The Psychology of Hair.

Ah, hair. One of my favorite things actually. But what the hell is it, and why is it so important to some human beings? Here are some thoughts and anecdotes I have about it, and I definitely encourage you to share your opinion on this topic as well.

Hair is such an integral part of human interactions that it is ridiculous. Okay, so you know how some animals like to flaunt stuff on their bodies to attract the opposite sex? Some examples would be fish showing off their shiny scales and colors, birds such as peacocks who have breathtaking feather displays, and stuff like horns or tusks on other animals.

Since us humans are of course animals, we like to flaunt our stuff too. An example would be guys showing off their muscles or girls showing off their boobs. One of the ways that both sexes flaunt, is by showing off their sexy hair. Last year, I had a college class where it was 30 girls, and 5 guys. This was a discussion class, so we set up chairs in a circle around the class.

You should have seen me in there. I'm a guy, and since I'm in college, I want to look good. So I made sure I had the whole package, including nice hair. So in this class, I would sit down, looking around at my beautiful surroundings, and for the rest of class, sit there and show off with my newly found biceps and cute hair to these amazing chickas. It could have been on Discovery Channel! I was flaunting my stuff, basically doing a mating dance for these females. It was really fun and really hilarious!

So as you can see, hair plays a big role in human interactions. But then there is the flip side of this whole phenomenon of hair: losing it.

At the moment, I still have a good head of hair, but we all know that most of us on the male side of the population goes through this weird thing called Male Pattern Baldness. Yes, I brought it up. Sorry if this is a touchy subject for anyone on here, but it is the truth, and it exists in the world today. I am very surprised there isn't some kind of cure for this yet. I really think everyone deserves to grow out their hair if they want to, and not be limited by this thing in the male gene. So if you have the secret cure, do share with everyone.

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I will be adding more as the thread progresses.

Now please, feel free to share your thoughts and feelings about hair!

Hair doesn't only have to be about decoration or a means of attraction. Lately I have been growing my hair long for the first time and am finding new ways to use my hair.

Example, I cam comb it downwards in the front and use it to hide my face. This is very useful for hiding your identity on public transport (to people who haven't seen you since you have had long hair).

Also you can specifically hide your eyes so that no one notices how reddned they may be

Originally posted by Nick_X
Hair doesn't only have to be about decoration or a means of attraction. Lately I have been growing my hair long for the first time and am finding new ways to use my hair.

What is your opinion on sideburns?
Keep them or shave them?

Sometime around 2000 I discovered I had sleep apnea. I woke up several times a night and never woke up refreshed.

After I started using a c-pap for the apnea my hair began to thicken.

If I get anything done at the beauty shop I am charged extra because it takes more time to do my hair because it is so nice and thick.

This leads me to believe lack of good rest may be a cause of hair loss.

I am a member of a sleep apnea chat group and everyone has had their hair and skin improve since starting treatment.

It's just a thought. It may or may not have any merit on balding men.

It would be beneficial to get a sleep study as sleep apnea can cause death if left untreated.

reply to post by sphinx551


Facial Hair has a totally different place in society compared to Head Hair.

Without levels of testosterone, facial hair simply does not grow. My younger brother actually has a problem with producing testosterone in his body and as a result, has no facial hair.

Because of this, you can say that seeing facial hair on someone activates a genetic correlation in your brain to high levels of testosterone. People naturally view men with thick beards and facial hair differently - and they are correct in doing so, because the thick facial hair is an indication of healthy testosterone production.

You can use this to your "advantage" if you aim to come across as a person with more testosterone - whether to intimidate other males, or appeal to females who are attracted to this characteristic.

Originally posted by sphinx551
What is your opinion on sideburns?
Keep them or shave them?

Yes.

I'm so glad you brought this up.
This has been bugging me for ages.
I have hair on my chest, face, arms, legs, and other places which I'm sure you would rather not read about.
How is it that the only place where I really could do with some, especially in sunny, rainy, hailstoney (Is there such a word?) weather, it's decided to go AWOL on me?
If God is reading this, WTF?

reply to post by dizziedame


THANK you, Dizzydame

A female family-member's hair began thinning drastically several weeks ago. Normally, she had very healthy and thick hair and took it for granted. Since the loss, she's been searching online for possible clues but suspected it was related to her deliberate weight-loss during the past several months

She does have breathing problems when sleeping, like most in the family. I've just contacted her to relay your information and she asked me to thank you. We would never have known about the relationship between sleep apnea and hair loss if not for you

Thank you again, very much

Sorry about that lol

I sometimes have long sideburns and sometimes short. Depends how I feel at the time and being as I have long hair and shave only now and then it doesn't really matter.

I go with the flow and my hair just follows.

reply to post by Illegal Alien


Well, as stated in a previous post, hair production is a product of testosterone.The more testosterone a person has, the more hair they will have. It's not necessarily negative, at least not for a man, to have a lot of hair......

reply to post by SpeakerofTruth


Maybe it's my lack of testosterone.
I'm not the most macho of guys really.
I used to be gorgeous with my long flowing golden locks. So much so, that if I'd been someone else, I'm sure I'd have turned gay if I saw me.
Such is life........

