The Cut
From Mod Mania
Hairstyling
Why do people spend their money on haircuts instead of letting the hair grow? It seems nowadays a hairstyle has become a projection of self image and self worth.
The styling of one’s own hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming and fashioned to suit one’s own image but a hairstyle can also be practical, cultural, or eponymous[1].
Many factors define the aesthetics of a hairstyle from the highlighting of the subject's physical attributes, their desired self-image or cultural beliefs. The physical attributes of an individual include natural hair type and growth pattern, face and head shape from various angles, and overall body proportions (medical considerations may also apply). Self-image may be directed toward conforming to mainstream values and the current popular hairstyle. Today’s stereotypical hairstyles define many social groups. A male with dyed long black hair could be considered a “Goth” while a male with a crew cut would be perceived as being associated with the army. Religious groups often dictate what an acceptable hairstyle is. Orthodox Jewish payot[2] or the Sikh practice of kesh[3] are some examples of cultural hairstyles.
Hairstyling can also include adding accessories such as headbands, scrunchies, clips and pins as they are used to hold the hair in place and/or enhance its decorative appearance. Some cultures have accessories that partially or fully conceal the hair with coverings such as a kippa[4], hijab[5]or turban[6].
However hairstyles can be highly context-dependent, as a popular look such as “corn rows” in America would be limited to a "subgroup" in another country.
The process of hairstyling can include one or several of the following - cuts, weaves, colouring, extensions, perms, permanent relaxers, curling and any other form of styling or texturing. This act of hair cutting is used to create a new or maintain a current shape to one’s hair. The extent of a hair cut depends on the situation of the individual and can range from merely trimming the uneven dead/split ends of the hair to a uniform length to completely shaving the head. Whatever the individual’s choice, the overall shape of the hairstyle has to be maintained as the human body continues to grow more hair. This is done by repeated trips to a hairdresser.
Most people think that having their hair cut regularly promotes faster growth however this isn’t the case. Although regular trims help to enhance the hair's appearance by removing damaged or split ends, it doesn’t remove all damage along the length of the hair so in actual fact the hair will still grow at the same rate whether you have it trimmed or not.
Although some people will try to trim their own hair (to save money or because they’re lazy), a more complex style usually requires another person to be contracted to perform the process as it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain symmetry while cutting hair at the back of one's head.
By now you might have become accustomed to your hairdresser washing your hair and massaging your head with shampoo and conditioner before you get your hair cut. This is so they can cut your hair while it’s still slightly damp. Of course there is the option of cutting it dry but depending on what you have asked for your resulting hairstyle to be, wet hair can be easier for them to manage in the cutting situation.
The added weight of the water cause the strands to stretch downward and cling together along the hair's length, holding a line in a natural place and making it easier for the stylist to create a seemingly natural form.
Wet cutting is not always a viable option when cutting some hair styles because in certain cases it may cause problems. Curly hair has a greater degree of length fully wet and different areas of the hair may curl in different degrees or directions. Cutting curly hair while wet is unpredictable and may result in unwanted results when dry, depending on how the curls coil back up.
The process of changing one’s natural hair colour to a more desired one is done by adding pigment to, or removing pigment from, the hair shaft. The hair colouring processes is more commonly known as dyeing or bleaching. Depending on the required purpose of dying one’s hair, there is the choice of temporary or permanent colours. Temporary dyes simply coat the hair with pigments which can be shampooed out. On the other hand, permanent colours change the internal pigments of the hair right into the cuticle and need to be either grown out or cut out.
The process of permanently dying hair requires harsh chemicals to alter the structure of the hair and these can damage the hair, leaving it dry, weak, and prone to breakage.
Generally the lighter in shade one goes from their natural hair colour, the harsher the chemicals required to strip the initial pigment and therefore the greater the damage.
Chemical solutions such as “perming solutions” can also be applied to change the hair’s nature degree of curl. A perm requires the hair to be thermally reconditioned to alter the internal structure of the hair and force it to adopt either a new curly form or a sleek straight look. Permed hair has to be treated with greater care then natural hair as the chemicals weaken the hair follicles.
