Before you access the link to the Men's Longhair Hyperboard....

...there are a few things that you should be aware of. (RAQ below / links at the bottom)

First off, this is a place for longhairs on the net but it has become heavily populated with guys who have short hair and may want it long. This is OK so don't make a big deal about it, one has to start somewhere and it is an open board. Time is the ultimate determination of what longhair is and if you hang around long enough you will see most of these hopeful newbies change their minds and cut their hair (if they have even started to grow it yet)...but a few may actually stick it out. Many of them are clueless about what to expect or how to go about growing hair and many of them tend to be young (teens).
We also have many older guys here as well so keep in mind that you are talking with a very diverse group of people. They come from around the world, have different religious beliefs, different hair goals, different hair types, different sexual preferences, different lifestyles and sometimes don't have the best computer communication skills...yet. You will also see several women pop in now and then to either give advice or just hang out with longhair guys because they have a thing for that.
Some of the people who respond and give advice have not ever yet grown long hair themselves so take the time to get familiar with those on the board and be aware that some of what is said may not come from someone's personal experience. When growing hair it's best to take advice from someone who actually knows what they are talking about.

Second, this is a place to exchange information about "men's longhair" and other hair-related topics. From time to time there are some people who come on the board to advertise websites & products, preach their religions, promote bands, talk about wrestling, videogaming & other computer management issues, have teen chat like on other teen boards...even the occasional person who wants to tell us that we are all stupid for growing long hair. This kind of stuff just eats up bandwidth and causes problems among the members, so if it is your intention to come here and go off-topic then just save it and go somewhere else (you will see a number of people repeatedly ignoring this but the moderators get to make the decisions about this).
Everybody has their own reasons why they are here but remember, the board is here for the discussion of "men's" longhair and it is a unique board on the internet and if you want it stay as a relevant source of information and on-topic discussion then please treat it that way.

Third, we don't mind new guys asking questions but the board gets a constant hail of one-post-wonders who happen to run across this board and somehow ask the exact same questions that a dozen other people asked over and over and then don't bother to follow up or ever post again. There are also lots of guys who do follow up but again keep asking the same questions that may even still be posted a little farther down the board or can be found in the archives. Constant repetition of the exact same information fills this board and can be exhausting to wade through.
I have something that might help a little (if people read it).
Below is a "R.A.Q." (repetitively asked questions) to answer all the overly repetitive questions so we can maintain our sanity while helping all the new guys who stop by. This RAQ will not be the same as the official board FAQ. Please browse through it before going to the board as it just might answer the burning question you have that we have answered a hundred times before (it's OK that you have questions but I'm just trying to streamline things to help you).

As boards go on the net, this tends to be a very well mannered one. There are many long time members who really take the time to impart their experience and knowledge to newbies. Please, if you are new to the board, don't just start ripping into people or the board itself because you didn't take the time to carefully read the posts (this is generally where any criticism of the board comes from). Take some time and get to know some of the regular posters by reading what is on the board or on their website if they have one and feel free to introduce yourself and participate.
All you really have to do is read posts carefully and if you respond then be sure to re-read your response a few times before you post it to the board and this should be enough to keep you from saying something really stupid (questions generally are not stupid but keep in mind that the information that you are looking for as a newbie is probably already posted somewhere by people who have already been through the process).

https://members.tripod.com/hairreligion/mlh.htm


Repetitively Asked Questions on the Mens's Longhair Hyperboard (started 1/5/04)

If you are new to growing your hair out don't be afraid to ask questions, this is how we learn.
These are questions that everybody seems to ask so it's quick & easy to just have them here.

Q: What is the RAQ?
A: The R.A.Q. is a list of the most often asked questions and topics that get posted by newbies and a few veterans of the board. The responses given to these questions and topics are based on factual knowledge, responses from myself and others members on the board, experience gained by growing long hair on the part of myself and other members on the board and observations about the board from years of participation. These are answers to questions often in the form of tips and advice with personal opinion kept at a minimum.

