Tips and Tricks for Men Who Want to Grow Out Your Hair
There are dozens of hair products that promise to make your hair grow longer, fuller and thicker in only a few applications. But they don’t tell the full truth. To grow the lustrous hair of your dreams, you need to exercise, eat healthy food and follow these tips and tricks for men who want to grow out their hair.
Men’s Style Guide: How to Grow Out Your Hair
Congratulations on your decision to grow out your hair! It’s not an easy decision to make considering the stigma around men with long hair and/or beards. Speaking from personal experience, the longer I grow my hair, the more sideways looks and comments I get as I go about town, or post on social media.
Unfortunately, unless you’re Jason Mamoa or Chris Hemsworth, society likes to paint men with long hair as either unkempt, unprofessional or trying to reclaim their youth. Fortunately, long hair is not only stylish, it’s growing in popularity and easier to achieve and maintain than you might think.
Step One: Visit Your Barber for Advice
The biggest misconception about growing out your hair is that you stop going to the barber, but the opposite is true. The longer your hair, the more you should go to the barber. Let your barber know that you wish to grow out your hair.
They will use this information in combination with your hair type and face shape to create a long hair style that looks great now while it grows longer. After the initial visit, stop in to see your barber every two or three months for a regular trim and to keep the ends of your hair under control.
Step Two: Grow the Top out First
The hair on the back and sides of your head grows faster than the hair on the top of your head. To avoid a mullet, therefore, you need a hairstyle that enables the top of your head to grow out longer than the sides and back, such as an undercut or pompadour.
Step Three: Avoid the Shampoo
Short hair tends to look healthier than long hair because it showcases the newest growth of hair on your head. The longer you let your hair grow, the more damage it absorbs and less moisture it retains.
To keep your long hair looking healthy and clean, you need to regularly trim and condition your locks. Many barbers recommend that men with long hair should skip shampoo altogether. You don’t have to stop washing your hair, but you should.
Switch your routine to shampoo every other day if you want to grow your hair long and healthy. Then see if you can push it to shampoo only once or twice a week. This will enable your hair to retain more of the moisture and minerals that make it look shiny and healthy.
Step Four: Don’t Forget the Conditioner
The most important step for men growing out their hair is to condition frequently. As stated above, the longer you grow out your hair, the more susceptible it is to damage. The best way to avoid damage to your long hair is to condition frequently.
Shampoo saps up much of the moisture in your hair. Therefore, you should condition your hair every time you shampoo. Doing so will add moisture back to your hair and leave it feeling silky smooth and soft.
You can even try a regular leave-in hair conditioner. These overnight treatments smoothed from roots to end and left overnight will help to lock in much of the moisture lost during the day.
Step Five: Use the Right Tools and Products
In addition to shampoo and conditioner, you will also need some hair care tools and style implements to keep your locks looking healthy and stylish as they grow.
- Dry Shampoo – For days between washes, spray dry shampoo at the roots of your hair to soak up excess oil and give everything added volume. It makes your hair more textured and lively, instead of limp and greasy.
- Hair Spray – This is the finishing touch for any style. A quick zap will preserve your hair for the day. Just don’t touch it!
- Salt Spray – A texturizing spray that also doubles as a pre-styler, which gives you beach-like grit for a piece-y finish, as opposed to straight, lifeless hair.
- Blow Dryer – Helps volumize hair or activate styling products, to magnify their effectiveness.
- Hair Brush – Brush your hair nightly to distribute the natural oils from your scalp and prevent split ends.
Step Six: Be Patient and Persistent
It takes six to nine months of steady growth to achieve most long hair styles. So, be patient, and try not to get discouraged by the awkward stages between short and long hair styles. The best way to avoid the awkward growth stage is to visit your barber. They will help you tame your growing locks and style your hair in a way that not only enables it to grow, but also makes you look and feel great.
Talk to the Experts at Goodman’s and Grow Out Your Hair
If you’re thinking about growing out your hair, then the first place you should visit is Goodman’s Barber Lounge in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. Staffed by talented local barbers and frequented by Chicago’s finest gentleman, Goodman’s Barber Lounge provides expert advice, stylish recommendations and the finest cuts anywhere in the Windy City. Stop by today for a full straight razor shave, pedicure, manicure, facial, shoe shine and more.