new thread
Ive been growing for a year and two months, and as some of you may know I don't really like my hair but i have never once considered cutting it. These past few days have been different however, like I'm seeing things from a different point of view. I'm now thinking to myself, what is the big deal here? It's just a hairstyle, there's so much more to life than a hairstyle. Now don't get me wrong, I do like long hair alot better than short hair but since I don't like MY hair and it causes me so much grief.. why not cut it? (I said I wouldn't cut it for two years, and i try my best to stick to what I say but after the two year mark, if i feel like i do now i will cut) Only last week it would have seemed like such a horrible thing to cut my hair.. now I'm thinking Is the world going to stop if I cut my hair? Is anyone who sees me on the street really going to give a damn if I cut my hair or not? It's not going to make any news headlines I can tell you that. All of a sudden it seems so insignificant and there are so many more important things in life that can bring me joy. I used to think that if I cut my hair and saw a longhaired guy it would make me feel so bad, but now I ask myself, why??? In my mind it would seem as if nobody knew who I really was, people saw me with short hair and they wouldn't understand that deep inside I was a true longhair... now this seems so stupid to me, nobody would notice or care what hairstyle I have, people are too busy with their lives and most people could care less about what hairstyle anyone has. It's just rather strange how almost overnight I started seeing things from a different perspective, has this ever happened to anyone?
Not for one second, not in 1 year and 7 months. I really like having long hair and will have it for a long time.
Same here, if you grow your hair, its not to impress someone, or make them notice changes (like haristyle) but for yourself! You don't grow it just out to be different, you grow it to be yourself.
Janus Zeal, Prince of Magical Kingdom of Zeal
Ditto for me. It's been 1 year and 7 months & 3 days since my last establishment cut I love how loooooong it's got. No turning back now. I've never waivered from my quest. Long live long hair.
Uh... no comment.
;)
Aye, 'tis the question that haunts all men who feel the way you do.
my hair or not?
Well, no, but that's not why you should be growing it in the first place. The very first question anyone must ask themselves, when deciding to change something about themselves, is whether it's going to make them happy. If you're not happy, do something about it.
You're right. I've never given a damn about what anyone else looks like. I sure as hell don't give a damn about whether you decide to keep your hair long, or chop it off. I'm just here to dish out advice and share my own experiences.
I remember renting Top Gun for the umpteenth time, and couldn't help thinking how cool (and comfortable) Tom Cruise looked with a crew cut. I considered, for about 2 seconds, getting back to a crew cut myself, and haven't thought about it since.
I'm happy with my hair. I look a lot better with it long than I ever did with it short. You see, I have high cheek bones. My long hair helps to soften their effect on my appearance.
From your description of your feelings about your hair, it sounds like you've grown your's for all the wrong reasons, and none of the right ones. The first thing you need to do is re-examine who you're trying to please - yourself, or an un-concerned public.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
"it sounds like you've grown your's for all the wrong reasons, and none of the right ones"
Definately not, I grew my hair out b/c I have always liked the look of long hair. When I started growing my hair I had plans of having nice smooth wavy hair.. not looking like Slash from Guns & Roses or some wild cave man. And although I love long hair, if I were to cut it, life would go on.
One thing I learned early on is that, no matter who much you may want to look like someone else, your genes will always have the final say in the matter.
When I began growing mine, I was pretty much sick to death of how it looked short, but I really didn't have a real clear idea of what type of length or style I wanted to go for. I then found a role-model in Ed Furlong from "Terminator 2: Judgement Day". I thought it would be totally cool to have hair in a style similar to his. Unfortunately, my hair had entirely different plans, and I never managed to get it to look exactly like his. I was feeling a little frustrated about the whole matter when I began noticing how addicted I was becoming to the length as it kept growing and growing. So, I decided to chuck the personal Ed Furlong look-alike contest I had going and grew the rest of my hair out.
The rest is history, my hair is my own, and I couldn't be happier.
