How to Grow Long Hair as a Man

Men often wonder what takes us women so long to get ready. They think that we can be just like them, in the sense that we jump in the shower, wash our hair, put some gel in, and off we go for our day and/or night. And if we have long hair, they love it but they joke about finding random long hairs all over the place, about the cost or about the amount of time it takes us at the salon or to wash, dry, and style our hair for a night out.

Let's turn the tables on men as they are now jumping on a bandwagon that found popularity in the 1960s during the hippie days and truly has not quit. If you decide that you are one of the men who desires to have long hair and you want to look more like one of those male celebrities with long hair, it is time for you to start having a hair routine and it is not that dissimilar from that of your female counterparts. In fact, it is much like trying to walk in heels for twenty-four hours straight.

You will suddenly have a newfound respect for what many of us go through on a daily basis, and you will finally understand the struggles of having long hair and, more than that, the struggle to get through many awkward hair phases. When you tell your girlfriend that you wish she would let her hair grow and you cannot understand why she says it is so difficult, now you will finally be able to relate to what we go through and the stress as well as the struggles.

Hair grows about six inches per year, give or take depending on how healthy you are and what the environment that you live in is like. Colder climates tend to make hair growth go slower while warmer climates seemingly speed it up, so keep that in mind. I have also heard that hormones have something to do with hair growth, but everyone is different.

Ashton Kutcher with long hair — Ashton Kutcher - Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

Ben Barnes with long hair — Ben Barnes - Photo: s_bukley/Shutterstock

If you are starting out with super short hair, this is going to be an intriguing process for you. It is recommended that you let the top grow longer first and then let the rest follow to avoid the "business in the front, party in the back" look, also known as the mullet, a look that you may have sported if you were a child in the 1980s or 1990s.

Also start to prepare yourself for some awkwardness as your hair starts the process of growing out. It may grow in different directions, ones you didn't even know it was capable of, which could make you want to stop the growing-out process altogether.

But there is a reason that you have decided to take this leap. Maybe you have watched Brad Pitt in "Legends of the Fall" one too many times and always wished you could look like him or you have heard girls talk about ow hot Chris Hemsworth's long locks were in "Thor" and now you want to hear them say the same things about you.

Or you want to try the man bun, circa Jared Leto, who also rocked the ombré hair color along with the fabulous bun, just saying. These are valid celebrities to emulate and there is no time like the present, but again, your daily routine will dramatically change, especially if you have a more upscale job where you will have to style your hair; more refined and less rugged.

You will need to start investing in hair tools. Fortunately, the starter ones are not too expensive. It is suggested that you get a wide-tooth comb and a natural brush in order not to damage your hair but to release the tangles. Even as the hair begins to grow out, you are going to want to keep it as healthy and manageable as possible, silky and smooth so you can run your fingers through it.

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