It would seem that long hair for men is in. The Emmys saw actors like Pedro Pascal and Jeremy Allen White donning slicked back looks and long tresses. Recently Google Trends saw an increase of 200% in searches for how to style long hair for men. Apparently men have been seeking help and advice for growing out their hair!
Maintaining long hair can be incredibly difficult, especially when you’re in the awkward in-between stage. Andrew Vassiliou, Director of Chris and Sons has provided his expert commentary below explaining how men can maintain their hair when growing it out, and what to ask the barber at your next appointment. Andrew writes:
Discuss how you want your hair to grow
Sit down with your barber and set a plan of how you want your hair to look as it grows. Clearly communicate that you’re growing your hair out and discuss your desired end goal, in terms of style, look and length. This will help your barber understand how to shape your hair as it grows and how to customise your haircut to achieve your goals.
Establish a timeline
Talk about your timeline and how long you plan to grow your hair. This can guide the barber in determining how to shape your hair during the different stages of growth, and hopefully avoid the awkward in-between stage.
Ask for regular trims
While growing your hair out, regular trims are essential to prevent split ends and maintain a healthy appearance, and also set the foundations for a consistent shape. Discuss how often you should come in for trims to keep the growth even.
Explore different styling options
Discuss styling options that work with your current hair length and texture. Your barber can suggest suitable styles or techniques to manage your hair during the transition.
Keep an open line of communication
If you encounter any issues or challenges during the growing process, like excessive dryness or difficulty styling, bring them up with your barber. They can offer solutions and recommend adjustments to your hair care routine to get your ideal style.
Live performance in London: Since its first performance in 2010, the Wintershall Estate has presented The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square, London, UK on Good Friday. The awe-inspiring full-scale re-enactment of The Passion quickly became a highly anticipated London Easter fixture.
The story commemorating the day Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified by the Romans, before miraculously rising from the dead on Easter Sunday, is brought to life by a cast of over a hundred, dressed in full costume, along with horses, doves and a donkey.
Secondary school teacher and trained actor Peter Bergin will play Jesus supported by the Wintershall company which is made up of volunteer actors and stage crew from in and around London and the South East.
Wintershall producer, Charlotte de Klee said: “We are happy to be bringing the story of Jesus back to the city this year. This play belongs to London and speaks not only to those of the Christian faith, but to all faiths and traditions and those who have none. Over the years the vast audiences the play has attracted stands as testimony to that. As it takes place in the world-famous space at the heart of the capital it demonstrates the tolerance and diversity found in London.”
Featuring realistic scenes and a moving crucifixion and resurrection, The Passion of Jesus is an unforgettable Easter experience, embracing those of all faiths and none.
Supported by the Mayor of London, the open-air production, performed in the shadow of the National Gallery, regularly attracts more than 20,000 people to its two performances.
The Passion play in London is directed by Ashley Herman and Polly King and produced by Charlotte de Klee. The Wintershall Cast are famous for their epic re-enactments of stories from the Scriptures. They also perform the extraordinary Life of Christ at the Wintershall Estate in Surrey every June (18-22 June 2024) and the now-famous Wintershall Nativity Journey each Christmas (11-16 December 2024).
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The Passion of Jesus welcomes thousands of Londoners of all backgrounds to Trafalgar Square to enjoy a live re-enactment of the story of Jesus’s final days and resurrection. This inspiring performance has become an Easter tradition in the heart of our capital as we build a fairer and better London for all.”
The question, “Can you keep a secret?” caresses intrigue like no other utterance. At its heart there is a burning invitation to indulge in wonder, speculation, or conviction – and occasionally all three simultaneously – with the storyline, more often than not, wrapped in an air of delicious mystery.
Personally, excitement figures highly in my desire to express an assured undertaking that meets the confidentiality clause, even if I usually break this contract by passing it onto at least one other person who I deem to have a superior moral code to mine. The reason is simple. I love to be trusted, but my adherence to seeing the undertaking through doesn’t necessarily match. Since secrets are hard to keep – aren’t they? – I reassure myself that most of the secrets I’m told have either done the rounds already or are no more than gratuitous gossip.
However, recently I was told a secret of such immense proportions that it both blew my mind and caused an avalanche of cerebral suffering. I became conscious that I had to adopt a clumsy communication style when the concealment boundaries were threatened and, when my linguistic skills failed me, I had to lie in order to protect the continued existence of the secret. This began to trouble me, since the recipients of my falsehoods were those closest to me. Who was benefiting from this cloak-and-dagger escapade, and had I been too quick to accept the stifling responsibility of hosting this burden? Were secrets really that scintillating?
Although, no doubt, I stand to be corrected sometime in the future, I make the presumption that everyone has secrets. Indeed, according to research undertaken at Columbia University in America, we have – on average – 13 secrets, with five of them remaining in our peak consciousness – the space where we only communicate with ourselves. The rest usually find their way into mainstream circulation, since human beings are pretty useless at keeping secrets. As evidence of this observation, the academic findings suggest that a whopping 78 percent of disclosed secrets are almost immediately shared with another party.
In my case, the secret bestowed upon me was so utterly seismic that sharing it wasn’t an option. Although this confidentiality had a time limit, it felt akin to holding fire, and the more I tried to keep it hidden within my mind, the more it bellowed out at me, drowning everything else in my already cluttered mind. If I were to say to you, “Don’t think of the colour red”, what would you focus upon? Exactly! And these mindful acrobatics were beginning to make me react like a scalded cat – flinching when the source of the secret was mentioned by others, or any connection, real or imagined, to the subject of the clandestine charade. It was beginning to hurt.
According to psychiatrist Doctor Grant Hilary Brenner, the pain is real, as internal conflict is not dissimilar to physical discomfort. He asserts that, “Common wisdom tells us that keeping secrets can take a terrible toll, and revealing information can be a step toward recovery. The bigger the secret, the harder to keep it, the greater the potential conflict.” But one remark by the good doctor really hit home for me: “Keeping secrets limits responsiveness by preventing people from acting naturally and sharing freely.” Although the secret I was carrying was profoundly positive, the energy required to keep the lid on this particular Pandora’s box was immense. As the researchers at Columbia concluded, this mental anguish is harmful because of its “taxing effects in social interactions.”
Concealment and continued caution don’t come easily, and as a connoisseur of good gossip I was finding this whole experience exhausting.
I guess it was only a matter of time before I was left exposed; my dialogue and non-verbal communication clumsily conspired to give the game away – thankfully to those close to me who, ironically, would have been told of the secret at the ordained time. Like a rabbit caught in the headlights, I blinked, squirmed, and tried to disappear into an imaginary hole of safe haven, where the continued questioning and overt guesses (which happened to be correct) wouldn’t find me.
Although embarrassed to have succumbed to the interrogation – especially given my policing past – I was nonetheless relieved, and on reflection, pleased that I had held it together for as long as I had. Furthermore, how could I argue with the great George Orwell? He wrote, in the momentous 1984, “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”
When you are next enticed with the words, “Can I tell you a secret?” my learned advice is to simply say no and wait for it to be disclosed by another tortured soul in open forum. Otherwise, be prepared for the initial spark of pleasure to be quickly replaced by a burdensome brainstorm. In the style of Rhett Butler in the epic Gone with the Wind – frankly my dear, it simply isn’t worth it.
