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I did take some pics immediately after my trim but I can't bear to look at them. But now I'm finally happy again.
Despite trying to dye my hair electric blue a couple of months ago (not really successful without bleaching it first and I didn't want to do that), my hair seems in great condition. My hair routine is not as complex as some of you guys. I just shampoo and condition it with ordinary off-the-shelf products about once or twice a week - and I comb it with a wide-tooth comb - and that's it. It just grows! :)
Sooooo much happier with my hair now!
Damon
u look very cool , with that long hair
Your hair has reached it's former glory and you have all the more reason to be happy about it. What would a lion be without his mane?
There is something I would like to ask you.
When did you decide that Shoulder length or somewhat past it is perfect for you? Have you ever tried growing it past that length?
Weirdly enough, when I first decided to let my hair grow my original intention was for a sort of emo style, longish in front and shortish and spikey at the back. Not really a proper 'longhair' at all! It wasn't until it began to touch my shoulders a few months later that I realised I didn't have the heart to cut it. I was curious to see what it would look like even longer ... and the rest is history! :)
I'm vain. I grow my hair for purely aeshetic reasons - to enhance my appearance rather than as a competition. Looking at me and at pics of other guys I think about shoulder-blade length or perhaps just a shade longer is ideal. I personally feel that hair beyond a certain length ceases to be as attractive. And if my hair was much longer I would be forced to put it in a ponytail often and I don't think ponytails are flattering.
BUT on the other hand, this is the longest I've ever grown my hair and I AM kinda curious to see what it would look like even longer ... so who knows?
your ambition is to grow your hair to your hips
Damon
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Would you consider yourself a born Longhair despite that?
In the Inspiration thread you mentioned that you couldn't identify with short haired characters. Was that the case even before you grew your hair out?
You have to be the only one on this forum who grew his hair out for this purpose......or the only one I know of. It is still a valid one, nonethless. As for the ponytails, we share the same opinion. They don't look good and even when I reach my desired hair length I will avoid them as much as possible.
Would you ever consider growing your hair to your chest? It wouldn't take all that long and if you are not satisfied with the results, you can always cut it back. You've got nothing to lose.
Yes, but my goal seems to be so far away. It will definitly take three and a half years to get to that length and I have barely accepted my hair type the way it is.
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Wow! Some pretty deep questions!
The answer is a resounding YES! But it's really weird: I had no idea until I started to grow it. I had longISH hair at one stage (over the ears but not shoulder-length) but never longer and most of my life it's been short and spikey. Yet inside I was always a bit "alternative", sort of unconventional and certainly nonconformist in my thinking. I guess - in hindsight - I was a longhair waiting to burst out.
It sounds a bit like a Revelation on the Road to Damascus (!) but my turning point came at the end of 2009. I was short-haired, overweight and boringly dressed. I began to toy with the idea of coming out of my shell and turning my life around. At the Christmas party that year I wore an emo-style wig. It was a crap wig but I got compliments and I liked the effect. And I thought why not grow my real hair?
From then on, my mind was set. I remember looking in the mirror at the short-haired me and thinking: "That's not me. That's not the REAL me at all." I couldn't wait for my hair to grow. In tandem with growing my hair, I lost weight (easy enough since I have a naturally high metabolism, merely cutting down on all the crap I was eating and walking a lot more) - plus as my weight rapidly came down and my hair was looking cooler I felt confident enough to wear more edgy clothes. At the same time, I developed a much keener interest in music - indie mainly but particularly I felt myself drawn to industrial and aggrotech. It seemed to strike a chord with an inner me that I was now discovering. In addition, my circle of friends increased exponentially.
So, I think I was wrong in saying "I grow my hair for purely aesthetic reasons - to enhance my appearance". My hair means FAR more to me than that. And failing MPB or illness, I will NEVER willingly return to short hair.
Your questions have made me think properly about it, Michail. And I really thank you for that! I remember how awful I felt after my trim last year and I realise now that it was far more than just the effect on my appearance. It really was as if I had lost an integral part of the real me.
No, I USED to identify with short-haired characters - I guess because that's how I saw myself. But now I cannot. It's not only my hair that has changed but my whole perspective of how I see myself in the world around me.
That's certainly not out of the question. The only downside is that I already get mistaken for a metalhead; if my hair was THAT long I'd get stereotyped even more! :)
Seriously though, yeah, I am kinda curious to see if I liked it. As you say, I could always trim it back again.
How long have you been growing your own hair?
