Question for the Guys...

[GoddesJourney]

How do you get past the first few inches? My husband promised to grow his hair out at least until next summer (yay!:happydance:), but he's a little frustrated with the poof right now. His hair type is mostly wavy M with some F baby curls around the sides of his face. :crush: I measured it two days ago at about 3 inches and he's making pretty good progress (about 3/4 inch per month). The problem is that his hair is growing more up than anything. When I met him he had about 4-5 inches of poof. I'm assuming this is mostly because he was mistreating it at the time (not anymore) but it is partially just his hair type. Also, it seems to like to grow forward on top instead of to the side or back. I've tried pushing it back but it makes it go straight up. Maybe I don't know the trick.:confused:

So two questions:

1. How do you get it to flatten down a little, preferably without product because neither one of us likes it?

2. At what point do you start trimming up the back or sides so it doesn't just look like a funky overgrown mullet?

I'd like to figure this out before it's long enough to start getting in his eyes so he doesn't get tempted to shave it off again.

[Heidi_234]

I'm not a guy, but I hang around those who grew their hair out (can't help it :laugh:). I know some, after washing, dry it under a cap to flatter it down. If his hair is curly/wurly, not brushing it dry really helps too. ;)

[Peter]

I have wavy hair so my ends flipped out like crazy until I got to around APL. I didn't have the problem of it growing upward though, so I'm not sure how to solve that. Maybe a bandanna?

I had my first trim at the back when it was starting to hit shoulder length because the front of my hair was only halfway down my face. :D I've had to trim the back more than the front a few more times as my hair has grown and I have a feeling the front just grows slower.

[GoddesJourney]

I don't know if I can get him to do that because he doesn't like hats. At the moment, he's just finger combing it after rubbing it down with a towel. I actually put my horn comb through it last night just because it dawned on me that it's long enough to do that. I just had to. So no dry brushing. Check. Thank you.

[burns_erin]

try washing at night, light oiling, then sleep with a wave cap, http://www.wavebuilder.com/653awdetail.html Start the trial on a weekend night so he has a few days to try without so much chance of a work morning disaster.

[GoddesJourney]

try washing at night, light oiling, then sleep with a wave cap, http://www.wavebuilder.com/653awdetail.html Start the trial on a weekend night so he has a few days to try without so much chance of a work morning disaster.

I don't understand this device. Is it for creating *more* waves?

[GoddesJourney]

I have wavy hair so my ends flipped out like crazy until I got to around APL. I didn't have the problem of it growing upward though, so I'm not sure how to solve that. Maybe a bandanna?

I had my first trim at the back when it was starting to hit shoulder length because the front of my hair was only halfway down my face. :D I've had to trim the back more than the front a few more times as my hair has grown and I have a feeling the front just grows slower.

Thank you. That's useful advice. Anyone else?

[Shastrix]

When I started I had "short back and sides" (about a "grade 4" if that means anything outside the UK) and a quiff at the front. I managed to maintained the same hair style through a couple of missed hair cuts but had to stop before the quiff became of comic proportions. This was when I abandoned using gel and just had a fringe. When that started to get in my eyes i began brushing it to the side and entered an awful "70s hair phase" (so awful I can't even look at the photos without cringing :eek:). A few months after that it entered a generic "shaggy" form, which by chance became fashionable, so from then on it was plain sailing. :)

I didn't trim the back until it hit the shoulders. I think I managed to avoid much of the "funky overgrown mullet" look because the hair at the front had a head start over the rest. Amusingly I now get comments about the lovely layers I must have had put in, when really it is just my fringe now lagging behind the rest of my hair. In general though, my hair just seemed to behave itself (other than the 70s phase) until it hit my shoulders and flicked outwards.

