new thread
Hello all. This is my first post so please bear with me.
I have had long (well, shoulder length) hair twice in my life and despite all the extra work and attention it needed, I loved it. Even all the odd comments ignorant people make and the 'static' you catch for having long hair didn't really bother me because I-like-the-way-I-look-and-feel-better-with-long-hair. Well how about that!
Anyways, about two years ago I started moving up through the ranks a bit at work into managment. And I cut my hair back to a nice 'respectable' short men's style that I've had all too often during my life. I'm sure you all know how traumatic it is going 'short' again. Well, I adjusted and here I am today with short hair and $10 to the barber every month.
And I'm sick of it. I want my hair back.
So I've decided that I'm going to grow it out again the way it should be. I even think that I can get away with it at work despite the double-standard. My company policy is unclear about men having long hair but I dont think I'll be in too much trouble if I just let it come in slowly, which it will. There are many women managers with long hair, of course, and I intend to argue that if I need to. Unfortuanately, although we have a few long-haired employees and team leaders I do not know of *any* long-haired male managers.
Anyway.
My question is: How do I go about keeping my hair neat while going through that awkward 'growing-out' stage. This lasts about 10 months for me until I can put it in a good pony-tail. And until its really long my hair get wild and 'floofy' and does some strange contortions at the bottom where it flips up like a little girls cut or something. I still have to look neat and well groomed despite the raging mop on top so what can I do in the meantime? I'm thinking gel, and lots of it? I hate that stiff hair thing though, especially as it gets longer. But I will do what I gotta do to let it grow.
Hey thanks for letting me rant. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.
One idea you possibly have not considered is to use a wig to get through the awkward stage. Literally hide your hair until it's ready. Of course that would make the transition less subtle -- or would it? Let's examine this.
I suspect that if you had to suffer through the awkward stage, that it would be more apparent that your hair was getting long. Hair tends to look more unkempt if allowed even a bit of autonomy during the awkward stage. If you don't reveal your hair until it's ready, you can display it first in a tight, compact, pony tail. Done right, this will look just as trim and proper as a short cut.
A GOOD wig that is. One that matches your current hair fairly well.
But what if someone noticed? Do you have any *good* excuses ready?
How about "my wearing of a wig is a private personal matter and I would appreciate it if you would not mention it again".
-+- A little editorializing here -+-
In general we don't owe people in this world explainations. We live in a society were on the one hand many people are concerned about the growing loss of privacy but on the other hand many people readily give away their privacy with public explainations of their most private circumstances. Trying to explain such a personal decision as growing your hair to someone outside your circle of intimate friends is, frankly, pointless. They don't know you well enough to understand the deep meaning. If someone asks me about my hair or beard and they are not in my circle of friends the answer will be "my hair and beard are long for personal and religious reasons". I dare anyone to ask additional questions or to bring it up again! They can't really ask "what personal and religious reasons", can they?
If you want to maintain the "neat" look during the awkward stage you're definitely gonna need some gel.
Thanks for the ideas so far guys. I don't think I will do the wig thing though. I'm not trying to hide the fact that I'm letting my hair grow out, just trying to keep it somewhat 'under control' during the process. Wigs have always kind of given me the creeps anyways..just a personal issue I guess.
My major concern is just letting my hair grow in gradually so it's less 'noticeable' that that is what I'm doing. I have to worry about what my boss will say a few months down the road when it really starts to get shaggy, but I'm hoping I can 'get away with it' even though I'm in management. I don't deal directly with the public however, and I dont plan on moving up the ladder anytime soon, so I am very VERY hopeful that I can have long hair again with only minimal resistance or penalty. I like my job and wouldnt want to endanger it because of my appearance but at the same time I feel like I want to look the way that feels best to me.
Anyone else ever find themselves in a similar situation?
I was in a similar situation three years ago, though for me it was the first time I ever had long hair (at 40--43 now). I am a teacher, and on top of being in a conservative work place, I was in the process of interviewing for a new position in a different school system. The first interview took place just prior to the awkward stage became unduly awkward. The final interviews took place squarely in the middle of awkward stage. Then came summer. BTW, I go the job. Then, in the fall, I showed up at work in the new place with a ponytail.
No one said a word, though for the last two years my hair is often the topic of good natured chats.
I used gel and spray a lot to keep my hair, epsecially on the sides, under control. I made it look the best I could. No doubt, the summer break when I was able to move into a ponytail with the help of gel on the sides helped.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Robert