Pandemic Long Hair, Don’t Care? 8 Reasons Why We Should Expect to See More Long-Haired Men After the Pandemic
May 13, 2021 • Jon Christoffer Obice
It isn’t rocket science to know why some of the guys today prefer to sport the so-called pandemic long hair. One, it’s just hard to find a barbershop or salon these days that truly knows how you want your hair done. Two, you don’t have the luxury to choose your favorite stylist. And three, even if some establishments have already opened at 50% operational capacity, some people would prefer to keep their long locks because hey, how cool is it to actually sport a hairstyle you haven’t done before? (Not entirely cool though to keep you from this blazing heat).
And who cares anyway — we’re still on quarantine, everybody is on Zoom so if you wear boxers or sport Tarzan-like hair length no one really cares as long as you show up, and this pandemic look may actually be your boldest and most experimental phase to date.
So instead of going to barbershops, here are 8 reasons why guys prefer to avoid chopping their locks now — maybe even until the post-pandemic era (we don’t really know until when).
It’s actually a huge character development
Time for a change, right? While in this lockdown, you started cleaning out your drawer and happens to stumble on your photos from childhood and teenage years. And then you look at the mirror and see, this side part has stayed with you for the longest possible time you could ever imagine. As you grow and change your hair, so does your personality. When it’s safer to engage in gatherings you catch up with your old friends, then you would emerge from the pits to reveal your renewed self, now with new hobbies and a fresh mindset.
It actually looks good
Since when did you look this fine? And here’s the time to admit it, you actually like it. You also never thought that you’d be subconsciously flipping your hair every 10 seconds (just like the 15-year-old Justin Bieber in his ‘Baby’ era). If you’d never grown your hair out until now, seeing how great you look with that pandemic long hair is life-changing.
It could be a form of protest
Ready for more mature roles na po, direk. Actor or not, celebrity or ordinary person, this is an opportunity for you to go out of the box and stand up for something. And that might not necessarily be a hippie cause, it could just be standing up for yourself. Some girls chop their locks after breakups, now guys grow their locks to man up and say…”I want you to take a good look at me. This is who you’d be dealing with from now on.”
It crushes gender norms
This isn’t exactly the first time we see men growing their locks. Our boomer parents did it back in the ’60s and ’70s. When grunge was a thing, some people in the ’90s grew their hair out too. There was that man-bun fad in the early 2010s. But still, short hair was always the norm. Whether you identify as a soft boy, bad boy, or somewhere in between, everyone’s entitled to grow their hair the way they like.
Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we?
You’ve seen your pals do it, your colleague from work, your boss, or just a random stranger passing by. And then you ponder, would it look good on me too? If they have the balls to do it, why shouldn’t I try it? Now that more people are doing it, why go back?
It’s like a trip down memory lane
If you grew your hair long in as a carefree youth in high school or college, you might equate long hair with your days as a young, energetic, athletic dude whose problems only revolved around “when can I play again?” Or this charismatic young professional full of idealism. And now that you might be in your mid-20s, 30s, or even 40s, you kinda want to be that young guy again. It’s all in the mind, but having the right hair helps.
Nobody is judging you. And if they do, do you really care?
We’re all in quarantine. As much as other people might like to say a few things about your hair, they’ve got bigger problems to think about. You might have heard your tita or your mother say, “anak, magpagupit ka na” or maybe even your friends telling you, “hindi bagay sa’yo.” Ok, we get it. We appreciate the love and concern. But whose business is it anyway? Unless they’re the ones buying your shampoo and conditioner, your hair should be nobody else’s concern.
It’s liberating
Bottom line: do what you like, make your own decisions, and live your life no matter what other people would think of it. Your hair, your life.
How long have you been growing out your locks? Share with us your insights about having the pandemic long hair!