I'm afraid I don't really have any experience with wavy/curly hair so can't give any advice for avoiding "poofiness" other than actually using a product, if hats or bandanas are not an option. If you put in a gel then brush it out you can usually get the hair to go where you want it to and avoid the icky look for the most part, but the hair will still retain some of the horrible gel texture and obviously suffer the associated wear and tear.

I can imagine what he is going through though; I have seen a few guys attempting to grow out their wavy/curly hair go "up and out" before there is enough hair to pull itself down. :afro:

[Quixii]

My dad's hair does the same thing! It's super curly (often called "the white man's afro" by my friends xD) and goes straight up and out, not down. It doesn't help that he brushes it.
My mom and I would love it if he would grow it out, but with it just standing straight up no matter what we do, we can't forbid him from trimming in good concious. :shrug:
*stalks thread*

[Stubborn]

Hmm. If he started from a buzz he will get a whole bunch or layers like me. You should cut the back of the hair for him 1-2 inches and leave the sides and front alone. It'll grow more even and he won't have mullet phobia hahaha.

Also, his hair may not be long enough to comb back and his hairtype may not allow it. It's going to be tough to deal with until he can part it.

I advice a beanie hat. I used that and it helped me get through the beginning of the awkward stage. Also, gel for special occasions...

Tell him wearing the beanie hat for about an hour will fatten his hair. it sure did help me with mine.

[Alun]

1 - my hair is naturally flat

2 - it will never look like a mullet unless you trim elsewhere while letting the back grow out

[GoddesJourney]

Hmm. If he started from a buzz he will get a whole bunch or layers like me. You should cut the back of the hair for him 1-2 inches and leave the sides and front alone. It'll grow more even and he won't have mullet phobia hahaha.

Also, his hair may not be long enough to comb back and his hairtype may not allow it. It's going to be tough to deal with until he can part it.

I advice a beanie hat. I used that and it helped me get through the beginning of the awkward stage. Also, gel for special occasions...

Tell him wearing the beanie hat for about an hour will fatten his hair. it sure did help me with mine.

Thanks. I shared this advice and he will try it as the weather starts to get colder.

[nmarie33]

You might also have him put some aloe vera gel in and see if that makes it a little less crazy. It will work pretty much like regular gel but without the damage.

[GlassEyes]

Gel and you don't have to trim it, really. Maybe when it starts growing down, but otherwise, probably not. Other than that, bandanas and caps help.

I know you don't like product, but gel really was helpful.

It's also likely that his hair is really curly. You might want to see if he'll try CO.

[GlassEyes]

You might also have him put some aloe vera gel in and see if that makes it a little less crazy. It will work pretty much like regular gel but without the damage.
It's a common misconception that all gels damage. There are several commercial gels that don't--it's only ones with the WRONG kind of alcohol that do.

[Runzel]

Another vote for a hat here...he doesn't need to wear it all the time, just while his hair is drying. A simple baseball cap should do.

[heatherdazy]

I'm not a guy, but I did grow from bald and I trimmed the back of my hair every 4-6 weeks to avoid a mullet for the first year or so. But definitely don't trim the sides/top!

[Vijikanth]

My choice would be coconut oil or something that is non sticky. Apply the oil when the hair is toweled and the hair is still slightly wet. But as advised by many, don't ever brush the hair when it is dry. This can lead to splits or breakage. Gels also help. But above all...PATIENCE..:)

[GoddesJourney]

So he's not interested in sticky hair, but considering the hat thing as winter comes. He's begun to try to finger comb it down while wet with some success. But keep the advice coming.

[Belisarius]

I just let it grow, and tied it back with an elastic in a high ponytail as soon as i could.

[Wavelength]

Once it gets long enough, try putting it in damp braids overnight. Braids will train his waves to follow a more regular pattern. My husband has wavy hair that curls, and braiding it helped the waves grow down instead of out. Applying coconut oil while it's in braids also seems to help.

Obviously don't brush it afterward!

[EdG]

I remember wearing a ponytail when my hair became long enough to do so. :)
Ed