The Cut Mod
From Mod Mania
Original text - Todd Dawson
Modified text & images - Glenn Stephenson
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.
Mortitia Addams (Carolyn Jones), Wife of Gomez Addams and mother to Pugsley and Wednesday Addams. One of the most well known representatives of the Gothic movement sporting the trademark long black hairstyle of which she is instantly recognisable. First hitting the screens in the 1964 television series The Addams Family, Mortita (derived from a combination of the Latin ‘mortis’ meaning death) was “The real head of the family…low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are rare…ruined beauty…contemptuous and original and with fierce family loyalty…even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly…given to low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden deadly nightshade, henbane and dwarf’s hair…- Charles Addams
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.
Manmohan Singh is the 14th Prime Minister and the first Sikh to govern the Republic of India. Listed in Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential persons in the world, he is Cambridge and Oxford Universities educated attaining his Doctorate in Economics in 1962 [4]. “A Sikh should, in no way, harbour any antipathy to the hair of the head with which his child is born. He should not temper with the hair with which the child is born….”[5a]
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].
Born Matthew Paul Miller, and now known predominantly as Matisyahu, is an Hasidic Jewish Reggae musician based in New York. Following the recommended guidelines (Talmud) of a practising Hasidic Jew, a man or boy must "…cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you." [6a] It is also seen as a statement saying "I am a proud Jew."
Wafaa Ganahi - voted Miss Arab World 2007 wears the Hijab as part of being a practising Islamist defining her as being separate from the non believers/ followers of the Quran. This head and body covering has the stated purpose of removing temptation from the hungry eyes of men and therefore resulting in the protection of women [7a]. This thought process stems ultimately from women being respectable thus able to be a good wife and mother. There was no mention of women being respected though….
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. Snoop Dogg, born in 1971 Cordozar Calvin Broadus, is a monumental American Rapper and near house hold name as his rise to prominence and the felling of walls surrounding gansta rap sub cultures developed over the past 15 years. Sporting a viariety of hairstyles over the years from pony tails, plaits, cornrows and braids, Snoop Dogg manages to employ styles mostly set aside for females with seamless unabashed ease. Certainly a lifestyle not expected from a member of the Los Angeles street gang the Crips.
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. Dennis Rodman (1961), known for his flair on and off the professional Basketball court is an avid hair modifier sporting different colours, styles, patterns and piercings to boot! This had apparently come around after a re-inventing stage of his life after serious personal and emotional problems. Playing with a multitude of teams over his career, Dennis is probably equally as famous for his romantic pursuits in the form of Madonna and Carmen Electra [8a]. 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.
Dame Edna Everage is a pillar of the Moonee Ponds community - bought to life by Barry Humphries and first appearing in the 1979 mocumentary La Dame aux Gladiolas[9a]. The character of Dame Edna began as a satirical look at the the average Australian housewife and blossomed into an international vessel who made treating celebrities like ordinary people (on her TV shows) and ordinary people like celebrities (in her stage shows) her forte. Dame Ednas lilac-coloured hair (which she claims is an entirely natural wisteria hue)[9b] is a product of hair curlers and most likely a few afternoons at the local Moonee Ponds hair salon.
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.
Bald yet not too old – Glenn Stephenson, born in 1978 realised he was fighting an uphill battle as both his grandfather on his mothers side and his father were bald. Noticing the first signs of balding in highschool, Glenn took to the razor in late 2000 whilst snowboarding in Canada and has never looked back. Despite the plethora of advertised remedies for hair re-growth and replacement, he is sticking with his nude nut and has been heard likening the feeling of shaving his head to that of skinny dipping in a cool mountain lake.
So next time you go to get your hair styled, cut or trimmed think about what you’re doing – because it (does not really) matter(s)!!!
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
[2a] http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/bio/elvis_overview.asp
[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
[3a] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payot
[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
[4a] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payot
[5] Hijab refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and Muslim styles of dress. - wikipedia
[5a]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh
[6] Turban is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head - wikipedia
[6a] ^ Shabbat 156b
[7] Traction alopecia is a gradual loss of the hair, caused primarily by tension being applied to the hair. - wikipedia
[7a] http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/12/24/171935/91
[8a] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Rodman
[9a] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame_Edna_Everage
[9b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame_Edna_Everage
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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisyahu
http://www.aish.com/jl/m/48949686.html
http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/bio/elvis_overview.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crips
http://www.marilynmonroe.com/about/bio.html http://www.charlesaddams.com/