Q: HOW DO I START (GROW HAIR)?
A: Loaded question. But first you have to begin by stopping the haircuts that you have become so used to getting on a regular basis. Then wait at least a year while you get a little bit of length. This also will show you what sort of hair type you have. Then, as it gets to be shoulder length or longer you can assess if it needs a trim to even it up or to stop any damage (split ends). Then trims should be on a very occasional basis (2-3/year depending on hair type). Keep conditioning your hair after washing it during this process and beyond. Avoid hair bleaching, perms, straightening, etc., let it be natural and healthy at least until you get some real length. Realize that this will be very different from what you are used to.
Important: Do not fret or over-think your hair while it is still short, just let it grow and take sensible care of it.

Q: How do I make my hair grow faster (what vitamins can I take)?
A: You can't make it grow faster, hair doesn't work that way. Most people will say that good nutrition will help (some swear by Biotin, some say eating meat does it) but your hair is going to grow at the one pace that your body is programmed to grow it at. It's a bit more complicated than that but without getting into hormones & growing cycles, which are part of your body's makeup, this is the easiest way to put it.
You may notice that someone always announces that they have found the secret for faster hair growth despite everything that we know about it and don't want to hear anything to the contrary. Don't change your life for these claims as your hair WILL grow regardless, and any claimed potions don't claim to grow it that much faster anyway. When it gets long over time, as everyone's does, then you will realize that the race for an inch or two is irrelevant. You are going to have to do the time to have long hair and then live with it everyday.
The best thing to do is to stop getting haircuts and take a dose of patience...then reap the lessons that growing long hair teaches you.

Q: Does hair grow faster in the summer?
A: No, it has NOT been proven that summer (alone) increases hair growth. Nor has it been proven that heat increases hair growth (summer could be in Antarctica) or that sunshine (or moonlight) can make hair grow any faster. Again, hormones & growing cycles control hair growth. Staying healthy helps hormone levels.
There is, however, no shortage of people with claims that their hair grows faster in the summer just as there is never a shortage of claims for everything. The only way that claims can hold any water is if they are scientifically tested which none of these ever are. It doesn't really matter anyway, you still need to develop patience to have long hair.
To avoid any confusion, light and heat cannot cause keratin to "grow" as the myth implies. If you are talking about summer activities by some people in some warmer environments relating to a possible increase in overall health as a reason for slightly increased hair growth then this is what I mean by health and hormone levels. But this is slight at best as there are so many variables: winter athletes are active, summer in arctic zones is still cold, places where it is hot all the time or in certain seasons people tend to slow down and also use air conditioning, etc.

Q: I need help!...I'm confused! (for a variety of hair management reasons)
A: Many posts start with this and almost always come from guys who still have very short hair. If your hair is still short then you don't need help yet, you just need to relax and let your hair grow for about the next 9-12 months without doing much to it. Then, after you have seen what it does as it BEGINS to get longer, you can get some real relevant answers to your questions.

Q: How often should I shampoo and condition...how about not shampooing?
A: You should try different things to see what works best for you.
Some prefer only using shampoo once a week, others 2-3 times a week and some have to shampoo everyday due to work needs or hair type.
As for conditioner, you should use it every time you shampoo (unless you find different).
You also might try shampooing a couple of times a week but condition every day. This is less harsh but keep your hair clean and manageable.
Every so often someone gets the unoriginal idea to stop using products all together but even though that may seem attractive in principal, it's not that practical for a number of reasons (mainly hygiene) and you will find that hair maintenance products really are nice to have.

Q: There is a girl that I like but she may not (or doesn't) prefer long hair on guys. What should I do?
A: Well, first ask her out and if she doesn't like your hair then you'll hear about it soon enough. If that is the case and YOU really do prefer long hair for yourself then move on to someone who will accept YOU and not what stereotype she would like you to be. It's simple when you realize that there are millions of other girls outside of your little community (if you've already met all of them in your community). You might be suprised and find that she likes you as you are...but one usually has to ask first.
Make sure that you aren't also doing the same thing to others that you don't like.

Q: How about leaving conditioner in your hair?
A: If the product says to wash it out then it's best to follow those instructions. There are leave-in conditioners on the market.
Try different things and learn what works best for your particular hair type.

