Growing My Hair: One of Life's Best Decisions

A guy the same age as my father told me this morning that he, too, wanted to try this long hair journey, which is a sign that I inspired him in a small way.

Since I was a kid, Mom liked seeing us with shaved heads. When I was a teenager, she preferred us to have formal haircuts, like a "barber's cut," which was considered the norm for a clean and formal appearance.

Since I started rebelling in high school, I ended up looking different every time I tried a new haircut, like a mushroom or a mohawk. I used to think I just wasn't used to it, which made me feel weird looking at myself in the mirror. Whenever I experimented with my haircut, my mom tended to dislike it and told me to cut my hair again. It was a crazy and shameful time in my life; other people looked at me differently because the hairstyle wasn't what they were used to seeing on me.

The pandemic brought a change, as having long hair was not mandatory with online schooling. Even though I managed to grow my hair long during that time, things got messy because I didn't take care of it properly. I looked like a broke beggar with a careless appearance; my hair was dry and mostly unkempt. I tied it up, but every time I untied it, I looked disheveled.

So, before school returned to face-to-face mode, I cut my hair, and my neighbor had the honor of cutting it. I felt the coolness on my head because my hair was short. But as my hair fell to the ground, it brought back memories, and I felt a bit sad.

Looking back at history, men have often grown their hair long in various eras, including my pandemic days. In the earliest eras, such as during caveman days, hair initially symbolized little, but as human societies evolved, it began to carry significant meanings. For instance, long hair came to symbolize wisdom and knowledge accumulated over a lifetime. Moving into medieval times, the ability to maintain long hair became a privilege reserved mainly for the wealthy due to its demanding maintenance.

Trends indeed reshape norms and values over time. My mom's discouragement of my long hair, citing its messy and informal appearance, was understandable, considering I hadn't taken the time to groom it properly. She persuaded me to cut it short, conforming to traditional masculinity norms.

However, when I decided to buy a slightly more expensive shampoo to improve my hair care, and my hair began to grow longer and became noticeable, I started to receive compliments from people of all ages.

Older people especially liked my hair; they would touch it and were astonished if it was real haha. They even praised my hair in front of my mom.

People who admired long hair but didn't grow it themselves often told me they found it irritating as it grew, leading them to trim it. Despite their preferences, I invested heavily in shampoo and conditioners. I experimented with coloring my hair, which initially made me stand out from others. At one point, I even considered bleaching my entire head. However, over time, my hair became increasingly dry and difficult to manage. Keratin conditioners provided temporary relief, feeling good right after shampooing but drying out again by midday. The bleaching process exacerbated the dryness, leaving my hair in need of a natural solution.

I made coconut oil by hand and used natural organic shampoo bars. It made a difference; the effect was the same as shampoo, but it was eco-friendly and felt a bit better than chemically formulated ones. After experimenting with organic hair care for a month, I can see the improvement in my hair's appearance and texture. It's much better now; my hair has become one of my assets.

Now, my mom doesn't care about the length of my hair. People like it, and I'm impressed and in love using organic hair care products. Luckily, I'm in a school with no strict hair rules. I can say that my hair is now enjoying the greatness and freedom to express and expand as long as it can.