new thread
So I started to grow my hair out when I was 15. 2 years have passed since then and I did a lot of mistakes. When my hair was in that awkward stage I often used straighteners to make it look better and I also cut off the split ends every 2 or 3 months. My hair is now somewhat past my shoulders and it's visibly damaged. I have also naturally thin hair. For the past 2 months I have dumped shampoos (Water Only washing it now), haven't used any heat tools and I only let it air dry. My question is, is my hair still salvageable or would I have to cut the damaged part off in order to grow healthy long hair?
If you do that only cut the damaged hair. No need to go
overboard and cut it all as some think they have to do.
It'd be great if you could post a picture of your current hair status for us to see what you consider "damaged".
Nowadays there are many treatments and products you can use to avoid cutting your damaged hair.
Cutting isa last resort but let's see some pictures first.
No way to tell for sure without a pic.
There's no way to tell without seeing it. But if it's as damaged as you say, you might well be better off starting over. I know it's hard, but there are some things you just can't fix.
That being said, post a pic before doing anything to it. We'll be able to tell if you can save it or not.
Hi Michail,
I would have to agree with Justin on cutting the damaged part of your hair off. It may leave you with a lot shorter hair, but it will grow back. I would not repeat the things you were doing that damaged your hair. Just let it grow and be surprised by the results. Sometimes less is more. I hope you are able to grow long beautiful hair!
Have a great weekend and welcome to the board my friend! Stay well!
Ted
Without a pic that is difficult to say.
It would depend on the state of your hair and the circumstances
in your life.
Without a pic I can't tell how badly damaged your hair is.
It also depends on how much hassle you are getting from your
school/employers/family. If you've gotten much hassles recently you may not want to start over (Starting over may be
perceived by your "critics" as giving in to those who want you
to cut your hair.)
.
While I haven't been told to cut my hair in quite a long time, some people feel the need to often talk about it, mostly in a negative way, which is why I definitly don't want to cut it, but if it is the only option left....
Here are some pictures of my hair. Hope this helps.
Hello Michail,
Thank you for posting your pics as its much easier to advise you with something we can all see :)Honestly from what I can tell your hair looks just about perfect!I can't see any visible damage and the ends look good.My own hair is just like yours,just straight and very fine.I haven't had a professional trim since 2005 and can honestly say my hair doesn't look damaged at all with no maintenace trims so to speak.All I do is normal wash and condition to me hair and of course my henna "tune ups":) LOL.I'll include a recent picture of my hair so you get the idea my friend.Anyway best of luck with your hair and please keep us posted.Cheers
Mârk
Thanks for your answer, Mârk!
A few months ago two girls from my school asked me if I straighten my hair to which I answered with no and then they told me it looks damaged and I would have to cut it off in order to get healthier hair. That was back then when I used to blow dry. The heat from the blowdryer made it look just as straight as yours, but also very dry. A friend of mine noticed that and he would comment on it. This same friend also told me that thin hair breaks more easily the longer it becomes. Is that true?
Hi again Mickail,
First off I'd be skeptical of what those girls said about your hair looking damaged.Sadly there are some women who are jealous of men with nicer hair than theirs so they would like no better than for you to chop it off.Not saying that is the case here but you have just as much ability to determine that yourself my friend.It's very possible the blow drying made your hair dry but you can always add some beneficial oils to counteract that.Also it not like you were flat ironing your hair which could very well cause breakage.As for what your friend told you about thin hair breakage I myself say most of what I brush out is shed strands,not broken hairs.The only time I may have hair breakage is when I brush my hair in a rush not taking ample time to deal with the minor tangles I may have at the time.Your hair looks great and I would just proceed in growing it longer:)I'll include another pic of my hennaed hair.Cheers
Mârk
Hey Mark.
I don't think they were jealous at all, considering that their hair was (in my opinion), better looking than mine (It was also before I cut the ends of my hair off, which was definitly the last time). And yes, I imagine that if I grow my hair out longer and it starts looking better and healthier, I will receive some comments of women that I should cut my hair off out of jealousy.
