new thread
Well i'm sure you've heard this many times now, I've dreamed of having long hair for many years now, but have never until now bit the bullet and refuse to go to the hairdressers :-)
It has only been just over two months but already my hair is probably the longest it has ever been, i have always had number 2 on the sides and back and number 4 on top, wake up in the morning throw some jell on and forget it until the next day or evening going when out.! Already i'm loving my new hair :=) although there has been a few occasions i though stuff it i'm getting it cut!
Then i search and find this forum :) great i'm not alone, I have a few questions that i'd be real grateful for any help you guys have.
Well my aim is to grow my hair so i can wear it in a ponytail or just down.
So my first question is, do i get it cut and trimmed or do i just leave well alone ? obviously the sides and back arn't as long as the top but already the thought of getting it cut all to the same length doesn't appeal to me atall.
And secondly what do you use to keep your hair under a control while growing it, at the moment i'm using jell but have realised that won't be possible for much longer i don't think.
Thanks in advance for any help
Grale.
I believe the general consensus on this board is DO NOT cut your hair!! What we basically or call the "maintenance cut". Because doing this just prolongs the 'awkward stage'. This awkward stage lasts basically a year to a year and a half and is what makes most wannabe-long hair people give up and go crazy, ending with them getting their hair cut off. Yes, gel won't work AS well as it once did, but its invaluable for helping you get through the lengthy awkward stage where your hair is just really unmanageable. The goal is just to make your hair appear normal, but you definitely won't have the control you had with a number 4 buzz. As your hair gets longer, you'll find imaginative ways to control it, dedication is the key to growing because alot of people will tell you to cut and you will be led to believe them. Heck, i was just told to have it cut 5 minutes ago by my mom. This board has helped me immensely over the last 6 months ive been growing and im loving my new look and it should hopefully be the same for you. Remember, your hair won't behave exactly how YOU want it too, but thats the nature of long hair, YOU lose a little of that control when you choose not to buzz it to half an inch. Take it a day at a time. Time flies and you'll be sporting that pony tail by next year. Goodluck man.
< I believe the general consensus on this board is DO NOT cut your hair!! What we basically or call the "maintenance cut".>
The rest of the things can be different for everyone. This thing is like the first commandment for longhairs... NO TRIMS OR CUTS UNLESS YOU WANT TO STAY A SHORTHAIR OR A SHAGGY IN THE AWKWARD STAGE FOR AGES
"maintenance cuts" can be beneficial if done properly. true, cutting your hair at all will ultimately make it take longer to grow out, but on the other hand you won't have to endure 1-2 years of bad looking hair! the truth is no matter what you do going from a buzz-cut to long hair is going to take a LOOOOONG time, so you might as well look good in the process!
taking a picture of someone with "medium length" hair (Frodo from LOTR, Dicaprio from Gangs of NY, etc) into the barber and asking for a similar cut will ensure you look good while your hair grows. avoiding haircuts entirely is akin to avoiding showers or avoiding brushing your teeth, you have to keep youself well groomed or youll look and feel terrible!
Maybe
But most of us like the reward coming sooner. I had to endure looking bad for some months, not such a big deal. And alcohol free gel is a blessing
That's a good idea taking a photo into the barbers, i'll remember that one, but for some unknown reason what you want and what the barber thinks you need aren't always the same thing!!
A friend of mine went to his local barbers for a little trim,he had been growing out his hair for some time and had reached his shoulders, a little scruffy admittedly but looked real good,son's wedding forced a cut, Take nothing of the length he said to the barber!! All i'll say is that he left the barbers without paying the man and alot less hair :¬(
I'm going to stay well away from barbers for now, i know at some time i'm gona have to have some cut of, as my sides and back are shorter than the top, luckily here in blighty it's bloody cold this time of the year so i've got atleast another 2 months of wearing my beanie hat! hopefully i'll have passed the realy scruffy stage by then.
Thanks for your help guys i had no idea till now how hard and damn dedicated you must be in order to succeed in growing out your hair.
Hats of to you all, and isn't it strange how all of a sudden you notice that more people are wearing long hair than you thought.!
If you have to go for a trim, (which I don’t plan to do until my hair is down to my shoulder blades-1/4 inch to get rid of he split ends) DON’T GO TO A BARBER!!, instead go to a hair dresser for women. I will only trust women to touch my long hair. I know that some guys would probably be embarrassed, but I’m not. Here where I go in Montreal; these twins are great!
