new thread
Hello everybody! :)
I've posted here periodically over the past 2 years but I thought I'd finally post a more detailed update because I have a lot to say.
I first posted here over 2 years ago. I was a 16 year old kid in high school who'd wanted to grow my hair out since I was 2, and I'd never gotten to do so. I was nervous and scared as to what my family and friends would think, and whether I would be able to manage to do this or not.
Today I'm 19, an engineering student at Texas A&M, and confident with my mane :) My final haircut of all time was in March of 2018- it has been two years on my long hair journey.
Alright, some photos! My hair looks slightly greasy in the first few because I just did my nightly oiling- usually its not so prevalent :)
Here's where I started: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_QhNxb9jx7iI8H--pPRn4tDUDMr-ybK6
Here's where I am today:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_uP8l9f1wqizRiXiFUckPe1AwUx31G4P
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_w7OQeXk6b8MPSe0vbBKFqPz6Egc-DVm
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_xDkj1Hyp7APW_Rs4yKmPrBNpCGhrqV-
Back view:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KcxgSa-HYy8O2tK0zFSSZ2-UOwtE4UtU
https://drive.google.com/open?id=18tYh_MkV6g8TLW2XUL2XiUG8IRFWI_S7
Braids(these are really messy but I'm still learning them :) ):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1R7eyUby8JNEDVKd1QkUy9F6YFxdOetNK
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_Sh2D7wLnNJR8GsPI_ru-ldvZk3zulhR
Just photos I like: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_USG0O2aMCyNFKnRO3sCTqy6y0osT-6f/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_XbHOV3eONccFQdcdxY16n9BrKemEK27
My goal for the time being is classic length- if I can get beyond that I'll go for it, but that is the initial goal at the moment.
I seem to grow at the regular rate, 6 inches per year. I've been fairly diligent about length retention and I've managed to retain all 12 inches from the past two years. I hope I can continue that length retention- if I can, I'll be able to reach my waist in one year, my hip in two years, and classic length in 3 years- exciting to hear! But I have to be careful and keep my ends healthy. So far I haven't spotted any split ends, but I'm worried they may appear soon. I avoid blow drying(I air dry), heat/chemicals(i have no reason to curl my hair or dye it), and I wash my hair once per week(in order to not overwash and make it dry). I recently began taking multiple supplements including collagen, biotin, folic acid, and omega3 to see if I can improve my growth rate. I also use coconut oil on my ends to keep them moisturized and prevent them from splitting. I'm from Southern India(TamilNadu), where coconut oil is widely used on hair. Women from my area of the world very often grow hair to classic length and often much longer. So I have high hopes that I too have a terminal length as long as them, and that my dreams won't be cut short by a genetic limit. It definitely worries me at times though, that a terminal limit on my length does exist- what if it isn't as long as I want?
My parents at first were not at all happy with my choice, and kept threatening haircuts. I love them very much, they're amazing parents, but I was very firm that this is my hair and that I would do with it as I wished. They've mostly backed off now- they make the occasional joke about how a haircut would look good on me but they don't push it. My friends have been very supportive as well- the female ones help me with hair care and often brush and braid my hair(I find this very relaxing for whatever reason). The male ones(my core friend group of "bros") enjoy making fun of me playfully, but they never cross the line and they're never serious about it. I make fun of them for various things too so it's only fair after all :) But they know their limits and they are supportive in that they don't target my hair or insist that I get a haircut. I do feel like my hair causes me to get less attention from women than my friends do- this saddens me but I'm more than willing to sacrifice it in order to meet my goals- this is more important to me.
Probably the biggest issue for me with my hair has just been hair envy/depression. I oftentimes will see people(usually women) who have achieved my goal of classic length, either on the internet or in real life. Obviously they have put in a lot of care and effort to get there and worked hard- they too were once where I was. But I can't help but feel jealous that I'm not there yet. Patience is difficult for me, and I wish I could just wake up tomorrow and have my hair at classic length. Seeing other people who have achieved their goals makes me feel depressed that I'm not there yet. I have immense respect for them and the time they put into making that happen. Had I started my journey earlier, which I could not because of my parents' strictness with hair, I would have also likely reached my goals by now- this just fuels resentment toward my parents, though I should not blame them for trying to raise me how they saw best fit. This envy/depression is a struggle for me, but I won't let it deter me from my goals.
I think that's about everything I had to say- Thank you all for being so supportive! In a time where I felt I was alone and weird for wanting long hair, y'all provided me a community where I felt normal and wanted for my wishes and inspired me to work toward my goals. I really have no words to say how thankful I am for that. I'd love to hear what you all have to say about my hair as well as the ups and downs of my journey so far. I will keep updating you and asking questions as time goes on- the journey has only just begun!
Sincerely,
Avi
Hi(gh)!
