I cut my hair and a lot of women loved it. Despite the love, many women expressed how they couldn’t cut their hair because fathers, husbands, and boyfriends wouldn’t allow it. While I mentioned it’s just hair, the above response made me wonder why some men needed women to have long hair (fake or real). Sampling thoughts from colleagues, and friends, I concluded that it had something to do with beauty.
Why The Fuss About Short Hair?
Confirming my thoughts, and perhaps going a little further Tamás Bereczkei, a professor of psychology, found that long hair has a significant positive effect on the ratings of a woman’s attractiveness than short hair. Why? Long hair increases the perception of good genes as healthy women have lustrous, shiny hair.
Therefore, men perceive women with long hair as being healthier than women with short hair. So, if a woman cuts her hair to a short length, or shaves it outright, she may be seen as less fertile, beautiful, and healthy.
Based on the above and coupled with the fact that short hair is often associated with thoughts of masculinity, we make saloon appointments and get our hair pulled in different directions even when we’d rather rock a low cut.
I wonder if men who don’t “allow” us to get haircuts bother to find out why we want short hair. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we need to give men a reason in order to get permission to cut our hair. Every woman has the right to do what she wants with her hair.
Rather, what I’m saying is the reason we cut our hair highlights why its nobody’s business what we do with it. Now we’re on the same page, I think it’s important to list some reasons why we cut our hair.
- Busy schedules and hair appointment aren’t always a good fit. For instance, between client work and my day job, my hair appointment isn’t very important.
- Our scalps hurt from all the pulling. Twice I’ve had to endure a swollen head because someone took great care in ensuring my hair was neatly made.
- Wearing the same look can get boring. A cut helps spice things up.
- Some of us get a big chop to get rid of damaged hair.
- Somethings don’t need a reason. We’re just tired of our hair.
Based on the above, dear fathers, husbands, and boyfriends, it’s selfish to tell your daughters, wives, and girlfriends not to cut their hair. Mind your own hair and leave us to decide what we want to do with ours.
Rock Your Hair
Dear sister, long hair or short hair, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how you feel and what you want. So, if you feel need a haircut get one and be confident in your choice. Ignore all the talk about long hair symbolizing health, fertility, and beauty. I have short hair, and I don’t look masculine or less beautiful. And my hair and fertility don’t have a relationship.
P.S Its funny some men don’t want us to have short hair on our head but are totally fine with short hair in other places. 🙂
Do you have short hair? What do you think about men being involved in our decision to go low? Drop your comments. We’d love to hear from you.
I didn’t know all these factors ,but what i know is that men don’t like if women cut their hair cause one has to look like a man and one has to like women hence they prefer long hair. Thats what i have heard for the longest time when it comes to women and short hair.
There are so many reasons we want to cut our hair, that is why the decision should be left to us. Another reason is that African womyn use extension hair, just because we want our hair to appear longer.But extension breaks our hair and needs a special budget.not to a man. I am aware of what is said about womyn with short hair, but I plan to do it. We can not have one step ahead and one step back.It is our decision to have short hair, we feel confortable with the style, so let’s do it. When I was in i 2001, I met so many students and adult womyn with short hair, I particularly appreciated .
Zimbabwe
Totally agree with you! It’s our choice to decide what to do with our hair 🙂
this is just sexist BS. there´s no scentific reason,women´s hair grows like men´s hair,not to mention that there are cultures with long haired men like Ancient China,Native Americans and the rastafari.
Agfrican men wishing women having long hair is brainwhased by colonialism. Long hair in women obssession is western BS Massai women shave their head,I´m sure they are still women.I´m sure other women in africa shave /have short hair,so why that? we must looks like western women?