Q: What about trims? (when and how)
A: If you are just starting out then trims can wait awhile until you have some growth and need to tend to split ends and such (shoulder length or so). If you are trying to grow a certain style then you may need to get regular trims while you grow it out.
The big effort is to get some growth all around to work with. When you do need trims, only trim the damaged ends (make sure the person doing the trimming knows this as well as your goal of getting it longer).

Q: What about the hair on my neck?
A: If you are just starting to grow your hair then don't worry about neck hair for a few years. If you are at that point then you may find that trimming off the hair growing out of your neck that doesn't seem to get any longer and looks scruffy will not only look better but may also help with tangling in that area (you'll notice it if you tie your hair back).
NOTE: This is NOT an undercut.

Q: What do you think about mullets and undercuts?
A: If you are truly trying to grow long hair then you will want to avoid them as they are just bad ideas that will make the process take much longer. But, some people like them (or think they will) and that is perfectly fine.
Note: Some may exhibit a personal opinion about hair styles but that is not any sort of personal attack against anyone or even remotely a show of intolerance so don't accuse us of that. We always say that the right hairstyle for you is the one you like on your head.

Q: What is the awkward stage?
A: When you begin growing your hair past short styles that you were accustomed to your hair will begin to shape and character that you never knew you had. Sometimes this is not so welcomed as it tends to have a mind of it's own until it gets long enough to be controllable due to the length directing and weighing down waves, curls, and other hard to control hair characteristics. Usually the cure for this is to let it get longer.

Q: How can I make my hair not so dry?
A: A good quality conditioner that replenishes the moisture to the hair. There are several and you may need to try at least a few to see what works best for your unique hair. Hair also acts differently to products as it gets longer.

Q: Are 2 in 1 shampoo products any good?
A: No, those are the low quality (big name) products that get known because the companies spend so much money on their advertising. It's a bit of a conflict having a shampoo that is supposed to strip the oils out of your hair mixed with a conditioner that is supposed to replace the stripped out oils...at the same time! How is that supposed to work? Think about it. It's not really that much more difficult or expensive to have 2 bottles despite what the commercials say.

Q: What's the deal with beer or beer shampoo?
A: Certain additives in certain beers are said to benefit your hair if you rinse you hair with it. In the mid 80's a beer based shampoo was marketed but didn't last long due to it not being any better than other products.
Beer doesn't really do anything special to your hair but some people will swear by it just like people stand by their recipes and other products that they use. Different products work differently on different people. Go ahead and try products for yourself to find what will work the best for you, we cannot tell you what will. Pouring beer on your head won't do anything that other products can't do and it will just make you smell like someone spilled beer on you.

Q: How can I get my frizzy/thick/curly hair to look straight/be manageable?
A: If you are one of the folks who has the hair-from-hell because of a natural tight curl or kinks in the hair strand then you may be in for a bit of a challenge to grow long hair. There are a number of different products on the market that might help to tame the wild hair a bit but you will really just have to try some of them to see how they react with your own unique hair type.
Some people use hair straighteners (products or devices) but many of those are know to cause damage and should be researched carefully before trying it but there are also can be satisfactory results for those who need that kind of solution.

Q: How do I get my hair like Kurt Cobain's? (or any other celebrity/movie character of the moment)
A: Kurt was not known for any sort of example of good hair care (actually very poor) and after he became famous he tended to keep his hair at what most longhairs would call short styles. We encourage you to aim for a better example than him or any other trendy, ever-changing celebrity.
Your hair has a uniqueness to it that you will discover if you can stick it out until it gets longer. If you grow it with this in mind and not with the intention of looking like your favorite celeb of the moment then you will more likely be pleased with the result of your efforts and will probably keep it longer.

Q: What kind of shampoo/gel should I use?
A: You must experiment for yourself as your hair is unique. Try to learn about better products than what you see in common variety stores (although sometimes there can be good ones there like Aussie) and learn what ingredients to avoid like certain alcohols, silicones, laurel sulfate, waxes, etc.

