Ladies: it is older women, gay men, and feminists who tell you it’s great to cut your hair short. What conclusion can you draw from that?

SoftHarem · 2013-11-11T16:20:20+00:00

How many porn stars or strippers have short hair?

FleetingWish · 2013-11-11T17:09:00+00:00

I don't really think that feminists are telling everyone that they should cut their hair. Remember one of the main tenets of feminism is that women should have consequence free choices. In reality what feminists are telling people is that they should be able to cut their hair, without there being any consequences. The implicit statement here is that there are consequences for cutting your hair short. Feminists just don't want that to be the case. So, women who cut their hair short are trying to support consequence free hair cutting. Feminism may be encouraging short hair, because that's how you beat the patriarchy, (or something like that), but that not the same as telling women they "should" cut their hair. It's a subtle, but important distinction to make, because if feminism were doing the latter, there would be women uprising saying that they could do whatever they wanted, creating a third-enlightened-wave feminism.

rebuildingMyself · 2013-11-11T17:41:23+00:00

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Chawlston · 2013-11-11T19:13:40+00:00

Ah, those who do not/cannot enjoy the art of hair pulling shouldn't dispense advice.

Just sayin'

sugarcrush · 2013-11-11T18:43:24+00:00

I have never understood the "rule" that older women need to cut their hair. And really they aren't even that old, it's like as soon as you have a child you are obligated to chop your hair off into the "mom cut". Why?? Long hair is SO much more forgiving than short hair... short hair needs a wash and style pretty much everyday because sleeping on it messes it up so much. If I don't get particularly sweaty I can get away with only washing my hair every 3 days if I want to because I don't get bed head like my husband and his short hair does. Isn't it easier to take 30 mins twice a week instead of 15 every day? I don't understand.

2013-11-14T17:04:17+00:00

I've definitely noticed a huge difference in the way people react to me and the type of men who approach me based on whether I have long or short hair, especially when combined with different clothing or makeup.

It's really interesting to realize that changing your appearance can make such a dramatic difference in the types of opportunities you get, the types of friends you tend to make, and the impression people get when meeting you. I believe it's a smart strategy to cultivate different looks (and ways of behaving) until you find the ones that fit you and tend to attract the kind of people you want to be in your life.

MrsStrom · 2013-11-11T20:59:22+00:00

I think you're looking at the gay men/women/feminist's opinion of short hair in the wrong light.

Who are gay men and straight women attracted to?

Men.

So how are gay men and women going to often prefer women's hair?

Like a man's (short).

Feminists seem to think that you should look however you want (fat, dirty, short hair, whatever.) Because its your choice. What they are failing to realize is that what is attractive to straight men is not what is attractive to gay men, bisexual men, or women. Their solipsistic view of the world has "forgotten" that what they find attractive is not what men find attractive.

So, I wouldn't say that we're being LIED to, just being led around by a blind person while we keep our hands over our eyes.

Bottom line: if you care about being attractive to straight men, keep your hair long. If you don't care, well then go ahead and shave your head Sinead O'connor style.

inkedpink · 2013-11-12T05:44:04+00:00

I've had both short and long hair over the years myself. To me, short hair was less fuss, I had less hair in the drain and I was lazier with it. My hair was able to be tamed with a bit of product and I was out the door in my uniform. When I have long hair, I have to do the little extra work of sock bun-ing it, but I'm still capable of doing it pretty fast. Time was really negligible.

I usually cut my hair super short whenever something jarring was happening. Military life, break ups, things like that. Growing the hair back would result in growing a different sort of confidence. Not to say I was not confident with pixie hair, I was essentially still the same, just less attractive.

Thinking about it now, I cut my hair to either cleanse the palette or as a determent. So yes I agree. Short hair does change how people look at you/your level of attractiveness/and how you may feel about yourself.

zxcvbnm000 · 2013-11-15T06:12:49+00:00

Just a guy passing through, so I have no qualms if you don't think my opinion is worth a dime.

But I don't mind girls with short hair(definitely chin height, none of that near buzz cut nonsense), since some of them seem to be refined, more mature, and a lot have to compensate for their perceived lack of being feminine by being more girly and/or confident. That being said, you'd have to have some kind of fetish to not want long haired girls at all.

No doubt that most manly men want long haired women. However, it's not the kiss of death to have short hair, but it is by far the exception(unless you like Asian guys, they're more used to it). Since they seem less chased, I don't know how much it is guys settling for less, or it's that they don't only want the often chased easy women.

Some girls can really pull off short hair, others not as much, but there's no one that ONLY looks good with short hair, not that I know of. Go for it if you think you really look good and can get the kind of man you want, but it's always an exception to the rule today and a risk. Maybe there are still a couple of dudes out there that still like the more Marilyn Monroe look.

and NO not even Emma Watson or Natalie Portman look good with super short hair, they only look doable, sometimes not even that. It's definitely not a surefire deal breaker, but there's a difference between that and something 95% of men don't care for. There are still a ton guys that would go out with either one of those two in a heartbeat, but if she ever once asked if she should grow it longer than that for a while, she would hear a "yes" from every one of 'em.

