@skinnylatte I always felt I was kind of lucky I was born at just the right time so that my youth was smack in the middle of the grunge era. I didn't need to explain (too much) about growing my hair. Everybody thought it was teenage rebellion, when in reality it was the kind of terror you describe.
25 years later, my wife dragged me to a hair stylist again, just to trim the tips. My hair was badly damaged. The right kind of attitude in the surroundings made it painless, even enjoyable.