(I do not own the rights to this photo. Google image)
Today, Monica of Hair and Heart blog emailed me with a great question and I wanted to share it with you all and hopefully get some feedback. Basically, Monica wants to know, how old is too old for boys/men to have long hair and what are your thoughts on males who decide to keep their hair long versus cutting it?
My personal opinion is that I think little boys should have their hair cut short. Personally, I like seeing short cuts on little boys more than seeings them with cornrows or plats. If I was to have a son, his first hair cut would have to be before he turned 5 years old.
What are your thoughts? Click the jump to read Monica's email and please head over to her blog and check it out by clicking the above link.
xoxo,
Alex
Hi Alex,
I hope all is well. I just wanted to write and tell you that I admire your tenacity and drive. All of your business ventures are well thought out and you actually listen/interact with your patrons. I am an avid reader of your blog and follow you on twitter and love that you incoporate a males perspective on natural hair. Especially when those men have long, natural hair themselves.
I too have a blog, Hair and Heart, that is catered towards informing and aiding mothers with young boys about their hair care. My son is 3 years old and I got "babmboozled" into cutting his hair off on his second birthday. It has since grown back and I don't plan on cutting it any time soon, unless of course he makes that request.
I wanted to know if you could pose the discussion to your readers on their thoughts of younger boys of color leaving the social norm and having longer hair. Does it make a difference if that male is older?
Monica
12 comments :
I love my son's hair & he is part of the reason for my own napural journey. He is three now & it goes down his back, I am going to cut it just to cut the ends but I want to keep it & so does he. I take to get shop to get my older boys hair cut & he doesn't want one. Now with my oldest boys they also had beautiful hair but I was young & apparently didn't have enough to spend on their heads so they got cut up my oldest at 1 & the middle son at 2. I really feel to each its own, just make sure that it is neat & healthy.
I say, as long as he's not complaining, and fine with his hair getting done, then leave it alone. If he wants it cut, then go with his wishes.
I don't think there is any desired length that says men's or boy's hair should be before it's "unacceptable." --KalleyC
I agree with you Alex. I have a son and plan to let him get his first hair cut when he actually grows a full head of hair, he is only 10 months. My other reason is because I have 3 girls and I have enough hair to deal with. A short cut is what I think is most appropriate for a little boy. Once he gets to an age where he can groom it himself, then he can choose to grow it out.
personally i dont plan on cutting any of my childrens hair boy or girl. i plan to let it grow freely until they are at an age that they can decide for themselves. i feel its important to have my kids to be individual and develop their personalities on their own.if they decide they want to shave their head thats fine...even if its my daughter.i want to try my hardest not to put restrictions on my kids based on gender.
I don't have any children, but I don't really like to see young boys with braids, plaits or twists in their hair. I don't mind a well-groomed afro but anything styled other than locs or comb coils just doesn't sit well with me. However, when they get to an age where they can maintain their hair then I say let them. If I had a son he would rock nothing but a tamed afro, locs or comb coils and that's it.
I have a son, he'll be 3 next week, and I cut his hair right on his first birthday. I felt like it was a rite of passage sort of thing. Before I cut his hair, it was huge, really huge. It never thinned out in the back, it was just big and thick. I was washing, conditioning, oil, TAMING an active toddlers hair. It was wayyy too much work. Especially since he is A BOY! The first cut, made him look a lil funny indeed, but now, he goes like clockwork every 2 weeks (don't wanna mess up that hairline) to the barber. I think he looks handsome, and besides I loathe braids, twists, ponytails, coils, any of that on boys.
Ehh, never been a fan of boy's with long hair. *shrug*
We keep my boys hair cut!!! No question. I'm not a fan of cornrows on boys. Now, dreads on men are a different story....those are admirably hot!
I think it's situational, case by case. Like Jayden Smith is rocking this, no doubt... As long as it's healthy/looks good then what's the issue? He wears it like this, in braids, two strand twists... I'm a fan...
Maybe if this was corporate America it'd be a different case... But honestly I don't length is a concern... More so how you're maintaining your hair/length is what's most important.
I'd let my child wear his hair like this if he'd like. I'd have no problem with it!! :)
My son has huge curly hair , like Jadens, but much more curly. He's 3. His dad and I don't plan on cutting it anytime soon. It's a reflection of his personality :)
I have a son and I cut his hair when he turned 1. He's now 14, but I wished I hadn't cut it.
Just as we have come to celebrate and embrace natural hair, we have to do it with our boys as well, but in REASON.
Am I saying curl your boy's hair like Snoop or Chance on that MTV reality show?
No, but I think that we are unnecessarily alarmed that little boys will be mistaken for girls because they have long hair.
Now, if you got a headful of boys' hair, I could definitely understand wanting to cut it, because it's a lot of work!
But ... if I had it to do over today, I wouldn't have touched my son's gorgeous hair, but to each their own ...
Peace,
CurlyInTheA
http://www.Hairnista.blogspot.com
I have a son, and I cut his hair after he turned 1. I made this choice because people kept thinking he was a girl. Also I like short cuts on boys. But I think its up to the parents, and what they like. :)
*funny incident* I was at the pool this past summer and there was a little boy about 6, with hair down his back, just beautiful, thick hair. And the entire time he was in the water he was playing in his hair. Flipping it, Twirling it, Splashing it.. lol It was almost like a hair commercial. He's mom kept telling him to stop but he wouldn't when she pulled his hair into a ponytail, he pitched a fit and got out the pool and cried for about 15mins.
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