Lovely! Do you plan to get tattooed all over? That would look awesome... and then grow your mustache!
In your hot climate you can do this without fear to catch a cold, unlike my part of the world...
Do Tamils even bathe in that oil? I just wonder...
Yes, I remember that also from times when I was younger...
Best wishes for your journey - yes, waist length or longer would look great on you!
See you in Khyberspace!
Yadgar
Yes, I'm trying to get tattooed all over! I love that look. I'm not so sure about facial hair because I'm unable to grow any at the moment, so I go for the clean shaven pretty boy sort of look. But if I get some later I will certainly experiment with it :)
Yes! California and Texas are blessed with the warm climate where I can air dry :) Where do you live?
Haha, to some extent yes- my family back in India will set aside a day each week where they cover their body fully with coconut oil as well as heavily oil their hair, let it sit for 2-3 hours, and then take a lengthy bath and they walk out with the freshest skin and hair you'll ever see. They do that once a week, other days of the week its just a normal bath.
Thank you so much! It means a lot to hear that :)
Hi(gh)!
I (sadly) never have been to India, but I remember your country (o.k., and Pakistan too...) as the land of mustaches!
In Cologne, Germany - cool (by Indian standards even cold!), wet and stormy half of the year! :-(
I sometimes think about some oiling routine for my hair too - in downtown Cologne, there is an "Asia shop" run by Sikhs (who according to all I know have simply GORGEOUS hair, though they rarely show it in public)... I think I should ask them what oil they use (probably not coconut oil)!
See you in Khyberspace!
Yadgar
Yes! Facial hair is so widespread there but I unfortunately am unable to grow any ;P
Oh! Cologne! My friends and I were planning a trip to Frankfurt but then these coronavirus concerns began and so we're grounded :( hopefully it all passes over soon.
Sikh hair is truly amazing- one of my close friends in elementary school was Sikh and his hair was beautiful. They probably use coconut oil or some other kind of natural oil as most of India does.
Hello Avi,
Congratulations on your progress. Unfortunately, I can't see any of your photos. All that is there are links to something on google drive. When I tried to copy/paste the links in my browser, I get an error.
It's odd that the other person who replied to your update seemed to see the photos just fine.
Good luck with the future growing!
David
Hmm- weird. I've given it a try on imgur, see if this works better:
https://imgur.com/5DrMKjp
https://imgur.com/NJaOVRX
https://imgur.com/ykkefeh
https://imgur.com/xnmPB4z
https://imgur.com/KNmjg7P
https://imgur.com/QqdUhti
https://imgur.com/wyAHFJy
https://imgur.com/WMnq8Dp
https://imgur.com/yQmMlu5
https://imgur.com/sltsIXK
Let me know if these work! And thank you for the well wishing :)
Hello Avi,
These links work perfectly, although it did take a little time to copy and paste the links in my browser so that I could view them.. I should mention that I’m using an iPad, and that could be why your earlier links didn’t work for me.
You really have made great progress for only two years of growing, and your hair looks excellent and is in good condition.
Keep up the good work!
David
Thank you so much for the compliments and encouragement David- I will most certainly keep growing and keep posting :) Take care!
Avi
I'm also able to see the photos just fine.
Hi David....good to see you.
When I reviewed AVi's post in moderation, the links all worked fine. Try highlighting the link, right click and use "Open ....."
How odd about what happened on my system. I was doing as you suggested yesterday, and all that I was getting then was some sort of error, something about Googlle Drive. However, when I tried it just now, it worked perfectly, and the photo (the first one I tested) worked fine.
I’m doing all of this on my iPad, and perhaps it was just being “grumpy” yesterday, or else, I might have copied and pasted the link at the wrong time. I’m going to have a look at some of the other links and see whether they now work for me as well.
Thanks for checking!
David
Hi David....good to see you.
Greetings Avi,
First off thank you for posting and telling us your story of the journey plus goals for achieving long hair.As you know growing ones hair out is a slow,slow process but the rewards are worth the effort.In a way the journey helps you realize what it takes to become a long hair due to the time and dedication involved.Being a young guy makes it easier to grow a fabulous mane but on the flip side sometimes you face the most resistance which is a shame.In some cases guys cave and ultimately cut off what they started due to social pressure so that's where you have to be tough and hold your ground my friend.Yours pictures look fantastic as what you have now looks grand! I hope you reach your ultimate goal as we all here are rooting for you :) Please do keep us posted as your hair grows longer by the day.Good luck with your journey both hair wise and life in general.Cheers.
Hairball
I definitely agree- becoming a longhair has forced me to build resilience, confidence, and maturity in a way that few other things will at this young age of 19. Thank you so much for the compliments and encouragement :) I'll of course keep you posted and hopefully in a few months/years time I will be at that goal with another great update post ^_^ Take care man!
Avi
