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View Full Version : Younger boys with long hair...what do you think?



Pburgh56
November 2nd, 2009, 07:58 AM
I was thinking tihs would make an interesting topic. I know alot is said about little girls hair about how long one should keep it and that, but I have noticed an increasing number of young boys with long hair. Especially within the celebrity population like with Celion Dion's son. I was wondering what do you think about letting young boys have long hair. I personally really like the idea befcause it opens the door for them to maybe love long hair even more in the future. I have also noticed the growing trend of junior high and high school boys supporting long locks. I love the trend :) What is your opinion?

GlassEyes
November 2nd, 2009, 08:02 AM
Whatever the kid likes and can learn to take care of is fine with me.

Though, at a really young age, I think it's more what the parents can handle on a kid's head, more so than the child. But if the kid likes it, then whatever. xD; I think most people on HERE would probably agree---though I know several people offline would never let their child's hair (usually pertinent to boys, but girls too) grow out very long. :shrug:

When I was young, I BEGGED my mom for haircuts when my hair got longer than an inch above my head. I hated the curl, and if it was too long to slick back and look wavy, I hated it. HATED it. xD;

halo_tightens
November 2nd, 2009, 08:06 AM
My little brother is six now. He had long hair from the time he was about two until last year! He never wanted to cut any off at all; he liked to have his hair long like the guys in his favorite band, Los Lonely Boys. He has lovely hair, too-- perfect silky corkscrews, absolutely to die for. He let it grow to about tb length, if I remember correctly.

He only decided to have it cut when he started getting tired of being bugged about it at school. Other kids would say he looked like a girl, etc. For a long time he just put up with it, way better than I would have expected from a kid his age!! Finally, though, he just cut it to stop the harassment and make life easier.

I think anyone, of any age, should be able to have their hair any way they like it, if they're capable of taking care of it. And I personally think that little boys with long hair are absolutely adorable. :)

girloctopus
November 2nd, 2009, 08:20 AM
My son is a year and a half old and I have yet to cut his hair. He has adorable little curly tendrils in the back but most of it is still fairly short just because of his age. People think he is a girl because of the curls and everyone in my family wants us to cut his hair.

I want to let it grow a little more because I just love his curls, but there is so much drama already because he hates to have his hair combed and it tangles like crazy. I will let him keep his hair anyway he likes once he is old enough to take care of it.

My husband and I like the long hair on boys. My husband even had the long "rat tail" that was fairly popular in the eighties when he was a kid!

Buddaphlyy
November 2nd, 2009, 08:56 AM
If I am ever blessed with a family and have a son, he will not be growing his hair out until he's old enough to take care of it himself.

GoddesJourney
November 2nd, 2009, 09:09 AM
If we have a boy, I will probably insist on letting his hair grow out to around shoulder length. That's a nice length for a boy without anyone having too much room to bad mouth it, but long enough to see how beautiful it is.

ladycatpurrs
November 2nd, 2009, 09:18 AM
My son is almost 17. He has had long hair most of his life. I cut it for the first time when he was 6 for a private school entrance and it was down to his little butt. He has let it grow out since and it is slightly above his waist. It is thick and black, totally shiny. Some people like it and some people don't. He has the love for it and the confidence to wear it. He had a time when he was rushing through showers and not cleaning it properly and I threatened to shave him down. And he would let a knot form in the back (siiigh) and I would fuss and threaten to cut it and then sit down for an hour with combs and oils to work it through. I wonder if he will cut it when he goes to college...

florenonite
November 2nd, 2009, 09:21 AM
If he's old enough to decide for himself and take care of it himself, then I think it's up to the child, not the parents. However, with young children (not very young, but at an age when they're interacting with others), I think it's a good idea to keep the hair in a typical "boy" cut because a lot of children get very offended if they're mistaken for someone of the opposite sex. There was a wee boy who used to be in my sister's kindergarten class whose mum kept his hair at shoulder-length, and he got so upset because people always thought he was a girl. In circumstances like this, I think it's best to keep the boy's hair short. However, if he doesn't mind being mistaken for a girl and likes his hair long then I don't think parents should cut it simply because of his sex.