Yeah, but I don't think I have to worry about that, since I only let it air dry now. I don't believe it either. I think if you take care of your hair then it won't matter how thick or thin it is. Thanks! I will not stop until I reach my goal, which seems far away, but not impossible! I have also another question. How many days should I not wash my hair. I wash it about every other day, but lately I go 3 days without washing and sometimes 4. Is there any way to know when it is time to wash your hair?
Hi Mickail,
Well maybe so about those girls but still I know there is jealousy out there both male and female at guys who choose to wear their hair long.I admit not recalling the last time that was said to me so guess I'm fortunate:)As for my washing routine its every other days shampoo and condition.I find by the end of day two my hair starts looking oily and flat at my scalp and the length starts clinging together likely from the oils.I used to go a whole week between hair washes but my hair look awful my the fourth and fifth days.I like the look of if freshly washed my friend:)Cheers
Mârk
Hey Mark.
I know. Even as a long haired male myself I still get jealous of other Longhairs with longer and better looking hair than myself, but I would compliment their hair and never tell them to cut it off. I, too, like how my hair looks when freshly washed, but it also looks pretty nice on the second day. Afterwards it starts looking gross. Anyways, thanks for your response. I will have to consider using conditioner. I will also post updates from now on. Cheers!
I have a friend who has hair down to his butt. His hair looks really great, I would never dream of telling him that he should cut it. If he did cut it it would be a crying shame.
I would ignore what these girls had to say. There are women who
will want you get your hair cut short because they hate long hair on men. When I heard comments like that I used it as an incentive to keep growing my hair long.
Women like these girls will only satisfied when men like me get a buzz cut. At 58 it won't happen before I die.
Hi Mark,
Now that is some fine looking hair there! I am really loving the henna and you look great! The shirt's pretty cool too:) Take care my friend!
Ted
I would say it doesn't look that damaged to me. I'd say to keep it as long as it is now and just be really careful not to further damage it.
I started growing my hair long in 1964, got lots of complaints about it from teachers, school administrators, and employers.
I'm 58 now, haven't gotten any complaints since I hit the age of 45.
Now I had to chop off about eight inches of hair due to damage a year ago. But that is all I chopped off at the time. After 49 years as a long hair i'm a long hair until the day I die.
I'm glad to read that. I don't know if I could have ever brought myself to cut that much off my hair. I will try my best to keep it in a good condition.
When I was in school, a lot of people asked my I wouldn't cut my hair and one particular guy often told me to cut it.
I may not be a Longhair for a long time, but I know exactly that I will never have short hair ever again.
Here are some responses to use:
Responses
Thanks! I will make sure to use some of them if required.
Even after the eight inch trim it was still long. (about arm pit length, about four inches above the nipple.) Still long enough to still be a long hair. It has since grown longer. It is now six inches longer and should be at waist length again in a year. I'm now extremely careful to avoid hair damage, (finger comb it after
shampoo/conditioner, braid/pony tail/pig tail/bun it when there is the potential for damage.)
I absolutely hated chopping off eight inches but I also hated how much the hair was damaged. But that was all i was going to chop off, after 49 years as a long hair i'm a long hair for life.
Reading this makes me jealous. Even after you cut so much off, you still had that much left. I regret that I didn't grow it out earlier, because I feared that it would look really awful and I didn't want to hear other people commenting about it. Better late than never I guess....
As others have said, your hair doesn't look that bad. If you have very fine hair it will seldom look really thick and it can be a challenge to keep it clean enough to have some volume without causing it to be too dry. My own hair is considered to be very fine (individual strands can be nearly invisible) so I'm quite familiar with the challenge.
What works well for me is to shampoo about once a week, but condition daily. Depending on the condition of my hair on a given day I may apply a detangler or a light oil to give it more moisture. Contrary to what many warn, I do blow dry it from time to time but I stop at slightly damp rather than completely dry. I can honestly say my hair looks a lot less dry by shampooing less frequently and conditioning often. Also note that conditioner can work to remove some of the excess scalp oil which is why I find daily conditioning to be very necessary when extending shampooing intervals.
I hope this helps. Good Luck!
