new thread
Hey Everyone,
I haven’t posted on the board in FOREVER. Some of you may remember me, some of you may not. I’ve been a frequent lurker for YEARS, visiting the site almost daily for at least 7 or 8 years, but never really posting much (I’m too shy at times I guess). For those who don’t know or remember me: I had long hair for about 10 years before cutting it short in 2003 for a 4 year stint in the local Fire Department. I immediately started growing it long again at the beginning of 2007 when I left the FD but I was forced to cut it all off again in March 2011. Almost 2 years to the day now since I cut it. I had wavy / slightly curly hair down to my shoulder blades and my girlfriend at the time introduced me to her hair straightener. I loved the way my straightened hair looked so much that I became obsessed with that damn thing. I started using it on my hair daily. Sometimes multiple times per day if weather or exercise caused even the slightest curls or frizz. After about 6 or 7 months of using the straightener, my hair was ruined beyond repair and started falling out in clumps so I had no choice but to cut all my hair off. For 2 years now I have had super short / spikey hair and for the longest time I actually loved it. It was a rough adjustment at first but after a month or 2 of having it buzzed close, I came to love how low maintenance it was and I said I’d NEVER grow my hair long ever again….but suddenly a month or so ago, I began to feel differently. I look in the mirror and really like the way my spikey hair looks and I love being able to roll out of bed and hit the road without even bothering to look in the mirror (I work 12 hour shifts at work and spend as much free time as possible doing martial arts so this aspect I truly like about short hair)….yet I look at old pictures of me with long hair or I see long haired guys on TV and I suddenly start thinking about growing my hair long again. But then I start thinking up a million excuses why I can’t / shouldn’t grow it back out (It’s too high maintenance, takes too long each day to properly care for and my busy schedule won’t allow it, it will look awkward for months while growing, might not be seen as professional in my current management position at work, etc, etc etc). I just got my “every 2 weeks buzz” over the weekend and even tho my hair looks good, I just feel like I shouldn’t have cut it. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to miss my regularly schedule buzz. It’s hard to explain. I guess that’s why I’ve turned to you all. Like I said: I actually like my short hair…but I have this REALLY weird, nagging feeling that something is wrong or missing every time I see old pictures of myself or other guys with long hair. Like I’m not being true to myself by keeping my hair short, yet I can’t seem to find the motivation to grow it. Probably because I know how long and arduous growing it from scratch is going to be. Maybe I just need a little guidance and experience from people like you all who understand me. I need some kind of sign that it’s ok for me to start the long hair journey again if it makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to read all this LOL I know I ramble at times.
Hey Element,
Great to hear from you, man. It sounds like you're ready--or damn close to being ready--to embark once more on the journey to longhairdom. I can TOTALLY sympathize with everything you've said, but my hunch is that you will always feel incomplete and as though you've let yourself down if you continue to cut off your hair. One of the most fundamental ingredients for feeling happy/complete/self-actualized is honest, authentic self-expression. For each of the reasons you've stated for NOT growing your hair long again, there is an answer/solution...
TIME: Caring for long hair on a daily basis doesn't necessarily have to take longer than does styling short hair, and if it does, the difference can be minimal, depending on how much you feel you need to do to it.
EXERCISE/MARTIAL ARTS: History is replete with long-haired warriors and athletes.
AWKWARD STAGE: In my experience, the less you do to control your hair during the awkward stage, the better/cooler it looks. Keep it cleaned, conditioned, and brushed, let it do its own thing, and carry yourself with confidence.
PROFESSIONALISM: Keep putting in one good day's work after another, and perform your job to the best of your ability. Present a clean, well-dressed appearance. Hair length should be a non-issue.
INSPIRATION: We're here for you, bro! Also, click the link below to see TONS of inspirational photos.
Best of luck to you in whatever path you choose, man. Please keep us posted :)
--Val
Long hair inspiration
Hi Element,
First off, I am very happy you found your way back to the MLHH. Secondly, I don't think I can give you a better response than Val did. I do believe you are supposed to be a person with long hair.
I had long hair when I was younger. Then I went in the military and had short hair for many years. Now that I am in my 40s, I want my hair long again. I believe in our hearts we know what we should have/do with ourselves.
I certainly hope if you truly want your hair long, you don't let any outside forces interfere with that. And I hope you don't use the dreaded flat iron on your hair. Please be happy with your hair the way it is and let it grow. I am sure you will come to be happy with it. My own hair is wavier than I wish it was. But the longer it gets, the more satisfied I become with it. I have changed my washing/conditioning schedule to every day now. I find that when I use shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate and conditioner with silicones in it my hair looks straighter. My hair can handle daily washing. Some people might not be able to get away with this routine.
Please hang in there and grow your hair. You will be happy you did. Of course, we are here for your inspiration or help with anything. Take care of yourself and your hair my friend!
Ted
For me the best motivation is to wake up in the morning and realize how lucky I am that 1. i'm still alive and spending another day above the ground, 2. that i've got long hair that
I can enjoy every day 3. that I have a job that I enjoy very much and 4. I have a job that lets me wear my hair the way I want and to wear the clothes that I want and 5. I have a loving wife that i've been happily married for 25 years.
I started growing my hair long in 1964, now in 2013 it is still long and has been so long now for so many years that it is a part of me, cutting the hair would be like cutting off an arm or a leg.
At this point in my life, and after all these yeasr I wouldn't dream of cutting the hair. That is all the motivation i need to
keep the hair long.
It's like in 1964 when I saw the Beatles on tv I knew right then
and there my destiny was to grow my hair long. So I started this long haired journey and 49 years later that hair is so much
are part of who I am that I absolutely won't consider cutting it
as long as i'm alive.
I suppose alot of it is whether you're a natural born long hair. I was born to have long hair and I really came to discover that in 1964 when I started to grow my hair and throughout the rest of the 60s and 70s when I continued to let it grow longer and longer. It was really exciting to have long hair early on but it became even more exciting/rewarding/satisfying in the later 60s and beyond when my hair got longer
and reached waist length.
It also got to the point where after so many battles/skirmishes/
wars with parents/teachers/school administrators/employers/relatives thatI absolutley refused to give in and cut my hair. I had finally won the war after so many years that the long hair
was now a critical part of me, a part that was just as much a part of me ss my left arm or right leg.
So all those parents/teachers/school administrators/employers/relatives who objected to may long hair became my best motivation for keeping the hair long. Well now one partent has
died, the other has Alzeimers, the teachers and school adminisrattors are long in the past, the employers are in the past (except for the current employer who is fine with my long hair), and the relatives who complained have since died off. So after all those battles/years/etc. I owe it to myself to keep my hair long until the day I die. Ultimatly that is my motivation to keep my hair long.
Far too long, can you summarise please?
It's not so much the length but the lack of paragraphs. The more effort put into the diction of a post usually pays off with more responses.
I'm a former longhair as well and love my buzz ass well because reasons you explained.
I can relate to looking at older pictures or seeing other people with longhair and thinking about growing it again. But atm I'm happy with my short hair, as soon as I want long hair again I will grow it.
When your ready to grow it again we will be here for encouragement! From your post it seems like your almost ready to grow it again. When you truly want it you can always find solutions for your excuses not to grow it!