A couple questions about growing hair out

[jaustin]

I've been a member here for a little while now and I promised I searched all the archives for stuff about this, but I didn't really find anything.

I'm thinking about growing my hair out... I think it might accentuate my skinny face well (any thoughts?). I was wondering if any of you longer-haired members could tell me how you went about growing it out without it becoming unkempt and wild. How often do you go in for trims, and when you go in what else do you ask for (tapers? thinning?)?

I was thinking of a style similar to Adrien Brody in this picture:

Another question: once your hair is that long, what kind of product do you guys use to keep it from getting frizzy or dry looking?

Thanks.

 

[dkhoel]

I'd also like to know what people suggest. I've recently come to accept that my face/head is slightly skinny/small proportionate to my height, and decided to grow my hair out to offset it.

I actually just got my haircut and asked the barber about growing it out, but it wasn't totally clear. She mentioned coming in every 4-6 weeks to have it trimmed and tapered so it looked manageable, but that's all I got. I think that if you're happy with your barber, you should talk with them about it the next time you go in, and maybe bring a pic too.

 

[jaustin]

Unfortunately I haven't found a barber that I like yet. I end up changing places every few visits...

What have you heard about growing hair long to offset the skinny/small head? I know I definitely have a skinny head and I heard that you should get your hair tapered on the sides to make it stick out a bit to increase the width of your head.

Can some people please help us out??

 

[andyw]

.....some background........I've been wearing a short edgy, i.e. spiky NYC brush cut from my early twenties into my fifties primarily for sports and minimal upkeep. I decided a couple years ago this cut was no longer working as my hair started to gray. The cut looked way too severe and appeared the result of post chemo therapy. I'm a ******** with straight thick hair and change was an opportunity to experiment.

It took me 2 years to finally discover the right length and product to use. I went months knowing that my look was transitional and there was nothing I could do except wait. So my first suggestion is for patience.

The second suggestion is to trust your barber assuming you have the right one to start with. In their hands, they will arrive at the right cut to balance hair to face and shape...over a few cuts. I've been lucky to have had long term relationships with three cutters who see a little something different in me that I could never describe to them.

With longer hair, I had to become familar with product. One of the reasons I liked the short cut for so long was the lack of fuss with hair gels, creams, etc. But with my thick hair, I had no choice but to take my time to discover the right gel and strength to keep my hair in place without too much stiffness. My third suggestion is to try many products and narrow the field until something works for you.

Thinking back over the experience, the first 6 months I looked like a different person to myself and my hair was ragged. But from that point forward, there was enough critical mass to do things with it. I took my time.

Good luck!

 

[greg_atlanta]

Use a leave-in conditioner and let your hair dry naturally (only use a hair dryer if it's very cold outside). It's a difficult look to pull off if you hair is too thick or too thin.... and very few men have the "just right" type of hair.

Any barber/stylist specializing in men's hair wants to cut your hair as often as possible, so they won't play along with growing your hair out. You may be better off going to a supercuts or hair cuttery type place and say "only trim the back and sides, don't touch the rest" and they'll usually follow your instructions (should only take 5 minutes).

 

[adversity04]

This was something i looked into a while back but never did. If you want it to look decent find a good stylist first and discuss it with them as they'll be the ones in control of how you look after each trim. They should also be able to talk to you about your hair type and how it will fall, etc, etc. Once you actually decide to do it, what I remember reading was going in every 3 months or so to get it trimmed(Hair grows approx .5"/month). This will mostly be taking mass off from the sides/back because it takes longer for the front to get the proper length compared to the others (same rate of growth, farther distance). It really starts with finding a stylist you trust.

