For most of my life my hair had been buzzed off. I’m a swimmer, so having hair was a hassle I did not want to deal with. Eighth grade was the longest I had ever had my hair before college, it looked suspiciously like Justin Bieber's hair (though that was before he got super famous). If you asked my mom, the only thing she would remember about that hair phase was the head flipping, and saying that I was going to rattle my brain loose. My last couple of years of high school, and my freshman year of college, my hair was completely buzzed. I had shaved it for state swimming my junior and senior year. Then, freshman year of college came around and I decided to join the Air Force ROTC at KState, so I cut it shorter again. That only lasted a semester, and I’ve been growing out my hair ever since.
After having my hair short my entire life, I decided to grow out my hair, and I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it with the constant morning showers for easier maintenance, learning how to do the perfect man-bun and learning how to deal with the awkward stages. But I would say that I’ve learned a lot because of it. It’s just hair -- I get that -- but as I’ve gone through the growing process look back, I’ve learned a lot of different things I never thought I would from growing out my hair.
Here a few things I learned and thought while I’ve been growing out my hair.
1. The nicknames get old really fast. No, I am not from Cali and, no, I don’t surf.
Ever since I’ve started growing it out, especially as it’s gotten longer, my family has been shooting out nicknames for me left and right. And my mom is the worst, always heckling me about it. Fabio, Barry (when I have a beard) and Andy Gibb, Point Break (for the Patrick Swayze surfer look from the movie of the same name), Sunshine and Thor. OK, I don’t mind the Thor nickname and even Point Break isn’t that bad because Swayze looked great in that movie, but they still get way overused. My family does it the most out of anyone, for sure, but people I work with or have known for a while have called me Sunshine. And let's not forget how many times people have asked me if I was from California, or if I surf. I work as a lifeguard over the summer, so when I’m tan and my hair gets blonde from the sun, these two questions are asked weekly. The answer is no, though I wouldn’t mind learning to surf. I mean, I already have the hair for it.
2. Patience is extremely important.
I’ve surprised my self with how long I have kept this up. Even the girl I go to get my hair trimmed is surprised. It’s tough when you have literally no experience with something that you have to deal with every day. Girls have to deal with it every day, sure, but they’ve had their entire lives to get what their hair does if they brush it one way not the other. I’ve only had three years, not even, and growing up I had had little to no hair at all. So having the patience for this has been the key, if I didn’t have the patience it would have ben buzzed off two years ago.
3. I have the utmost respect for girls and their hair, now.
Sure, I still think they take forever to get ready, but now I have more of an understanding of why. I get the showers, the shampoos, the conditioners, and the constant trips to the salon and taking the time to comb it (which is the worst). I get that you find hairs literally everywhere -- even in places you would never expect, and would never want hair to be. I may never do everything, or know everything, a girl does about their hair but I know enough to sympathize, that’s for sure.
4. Learning the art of a man-bun is no easy task.
As a guy who grew up his entire life with no hair to even grab, learning how to do hair from behind his head and sometimes with no mirror is a miracle. It’s only been long enough for a good man bun for barely a year. Still haven’t perfected it.
5. My confidence.
Having confidence when doing something new is extremely important. When I first decided to grow out my hair I had no idea how hard it would be or what I would even need to do. Nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. For the past three years I have gone through a ton with my hair. Every day I think about cutting it, and then I think that I have worked so hard on it for so long that I just can’t. It may have taken confidence to do this, but once I had it, the hair gave me a confidence boost in so many more ways. It makes me feel better about myself even on the worst hair days. I can’t help but think of Samson.
6. Shedding.
No words can describe the utter hatred I have for my hair when it’s not still on my head.
7. The first reason.
Why did I start to grow out my hair? Well, my grandfather is balding so I was worried that I would too, so I thought what the hell I might as well have it as long as I can for as long as I can. Then, it turned into something more. Helped with my confidence. I realized that it is something most men don’t do, or don’t get to do, and I might as well while I can.
8. If I ever did cut it, what would I do with it?
Like I said, I think about cutting it every day. Which is then followed by the question of how would I style it after I cut it? I always remembered my sister donating her hair to Locks of Love back when she was in high school. She had hers way longer than I would ever grow mine, but now that I have long hair that idea is something I want to do. So during Thanksgiving break when I had my last hair trim, I told my salon lady I go to and told her my plan. So, now, I just have a few inches to grow so that I have some left after I cut it, then I’ll be donating it to Pantene, which is a great feeling. I mean how many men can say that they did that?
