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Hey Bros,
I have been allowing my hair to grow freely for forty one (41) months. My hair has reached collar bone length and there are some hairs in the front of my head which do not yet reach to the back of my head in order to get caught in the hair tie which forms my pony tail. I am fifty nine (59) years old. I had thought that I would never get a haircut again. I have not noticed much growth in the last few months and maybe because of genetics I may have reached my terminal length of hair growth.
I have my ends trimmed to promote growth? Is there any other advise which you, my long haired bros could offer to me which might help promote hair growth? I really love my long hair and if this is as long as my hair is going to grow then so be it. However, I would like to have my hair grow as long as it possibly can.
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
Well, by the normal human hair growth rate your hair should be at least 20 inches long. If it's a lot shorter than that I'd talk to a doctor if I were you. If nothing else, eliminate the possibility of a serious health issue. Your physician also might have some ideas for improving your chances of growing hair longer.
Hey Gene W,
I will ask my health care providers about this. I have decided not to trim my hair.
Thanks for your post at the end of July about how women feel about long haired men and the video of the Hanson Brothers.
Raymond
Hi Raymond,
Hair length is a genetics thing. One's age also is a factor in hair length (meaning, younger people can more easily accomplish mega-lengths than us older folks). But also things like hair-thinning and MPB (Male Pattern Baldness) are due to the combination of genetics plus age.
To trim or not to trim, however, is simply a preference issue. Trimming will NOT "stimulate" new hair growth -- it will simply trim.
I hope my comments have been helpful!
Take Care,
Ken in San Francisco
Trimming will NOT "stimulate" new hair growth -- it will simply trim.
Hey Ken in SF,
I think that I knew this. Thanks for reminding me and for re-enforcing it for me.
Raymond
Hi Raymond! Unless your hair is especially unhealthy or split at the ends, I wouldn't get it trimmed. Like Ken said, trimming won't make it suddenly start growing again.
-Tommy
Hey TommyD,
I agree with you. I'll continue to let my hair grow freely.
Raymond
During the growing process, I had a standing appointment to have my hair trimmed every 12 weeks. I had about 1/8" - 1/4" trimmed each time. I found a stylist who I completely trust, and who does exactly what I ask.
With regular trims, my hair reached my waist in a little more than 3.5 years.
My hair does not look good if I go too long without trimming. I experience much greater shedding when I go too long.
A single hair will grow on average for 3-6 years before going into the next phase and eventually falling out. You are probably at terminal length. Do you have much breakage?
You might be surprised how much better you like it after a "dusting" trim.
Hey Sunsailing,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
Hey Raymond Bro!
I understand what you mean.... If you see my last post, I am going on 5 years (48 months) since the last haircut (which was NOT a buzz.)
I changed to natural shampoo and conditioner, only wash and condition every 3 days, and am taking Biotin 5000 mcg everyday.
My Dad is bald, my Grandfather was bald, my DOCTOR is bald, so he told me not to bother. All the times I got a "trim" to make it grow is why I got such a late start in the first place.
I wish you well, feel free to post a current pic...
Take Care, The Spaf Man
Hey The Spaf Man,
Thanks for the advise. I will look into getting a natural shampoo and natural conditioner. Do you have any suggestions? I am currently using Tail & Mane. I agree with you in regard to trims; they don't enhance growth.
Raymond
I am now using:
Nature's Gate Tea Tree Calming Shampoo, and
Nature's Gate Tea Tree Calming Conditioner
(health food stores ...cheaper on Amazon.com)
Once every 3 days...
My hair feels and looks better than when I used the cheap stuff I was buying at Wal*Mart.
All The Best... The Spaf Man
I have been without the slightest contact between my hair and any cutting tool or device for nearly a year. I had to take a very intransigent attitude with my wife who wanted it under her control - namely, short or at the most some kind of 1930's pompadour. Perhaps on certain days, she would favour a squared-off page boy style kept off the shoulders.
She came up with the old argument, so I set about getting information. Cutting does not stimulate growth, because a hair of a mammal (including humans) is inanimate matter. All cutting does is to shorten.
As others have said here, trimming split ends is advisable, but if we want long hair, we don't cut it. Perhaps when the hair is long, we might want a single length by equalizing, but that's not everyone's taste. I tend to favour a more natural look which has only to be looked after and tied up for when we have to "be discreet" in short-haired company.
At our kind of age, it can be frustrating with slow-growing and thinning front bangs. I have been lucky with my almost white hair, and I have had fast growth since my buzz cut of September 2013. I don't have any special diet or medical help.
