as well without a tie, I do miss the feeling of it going to my lower back but these are more than compensated by the renewed interest I have in my hair. Will it be as UK prognosticated on my last post, that hair just can’t stay healthy as it lengthens on some (most?) people? Or with increased care of non-damaged hair would it be possible to get that length back but have it be much healthier? I just don’t know the answers but that’s part of the fun - to venture into unknown territory again. I just don’t think hair already damaged can be repaired that much but I do believe it’s possible to keep already healthy hair that way longer by oilings and gentler care in general. Either way, I’m now looking forward to the months ahead to see what takes place.
Sorry, for the long-winded post but it has been a considerable time that I’ve felt so enthused about my hair journey. I totally respect those that choose to never cut or trim. I would never advise anyone to do so on a whim. But for any who might feel stuck and that they’re just not gaining length and not happy with their ends either, I say go for it! See if a cut will rekindle that initial enthusiasm that you felt during the journey to reach your present length.
It’s been ages since I’ve been enthused about hair pictures like I used to be. I promise I won’t bore everyone with repeated updates but I thought I’d share a few of my hair now that it’s settled in from the cut. I took my braid out and wore it loose in the afternoon at work today. That’s a first for me!
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Your hair looks great Jason! Very nice color and healthy ends. :) I think that length is great already, but if you want it longer still then that is great too. :)
Thanks Mark! You've really got me thinking about henna now too!
I'm glad that you are continuing with the other men in sharing updates, as I find all these encouragement to grow my hair. As I feel like my hair is finally not in the awkward stage (although it feels like it'll never end because of shedding), I am willing to experiment with the other route so many men fear exploring, which is the "bunning" aspect. While there had been some men on this site that cannot accept this route,there are at least me and another guy in here experimenting that method. What attracted me to this method was how I can retain my ends from not getting dry when I oil my ends. So you can continue to experiment with your "gentler" method, and it will be interesting to compare notes on the matter in the near future. I say I'll give it at least two years of bunning and I'll show you my results each year, I just want to know if it's really worth it to do so, hence why i'm doing it. Although the only men I see here that have great results and length from this method is HairFreaky and Dusk, so I'll see if I can someday get to their lengths with this method.
One honest opinion about my experiences so far with this method is I miss wearing my hair loose. It also helps that I have a beard now so it balances my masculinity. I get "are you an artist" kind of questions. LOL People are so funny. Sitting in the car or any seats with padding is a challenge. I now avoid having my hair touch any seats with head padding. This can be good I guess because the whole point of my experiment is to as much as possible avoid any friction to my hairs.
I'm glad you also updated your website. It's looking good and it's interesting to take note in how you care for your hair. Glad you are enthused to take pictures again, isn't it interesting how that happens. Again thanks for the update as I think these types of post are of great benefit to those that are trying to grow hair.
cheers,
rowie
Thanks rowie! I don't know why I've found it so hard to learn how to bun my hair. I really should it give it another try. I look forward to following your journey and noting how it helps with your hair's health.
I used to take hair photos in various settings in nature. Maybe I'll do a little of that again at some point.
Wonderful very healthy looking hair Jason. Your hair looks even better with the fit well toned upper body presentation and physical exercise regime. Looks like you have been enjoying your hair very much with the numerous outside shots, and a big smile on the new avatar. I also have the green lawns and fruit trees in the backyard. My hair has bleached out a lot to a dark blonde.
All the best,
Don
Thanks Don. There's something about long hair and nature that go well together. I try to take most of my photos in outdoor settings.
I look forward to your next update.
Great update Jason,
The hair looks great. I enjoy looking at your progress, as it gives me ideas and hope. I'm hoping to one day have my hair the same length that your at now. I love the braids.
Thanks for sharing. Please keep us posted as it grows back.
Brian
Thanks Brian. I'm glad my hair journey can serve as an inspiration. You've truly been blessed with amazing hair both in its thickness and color. Looking forward to your next set of photos.
I can sympathize with how you feel. Back March of 2012
I had it with the damaged ends of my hair, I chopped off
about 8 inches such that my hair was underarm length. I hated
having it that short but also hated the crappy looking ends.
Well that was March of 2012, it is now June of 2012
and it is now three inches longer, my goal is to get the
hair back to waist length without the damaged ends.
In my case the decision was necessary, even though I hated
the shortness.
I wasn't happy with the decision but it had to be done. My hair
looked like crap.
I most certainly did.
I often wear it loose, but with the damage i've received in
recent times i' wearing it tied up more (pony tail,
braid, or pig tails.)
I would never cut my hair short but I was also getting a
huge amount of enjoyment out of my hair.
I started growing my hair long in 1964 and in 2012 it absolutely
did not feel stale.
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Wow, you've already gained three inches back? I'm hoping for a growth spurt but I don't know if I could match your inch per month rate.
I didn't mean stale like I wanted to cut all my hair off but rather that I wasn't making any progress towards either new length or healthier ends. Apparently you came to the same conclusion about your hair. What word would you use to describe your hair before the cut in March?
I was still excited and happy at the idea of my hair being long.
While i had gripes abut the ends I was still excited at the idea of having long hair. even though i've had long hair since I started growing in 1964, even in March with the bad end it still
felt very great to have my hair cascading down my back.
On a hot summer day it felt great to be wearing cut off shorts,
no shirt, and have my hai9r flowing down my back.
I would have preferred to have better looking ends but what I
cut off was the limit of what i was willing to cut.
I was absolutely not getting a crew cut/buzz cut or anything shorter.
I still wanted long hair but I was a perfectionist, I wanted
hair in perfect condition.
