Five Things You Learn Growing Your Hair Out For A Year

We’ve all thought about it at some point, what it would be like to have long hair. Whether it was during your yearly viewing of Almost Famous or after being served your morning latte by the utterly hip barista known simply as “Merlin,” you start wondering if you could rock the long locks you see men increasingly sporting around town. We’ll admit, this look is not for everyone. You don’t see too many attorneys or accountants with hair down to their shoulders for reasons that might just be out of their control and for that, we’ll pour one out for them. For the rest of us though, letting our hair grow out can be a viable option, but there are other genetic aspects at play that one must consider.

Depending on your type of hair and its thickness, letting your hair grow out can be a lost cause, however, for those who can handle it, spending a year growing out your hair can be a truly trans-formative experience. If you do choose to put down the scissors and clippers for a year, you’re embarking on a journey of self-discovery and a multitude of trials and tribulation, but we assure you, it’ll be worth the fuss. As you embark on this year of hair growth, let’s talk about some things that you’re sure to learn along the way.

Long Hair Takes Time

So you’ve decided to grow your hair out for the next year, congratulations! Just like growing a great beard though, achieving those epic long locks takes time and you will inevitably go through some, let’s say uncomfortable phases. Most of us have let our hair grow out to the “shaggy” phase, where it might almost cover our eyes (come on, you were in high school once). Sure, that length can be kind of funny looking on a 30-year-old, however, just wait until you move onto the mid-length phase (think Bradley Cooper) and suddenly you have to use product just to keep your hair from taking over your face. Long story short, growing your hair out takes time, but when the day comes when you can finally tie it back or put it up is a day of celebration commemorating your discipline and patience and we promise, the look will be appreciated. Speaking of tying your hair back…

You’ll Need to Practice Putting Your Hair Up

Sure, you’ve been around enough women in your life to see hair being tied back or thrown into a flawless bun in a matter of seconds, sometimes while the subject is driving, eating, on the phone, or some combination of these activities. Then the day comes when you think your hair might finally be long enough to tie it back and what happens? Your hands and brain simply don’t cooperate the way you wish. Your knot ends up too high up on your head or too close to the base of your skull. Maybe it’s too far to the right or the left or it comes undone too quickly. Believe it or not, this will require a bit of practice, but much like riding a bike, once you get it you’ll be golden.

Long Hair Requires Maintenance

Let’s look at the facts here: when you have short hair, you don’t have to do too much to keep it looking its best. A little shampoo and conditioner here and there, maybe a neck trim every once in awhile, but anything more than that and a touch of product is just going overboard. Now if we follow simple logic, we see that once you have long hair, you will need to perform more maintenance in order to keep it looking lush. For instance, you might need to invest in higher quality shampoo and conditioner to help keep your hair moisturized and to decrease frizz. You will need to brush or comb it regularly to help prevent the build up of knots. You might still even need to get the occasional trim to combat split ends and hair breakage. Basically, keeping long hair looking good is a whole different beast and we suggest sitting down with your sister or girlfriend or any woman you know with long hair to get some tips. We assure you, they’ll know what to do.

Long Hair Gets In The Way

Wind is a funny thing. Great for kite flying and sailing, but just the worst for long hair. Yes, these are the times when it’s a good idea to have the putting-one’s-hair-in-a-bun thing down, but if you don’t or lord forbid you’ve forgotten a hair tie, then you just gotta embrace the Cousin It look. Look, long hair gets in the way of lots of things if you aren’t careful, including, but not limited to, eating, intimate moments, and drinking. You know, just three things that we each aim to participate in on a daily basis. As your hair grows out, you’ll become more aware of your hair’s behavior, but just keep in mind that it often times has a mind of its own and the best you can do is to simply go with the wavy flow rather than trying to tame the beast.

Hair Can Be A Hazard

We as guys tend to put ourselves in precarious situations, often times involving heights, water of questionable depths, and fire. Most of us tend to shy away from such things once we’ve reached the age of 401Ks and mortgages, but that doesn’t mean each of us completely abandons scenarios that can get, let’s just say, hairy. If you have small kids, they might take to your new hair as if it was designed for them to climb your head with. If you find yourself tinkering with your grill, please remember that hair is flammable and always ends up where you least expect and would prefer to avoid it being. Just like with a full beard, you will need to adjust some of your daily routine to incorporate your new features. Growing out your hair, much like life itself, is a journey. Enjoy the next 12 months.