Bakerofpie · 2013-11-11T18:58:49+00:00

Good grief, why make your haircut into a political issue? I've personally only dated a couple of guys who preferred my hair long. A couple liked it better very short, mostly around chin length. Point is, while I think staying in shape and taking care of your appearance is important, I wasn't willing to shape my entire look and have a haircut that I hate just to attract a man who will expect me to keep that haircut I hate forever. To me this is along the lines of not getting tattoos because so many men don't like them on women. I'm all for looking nice for my man, but I don't want a man who is only attracted to a woman who looks like... well, a way I really don't want to look.

Edit: I'm aware that the majority of men do prefer long hair and women who cut it short can't expect to have the same options as if they kept it long. I just didn't worry too terribly much about it because I wouldn't want to be with a man who wanted my hair really long (it looks like total crap that way and would work solely for the novelty).

TempestTcup · 2013-11-11T20:36:50+00:00

So many times you'll see women right after marriage cut their hair short. Makes no sense.

Tastysalad101 · 2013-11-11T21:08:40+00:00

This gonna sound kinda shallow but if a girl has short hair i see her a lot less attractive.

valkyrieone · 2013-11-12T08:50:56+00:00

I have cut my hair twice in the last six years to be short. The first was a huge mistake, completely impulsive, and my hair dresser didn't have the balls to tell me I couldn't/shouldn't go that route because my hair is too thick. I regretted it and literally cried for the next week because my hair was gone and I had no idea how to work with it. I was so close to buying a wig I hated it so much. Three years later I cut my hair just to my shoulders to donate to Locks of Love. Fortunately my hair grows particularly fast but I love my hair. It is something I cherish and pride myself in with having a great head of hair. Never again though will I ever let my length get any where near the top of my shoulders. For days after a hair cut, even if it's just a trim, I can still sense the "ghost hair". some girls can pull it off (short hair) I still don't find it 100%flattering on any of them.

2013-11-12T22:01:39+00:00

People, both men and women, should always use the advantage they have in life. Sometimes you are at a disadvantage. It may be easier to be a white person instead of a black. It may be easier to be born rich than poor. But if you have the advantage, the optimal strategy is to use it. People generally have a poor sense of odds and probability and they don't understand how important it is to have a slight edge. That is why so many people go to the casino. The 49/51 odds don't sound too terrible, but why do so many people leave with their pockets empty? It is the compounding effects from repeating.

People simply don't understand that tiny advantage. If you are slightly more attractive, you might make one or two more friends than the average person. Then you tap into this friend's social network. Now you are exposed to a lot more people, and within this group you use your advantage again. This is why attractive people have far more friends, far higher quality social contacts, better jobs, more money, etc. It all comes down to that tiny advantage compounding over time. Some of the richest people in the world only beat the stock market by 1-2% a year. If you can get a tiny bit more out of every social interaction, then after a few years, you will be socially "rich".

People seem to understand this effect when they do job interviews. For most jobs, your skill matters infinitely more than what you wear, but you put on those nice clothes anyways. It's not just a guy/girl thing, it applies to both sexes. However, for some reason they think it doesn't apply in the rest of life.

Some advantages are not easily to obtain. You can have a really nice body, but you have to hit the gym several times a week and put in the effort. Having long hair is one of the easiest advantages you can have. It is ridiculous to turn it into a disadvantage. The first peacock that had shiny feathers ended up spreading his genes to the entire population. Think of how much worse a young guy looks if they shaved the top of their head so they have the "going bald" / super receding hair look. It is certainly a big disadvantage.

wereallthrowaway · 2013-11-11T15:41:08+00:00

Pam Anderson isn't an old woman but, she is not in the same age group as Miley Cyrus or Jennifer Lawrence(40s v 20s) so i'm not sure why she isn't allowed to change things up after looking the same for decades. Society tells older women that having long hair makes them look silly. Sometimes never changing can also age a person. Some people have trouble maintaining long hair because of time constraints and hair quality etc. Hair is for your enjoyment and if you can't cut it once when your young and then let it grow back out, what does that say about how important impressing others constantly is? Hair grows back.

TempestTcup · 2013-11-11T20:06:07+00:00

As you get older, the long hair will hide a lot of the slackness of the jawline and neck that will happen. That's a main reason older women shouldn't cut their hair and why cutting it will really damage their looks.

I don't think that when guys say they want hair long, they don't necessarily mean down to the butt, but even shoulder length is attractive and feminine and hides most of the aging neck and jawline.

2013-11-11T01:02:59+00:00

yeah!

bgny · 2013-11-12T02:19:44+00:00

I recently cut my hair about chin-length and have been told by lots of people (both guys and girls) that they "typically don't like that look on people, but somehow you can really pull it off." I'm not sure if this is really just a backhanded compliment and my friends are just trying tell me what I want to hear... now I'm second-guessing it even more. Is that like a friendly way of saying "That haircut sucks, but it just sucks less on you?"

memorylayne · 2013-11-11T17:41:20+00:00

All my life my mom and grandma (dad's mom) have wanted to cut my hair short. If they had it their way I would have gone all through grade school with a boy's haircut. They despise long hair. I think it has to do with practicality not aesthetics or feminism.

drop_commentator · 2013-11-11T22:24:57+00:00

In a really bizarre reversal of this, one time I convinced my mom to chop all her hair off because it was 'chic' and 'fashionable' (this was not during my feminist phase). I still feel kind of guilty about it, she didn't look very good. On the bright side, I now know better than to ever tell an older woman to cut her hair off.

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