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Hi guys. I would like to introduce myself. My name is Todd and today is my 45th birthday. I have never had long hair and I have always wanted to try it. I am a psychotherapist and work with very conservative people in a very conservative city. I have decided to not touch my hair for my 45th year and then reevaluate on my 46th birthday to see what I think. I will post a photo on the first of every month. I know this is going to be a challenge for me going through the awkward stages and I would appreciate any support! Any questions would be welcomed as well!
Hi, Todd! You don't LOOK very conservative in your picture! :-)
Welcome aboard; you'll find this a most supportive group and full of kindred souls eager to vicariously take delight in your progress. You'll find individuals representing quite a cross-section of different professions here. I think you're the first psychotherapist I've come across, although we do have one clinical social worker who's quite active. I'm a rabbi, but I studied clinical counselling during a one-year sabbatical not too long back. I decided not to complete the MA; I decided my heart was really into my calling as a rabbi. But the year of training was very valuable.
In a year, you'll gain six inches of hair length, more-or-less. By that time you'll surely have figured out if long hair is for you.
Nu; read, post and enjoy!
Don
Hi Don and thanks for the introduction and support. When I took the pic I just got done with a run and spiked it up to show the beginning length. I typically style my hair with a side part and present like a boring politician. I just grew my beard out and more than a few of my privileged teenagers that I treat have made comments that I look like a "lumberjack" or the like. I easily throw that back to them, but it demonstrates the conservative culture that I live and work in. I am not trying to make a social statement by letting my hair grow. But if it happens to have a positive effect on anyone that I treat, I will consider that a positive. I feel it is important to be an individual and in order for one to feel positive towards oneself they must be true to oneself.
Wow! What great support! Thank you so much guys. This is my first try at being a part of an online community and I can say that I am very impressed. The one question that I have is Anthony encouraged me to not post monthly update photos. I'm sure he just wants me to let go and not think about it at all. This may be difficult for me. I thought that might be a way of showing my progress and help keep me accountable. Any feedback please?
"The one question that I have is Anthony encouraged me to not post monthly update photos. I'm sure he just wants me to let go and not think about it at all. "
I don't know where you got this idea. I have just been to check what I said. Actually I do encourage you to post regular photos. It will be great to see your progress.
Anthony
Welcome to the MLHH, Todd.....and Happy Birthday !!
You will find lots of folks here offering support and advise...and we all look forward to following you Journey. The adventure in front of you is not necessarily about appearance or making any sort of statement; but rather about inner personal development. In your line of work, you are going to find it fascinating to follow the stories of our members as well as your own.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
WWT (Walter White Tail)
If the Roc in your name refers to the same ROC where I live, it's not as conservative here as you might think. Yes, appearances can be conformist, but that doesn't mean folks are judgemental about others.
Besides, in your line of work, you have developmental psychology as the perfect excuse. "My mid-life crisis hit right on schedule. I figure this is a better choice than hookers and blow."
Teens will be amused, parents reassured, and co-workers will write it off as a phase. Everybody wins!
;)
Welcome aboard Todd - a great age to start - ( I started growing mine at age 43 = I'm 48 now ) - your hair has great colour & there's plenty of it - you should do well ... cheers CEM.
Hey RocTherapist14,
Welcome to the tribe, bro!
You are a long hair. Once you have decided to grow your hair out you are a long hair regardless of how long your hair happens to be. You stated that you have wanted to grow your hair out for a long time. You are most likely a born long hair. This means that being a long hair is part of your identity. It is certainly not ALL of your personality, however, your personality is somewhat compromised if you do not have long hair. It is part of your identity. We develop our identity very early in our lives such as gender identification, nationality, family identification, . . . etc. For some of us being a long haired male is part of that self identification as well. That is true for myself even though I did not begin to let my hair grow out until I was fifty-five (55) years old. I am now fifty-nine (59) years old. Being a long haired male is part of who I am and I only regret that I did not begin my long haired journey earlier in my life. You will experience the "Awkward Stage" when your hair will not co-operate and seem uncontrollable. Your hair will be in that in between phase when it will not be quite long enough to have enough weight and volume to fall naturally to frame your face or to be put into a pony tail. Learn not to take your appearance so seriously and get through this time. Use gels and caps and whatever you have to and remember that the reward for sticking it out will be a beautiful and voluminous mane. You will be able to do many things with your long hair which short haired guys will not know the pleasure of. Realize that you are a minority; only about two and five tenths (2.5) per cent of adult males have long hair. Nevertheless, if being a long hair is part of who you are then have the internal fortitude to claim your identity in total.
You will find much support and advise here at MLHH. We are a unique, diverse, and colorful group of guys. I am a Catholic priest. However, we share our appreciation for self expression of self identity, particularly our hair in common. We want to help any guy who is a long hair or who wants to be a long hair. We're a family.
I look forward to your monthly updates.
Welcome to the family, dude!
Your long haired bro,
Raymond
Please be assured also of my support. I am relatively new at 15 months compared with some of our guys. I was 54 when I decided to stop cutting my hair. I then discovered this board as I sought to know how many men still grow their hair since the end of the "trente glorieuses" (1950 to 1980).
Just live your life and don't worry about your hair. Brush off criticism and you will find your hair will need more care and grooming. Please do send us photos each month. The more experienced among us will give all sorts of practical advice.
The main thing is absolutely no cutting or trimming for at least a year, and even more. Let your hair grow and have the modesty to know you are not in control of everything. All my life I thought I had straight hair, and my ends are curly. You too will find surprises.
Have fun and enjoy the journey.
Hey Roc. Congratulations on making the first important step, e.g. wanting & committing to grow your hair long.
As Raymond mentioned, you will encounter the "awkward" stage. Don't get discourage during that period. You'll enjoy the reward afterwards! Be patient and enjoy the journey.
A.D.
Welcome to the neighborhood...
I must be getting old - wait, I am getting old - but the point is, you look much younger than your stated 45 years. Happy Birthday and welcome to this forum. I started growing my hair long 2 years ago - after a life time of wanting to... It is not easy when you live in a town where others are conservative in the way they dress, look and think... and one year is just the beginning - it takes a lot of patience and determination to allow that hair to grow - but you have fabulous color and will undoubtedly look great with long hair.
Hi Todd, welcome to MLHH.... Happy Birthday...
You have great hair to start with.... great fullness and color..
Best wishes in the journey.... I think you will do fine...
(I am 46, graying and balding, but I keep going...)
The Spaf Man
Hi Todd,
Thank you so much for the terrific introduction, I really enjoyed reading it!
As a therapist, you will find it interesting that many of us here have had quite a long and diverse history with our hair -- some of us wanting to grow it out for a long time (and the various obstacles we've had to overcome in order to do so), for example; while others have had other challenges about the issue, both externally, and "internally"...
I was raised by an ex-Navy father in the Chicago, IL area, who would not allow me or my brothers to have even the slightest bit of length to our hair -- every summer, for example, we were forced to have buzz-cuts (no choice in the matter whatsoever)... and this was during the 1960's!
You will hear more stories (as well as more details about my own story - LOL), the longer you hang out here. And the support here is simply awesome!!
And one more thing: in my opinion, your hair looks ideal for growing out looooong; so I hope you enjoy doing so!!!
"Onward & Downward!
- Ken in San Francisco, California
Your hair color is amazing and it will be stunning once your grow it out.
Welcome to the board!