I'd say that I'm in the minority regarding a male's hair length. Typically, males have short(er) hair, and as of right now, I don't fall into that category. But I really don't mind that at all. I'm not afraid to stand out that way. Because my hair is longer than most guys' hair. Because that's part of who I am at this moment. Because I love my hair the way it is right now. And because I can do more with my hair when it's long than when it is short.

But if you're a guy with long hair, like me, you're going to face criticism from people, where some of the things they say are better left unsaid.

1. "You look better with short hair."

A lot of long-haired guys feel more confident with long hair, so saying this to them is a shot to their confidence. Some might take you seriously and actually cut it short. If you tell them you were joking after they cut their hair short, you are the bully.

2. "Your hair makes you look girly."

No, it doesn't. People who see me every day still recognize me either way and they still recognize that I'm a male. People don't suddenly think I've come out as a different gender if my hair is really short or really long. As a matter of fact, I don't really look different between short and long hair. See below:

Different hair, same person.

3. "Aren't you due for a haircut?"

I'm going to cut my hair when I want to. That's not for you to decide.

4. "When are you going to put it in a man-bun?"

I'll do it when I want to. It's not your hair so you don't get to decide what I do with it.

5. "That man-bun needs to go."

This is especially problematic if you're the same person who's asking when I'm going to put my hair up in said man-bun. It's one thing if you don't like it, but it's another thing if you tell me to put it up and then tell me that you don't like it. Besides, you probably don't know how to put up a man-bun anyway.

When you say any of these things or anything that resembles these things, you are shaming guys with long hair, somehow telling them that they're wrong for being themselves.

If you mess with a long-haired guy's mind enough to make him follow through on it and then make fun of him again, you're the one in the wrong for shaming him not only once initially, but again after the fact. You might never realize how much of a negative impact that any of these statements has on a long-haired guy when you say it to him.

You will probably not care or admit it if you've done this before, but it's about time you realize that some things are better left unsaid. If you feel that type of way about a long-haired guy, you don't have to associate with him or pay attention to him. You CAN have your opinions, but it's not your right to smother them upon someone just because they don't match what you like or expect. It's not your job to tell someone what to do with their hair, and it's definitely not your place to judge.

P.S. you probably wish you had hair like I do.