Hair, beauty & power

Allusions to the power and beauty of hair are abundant in myths and culture. Remember Medusa’s deadly mane? Or Rapunzel’s golden locks? What of Samson and his powerful hair? Hair indicated one’s status, rank, and prowess. In primitive times, fastened bones, feathers and other objects in the hair were meant to impress the lowly and frighten the enemy. Among the Gauls, long hair indicated nobility, which Julius Caesar cut off as a sign of conquest.

Hair also had religious significance. The shaved heads of Christian and Buddhist monks indicated renunciation of the world. A single long lock on the shaved heads of Muslim males signified that Allah would pull them up to heaven. Hindu boys shaved their heads when they reached adolescence. The Egyptians, during mourning, left their hair to grow, while Hindu widows cut off their long tresses as a sign of mourning.

In China, men traditionally shaved their front hair and fashioned their back hair into a queue with horsehair or black silk, a practice done by the Manchus, which they imposed on Chinese subjects in the 17th century to show submission. The queue was also a mark of dignity and manhood. To pull it was a great insult.

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In the Brothers Grimm’s Rapunzel, the heroine’s hair indicated her sexuality. In medieval times, a knight carried a lock of his lady’s hair as a talisman.

In the 17th century, members of the French royal court followed the lead of the balding Louis XIV, who wore a wig. Baldness, by the way, indicated lack of confidence and insecurity, but perhaps not on the King’s part.

In the 20th century, especially after World War I, women cut or "bobbed" their hair as a symbol of their political and social emancipation. They even dyed their hair platinum like that of Hollywood actress Jean Harlow’s.

In this day of informality and individualism, women and men of all classes choose their hairstyles, color their hair, or don wigs that suit their needs and tastes. In the ’60s, the non-conformist young began growing longer hair, long sideburns, and beards to match their unconventional clothes.

Radically changing one’s hair can be viewed as betrayal by a spouse, just as it can empower one who has already been betrayed to change her appearance for added attraction. To get back at the unfaithful Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo cut off her long hair and painted a portrait of herself in a man’s suit.

In Vogue, one reads that when former Today show anchor Deborah Norville had a not-so-amicable parting with NBC, she went to Stephen Knoll’s Manhattan Salon and exchanged the long, layered look Knoll described as "Anchor Head" for a chic short do she still has today. "My hair was never my own on television," Norville said at the time. "Now, I have a whole new life."

Changing your look doesn’t guarantee your life will change. When you make a change and you’re psychologically ready for that change, it helps people get rid of the past and move forward.

People afraid of changing their hairdo are wondering who they’ll be afterward. They associate change with either physical or psychological pain. On the other hand, getting rid of hair symbolizes freedom and change in attitude.

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But as far as attractiveness is concerned, here’s what psychologists have to say: "Putting your best face forward will result in physical attractiveness. In fact, humans aren’t the only creatures influenced by attractiveness. Many animals seem to be greatly affected by attractiveness among their own kind. Peafowls seem to choose as mates the males with the largest, brightest, and most intricate tails. Presumably, in their evolution, the peacocks with the most spectacular tails are the ones most likely to find mates."

A number of factors contribute to a person’s perception of beauty. Women with attractive hairstyles are rated as more pleasant, clean, and tidy-looking. In terms of personality, they are thought to be more poised and organized. Women with studied hairstyles are described as more reliable, sensitive, caring, warm, and sincere, but sometimes stiff!

But no matter how you style your hair, it’s still best not to make quick judgments based on appearance alone. Remember the rule: don’t judge a book by its cover.