new thread
Hey all,
Been lurking on the board on and off for awhile, and it seems like a great place to get some advice.
Had a quick question about what to ask for during my next salon visit. I work outdoors, which is wrecking havoc on the hair above my ears and on my neck. When I pull my hair back the hair on the sides and neck sticks out a great deal, and it seemingly refuses to grow to a length where it can fit into my ponytail.
I don't know what to ask for when I get my next haircut to remedy this. When I get my haircut, it's usually a trim just knocking off an inch or so all the way around. My stylist has never addressed my neck hair or sideburns. I don't know if I want to do anything radical like buzzing all of the misbehaving hair off, I'm hoping some other members have been through this, and may have some advice.
Thanks!
Hey, M, welcome to the post-lurking stage! (We've all made that transition...)
There's no Magic Bullet for what you describe except to stop cutting your hair. If you cut off an inch every time you visit the salon, well you didn't say how often you go, but that's two or more months' growth each time. The solution isn't cutting or trimming, it's finding an alternative way to restrain those loose hairs until they grow longer...which they WILL if you have patience.
Some of the members here have advocated use of a hat (which makes sense anyway, if you're working outdoors) or a bandanna to hold that loose hair at bay. Personally, I'm not as hat person and a bandanna isn't something I would wear at work. So I've been using bobby pins. Now I KNOW that bobby pins are not good for your hair, you shouldn't allow metal to come into contact with it, et cetera, et cetera. But just the other day I realised that I am now past the bobby pin stage...my hair is all long enough to stay in the ponytail band without additional help.
Nu, as Ted likes to say: 'Keep it growing and flowing!'
Don
This bit of advice will start with, "You may not be having 'a next salon visit' for awhile." Until you let your hair grow out and do its thing, you really won't see the best solution for the problem.
Keep in mind that not all hairs on your head will grow to the same length. You won't know that until you let everything grow out to see. When your hair hasn't changed for six months in length anywhere, or when the longest strands are as long as you want, then it's time to decide on a course of action.
If some areas are at an awkward length, you have a few ways to deal with the problem. This will depend in part on where they are on your head, of course. Wearing a hat or bandanna, using clips or bobby pins, using hair gel, frequently combing, trimming those hairs some, or just living with it are the options. If you've let all your hair grow out, as I first mentioned, another option may be to let longer hairs lay over and hide the unruly ones. You won't know about this option if you haven't let those hairs grow out.
Remember that every part of your head will have some short hairs, and despite your best effort, during the day they will come loose. This will happen faster if you are outside where there is wind. All long hairs start off as short ones, so you do NOT want to trim short hairs that are rooted in an area on your head where you are getting long ones. Those short hairs are your future long hair! Whatever option listed above you take, don't choose "trimming them some" for those hairs.
There is nothing wrong with going to a barber or salon and asking them just to trim your neck hairs, your sideburns, etc. Your barber is not your mother, standing there insisting you eat everything on your plate. Some men may go in and have their beard trimmed, and not have their hair touched at all. Much of the limited trimming being talked about here, though, can be done by yourself or a family member.
Some people have neck hair, for example, that blends in beautifully with gorgeous straight strands cascading down from above. Other people have hair like that, but their neck hair is downright pubic. They may just want to have the neck hair removed with clippers every few weeks. What you do depends on the hair you have, and the only way to see what hair you have is to let it grow out.
Also, unlike with short hair, expect long hair to move around. It is not always well behaved. This is worse when you are outside. People don't expect hair to be so neat when you are outside, though, so don't let this bother you much. People expect you to have neat hair as soon as you walk inside, though, and the solution is just to comb it. Many shorthaired guys just run a comb through it as they walk inside, but if your hair needs more, just go do it in the men's room.
Happy growing!
Bill
Now I only comb my hair with a wide tooth comb after finger combing it. Once the hair dries I'll comb it once and then
never come it again until after the next time I condition the hair and finger comb it. When i come in from the wind and the hair is a mess i'll finger comb it, pony tail it, pig tail it,
braid it or bun it. The nice thing about pony tailing it,
braiding it, bunning it, pig tailing it, or bunning it is you can do it quickly and have it look neat.
And if you have it covered when you are working outside, it can be pretty much ready to go as soon as you are done!
I spend a lot of time outside, often hiking hard or working on trails, and have managed to get to calf...of course, no visiting barbers for me!
Thanks for the extra jolt of inspiration Trolleypup! Much appreciated!
Ted
I'm finding the longer my hair gets, the easier it is to just finger comb it and have it look good. I don't really need to use a comb all that often. But using a comb certainly makes it look better.
Ted