Isn't that how it almost always turns out? We want what we can't have? I was going for the Aragorn look, but unless Aragorn decides to get a perm before Return of the King, it's not happening. If we can just accept those kinds of facts, I think we'd be a lot happier w/ ourselves. (I'm using "we" loosely, 'cause I'm too tired to try and rephrase it.) But if someone doesn't like the way the results are, and they have the power to change it, I don't think there should be any obligation to stick with the original plan.
Example - Take Jon Bon Jovi for instance. He had the pefect hair that kind of was "God Hair" during the times of the 80's "glam-metal" rock that was the fashion in the 80's. Look at him now...he has short hair?! My wife is a huge fan of long haired men and comments on how good he looked back then with his "God Hair", but she also comments on how good HE looks now with his "short" hair. You see, it's all about the genes...whether Jon Bon Jovi has long hair or short hair he is simply a good looking guy...period! You may want to look like this or look like that, but it's your genes that determines how good long hair (or short hair) will look on your person. You need to please yourself when you look in the mirror...
like MY hair and it causes me so much grief.. why not cut it?"
I might point out that you said, "I do like long hair"...
well, it has to be MORE than 'like'...has to be more like LOVE...
LOVE it like any other part of your Human Body...
LOVE it from deep withIN your spirit...
It's not just an extension of yourSelf...
It IS YoU!
To answer your question: Yes, when I was going through the Awkward Phase® some time back...
I felt like just giving uP!...
...but I didn't because...it's ME...that is who I AM, now...amen...
>>I'm now thinking to myself, what is the big deal here? It's just a hairstyle, there's so much more to life than a hairstyle.
That's right, so why not just grow it out if you want to? Short-haired guys constantly primp their short hair more than I ever do. If you are talking about maintaining a style then short hair takes more maintence.
After easing into long hair and it's requirements over the years I don't really have to think about it all that much. You may have difficult hair and maybe it's not practical for long hair but things look (and act) very different after several years of patience and if you really want to have long hair then now is as good a time as any to give it a try so you know for sure (afterall you have a long life ahead of you).
2-week rule
in another week or so if you are still feeling this way about your hair and have not wavered then you should most certainly cut and don't look back. don't ever consider growing it out again because all it will do is cause you grief. i know this is a long hair support board but i can't bring myself to advise someone to continue doing something that makes them as unhappy as you seem to be. no one's hair should give them the kind of trouble yours has given you.
If you've got curly 'wild man' hair, and you want smooth silky hair. Then just get it straightened.
if you're on the verge, and you think you want to cut, have someone play with it, grab thick handfulls at the base at different places and slowly, firmly, pull it outward, allowing the short hairs to fall out of the bunch until the end is reached, where only a few strands are being held, and the tension is but a tingling in two distinct spots, and repeat . . .
after this, i do not see how anyone could cut their hair short, despite any image or maintenance problems, etc.
i do less analyzing and more feeling, and believe me, a head of long hair will give you more pleasure(in many different ways) than a head of short hair.
well, that's my advice/opinion. :)
Seems like you took good care of it too...
thanks! :)
Good replies, good points made by all. Like I've said, I'm not going to cut before the 2 years. If it still looks "wild" at the 2 year mark it's pointless to keep it. Wild hair doesn't go with my overall look and personality, I'm a big heavy metal fan but I definately do not dress or act the part, I prefer the "rich lifestyle" i guess you can call it and wild hair does not go with this.
nope :)
The idea did not come overnight, but has been there all along....
It is such a hassle dealing with all this hair all the time. I find it appalling that so many of my daily routines have been altered to give attention to this hair. Hell, even taking a shower has become a scheduled event!
Were it not for my S.O., this mane would come off immediately!
-William
i'm no more for growing it out for an s.o. than i am for cutting it off for her. altering my appearance to appease someone else will most certainly strain my relationship with that person as i will have lost a part of who i am (or who i'm striving to be). ultimately i'm not only being untrue to myself but also to that person.