Am I making sense? I think that was a bit circular :oops:

suicides_eve
November 2nd, 2009, 09:26 AM
I think it looks fine as long as the upkeep is done on it. theres lots of role modle out there for boys with long hair.. look at alot of the soccer players they have some of the most beautiful hair i have seen and very nicely styled

lapushka
November 2nd, 2009, 09:33 AM
Personally, I don't think a page cut or a shoulder length style is short on a boy, I would consider that long hair for a boy and acceptable. I would start to have a problem with APL hair, but mostly my problem is with hair beyond APL. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but if I had a son, shoulder would be *my* limit and no I wouldn't let him decide on length until he hit puberty. I wouldn't make a fuss over hair, either. I'd leave it in the background. I'd let him get accustomed to regular trims (not buzz cuts either) from a young age and I'd let the style vary so I could see what he's more comfortable with, short-short or something a little longer.

Smitts
November 2nd, 2009, 10:27 AM
As long as you don't force them.
I'm all for them having long hair.

I'm a male too. Not highschool or below though.

I say let 'em do what they want.

Alun
November 2nd, 2009, 12:31 PM
I don't see any problem with it. I am very doubtful that even quite young boys can genuinely be mistaken for girls, I think people only say it for devilment, and unfortunately not all of them who say it are kids.

Small kids don't care whether another kid has long hair unless they have been taught to by their parents. As kids get older at least some of them will taunt any kid for any difference they can find, and if it isn't long hair they can usually think of something else.

DS had longish hair until he was 8, then wanted it spiky due to peer pressure, and then wanted to grow it again when he was 12. He's now 16. I'm guessing that 8-11 must be the toughest age group for peer pressure. Before that I think kids only say bad things about long hair if their mum and dad say that kind of thing, but then they shift to paying more attention to eachother's ramblings, which at that age are not exactly clearly thought out.

In fact, before age 8, I'd say that virtually all the negative comments about his hair were delivered directly from the mouths of so-called grownups, and there weren't many even then. Nor did he take them seriously.

DD actually went through a similar phase, but it only involved cutting back to the shoulders.

We have never told DS that he had to have a particular style. However, DW has always insisted that both he and his sister have regular trims, whether they wanted them or not, although I think she is relenting a bit as they both want to grow their hair out more.

Incidentally, my mum has never criticised my son for having long hair, or even us for letting him have it, even though she still criticises mine. I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.

florenonite
November 2nd, 2009, 12:41 PM
I don't see any problem with it. I am very doubtful that even quite young boys can genuinely be mistaken for girls, I think people only say it for devilment, and unfortunately not all of them who say it are kids.

Actually, the kid I mentioned in my previous post I actually thought was a girl when I first saw him. We had a school uniform, and on the first day of term you had to wear "number 1 dress", which entailed kilts for the older girls and tunic dresses for the younger girls. I remember seeing him and thinking "why is that girl in trousers on the first day?" It actually did not occur to me that he was a boy until later. Perhaps he had more feminine features than the average young boy, but I just wanted to point out that it is possible to genuinely mistake a young boy with long hair for a girl.

sweetestday
November 2nd, 2009, 12:48 PM
I have three sons, and plan on keeping it fairly short. I do like my second son's whispy, light blond hair a little longer on the top, and like to keep their styles a bit different from eachother. My oldest has coarser, mousy blond hair that looks better in a nice, short boy cut. We'll see how boy #3 looks as he gets older. So far he only has had one cut.
I really want my boys to look like boys, though, so don't want it to get to the point where folks have to guess their gender

sweetestday
November 2nd, 2009, 12:50 PM
Actually, the kid I mentioned in my previous post I actually thought was a girl when I first saw him. We had a school uniform, and on the first day of term you had to wear "number 1 dress", which entailed kilts for the older girls and tunic dresses for the younger girls. I remember seeing him and thinking "why is that girl in trousers on the first day?" It actually did not occur to me that he was a boy until later. Perhaps he had more feminine features than the average young boy, but I just wanted to point out that it is possible to genuinely mistake a young boy with long hair for a girl.

Oh, yes, I've mistaken a few boys for girls! It can be hard to tell sometimes.