Q: What does terminal length mean?
A: Some people find that their hair stops growing at a certain length. Sometimes this is due just to damage but in some people their genetics determine how long their hair will be able to grow (growing cycle, strength and durability of the hair). There are some other factors too but that's it in a nutshell.

Q: How do I get dreadlocks?
A: Well, be aware that once you make your hair into dreads there is mostly no chance of undoing it and if you decide that you don't want them then you will have to shave it off and start over again. We tend to refer people to dreadlocks boards and sites for the best tips.
(If you do adopt this style please try to keep it as clean as possible. Wash it and try a vinegar rinse now and then. Dirt, smell, molds, etc. are not signs of good hair care)

Q: Are men with long hair homosexuals?
A: It is definitely not a characteristic of longhairs. Some are (as in any group) but I would guess that most are not. Most gay men have short hair and prefer short hair (think about why in the context of generally accepted social gender roles today in this society).

Q: Should I grow my hair long?
A: That is your decision and ONLY yours.

Q: What do you think I should do with my hair?
A: That too is your decision and only yours.

Q: How do I deal with my parents/co-workers/boss/church who want me to cut my hair?
A: There can be many ways to deal with this but basically be strong in you own decisions and things will calm down after awhile (sometimes years but growing hair is a long term thing anyway). This is your life and being an adult means making your own decisions.

Q: What are split ends?
A: After a while your hair shafts can actually split into two pieces (like splitting a log) depending on damage or hair type.
It's best to cut these split hairs off just above the split to keep it from continuing and to reduce tangling.

Q: What are bangs?
A: Bangs are created when you trim the hairs above your forehead so that the hair will frame your face. A severe example would be the Bettie Page look.

Q: Why are you guys so down on Locks of Love?
A: Mainly because of all the comments that we get about cutting our hair and giving it to charity (as if we didn't really want it).
L.O.L. only uses about 3% of the hair it gets for wigs and sells rest for profit or throws it in the garbage. They won't tell you if it went to a child and girls under 6 don't get real hair anyway (boys with cancer don't get any). The records they keep as a charity are sketchy and suspect and they do charge people for wigs.
That's a lot of nothing to make a personal sacrifice for when you aren't looking to do it in the first place.

Q: Will bleaching/dyeing my hair damage it?
A: Bleaching will cause heavy damage. Dyes can too but if done properly should be fine. Ask a hair care professional first.

Q: How long does it take to grow my hair long or to a certain point?
A: Hair is known to grow at an average of about 1/2" of growth each month (no, not everyone is exactly the same), this comes to about 6" per year.
You will undoubtedly hear from those who think that their hair grows very much faster than this often due to their "miracle" routines/diet/etc.

Q: My hair seems to be falling out/thinning. Is something wrong?
A: Maybe, maybe not. Check here or here for a possible answer to your unique situation (try here & here too). Also know that losing up to a couple of hundred hairs a day is actually normal, so if you are seeing lots come out when you shower or brush out your hair to start the day then don't be alarmed, there is a natural cycle to hairs that is involved. As your hair gets longer than before this may catch your attention because there is more size/material to each hair making it more noticeable.

Q: Does the product called the Split-Ender actually work?
A: Not really that good. It's an automatic trimmer that takes many passes and doesn't get all the split ends. The manufacturer advises against more than a couple of passes. Why? Because it just starts cutting everything shorter. Haven't heard it advertised in years.

Q: When does hair become "long" hair?
A: There is a bit of a debate about a person's personal definition of what long hair is. It varies but there are some basic milestones that one can follow. It's getting long (longish) when it reaches your shoulders, after that it's long and longer.
A good way to look at it is that "long" is a length which seems long compared to your accustomed standard (or the social standard where you live). Although that doesn't make much sense if your standard has been something like a buzzcut or 2-3 inches, then anything seems long.
Combine this idea with the shoulder length marker and you have a pretty good definition of what long hair is. If you can stick to the commitment of growing it longer then you will begin to understand what long hair is as it gets longer.

