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My original hair inspiration to grow my hair long was brad pitt honestly. i like how his hair looked in world war z and all the other movies when it was even longer. however i feel like its not turning out how i expected it to. also jax teller from sons of anarhy and kurt cobain were inspirations. for some reason lately i feel like my hair isnt cooperating or maybe that i cant pull it off. ive been growing it out since i got out of the air force 14 months ago. ive posted before and i dont know why im feeling unsure but maybe when it gets even longer ill be happier. still not long enough for a ponytail yet.
Patience, Preston! 14 months from a military-spec haircut is not long. Remember, hair only grows about half an inch per month.
Looks like you've got very nice hair: fine and healthy. I recommend you give it a little more time to get past the 'awkward stage.' Looks like you could manage the low ponytail (or 'queue' as someone pointed out that it's really called) with a little help from a hat, bandanna, bobby pins, or whatever method to hold the hair in the side layers that might not stay in the band.
If you decide you don't like it long that's one thing, but most of 'the brotherhood' here would recommend you keep at it another half-year to year before giving up.
If you look a few threads down on the message board, you'll see where a bunch of members have posted links to videos that they've found inspirational.
All the best and we're with ya, man!
Don
Thanks man im definitely going to keep going! i think i am still in the awkward stage but i think i only have a month or so left and ill be out of it and it will start looking better. this is the longest its ever been so its kind of exciting to see how it progresses
You are off to a great start, my friend - I think you stand a good chance of having a nice hair style similar to Brad Pitt once it grows a little longer - he was my inspiration to grow it out long, too - but my hair will never look like his or yours... nonetheless, I continue to grow it out because I've always wanted long hair but never pushed to grow it - if there is one thing I've learned these last 10 months of my journey is that this takes a whole heck of a lot of patience to achieve the goal. Now that winter is on its way for me here - I am determined to keep going past the one year mark and give my hair more months to grow longer - every picture I see of guys who are a few months ahead of me in time and length give me the incentive to keep going... So, I hope you'll keep going strong too - and give yourself the "two week rule" before you decide, if you decide, to cut it - it takes minutes to cut and months to grow...
You are doing well and that hair looks good for 14 months. I think that you have probably got the tail end of the 'awkward' stage with that flaring at the neck line but that will quickly go as you hair gets slightly 'heaver' with some more length and bulk.
Hang on in, to me it looks good and you have no reason to worry at all, in fact in a few months it will make many folk jealous.
I agree with 'UK' - simply ride the storm & N'Joy its ever-changing face = oh & hide-da-scissors - just let it grow - length is inevitable - it is striking now = so just imagine it with length cheers CEM. :))
Heres a pic of the front
I have to concur with the others, your hair looks to be in great shape and I think it frames your face quite nicely. Just letting your hair grow can be an abject lesson in frustration as you go through the awkward stage, but once you get past that it's much easier to deal with day to day. There will likely always be bad hair days where you wonder what you've gotten yourself into, but hopefully those are few and far between and you like your hair more than you hate it. :-) In the mean time hats, caps and hair accessories are your friends. Long hair gives you lots of possibilities for personal expression of style. ;-)
--Dale
Preston, I agree with the others: you have TERRIFIC looking hair!!! To cut it now would be a cryin' shame -- literally, a shame worth crying and crying and crying over.
Even if some day you were to eventually choose to go back to shorter hair, why not at least continue on for now until you can tie it all back into a tail? In just a few more months, maybe as long as half-year from now (at the very max), you'll be able to do that with no problem...
Hang in there, Brad Pitt -- I-I-I mean, Preston! You're going to make even Tom Cruise jealous with that great-looking mane of yours!
- Ken in San Francisco
You have a very nice head of hair. I think it looks quite good. Hang in there. It will get easier for you as the length increases.
I would suggest you pack alot patience and just let your hair grow.
I would bet that when your hair gets longer it will fantastic.
But since hair grows at 1/2" per month it will take a long time
for your hair to grow long. Which is where the patience comes in.
IMHO long hair will always look better than short hair.
Short hair = almost no hair.
Short hair is also boring.
I have to hand it to you Preston but you've got fabulous hair!Regardless of where you think your at in your journey the quality is evident early on.I would urge you to keep growing to see what your hair can do:) Please do keep us updated on your progress and where you feel your ultimate goal is.Cheers my friend.
Mârk
Hi Preston,
I must say that you are a big inspiration to me! You have made excellent progress for the short time you've been growing! Your hair type shows length so much quicker than the wavier and curlier types. The color is awesome! Please don't feel like you can't pull it off! I sure hope you keep growing it to longer lengths!
It shouldn't be too much longer before you can put it in a ponytail. I think a few more inches of front growth should do it. Believe me, you will be so happy when you can get it to stay out of your face. I have been growing for about 14 months and can get my hair in a ponytail now. I thank you so much for the inspiration my friend! Please keep us updated on your progress!
Ted
In my opinion you're in a tough stage and I'm there with you. Its long enough now to tuck away behind your ears, and it stays there most of the time. It's long enough for the negatives of long hair, but still too short for most of the positives. You feel like your hair isn't cooperating because it probably isn't at this point. That's the bad news.
Here's the good news. IT GETS BETTER and soon!
1.) It suits you well.
2.) You're likely only a few short months from getting a full tie-back.
3.) Quitting now, if you really feel like you want long hair (even just to try it), will likely put a really bad taste in your mouth. Getting really close to "long hair" and then quitting is a recipe for regret, and then you'll just be starting over.
My recommendation is that you you stick with it, even if you feel like you aren't sure, because not being sure is not the right time for any drastic changes. You have invested 14 months of awkward stages and waiting. A few more months and it will really start to feel like "long" hair, and you will be better able to decide if long hair is truly for you. Make a decision then.
Give it some time. When I got out of the army I had every intention of growing my hair back out. But I had to get used to it. Now I'd feel weird without it.
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You are so close to ponytail length, it would be really sad to quit now. You just need to stick it out for a few more months. Things will just keep getting better with more length. You have excellent hair to grow really long. (Waist length would look ideal.)
Scott
Oh wow! You are doing fantastic for only 14 months. Best to keep the hair growing. Tremendous progress so far! :-)
Justin~
Yo Preston! Do you even REALIZE how lucky you are to have such wonderfully easy to manage, easy on the eyes and all around fantastic hair texture to work with?! Man, you are blessed with GREAT hair genes, bro! Of COURSE you need to keep growing it!
As one who has ALWAYS admired both Charlie Hunnam and Brad Pitt's hair, I can suggest you to try highlighting the hair to get some brighter colors in that lovely dirty-blonde, or even as go as far as trimming the back, and only that, in order to let the front get as long as the back and have a one length all around sort of hair style, just as Jax and Brad often sport.
Either way, do not even consider cutting it short man, it would really be a waste! :) Stay strong!
Preston,
Your hair looks amazing. Don't stop.
Tony
It sounds like you have a similar source of inspiration! Keep on going Preston! I too am where your at, thinking I should be farther along at this point and beig just out of reach from the ponytail milestone. I'll echo what others have said and say your hair looks fantastic and is very healthy looking.
I'm in a similar stage of growth and there are days when I look at it and feel the same need for inspiration, plus others where I know I'm on the right track.
The pictures you posted look quite good to me, especially the front view. I think you're pretty close to having it at a length where you consistently like it.
Hope that helps,
Chris