Braiding into cornrows or plaits is a common style used to keep the hair tight, neat and out of the person’s eyes. However tight and frequent hair pulling from having one’s hair braided or tied up can cause major problems in the long term. This act of styling hair can pull at the roots of the hair and cause traction alopecia[7]. Using hair ties with the metal clips attached can also bend the hair at too much of an extreme angle and have the same effect. This tension on the hair follicles can also result in headaches. For this reason it is important not to keep the hair up for longer than needed. Around the world hair styling is a major industry, from the hairdressers you go to through to the products that you use to maintain your style and to the numerous expensive ads in magazines and TV.
In between trips to your hairdresser simple steps can be taken to help in the maintenance of your style. Brushes and combs are used commonly to organise and untangle the hair, persuading all the strands to lie in the same direction and removing the hairs that have already fallen out.
Similar to brushing, a hair dryer can also be used as a sculpting tool to encourage the hair into a desired shape or position. Repeated blow drying can slowly train the hair follicles to grow towards the direction desired.
Electrical styling tools such as hair irons (either flat, curling or crimping irons) and rollers can also be used to apply extreme heat up to 200°c to control one’s hair. However although hair dryers and similar tools speed up the drying process excessive heat can increase the rate of damage to the hair such as shaft-splitting.
In ancient times, when hair was washed less frequently, it was a custom to brush hair with one hundred strokes every day to spread the scalp’s natural oils down through the hair, creating a protective coating to the tips. However nowadays this seems redundant as most people wash their hair every second day, washing away the natural oils. Also vigorous brushing with today’s brushes of rigid plastic bristles is likely to cause more damage than the natural boar's bristles that were once standard.
Nowadays hairdressers might suggest you use hair care products to add texture, shine, curl, volume or hold to a particular style as well as renewing and protecting damaged hair follicles. Aside from shampoo and conditioner there is a large variety of different products that can be applied to the hair during the day for your desired look. There are leave-in conditioners, treatments, mousse, gels, waxes, creams and sprays just to name a few.
Although most hair products seem to be doing your hair good, over time a prolonged usage without properly washing and conditioning the hair in the shower can result in a chemical build-up and leave the hair dull or overly oily.
For the unfortunate older generations of the time, balding is an uncontrollable, unstoppable factor of growing old. Some choose to shave their hair entirely, while others try to prove they still have plenty of hair by creating such styles as the “comb-over”. Then there are some people that choose the man-made solution of covering their baldness with a wig. Care of human or other natural hair wigs is similar to the care of a normal head of hair in that the wig can be brushed, styled, and kept clean using hair care products. Synthetic wigs try to mimic human hair by using fine fibres and they can be made into virtually any colour or shape. However this fake option is extremely sensitive to any heat and can’t be styled used electrical irons. On the other hand, human hair wigs can be styled but must only be brushed when dry.
So next time you go to get your hair styled, cut or trimmed think about what you’re doing – because it matters!!!
Glossary
[1] Eponymous hairstyle is a particular style of hair that has become fashionable during a certain period of time through its association with a prominent individual (such as celebrities and tv “role models”). - wikipedia
[2] Payot is the Hebrew word for sidelocks or sidecurls. The word was taken to mean the hair in front of the ears extending to beneath the cheekbone. Worn by men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community. - wikipedia
[3] Kesh* is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The hair is combed twice a day and tied into a simple knot. This knot of hair is usually covered by a turban. - wikipedia
[4] A Kippah is a cloth hemispherical or platter-shaped skullcap traditionally worn at all times by observant Jewish men, and sometimes also worn by women in more democratic congregations to assert their equality with men. - wikipedia
[5] Hijab refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and Muslim styles of dress. - wikipedia
[6] Turban is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head - wikipedia
[7] Traction alopecia is a gradual loss of the hair, caused primarily by tension being applied to the hair. - wikipedia
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairstyle
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080827010436AAalEfN
http://jezebel.com/5113068/why-do-people-care-when-a-woman-cuts-her-hair