--Dale
Dale's Facebook Page
Hi Michail,
I must say I am loving the way your hair looks! The color is great and I like the slight waviness! I don't think I would cut too much off. I would comb it down and see where the difference in thickness is. Then I would cut it where you would like it to be. I am not sure what the ends look like when combed straight down so you can see the hemline, or bottom. You can either cut it wet or dry to make it even and help the hair to thicken up the ends.
I am having a difficult time getting my hair to fill in all of the layering that was done before I started growing my hair. I am just letting my hair all grow without any cutting or trimming. This lets the hair become all one length, or close to it. Then I will cut the ends straight across to form a blunt hemline. I suspect if you also do this, you would be happy with the results.
Hope this helps!
Ted
Hi
I am so glad others here have made the comment that a photo is needed, something I didn't have to go on when you first posted. Now for a WHOLE different story:
Some people are darn right rude and it is about time they keep their "know it all mouths" shut! Who the H do they think they are anyway? I simply cannot imagine their "need" to talk about it, unless of course you have asked their opinion. Otherwise they are out of order and have no business downing you.
It is good that you came here. Listen to the guys at the MLHH and get advice from guys who KNOW what they are talking about and are also Long Hair friendly and REALLY understand the subject with first hand experience.
Great photos and from what I can see your long hair looks great. About the biggest key of all with hair is the use of conditioner, so always make sure and use plenty of that as part of your washing cycle. Also "Spray-in Conditioner" can be very helpful if needed.
In ending, back to the negative people. Best to avoid them and if they make a nasty comment out of the blue, just leave and say nothing. They are not worth and ounce of your breath let alone a fraction of a second of your time.
Take care and best of wishes to you with the long hair.
Justin~
Hey!
Couldn't agree more. I don't know why I didn't tell them to mind their own business, but I will make sure to do so, if that occurs again.
Yeah, I was given "advice" by some people who had short hair (they also never had long hair at one point in their life), didn't knew anything about the subject whatsoever and most of the nonsense they said was based on their own understanding which was absolutely false.
Thanks. How many times a week should I use the conditioner and can I still go without shampoo?
You're right, they don't even deserve any attention whatsoever. How can oen stoop so low as to try to bring others down as if they had any right to do so.
Once again, thank you!
Hi Michail
I am so thankful that you found this wonderful place and happy for you that you did. Now you will have a ton of support and acceptance that cannot always be found by the "Society" crowd of moron hecklers and judgemental idiots.
As for Shampoo and Conditioner, I think most all here will agree with the conditioner part. Some have various ways of going about (or not using) shampoo which is an individual thing learned by trial and error until you find out what works best for you. Some guys hit on it right away, and for others it may take years, but we all do eventually find a solution.
I once had very long hair myself and made videos about long hair care. Guys seemed to enjoy these despite my rather crazy way of presenting. Despite all, email after email came in for years from guys being tormented by the "meddlers" and so, I made the "get tough" video I am enclosing here as the alternate way of handling the meddlers who can and DO many times intimidate a guy to the point where he backs down and will never know the wonders of having long hair. (In my long hair series I had suggested another way to handle these self righteous idiots, but apparently most guys were unable to stay as calm and just have to blow up.) Not my endorsed solution but really, if one attacks you verbally out of the blue, then perhaps they should get a similar treatment and see how they enjoy it all when the shoe is on the other foot.
With all best wishes to you Michail for many many years of Long Hair enjoyment and freedom to express yourself, "your way."
Justin~
http://youtu.be/oz2DfJ6AYTc
Hey Justin!
Indeed. I don't get a lot of shit from others because of my long hair, but it still bothers me that they think they have a right to tell me what to do with my hair. I'm also thankful to find this place.
Thank you. I got myself some conditioner and I will make sure to use it regulary.
May I know why you cut off your awesome hair? Not that this is any of my business....you don't have to answer that question, if you don't want to.
I've never seen it happen, but I heard about other people giving in after being constatnly pressured into "being normal". This is absolutely disgusting. But then again, humans tend to fear and hate the unknown. So what did I expect? You know, since I grew my hair out, I get more stares than before....especially from girls my age...but that's not because they find me attractive. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but those girls are almost exclusively from the middle east as far as I can tell. Also, most of them when they look at me, they look back at their friends and start to giggle a little bit. What's up with that?