Could you send us a photo of you so that we see how you hair is now?
My blog
i gave up long ago trying to be "discreet."
The fact remains I have long hair, and at the age of 60
it will remain long until the day I die. So most of the time
I wear it down and loose. The only time i wear it in a pony tail/braid/bun/pig tails is when I need to prevent damage.
Besides after all these years my hair is my trademark.
It's long and it is staying long. And I refuse to hide the fact that it is long.
I agree with you. I prefer the company of tolerant and nice people who accept us with our choices in life. I prefer to wear mine loose, which isn't difficult because I'm not ready for ponytailing all my hair (sides are about 4 months away and my front bangs about another 8 months). It's already long enough to tell people I've given up the barber long ago.
Sometimes, it's better to avoid confrontation when meeting people for discussing or doing other things. I have been ready for being called "Madame" for a long time, and some people do. I reply in a falsetto voice and a camp way of talking, then suddenly lapse into my natural male voice. They love it! No, I am careful about people I esteem but who are just not yet used to accepting long hair on men. Ponytailing or some other method of tying up is something I decide at the moment, as when I do it for safety reasons or when I go sailing or cycling.
I ponytailed yesterday to go sailing and tucked my rebellious sides behind my ears, and it was a lot easier to comb afterwards!
Our identity is important, but people react adversely if it is "rammed down their throats" - like religion. There is a bit of "give and take". But, that being said, the vast majority of people here in Europe have no problem with men's long hair and have a genuinely liberal attitude.
Anthony
* * *
My blog
I have been ready for being called "Madame" for a long time, and some people do.
Hey Anthony,
Thanks for responding to my post. I realize that trimming my hair will only shorten it. That would be counter productive. I will not trim it. Like you, I prefer the natural look. I was addressed as "Maam" the day before yesterday by a police officer. I am addressed as "Maam" from time to time. I take it as a compliment to my long hair.
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
I get called Ma'm several times a year. I take it as a compliment. Most of the time it happens at the local store when someone sees me from behind with my hair about three inches above the waist, and my cut off shorts. Although the last time it happened it was at the national encampment for our civil war group. The person calling me ma'am is especially apologetic,
and I find it amusing. I'm very tempted to tell these people to get with the times, it's 2014, men have long hair and many women have short hair.
I love it!
My 14yo daughter has the shortest hair in the house. Well that's not exactly true, my 16yo daughter does but her hair is also as long as mine depending on which side of her head you are looking at. She has is buzzed above her right ear and long everywhere else. She didn't like at all when her younger sister had her hair cut down to a bob style, she was also displeased with her boyfriend's latest haircut because she loves long hair on everybody regardless of their sex.
Daniel
At the ages of 60 i've avoided adverse reactions. The last time I got an adverse reaction was when I was 45.
I expected the adverse reactions but surprisingly it never came.
Alot of the advarse reaction comes with age. I got lots of it in my younger years, once I hit 45 it stopped.
I don't look at it as "ramming it down their throats." it's my hair, i'll wear it the way I want. Ramming it down their throats would be if I held a gun to their head and made them
grow their long. I've had long hair now since 1964, if people don't like it they can go jump out the window.
When I joined the civil war group I expected lots of complaints. I got zero, zip, nada. And now that i've been in the group for a few years i've gotten to know a number of the guys in the group and a few of them are even letting their hair grow long. So the lesson here is to be yourself and not cave into those you think might not approve of your long hair.
Hey Long Hair in Albany,
Thanks for chiming in. I will not trim my hair. It is long and whatever length it grows to, it's my hair.
I do wear it in a pony tail in public. I tuck the pony tail under the back of my collar. In this way it is less obtrusive to those who ob ject to men, especially if the man happens to be a priest wearing long hair.
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
I believe trims (while they won't make your hair grow faster) will keep the ends more even (since some hairs on my head have a faster growth rate then others). And with keeping the ends even I am demonstrating that I keep my hair long because I like it that way and not because I am 'homeless' (lol) and can't afford haircuts. The trick is to either trim the ends yourself (about 1/4 inch. and no more) every few months or find a stylist you can trust. I go to Supercuts and they will ask you how much you want taken off. I will say 1/4 inch. while expecting to get 1/2 to 1 inch taken off. The last time I went, I told them 1 inch. and they took 1 inch off (since I am just around terminal length the worst thing that would have happened would be 3 inches off and it would take me 6 months to reach terminal length again which is a lot less of a disaster then a Y2K (lol)).
Pic. from last trim on 5/29/14
Length from 8/19/14.