Gypsy
November 2nd, 2009, 12:51 PM
I let my youngest son's hair grow until he started school; so it was mid-back. At first he cried when I told him it was time to cut it ("but look how loooong my hair is!!!") because he never had the length cut (he did had a kind of baby mullet though, lol!)
Then he let it grow in 5th grade until 8th, I think, I braided it in singles and again, it was about mid back and the reason he cut it was because he got on the wrestling team and they told hhim he either had to wear a cap or cut it and he wasn't interested in a cap so he had me cut it.
He's kept it either very short or totally shaved ever since. He just likes the zero maintenance hair.
There are totally little boys who look like girls if they have very silky and enviable hair. Our downstairs neighbor had a little boy the same age as mine and his hair was long and chestnut color with gold highlights and the CURLS! Spiral, springy- beautiful and he had delicate facial features and he looked like a lovely little girl. And I knew he wasa a boy, but could not get the "girl" image out of my head. It does happen and it's not a being cruel or mean towards the boy. He just had a softer face with delicate lines.
He probably grew up to be a big bruiser football player but as a 4 year old, he was very pretty.

Gingevere
November 2nd, 2009, 01:19 PM
I don't really like the typical super-short haircut for little boys, so I'd probably keep it shaggy until he's old enough to develop an opinion on the matter. I'd be worried long hair would get in the way of his adventures out-of-doors. If he decides he wants longer hair when he gets a couple of years older (grade-school age) that would be fine with me, as long as he takes care of it.

I feel the same way about little girls with long hair. A kid must be allowed to be a kid, and hair shouldn't get in the way of that.

LovingLife
November 2nd, 2009, 01:42 PM
I think that young boys with longer hair are adorable! But I believe that in order to prevent teasing it should usually be cut into a regular pageboy haircut http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.easy-hairstyles.com/images/boys-hairstyle5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.easy-hairstyles.com/77/boys-hairstyles-haircuts/&usg=__q49dDPhR797cqOSr9q3Sdnj6qRk=&h=470&w=480&sz=15&hl=en&start=14&um=1&tbnid=lH8Y_8XWUZoZzM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlong%2Bhair%2Bon%2Bboys%26hl%3Den%26s a%3DG%26um%3D1

Sometimes with bangs or something, or for curly haired boys a slight length however I think anything else has too much teasing to bare thinking about! :D

Pburgh56
November 2nd, 2009, 01:51 PM
Thanks everyone for your opinions. I wish as a child my parents would have kept my hair longer so I could have experienced it earlier :(

Smitts
November 2nd, 2009, 01:53 PM
Thanks everyone for your opinions. I wish as a child my parents would have kept my hair longer so I could have experienced it earlier :(

I know how you feel on that one, all the way. :(

LovingLife
November 2nd, 2009, 01:59 PM
I know how you feel on that one, all the way. :(

I always wanted long hair and now I wish my mother had grown it as a child... hm... Not a boy though :D:D

ecologystudent
November 2nd, 2009, 02:00 PM
Working with kids quite often (I do an after school program) I can tell you that often it's quite hard for us to tell gender, especially when visual cues like hair and clothing are ambiguous. I'm also working mostly with 10 and under, so many still have baby faces and high squeaky voices, and hormones haven't started having much of an effect yet.

I don't mind it at all, except when I mistake one gender for another and they get quite offended.

Shastrix
November 2nd, 2009, 02:21 PM
Am I right in thinking that in the "olden days" in the UK (and maybe other places) that boys didn't have their hair cut until a certain age? I have lots of old photos of my great-uncles and grand-fathers with lovely long blond locks, and even in dresses sometimes.

:confused:


(by "olden days" I mean pre-WWII)

florenonite
November 2nd, 2009, 02:28 PM
Am I right in thinking that in the "olden days" in the UK (and maybe other places) that boys didn't have their hair cut until a certain age? I have lots of old photos of my great-uncles and grand-fathers with lovely long blond locks, and even in dresses sometimes.

