Son wants long hair

[Danascully2]

My primary aged son currently has pretty short hair. He has asked to grow his hair long which I don't have an issue with in general but don't really know how to go about it without it looking a total mess in between and also whether school might have a problem with hair that is long enough to look messy but not long enough to tie back (we're in UK so uniform). Does anyone have a boy who has grown their hair out? How did it go?

Surely it’s the same as a girl growing their hair out, just make sure it’s clean and brushed. If it starts getting in his face he can use one of those elastic headbands that boys use. Once long enough it will need tying up but I can’t see any major issues.

I would recommend regular tidy ups at barbers. My eldest had long hair for a year or so and getting it to a manageable length was less stress with a professional tidy

Thank you, professional help prob a good idea! I agree in terms of the process of growing out being the same as a girls (although I don't think I know any primary girls with really short hair in the same way, only more bob type hair). But uniform hairstyle rules are sometimes different for boys I think?

Washed, brushed and hairband if needed.

All of the boys at school look fine with longer hair.

My teenage son has longish hair. It was a bit of a mess until it was long enough to tie back to be honest but as the PP said, no different to a girl growing her hair - there's always a bit of an annoying in between stage. My DS used hair grips to keep his hair out of his eyes until it was ling enough to tie back for school. He understood that if he wanted it long he was going to have to stick to the school rules and keep it neat, just as all the girls do. The fact that he us a boy doesn't make his hair any more of an issue than if he was a girl but it doesn't get him any special privileges either - hair bands, grips and bobbles required, just like the long haired girls, and if he isn't ok with that then it needs to be cut.

My lad has long hair. Grew it from being very short all over.

It looks so much better if you grow the top layers down first then grow the length. The issue with this is that the child doesn't perceive this as their hair getting longer 😬

A slicked back gel style is useful when you really need them to look smart like fir a wedding.

Uniform rules should not be different - that would be sexist

My son has ridiculously long hair. He’s almost 14 and has been growing it since he was about 9. It does go through a messy stage but now it’s long he just ties it back. Never had any issues with school at all.

My 7 year old is growing his
Keep the back short till the top layers are the same length, then you grow it all at once.
Stops the mullet effect

Scrutinise the school uniform policy. It'll likely be gender neutral, so wouldn't exclude boys having long hair. A thin hair band should keep it looking presentable until it's grown out properly, with regular trips to the barber to stop it looking too messy!

My son has long-short hair so it's floppy basically, he had a cut a few years ago which was way too short so we just left it, tidied it, til it grew back to floppy. I'd do this again if needed (albeit he doesn't trust hairdressers now so always sees his usual person)

Thank you.
I think it would be quite curly if longer which adds to my worries about it looking a mess in between...

Actually I suspect he would get fed up with it if he had to brush it and wash it more regularly so that's a good point, will mention that to him!

My ds is 17 and has very long, curly hair as he's very into the 8Os particularly rock music and is also a guitarist. All through primary he chose short hair anyway but in secondary the boys weren't allowed to grow it long. They were actually given detention if it was past collar length. He wasn't allowed a stud earring either. I found it incredibly sexist because it was one rule for the girls and one for the boys.

Trinity69 Your DS's hair is gorgeous.

I see a primary school boy walk past our house some days with a plait which looks neat and tidy.

Long haired curly 10 year in this house

We used sports hairbands to keep it out of his eyes until it was long enough to tie back

We also did viking plaits.

No different to a girl. Small girls with curly hair may start school with 'short' hair, so just just those who have had it cut short.

The primary is quite relaxed so I was thinking of secondary but there are quite a few he might go to so I won't know what policies apply - I guess that would be a bridge to cross in future if needed.

Mullets are currently in...

The horror of it - but you can argue your child is the height of fashion and down with the teens ATM.

It probably depends on his actual hair, plus face shape, how to style or cut it! I'd definitely search out either a female/unisex salon or even one of those very trendy male barbers (eg in Mcr there are a couple in the NQ) to guide you.
One boy in my son's class has hair grown a couple of inches below his shoulders, which he nearly always leaves down. It's gorgeous - his hair is slightly wavy and he has a fringe, though not too blunt, it just looks really good and he's always had it this way.
My son has had his as long as his shoulders, but his fine-but-lots-of-it hair has larger waves so it can look quite bouffant and awful without lots of moisturizing and combing "just so".

My little grandson has long hair (grown from a terrible home cut as a baby!) As it grew we just used clips to keep the fringe out of his eyes and then a pony tail on top until it was all long enough to pull back. Some days he has 'Legolas' hair.

I agree that growing the top down a bit first looks better as it grows, but it's surprising how fast it will be long hair :)

Both my sons had long hair at different times.. I love it :)

Are they? Dreadful 🤣

I love it!

My DS grew his hair long in years 5 & 6 - we had issues with the Headmaster (no pun intended) as uniform policy for boys was short hair - until it was noted the policy was sexist and outdated. No issues thereafter - hair kept neat with use of elastics during term time with regular trims to deal with split ends.

Thank you!! He wants a trim but anything more than an inch will push him over the edge! He’s autistic and managed the clippers for a good few years but clearly decided it was all too much. Now a quick dry cut is all he will tolerate.

Thank you everyone. I have no experience of girls growing hair out either so just can't really imagine how it will look as it gets longer. I think I may say he needs to starts brushing it every day and washing it more often in preparation and suspect he will change his mind...