I've had long hair since I was about 15.  I didn't "try" to grow my hair, I just didn't like having it cut, so I didn't get it done.  After a while I realized it was long and I liked it.  It's been about 10 years and now I love my hair.  Some people around me hate it though and that's what this thread is about.

My mom is the biggest culprit.  She frequently tells me I won't be as successful with long hair and my rebellious attitude is bad.  I think she feels this way because of her religion.  I grow my hair because I like it, not to be rebelious.  And she acts like I'll never get promotions and won't be respected because I have long hair.  I think she's wrong.  My hair is always clean and neat, and only gets me positive attention that I see.

What do you gals & guys think?

Do you really get negative comments?  I never thought that would be the case... what do people say?

I get a lot of flak for my hair too...and it isn't even BSL yet!!  
   My parents are always harping on me to cut my hair very short and sculpt, spray and mold it into their idea of "perfection." They do this because my hair is very fine and thin, and they follow the ideal that everyone with fine, thin hair should wear theirs extremely short. BAH! Stuff and nonsense, I say!

My parents are extremely prejudiced and narrow-minded people. Though I'll admit to loving them, we have never gotten along because I have never shared their limited perspective. I believe that their values are in the right place & order...I just don't condone the way that they go about forcing them upon others. *shrug*

Anyway, back on the hair thing...there is absolutely no truth whatsoever to the idea that a man who has long hair cannot be successful. Good God, did the Generation of Love teach us nothing? And what about the European Rennaissance? You never saw short-haired lads during that era...unless they were very young.
   And as long as we're digging up old bones, my former husband was a very successful computer programmer who made over $40K per year working at one of the local casinos...and his hair was down to the middle of his back.

My current boyfriend is in the process of growing his beautiful blonde locks down to his knees (or so he says  ) and he's a service plumber. Still quite successful.

Plus, how many male artists and rock stars wear their hair long? It doesn't matter whether you're blue collar, white collar, a celebrity or the guy next door...just about anybody can have long hair if they know how to care for & protect it.

Sorry for the rant, but this is a subject that I'm pretty passionate about and have some considerable experience in...even if only second-hand.
   Anyway, hope things work out between you & your family. I know it's tough when they don't support you in certain things (heh or everything), but you've got to be your own person & live your own life...no one else can live it for you.  

I don't think that hair matters much in most places. Business, law, and of course military are careers where conservative appearance is valued, but in most places it doesn't really matter as long as it is neat. Most bosses are way more interested in your performance at work than in your hairstyle. In any case, so many men have long hair in these days that it's hardly "rebellious".

But some people just dislike long hair, and as BB said, it can be a problem for women too. But that's their opinion and while they have a right to think that way, you also have a right to disagree with them. If you prefer to have your hair long, then keep it long. It's not anyone's business but yours.

I agree with everything said hair. As I've mentioned before, I have been told I need a haircut, but I don't care. It's mostly from either superjocks (my name for jocks who bully anyone who doesn't play sports, and buzzcut their hair), or wiggers. Or a combination. I'm not saying all jocks are like that, I know and am friends with people who love sports, but don't have a problem with my hair. But those people I don't like anyway, so having long hair is sort of an added effect to saying "If you don't like long hair, deal with it, because I ain't cuttin' it" Most people have gotten used to it by now, and don't comment on it, not that they don't like it, they just don't care if guys have long or short hair, or tell me how much they love it, and how amazing it is. I started growing my hair out because I got into classic rock, where all the guys had long hair: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, stuff like that, and eventually it grew into just liking the feel of hair against my neck.

One of my friends told me that I'll never get a job if I don't get it cut, but I don't care what he says, because:
A. I know of at least 3 places where I've seen guys with long hair work, two of which the guy's hair wasn't very well kept, or more that it didn't look liked he combed it
B. If they're not going to hire me because of my long hair, I don't wanna work there.
I can sort of see where he's coming from, because his job made him get it cut, when it wasn't even long. It was covering all his forehead, but definitely not close to someone's hair like mine. So some won't, even if it's well kept, but most will hire you as long as you're neat and clean and don't do anything crazy with your hair (unless it's Hard Rock, I saw a girl working there with green streaks in her hair, it actually looked cool). And some might make you tie it back for whatever reason, but I don't have a problem with that.

I also don't understand why if a guys reaches his neck he needs a haircut, but girl's can have whatever length they want. I'm not saying girl's shouldn't be able to have short hair, I have friends with hair shorter than mine, but if girls don't, why should guys?

Yes, I've been ranting, I just have to get EVERYTHING out once you start me on something, especially a controversial topic

   I qualify as a man with very long hair in management of a company.  I wear my waistlength hair neatly braided everyday or in a ponytail.  I do get some looks, but I have been accepted.  The fact that I'm a long -term employee may help a bit as well.  A newcomer with hair like mine may not fare so well.  People just accept that I'm different and let me BE different.  I had short hair for the vast majority of my work experience......just got free in the last six years.

Jim

My husband not only has long hair (normally past his shoulders, unless he has to cut it for a play he's doing) he's also got a vandyke beard AND an earring.  He went to his interview like that, and was still hired by a large contracting firm that does work for the Department of Defense.

He's clean, neat, and does excellent work.  That's all his supervisor cares about.  

BY THE WAY HOW LONG IS YOUR HAIR?