:confused:


(by "olden days" I mean pre-WWII)

Yep. Before WWI, particularly in the 19th century, little boys had long hair and wore dresses for the first few years of their lives.

prittykitty
November 2nd, 2009, 02:32 PM
Let them wear it however they want as long as it is decent and clean. I grew up in the later 70's - early 80's, an era when long hair on boys was in style and many had to fight with their parents to let them grow it long. Some parents were ok with the idea but many were against it. My parents would not let my brother grow his hair very long and he continuously argued with them. When he turned 18 he grew it and was very rebellious. I have noticed that if we as parents let our kids wear their hair the way they want to, according to what is in style, we will be better off. It is usually a fad that will fade anyway and once our children grow up they usually change styles.

Pburgh56
November 2nd, 2009, 03:05 PM
Prittykitty you hit it right on the head. The more easy going parents are when it comes to things like hair growth the easier it is normally. If parents say no the child is more likely to still be rebeliious and grow it out.

Barbie Diamond
November 2nd, 2009, 03:17 PM
I think long hair on little boys is great! I do miss the old days of the long ringlets and sausage curls on the little ones. It seems today there would be more of an openess to it. It is a shame that some get teased and picked on. Any way I always enjoy very long hair on boys when I see it, espeically when they have a suit and tie on and their hair is well kept.

natorade
November 2nd, 2009, 04:28 PM
I have been noticing more teenage guys are growing hair longer. Haven't seen to many little boys with long hair though.

Fractalsofhair
November 2nd, 2009, 04:33 PM
My nephew loves to have his hair in a mohawk, and his parents finally let him get one. You know a little kid wants something when they beg for it from age 1-4ish! His hair wasn't terribly long before, since his dad had had VERY long hair(knee), and didn't feel like my nephew's hair looked good long. (He has fine, light brown hair, that is curly, like his mother's, but more frizzy(she CO washes mostly, and well, you don't CO wash an infant's scalp generally speaking.). ) It looks adorable in a mohawk!

As far as long hair on boys goes. I think it's the same as with girls. If it looks good to the kid, doesn't take too much time for the parents, then it's all for the best. If the kid has hard to detangle hair, I wish there was less prejudice against little girls with short hair.

Islandgrrl
November 2nd, 2009, 04:49 PM
My DS had long hair (between midback and hip, I'm guessing) when he was little. Both of my kids were blessed with stunning, silky straight and very fast growing hair. So by the time he was ready to start school, his hair was pretty long .

I never suggested he should cut his hair, he came up with that all on his own the summer before kindergarten. So I took him to the barbershop for a haircut. Put his hair into a ponytail, which the barber cut off. I still have it in his keepsake box. He got the haircut he asked for and was happy with it.

When he was a freshman in high school, he decided to grow his hair again. It got about to his shoulders before he'd had enough of it. But what a change! He grew lovely brown curls! Still silky and soft, though. Now the boy buzzes his head to within an inch of its life.

pinchbeck
November 2nd, 2009, 07:06 PM
I absolutely love and encourage this trend! Long hair is gorgeous on anyone if it is well kept. It is an accessory and an adornment and I can never understand why it has been the norm for men in western culture to have short hair.

When I see Sikh men I imagine how they would look with their hair down; wow! It is wow on anyone.

I grew my son's hair all one length. His hair reached 21" . He continually got ridiculed at school at ten years of age. Other boys would tell him he looked like a girl and it chipped at his confidence each time. His hair was so shiny and well taken care of. Adults who saw it liked it except for a couple of folks over sixty years of age.

My son caved in and cut his hair. It was sad to see all the work go to waste. and I believe there was a touch of envy in some of the boys who made fun of him. I hope one day everyone will accept long hair as the norm.

ademtce
November 2nd, 2009, 07:16 PM
I really don't like long hair on young boys, but this needs a little explanation.
it has to be appropriately styled/cut not just long and a mess.

but i'd still stick with no liking it on young boys, teens and older is fine.

Narly
November 3rd, 2009, 05:47 AM
I don't like long hair on any kid if it's not taken care of properly. I watch a 6 year old during the week; he has hair just past his shoulders. His parents don't brush it before school. He always, always looks unkempt, tangled, and dirty.