I would point out after chopping off the 8 inches in March
i've very carefully and diligintly finger combed the hair,
been more diligint about tieing the hair in into a pony tail/braid/pig tall/etc. to avoid damage. The result has been
a noticeable lack of shedding, etc.
I am glad you are happy with your decision and the photos are fantastic....
You carry an important message to our members.....Thanks for Sharing.
Walter
Thanks Walter. Enjoying our hair and taking whatever steps we feel are necessary to maximize its potential are important.
Haha, Jason, it is always a pleasure to see updates from you, so don't say that it bores us ;-)
Judging by the pics, you actually made a good decision, as the ends are awesome !
Vivien.
Thanks Vivien, I appreciate you saying that! :)
I must admit I've been thinking about doing something similar, but it's quite a major decision and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to make it yet. The thought of chopping off 18 inches of hair is quite daunting.
Your hair looks fantastic, by the way, and I'm glad that you're happy with the results.
Whoa 18 inches?!! How long is your hair in total? I agree that's an enormous amount to cut at once. Do you really feel that you have damage for that whole amount?
I might have gotten away with cutting a bit less but my wife said she felt damage for the last 7.5 inches so I wanted to get rid of it all. I don't know if I would have been capable of cutting 18 inches damaged or not. I would suggest taking it in stages.
Thanks about my hair. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the regrowth comes in.
To be honest, I'm not quite sure how long my hair is, but I'd guess somewhere around the 40-42 inch mark. I'm 6'2" with a long back and when it's loose, my hair hangs a few inches below my butt, and I can sit on the end of my braid.
I'm not ready to cut it yet though. I want to know how long it can grow, and I think I've got the potential to grow a few more inches, so I'll give it another year or so and see how I get on.
It's not too badly damaged, but I've been finding a lot more split ends of late, which is annoying, but the last couple of months have been a bit tough in terms of time for haircare, so that's probably why.
My intention was to grow it out to terminal and then chop it back to a more manageable length, and I'm thinking mid-back is probably about the right length for me, so, currently, that would mean cutting off around 18 inches.
Hi Jason,
Your hair really does look fabulous, and it sure looks as though your decision to trim was the right one. Something tells me that your future journey will be very successful indeed, and I KNOW that I need to do something about mine as well.
Take care, and thank you for sharing these inspirational photos.
David
Hi David,
Thanks about my hair and the vote of confidence concerning its future success healthwise. It does feel really good to be excited about future growth again.
As for your own hair, if you've been feeling like you need fresher ends for a long time, I'd suspect you won't regret getting it done. Feye's method I found challenging but if I didn't have my wife to cut mine, I'd probably give that a try.
I'm sure we'd all love to see an update whatever you decide!
Best,
Jason
Hi Jason,
I know you gave this trim a lot of thought so in the end I'm sure you will be glad you tried it.It doesn't hurt to adjust something you are less than happy with and thankfully hair does regrow:)I have had similar thoughts about my hair but in general am happy with its length and condition.Also I'm still enjoying the color of henna!Looks like I'll be doing a retreatment tomorrow as its been over seven weeks since the last time I've done it.So don't fret it, my friend, as no harm was done and your interest in you mane has been renewed:)Cheers
Mârk
Hi Mark,
Yes, I definitely did give it a lot of thought but only feel confident that I made the right decision now, about two weeks later. Haha, hair does regrow and what's cool is that I'll be able to observe that again hopefully in a far more noticeable way.
Henna has worked so well for you and has allowed you to experience a new dimension to your hair journey without sacrificing length. That's awesome for sure. I've also been impressed with your recent use of hair sticks. I like the look and actually own one myself but given my lack of skill with buns, haven't used it in a long time.
You and MarkS keep making me want to try henna myself!! Maybe it could be a component in my attempt to regrow healthier hair as everyone says it does a lot to protect and nourish hair.
Thanks for your comments,
Jason
Hey Jason,
I think it looks great! The ends are really healthy. Now you just have to decide how long? I go back and forth, but seem to settle upon lower back. Waist length seems to long for me. Maybe I will change my mind.
Darrin
Thanks Darrin. My answer on length is, how long can I can grow it and keep it healthy? If the answer was classic-length, I'd be thrilled!
That long hair looks fabulous Jason and I can WELL understand where you are coming from. (OMG, can I ever.) There is a difference between "Quantity" and "Quality" for sure. You decided to rid yourself of an amount of hair that was of upset to you, and now though of less length, despite all, your long hair never looked better. Good decision, and what you have now looks fantastic beyond belief! All the best-
Justin~
Thank you very much Justin. Your words aptly sum up what went into my decision making process.
I didn't suffer any massive hair trauma like you did but rather a gradual degradation of the quality of the ends. In the end, we both did what we needed to do.
I still hold out hope that one day you'll regrow that incredible mane to its former glorious length!
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Your hair looks fantastic, Jason. Hopefully you will be able to grow back more length with the same quality as you have now.
Scott
Thank you, Scott. It will interesting to see what the next year brings.
It looks way healthier and stronger now.
I like it.
Hello Jason, Sorry to reply late to this thread. Your hair is looking great and it seems that you have worked out what suits your lifestyle with the blunt cut. It does make it look a lot sharper and tidier. I still have mine in layers and probably may follow with a blunt cut at the end of the year too. At present I am like Hairball Mark and just want to have hair as long as possible even if the ends may be a bit thin. I don't mind tapered fairytale ends.
Duncan
Hi Duncan,
Thank you. I have to say you carry the fairytale end look very well. My hair doesn't have your thickness or texture so I believe it does better with the blunt cut. I am curious to see how yours would look if it was cut to all one length. Happy growing!
Jason