 

[kever]

I've grown mine out a few times. The longest I had it was about 11". There are a lot of ugly stages to get through until its long. I just let mine go for a little over a year and a half with one trim about halfway through. I can't give advice on cutting it, but I found that conditioner actually does something when I had long hair. When I had short hair I didn't notice much of a difference, but with long hair conditioner is a must. I would wash my hair before going to sleep every second night (my hair was too light if i shampooed every day). In the morning I would wake up and rinse off in the shower but not use anything on my hair, then I used a small bit of thick pomade or wax when the hair was a bit damp and combed it back out of my face. I have fairly straight hair, and doing this made it look how I wanted it to look. I've since cut it all off and donated it to charity. I really liked it for how it looked, but DAMN was it annoying when it hangs in your face.

 

[cldpsu]

I'm growing mine out and have a friend that works at vidal sassoon that will be able to trim me at home or whatever. I'm not growing it like you though. I'm growing it long enough to comb it al back but have the back short enough so it doesnt look greasy slicked back. I want it to have a clean cut in the back across the neck. An old school 40's kind of slick back

 

[cldpsu]

I'm growing mine out and have a friend that works at vidal sassoon that will be able to trim me at home or whatever. I'm not growing it like you though. I'm growing it long enough to comb it al back but have the back short enough so it doesnt look greasy slicked back. I want it to have a clean cut in the back across the neck. An old school 40's kind of slick back

 

[Reggs]

I cant fully say I have grown it out, but I have tested the waters. There is always going to a period where it look unkept and messy, and all you can hope to do is minimize it.

Use a heavy conditioner to weight your hair down so it falls better, and tell an experienced stylist what you are doing with you hair. S/He will likely thin the last 3 inches of your hair out around the sides and back. You should also get a straightening iron to keep from getting that whisked back look when you go through the transition.

 

[pitboss12]

Originally Posted by andyw

....

With longer hair, I had to become familar with product. One of the reasons I liked the short cut for so long was the lack of fuss with hair gels, creams, etc. But with my thick hair, I had no choice but to take my time to discover the right gel and strength to keep my hair in place without too much stiffness. My third suggestion is to try many products and narrow the field until something works for you.



Good luck!


Andy,

I'have the same history and type of hair (short/close for a long time; thick and straight). I've grown out my hair and am currently trying to figure out perfect length and product. What length have you settled on and what do you use?

Thanks.

 

[sbbbjm]

ditto on being patient. i did this about 3 years ago. it took me about a year to get to the length i wanted and trims every 4-6 weeks so it was manageable (i have really thick hair)

i would suggest going to a salon instead of a barber. they are more likely to be up to date with point cutting, razoring, thinning/all that miracle stuff they did to make my hair look great without me having to spend more than 10 min fixing it. you might have to spend anywhere from $30-$65 for a good cut like that, but trust me it is SO worth it. all i had to do was but a smoothing cream/conditioner type product in my hair when it was wet then let is air dry - if i wanted to look a little more polished i used a hair dryer to make it more neat and straight.

 

[lawyerdad]

As others have said, you're probably just going to have to be patient as you go through periods where it seems unkempt and unmanageable. This is especially true if your hair is prone to curls, cowlicks, waves, etc. Guys with fine, straight may have it easier in this respect, although I don't know. As you're growing it out, you'll likely hit an in-between stage where it's long enough that the curls or cowlicks cause it to stick out in various directions, but not really long or heavy enough to resolve itself into true waves or curls.

The only advice I can really give is don't stress about it, and have fun. My own view is that everyone should try growing their hair out at least once in life, shaving themselves bald at least once in life, and growing out their facial hair at least once in life, just for the hell of it.

 

[Saltwater Wrangler]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

The only advice I can really give is don't stress about it, and have fun. My own view is that everyone should try growing their hair out at least once in life, shaving themselves bald at least once in life, and growing out their facial hair at least once in life, just for the hell of it.

Not so sure about the baldness, but maybe I'll get there someday!
I still wear my soemwhat curly hair shaggy (something carried over from the college days perhaps). Normal conditioner, quick brush into place and its good to go.

 

[Homme]

Does anyone have any recs for a good leave-in conditioner ? I would help if it's available on ebay, or somewhere else online.