Then again, I like hair tied up for school, especially in young kids (4-6).

enfys
November 3rd, 2009, 12:09 PM
I think whatever it's like it needs to be in the parent's best interests until the child can look after it themselves, boy of girl.

Based on what I've seen, long hair on toddler age boys is cute and often curly/ringlety but when they get older it can get a bit messy quite easily so long hair might not be too suitable.
Teenage boys, especially later teens, can look really good with long hair if puberty greasies are kept on top of.

I've seen enough boys of all ages look fabulous and terrible with long hair so there's not a best solution.

If I have sons (which I know I will, I just know) I don't know what I'd do, until I saw the texture and growth rate and things. I wouldn't worry too much about possible bullying, and that's better cured by a chat with the head teacher than with a haircut.

Aer
November 3rd, 2009, 12:14 PM
I say it's okay for a boy to have long hair. My two year old has longer hair than boys his age.

Deborah
November 3rd, 2009, 12:45 PM
I dislike long hair on boys. They look just like girls in those early years before puberty marks the genders more clearly. It cannot be good for them psychologically to be mistaken for girls. I would have felt terrible if anyone had ever thought I was a boy. I always feel sorry for them.

Pburgh56
November 4th, 2009, 09:36 AM
Thanks everyone for their great answers keep them coming :) I actually saw a tolder the other day in the grocery store and he had amazing long curls :)

zsuper
November 4th, 2009, 10:13 AM
In my experience, younger boys generally dislike being cleaned. And because of that, I'm against long hair on them; if they bathe regularly and know how to (and do) keep it clean and tidy, it's okay, but I can't see there being many young boys like that. It's just too easy for it to get dirty.

MirandaWelch
November 4th, 2009, 10:17 AM
I have a two year old who's never had a haircut. He has beautiful blonde curls, but it doesn't grow fast so it's barely past his ears. I won't allow it to be cut other than a trim/style until he's old enough to tell me he doesn't want it anymore.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2552/3946240950_5d1aa6ac47.jpg

julya
November 4th, 2009, 10:53 AM
My son is nearly five, and has long hair. He does get mistaken for a girl sometimes, but it doesn't seem to bother him. I think the mistaking for a girl might have more to do with his clothing choices though.

KarenH1
November 4th, 2009, 02:25 PM
Interesting topic. I know a number of friends who have boys with long hair, but nothing more than a shaggy cut. But I have noticed that the longer hair has become more popular among the high school kids in the area.

Pburgh56
November 7th, 2009, 09:29 AM
Thanks everyone. I hope the opinions keep coming. I love the growing number of boys letting their hair grow :)

23_seconds
November 7th, 2009, 11:18 AM
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kmoc123
November 7th, 2009, 01:41 PM
Love it love it love it...I live in West Texas, though and long hair on young boys is frowned on...I didn't cut my son's hair until he was 2 or 2 1/2. It was so beautiful...red and long curls. He grew it out over this last summer to past his shoulders but cut it off to the bottom of his neck. My DH's hair is BSL and getting longer by the minute!!! Beautiful silvery with brown and blonde.

JewelsSparkles
November 7th, 2009, 10:28 PM
My cousin (who is 6 now I think) has long hair & I love it! He does get mistaken for a girl a fair bit (despite wearing extremely boyish clothes & having a very 'boy' attitude) & his mum's friends keep telling her that they "have" to cut it, but he loves it (& throws a fit if anyone even suggests cutting it).

I think everyone saying he should cut it is just jealous that a boy dare have nicer hair than theirs... really if I had hair like this (http://i34.tinypic.com/spxhxi.jpg) I'd get mad at people saying I should cut it too!

(That pic is just over a year & a half old, so it's a little longer now, but still just as gorgeous)

Pburgh56
November 8th, 2009, 06:31 AM
kmoc123 and 23 seconds I couldnt agree more :) If there is no reason to cut it and he doesnt want it cut let it grow. I already decided when the time comes where my future wife and I have children I am going to let my son and daughter both grow long hair from a very young age :) If they never want it cut then so be it they will have beautiful long hair :) JewelsSparkles your cousin's hair sounds amazing :) how long do you think he'll let it get?