Thanks. Since I will probably never go bald (there is no known case of anyone in my family balding), I will keep long hair until I die!
So are you trying to grow it out again?
I started growing my hair in 1964, every time I got a negative comment someone I took it as an incentive to grow my hair longer.
I loved growing my hair long and bucking the establishment was
opposed to my doing so.
So every time I got a complaint I looked at it as incentive to keep my long hair long. I continued to grow it and as I continued
to grow it I loved it more and more.
For me that complaints always came from teachers/school administrators/and employers. All the kids in my classes loved
my long hair, they were jealous that I got to grow my hair long while their parents would not let them. They were also jealous that I was willing to buck the establishment and my mom let me do it and supported me.
Do you really consider that as "damage"? haha It looks great to me.
You have very little damage and can be fixed by conditioning , using oils, etc.
No need to cut it off. So please don't do that!
I won't cut it off and I will definitly get myself some conditioner. Just asking, does my hair look like it hasn'T been washed in a week? My motehr said that, after I told her that I washed it just yesterday....
No, it doesn't. It looks like you just stepped out of the shower. She's just trying to guilt you into cutting it. My mother did the same thing.
Some people, especially parents, are going to try absolutely everything to get you to cut your hair. You'll probably hear words like dirty, stringy, greasy, ragged, etc. These are warning signs that the person talking to you just doesn't like long hair.
Just ignore them and do your own thing. Your hair looks fine, no where near as bad as I had imagined. Just take better care of it from now on and you'll be well on your way to awesomeness.
.
I don't know if that's true. My mother has never said anything bad about my hair length and she even buys me shampoos and conditioners. Maybe she just doesn't like it when my hair starts to look greasy and wants me to wash it more. And to be honest, my hair does look more greasy since I started washing it water only.
Her own hair looks dry and frizzy from using shampoo and blow drying it too much.
Indeed. This has given me yet another reason to grow my hair out. I want to inspire other men who would like to have long hair, but fear the social pressure. This is exactly what I'm going to do. I will actually do something to make my hair look better.
Hi Michail,
You and your hair lok just great! I love the color and please don't cut it!
Ted
Thanks a lot, Ted! Definitly won't do that.
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Your hair looks alright from what I see. My advice is similar to what Justin says. Always condition after washing it. Rinse only 80 to 90% of the conditioner out. Use tepid (not hot water) 30-35 degrees C for that rinse.
I have fine hair (65 to 70 microns hair shaft diameter) over a meter in length and this routine has worked for me.
Scott
How do you tell if you're only rinsing 80 to 90% of the conditioner out?
--------------------
Your hair will feel a little slippery. If it feels rough after rinsing, you have rinsed out too much.
Scott
Thanks for that info, Scott. I was wondering that myself.
Ted
I wanted to ask that too. I'm glad Long Hair in Albany already did that.
It's hard to know what kind of damage you have, as a lot of people post here with similar complaints, but their hair looks fine in their pictures. I would cut it only as a last resort. Before you do that you should try using conditioner.
Look for a conditioner with silicone in it, as it can bind to damaged hair and make it smoother. Sometimes silicone doesn't agree with certain hair types. You'll just have to experiment, but definitely use conditioner of some kind.
Going without shampoo is also not always a good thing. Your hair can benefit from a good shampooing as long as you condition well afterwards. Your natural oils are not always good for your hair and scalp. Some people will have all kinds of trouble if they don't shampoo. Dandruff, itching, scalp acne, etc. A healthy scalp is important for healthy hair. Swimming in chlorinated pool water can be very drying to hair. Even the water that comes out of the tap can have chlorine and other chemicals that hurt the hair. Shampoo can help to wash away those harmful things.
If you still have trouble after that then you can try oiling your hair or using some kind of leave-in conditioner.
About a year ago I had what appeared to be seriously damaged ends. I did trim some of it, but what ultimately fixed the problem was proper conditioning.