I agree there. I would just go to a salon that says Unisex, as there's quite alot of them around where i am. It goes both ways though... If you wanted your hair cutting to a shortish style, then you'd be best to avoid unisex salons, because hairdressers are not really trained to cut short hair.
Totaly agree with you there, thats where my friend went wrong in going to his little local barber shop!
But i have a ex gfriend who works at a very good salon here in england, strangely enough she also works with her twin sister :-)
Mmm hold on not sure if i'd trust an ex with my hair!!
Well i'm sure you've heard this many times now, I've dreamed of having long hair for many years now, but have never until now bit the bullet and refuse to go to the hairdressers :-)
Welcome aboard, here's my advice:
1) Stay away from scissors.
2) Carry on using gel / buy a nice hat.
3) Develop a damn good sense of humour about your awkward stage hair.
4) Persist!
Go for it.
Grale, welcome. I started out just like you, with a short military style haircut. I'm in my ninth month of growing. It takes a long time to get long hair. A ponytail will take about eighteen months if you don't get any trims. While becomming long most people's hair looks... uh... weird, rough, unkempt, whatever. We call this the "awkward stage". You will get a lot of support on this board during your awkward stage but you are the one that has to live with your hair looking rather goofy. I believe the awkward stage is the main reason people give up on growing their hair long. If you persist and get through the awkward stage you will end up with great-looking long hair.
> So my first question is, do i get it cut and trimmed or do i just leave well alone?
That was my first question too and the advice around here is to avoid trims. I had one trim that I now regret. The fact is that the only thing a barber/hairstylist can do to make your hair look "better" is to make it shorter. If you want to grow your hair long, that is contrary to your goal. I understand that some people have to look "neat" for work and really have to get regular trims but avoid them if you want long hair. Any unevenness in your hair length will eventually sort itself out. My bangs are about 1/2" different lengths since I moved my part from the side to the middle. At first I thought I would have to get that fixed. Now my bangs are about 3 1/2" long and the differences is hardly noticable.
>And secondly what do you use to keep your hair under a control
>while growing it, at the moment i'm using jell but have realised
>that won't be possible for much longer i don't think.
With my military cut I wasn't used to doing much with my hair. A little daub of Brylcreem and off I went. As your hair gets longer you will spend a lot more time on it. It takes longer to wash it, condition it, dry it, comb it, and style it. The way to control your hair is gel and lots of it. You may have to experiment with different gel products to find one (or a combination) that will work for you. I sometimes wear a headscarf (aka bandana) when I have to go out and don't have time to mess with my hair. You can find them at any "dollar" store. Some people wear hats. Whatever works.
Good luck and be sure to post some pictures, they are very helpful!
Grale, welcome. I started out just like you, with a short military style haircut. I'm in my ninth month of growing. It takes a long time to get long hair. A ponytail will take about eighteen months if you don't get any trims. While becomming long most people's hair looks... uh... weird, rough, unkempt, whatever. We call this the "awkward stage". You will get a lot of support on this board during your awkward stage but you are the one that has to live with your hair looking rather goofy. I believe the awkward stage is the main reason people give up on growing their hair long. If you persist and get through the awkward stage you will end up with great-looking long hair.
> So my first question is, do i get it cut and trimmed or do i just leave well alone?
That was my first question too and the advice around here is to avoid trims. I had one trim that I now regret. The fact is that the only thing a barber/hairstylist can do to make your hair look "better" is to make it shorter. If you want to grow your hair long, that is contrary to your goal. I understand that some people have to look "neat" for work and really have to get regular trims but avoid them if you want long hair. Any unevenness in your hair length will eventually sort itself out. My bangs are about 1/2" different lengths since I moved my part from the side to the middle. At first I thought I would have to get that fixed. Now my bangs are about 3 1/2" long and the differences is hardly noticable.
>And secondly what do you use to keep your hair under a control
>while growing it, at the moment i'm using jell but have realised
>that won't be possible for much longer i don't think.
With my military cut I wasn't used to doing much with my hair. A little daub of Brylcreem and off I went. As your hair gets longer you will spend a lot more time on it. It takes longer to wash it, condition it, dry it, comb it, and style it. The way to control your hair is gel and lots of it. You may have to experiment with different gel products to find one (or a combination) that will work for you. I sometimes wear a headscarf (aka bandana) when I have to go out and don't have time to mess with my hair. You can find them at any "dollar" store. Some people wear hats. Whatever works.
Good luck and be sure to post some pictures, they are very helpful!