Women have always used their hair as a tool of flirtation. Of course, us men are never smart enough to realize it until after the fact.

LOL!
TELL me about it.
I've been with so many beautiful haired psychos in my 50 years.
Got lucky 25 years ago, and still going strong.
Phew!

This is such a great thread

Friends and I often discuss hair and it's place of importance in life generally -- the massive amount spent by both men and women on hair products must rival health budgets in some nations (for stuff that grows out of the skull and is basically dead keratin (?) the moment it sprouts from the head ). Sometimes we say we should all just shave our heads, worldwide -- the great equalizer ? I mean it would only take for a few generations to shave and be bald, for it to be accepted -- switching the focus to something more meaningful, such as humour, maybe (wow -- imagine a world where people spent all that previous 'hair-time' on appreciation of the absurd, the funny, the cheerful ! )

Some here have mentioned hair as a shield, and sure, it can be. For instance, for years I had waist-length hair. Below waist-length, in fact. I was in a car once, with the windows open, and my hair was blown back into the mouth of a passenger in the rear seat !

If I wore it down, people would comment on the length of my hair and ask how long it had taken to grow it to that length, etc. I was known for my hair, as in: ' You know ... the girl with the really long hair '

When I wanted to appear more professional at meetings, etc., I used to pin it up and wear a shorter wig. And I had to bend over from the waist to dry and brush it, etc. It took on a life of its own

Finally, I was sick of being my hair. I worried the long hair bestowed upon me some sort of personality which wasn't the true (and ordinary) me. Too much of other's admiration for a body part can have the effect of distorting the personality. I was a real person with real faults -- not just an angelic clothes-hanger for a yard of hair

So I chopped it off one day. Came out from behind the hair-screen

People weren't happy about it, saying, 'Oh, what on earth happened to all that gorgeous hair ? You're not the same '

No, I wasn't the same. I wasn't so anxious to please, any more and I didn't want men admiring me for a length of dead keratin. I wasn't going to hide behind curtains of hair. I was coming out into the light, warts and all, take me or leave me

It took a few years to adapt to shorter hair because my body still automatically leaned a certain way over the bathroom sink when I brushed my teeth for instance -- the way I had when I'd needed to sweep all that hair out of the way. I had to learn to not swing back my head the way I had when I'd flung my hair to the other side or in the breeze. And I had to learn to stop leaning over at the waist when I brushed my shorter hair, because it was no longer necessary. But most of all, it made me stronger when I spoke to people 'full face', instead of from behind curtains of hair

A few years later and my hair fell out ! And the eyelashes of one eye. That was hilarious and scary -- having just one bald, Bette Davis eye -- not to mention at least half a dozen pale and hairless 'crop circles' dotted randomly all over my head (oddly enough, received two proposals of marriage during the crop-circle period)

Now, I'm trying to go white. Always admired white hair most of all. Not having much luck with it so far. Feel like slapping myself for being so superficial, lol

What I find strange is how woman after a certain age think they have to have short hair. There are so many older woman who don't look their age and have long hair and are lovely.

My husband has longer hair than I do. Sort of the rock star/ indian look.

Originally posted by Night Star
My husband has longer hair than I do.

What if your husband dyed his hair blue or green?
What would be your reaction?

reply to post by sphinx551


As you can see by the two egyptian avatars you don't need hair. Just bring back this egyptian style headress thingy what you ma callem? Anybody?
Not a turbin.

Great subject OP.

I think my hair has quite the history. Started off childhood as one of those "toe-heads" Almost an albino color, hehe. By 10 or so, it was darkening, and by 18 I think it was a dark brown color. A year later is when I noticed the first grey hair just right of the center of the front of my head. Fast forward to the present (13 years later) and that grey hair is a patch that is a little bigger than the size of a half-dollar coin. The rest of the hair is mostly dark, but the salt-and-pepper effect is going strong.

Been told by way too many women that I should dye the hair to mask it or whatever. But that will never happen. Have a great family history at least with my parents of going grey/white at a young age. Dad has white hair, and a long biker beard. Would have been a better Gandalf in LOTR in my opinion.

I don't really find a huge difference in attractiveness for men with hair vs bald. I've been attracted to both. It sounds cliche, but confidence is the key. (By confidence, I'm not talking macho-alpha showiness, there's a difference!)

post by sphinx551[/url]
As you can see by the two egyptian avatars you don't need hair. Just bring back this egyptian style headress thingy what you ma callem? Anybody?
Not a turbin.

Thank you for bringing this up, about head wear! Things worn on the head are another way to impress people. Think of a king's crown. Head wear can also determine social class, but that was mostly in the past.

I myself like beanies. Good for cold weather and windy days. It trains curls into your hair as well if your hair is the right length.

But yes I agree with you sphinx. Head wear is where it's at. Anyone have a unique piece of head wear that they like?

Everyone be aware that head wear also falls into the category of hair psychology. It's all about having something presentable on the top your head.