Almost There: Don’t Cut Your Long Hair

I grew my hair long because I wanted to look cool. There was no other explanation behind it.

But if I can provide another one, it would be that no single haircut experience had been pleasant. I don’t always get the look I was aiming for.

It’s been a year and a half since my last salon visit. Life has been peaceful.

Apart from the liberation from bad haircut experiences, here are five reasons every dude should grow their hair long at least once in their life:

The joy of a new perspective
Having long hair will make you appreciate the daily struggles of the female species. Imagine using an ample amount of shampoo just to clean the entire thing every shower.

Not to mention the time it takes to let it dry (because going out with a wet hair meant absorbing all the pollutants in your head). And of course, the actual styling when the damn thing finally dries.

I have come to despise dudes who don’t take notice of their girl’s new bangs, new hair color or how neat that ponytail look is. For them, it’s just hair.

For the ladies, getting the perfect do is always a sacrificial rite, involving at least three baby goats, swearing and a reliable blower.

When you grow your hair long, the eventual shift in perspective will make you become more understanding of others, as you now know what it’s like to be in someone else’s situation.

You’ll be less judgmental. And you’ll apply this to other things in life.

The savings
Salons are not cheap; they need to pay for rent, manpower, utility, Spotify premium, you name it. These bills are then pass onto the clients.

Think how many times you go to salons every year.

There’s also the need to give tip, because you want to be treated like royalty should you return. Stylists talk among themselves about their clients all the time.

Depending on your desired length, you can trim the tip of your hair by yourself. This alone saves you money and time.

Yes, you’ll need ample amount of shampoo for longer hair, but you only need to shampoo once or twice a week! Doing so will make your hair and scalp healthier. Shampoos are still chemicals at the end of the day; the less you’re exposed to them, the better.

And because your hair now naturally leans towards gravity, hair styling products wouldn’t be necessary.

The honor of man buns
When companies tried to capitalize on the trend and offered one of the most offensive products since the fedora hat, the Clip On Instant Man Bun, it sent shock waves to the grow-your-way-to-a-bun movement.

I wasn’t growing my hair long that time, but looking back, I realized why others treat those who opted for the easy way in like they’ve committed a crime against humanity.

Their fear is clear: If the posers outnumber the genuine ones, it means blurring the boundary between what’s real and what seems to be real.

Not only that, if Clip On Instant Man Buns breaks into the mainstream, it would render the very principle of man buns, which is about resilience and dedication, null and void.

It’s like buying a perfectly sculpted body because it’s now available. No hard work at the gym or dieting to be done.

There’s just zero fulfillment with anything easy.

So when you grow your hair long enough to carry the man bun, you’re not only carrying the crown of resilience and dedication, you’re also representing in its stead.

The silent confidence
Man buns were the thing back in 2015. There have been a lot of guys announcing their plans to grow their hair long, only to see them a few weeks later, posting pics of their new cut with their stylist in the salon.

When you grow your hair and you resist the persistent call to cut it - because your past comfort is mad at you for the discomfort - you’ll reap this new confidence that is unlike you’ve experienced before.

The sense of being in a struggle worthy of your patience and time, because you know it’s going to be rewarding, will be nothing short of liberating.

This silent confidence will also keep you grounded when the urge to be arrogant of your achievement threatens to surface.

You’ll seldom encounter someone with a man bun bragging about donning one. There’s a reason Kings wear crowns. Their power needs no introduction.

The reward in waiting
If you live in a humid country and you’re halfway through your desired length, the first few months will be undesirable not only because the weight will start to get noticeable, but also because the only other way to offset the weight and the heat will be out of reach, as the length wouldn’t be long enough for a man bun or a dependable ponytail.

This phase is both dangerous and rewarding.

Dangerous, because the temptation to go back to your old comfort will be in its strongest.

Rewarding, because every time you overcome the call of temptation, you’ll see yourself winning against future setbacks, just like what you’re doing with your battle to grow your hair longer.
There’s nothing wrong with starting something to look the ‘cool’ part. After all, desire is the starting point of taking action.

When you finally have the length you desire, you won’t remember you had the ‘cool factor’ as a primary motivation. And when you do, you’ll be quite embarrassed. Being embarrassed is a sign of a learned spirit.