My partner is neutral about the fetish itself, but ever since I told her about it, she's willingly grown it from shoulder length to hip length twice for me because she loves turning me on with it (she cut it back the first time because she still had some trouble maintaining it at that length) For now, she's keeping it at hip length because her hair is also incredibly thick and it's easier to keep it neat while wearing it down.

Finding a long-haired partner is great and all, and the fact that you already have game will make this much easier, but finding a partner you're compatible with personality-wise with high-quality hair, regardless of the length,can also take you a long way.

Based on what I've seen on this site for the past several years as a lurker, most guys in healthy relationships with long-haired partners have them because they were honest about their fetish and their partner willingly grew their hair for them out of love.

The exact time to spill the beans varies by person, but for me, it helped to be honest very early on (like several dates in) so there were no delusions about what sex with me would be like for her.

Of course, none of this is a free pass to pressure your partner to grow her hair out if she doesn't want to. It's instead a call to own your fetish and make your preferences and opinions known in a chill and casual way.

Your last question is a little hard for me to understand but if you're asking about how other people would perceive you for having a long-haired girlfriend or having a history of long-haired girlfriends, I would say nobody cares if you don't tell them.

So long story short, be honest with yourself and your romantic interest about your love of long hair and if they don't reciprocate, it's up to you to decide if you're willing to compromise on your fetish for them or move on.