Q: Why don't the pictures I post show up?
A: The technical issues for the board are posted on the board's FAQ (top of the board).
Basically, the best way is to have your own server space. It should be on something other than the free webpage space that some servers offer (they have code that prevents you from linking to pics). You can upload directly to the board now but it can only be so big (50k).
If you are having other problems than this then you may be trying to post too large of a picture (you need pics at 72dpi and usually 3" to 6" for decent screen viewing) and your email program might not like it or .
Try not to post too many short haired pics please, this gets to be the majority of photos that people put on the board and we are obviously more into long hair.

Q: Why are my questions being ignored?
A: They probably aren't. People either don't have an answer, are tired of repeating the same answer or haven't been back to the board lately to check on new posts. Don't take it personally, people are not here to work for you at your whim but usually you will get a multitude of responses rather quickly (in a day or two... it's not an instant chat room).
Not all responses will have much substance though and some people seem to like posting even if they can't answer the question (ex: "I don't know, but...").

Q: Can we change the format of the discussion board? I have a better idea.
A: Yes, there are many other ways to do things but the board is fine how it is. It may not be like the one you usually hang out on but you will get used to it quickly. The board owner is an experienced programmer and developed this one himself. It also is designed to minimize bandwidth (cost) which he covers himself for us. If there is to be a change then the owner will do it and since it is brought up every so often he knows all about the options. If you just cannot let it go then email the board staff directly but don't waste board bandwidth to bring it up yet again (happens ever few months).

Q: Did Jesus Christ (of the Christian faith) have long hair?
A: Who cares? This is a different time with different social norms, more freedoms & education and the hair decision is still up to you and only you.
If you ask this question to in an attempt to verify that Jesus had long hair so you can justify growing out your hair then your personal reasons for wanting long hair are a bit thin.
If you are asking this because you are really interested in history then you will be disappointed as there is no history pertaining to his hair and even very little about the Jesus figure himself. There are no photographs or artist's renderings of him from the time that he was thought to be alive and none of the historians of his day ever wrote about him; the Christian Bible is the only account of him (until later when a few after-the-fact sources appeared) and the writings about him in biblical texts begin almost 100 years after he supposedly died.
You may have seen the modern painting from an artist that depicts him as a Caucasian with shoulder length hair and although this is how most people picture him it is not based in any fact at all. You also may have seen some of the iconic paintings from the Middle Ages in which he might appear to have longer hair but again these were done hundreds of years after his supposed time and often intentionally reflected certain social characteristics of the society that produced these works (see art history).
The Discovery Channel did an in-depth study of the question about what he may have actually looked like and this is what their research of the history, area and time came up with: Jesus pic
The reason I put this here is to try and keep anyone from posting this very overdone question on the board. The Christians on the board tend to get angry at people who bring up any questions about their beliefs when they openly profess them but love it when the discussion seems to justify their hair decisions despite what people in their religious communities are saying. All in all it tends to rattle many board members on all sides of the belief issue and people get accused of all kinds of things that aren't true. If you are going to post it then don't be so thin-skinned that you can't take the following discussion. (And get to know the history of your belief system a little bit better)

Q: Have you seen these religious (Christian) webpages that condemn long hair on men?
A: Yes, regular members of the board see them brought up every so often. We also think they are wacky...this includes the Christians on the board who don't consider these fruitloops to be Christians because they don't personally like or agree with what they say (maybe it's a denominational thing?).

Q: Have you seen what they say over on the Buzzboard?
A: Of course. This comes up over and over. Please don't waste your time over there trying to get them to see things "correctly". They can think and do what they like with their own hair and talk all about it on their own little speck of the internet. When you go on a mission to post the most insighful thoughts that you think they should "come to understand", all that happens is they have more to chuckle about and then they come looking to do the same on our board. I'm serious, just leave it alone! You will NOT change how they think and will only look like some outraged newbie yourself. Chances are you have already gotten plenty of that attitude from your own family when it comes to long hair.

Now, with all that said, go ahead and click on the link and let's see some intelligent participation:

The Men's Long Hair Hyperboard link!

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Hair Religion home page