Damon
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Your response isn't what I expected. First and foremost, I am glad I made you think much deeper as to how you discovered that you've always been a Longhair. To tell the truth, though, I didn't really believe it was solely based on appearance, otherwise you wouldn't have felt as traumatized as you did on that horrible day one year ago.
Out of everyone's story here I think I can relate to yours and LHIA the most, because it does resemble my own to an extent.
As for being stereotyped a metalhead even more than you already are, I don't think it will matter. People will always stereotype and since you seem to be a guy who couldn't give less of a phuck about other people's opinion, it won't be a problem.
It has to be 2 and a half years now and if I didn't phuck about so badly at taking care of my hair for 2 years, it would be much longer and healthier than it is right now.
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Maybe just a learning curve like me? I'll know never to have a major trim again but I guess we learn from experimenting. No worries, hope it'll all be plain sailing for you from now on.
Damon
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It has to be. Those who are incapable of learning from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them and I will be none of them.
Glad to see your hair grew back so good :)
Looks great !
Hi Damon,
Wow, I am so damn jealous of your hair! You have made it back to your former glory my friend! I can see why you're happy! You don't need to dye it or anything, just let it grow man! It looks very healthy I must say!
I wanted to ask you if you had the front part shortened or layered. It looks much shorter in the front. The waves are very nice also! Please keep it growing and flowing! Thanks for the awesome update!
Ted
Thanks for the compliments, Ted! :)
I trim the front a little sometimes so that I can have it in a fringe ('bangs' in the US) rather than be forced to style my hair in a centre parting. It looks fine in real life; it only looks weird in that pic coz I had brushed my hair down evenly all over for the pic instead of combing the fringe to one side.
In fact, you've reminded me: time for a slight fringe trim again! No worries though. I don't touch the sides or the back.
Damon
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I actually don't think it looks weird in the pic at all! For some reason I had forgotten you have a fringe swept to the side. I do understand what you mean by the center part issue. My hair seems to look better when all combed back with no part. I am trying a center part now to see how it looks.
Also, was this pic taken shortly after you washed your hair? I love the way your hair falls like Jason said. Looks very very nice! Do you trim your own fringe?
Ted
Centre partings don't look good on me. I've got quite a high forehead (God knows why! It sure ain't coz I got brains!) and it looks better if I hide it a bit.
Yeah, that's why it looks a bit bouncier and frizzier than usual. It settles down after a day or two.
Yeah. I'm not very good at it but I'm getting better. I only trim off a small amount each time.
Damon
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Beautiful. I love the rich dark color and the "Fall" of your hair. (sorta like mine, actually.)
Thanks, Jason! I think our hair may be fairly similar - only slightly wavy - and that type 'falls' quite nicely.
Damon
Hiya Damon,
Now that is more like it and what a fantastic comeback from what happened to you just about a year ago.Your hair looks fabulous and I'm happy you didn't do the blue dye job to such a quality mane:)It would have been a shame to potentially damage it so go natural all the way my friend. Thanks for the grand update:) Cheers
Mârk
Hi Damon,
GREAT update, and happy news indeed!
Funny how we just don't feel to be "ourselves" whenever some traumatic event like a bad haircut happens -- it takes awhile to get over it, doesn't it? (And I'm not just talking about the fact that it PHYSICALLY takes awhile to return to our former normal longhaired self; but also the fact that it PSYCHOLOGICALLY / EMOTIONALLY takes awhile for us to be able to move on past the bad memory of the event itself...)
I hope you continue to share more happy hairy updates with us again in the future, too!!
Long Lox 4ever,
Ken
I liked those pics of the longhair, skinny jeans and wide studded belt, awesome , like to see more, could u tell me wher u got the 3 inch wide , love to see pics of that also with the long hair ! ty
Thanks! I think I got the 3" wide belt in Brighton a couple of years ago or so. I'm trying it on at the end of the video I just posted - but just resting outside my jeans since the belt-loops on those jeans aren't big enough to take a belt that wide.
Yeah, I think long hair, skinny jeans and studded belts go together!
Damon
n/t
Thanks to everyone for the nice comments! Yeah, the trim was totally traumatic. I won't be trimming it that short again. It's so nice that hair has this habit of growing back again but the waiting was a real bummer.
And yeah, Mark. I'll go easy on the dying but I might try some spray-on stuff at some time. I just so want electric blue at some stage. Dark brown gets awfully boring after a whole lifetime of it! :)
Damon
Wow this is the longest your hair has looked in all the pictures I've seen Damon. I'm glad your happy with it again!
-Tommy