To think most women keep hair long to be attractive to the opposite sex?

[Ilovegreentomatoes]

It's always been said men prefer long hair it looks more feminine etc.
I know many women hate having their hair short and are devastated if their hairdresser cuts of more than an inch.What is the obsession with long hair? I have fine hair and cut it short because long hair looks crap on me but I'm definitely in the minority. Even women who look better with short hair because of their hair texture insist on keeping it long. Do you think that's because we are subconsciously taught mainly by men that long hair is more attractive. Plus all teen girls have that uniform ultra long hair there is no diversity. And no I'm not jealous because I have short hair!(well very short bob to be fair.)

Rock it Bitch!!

With pride

Like Proudboomer I have had my hair every length in the course of my five decades. I have found a length I am happy with, a style that takes little or no maintenance (I don't even blow dry), and suits my face and hair texture.

Unlike Lilymossflower I grew up during decades when girls often sported short hair, and in fact very long hair was sometimes seen as a bit odd.

It must be great to love long hair and keep it that way because it means the mane is in very good condition. Strong also, as bands and ties to keep it in an up-do can put strain on the roots, from what I remember. Mine dries out and goes flat on top after a certain length. A layered shoulder-length cut is nice, but layering doesn't always look good on wavy hair like mine - it won't be even. A blunt cut bob gives lots of body. Under cutting? That must mean cutting the underneath ledge so the hair pushes outwards and looks nice and full. I guess that short cuts, full on top, can emphasize the eyes.

I have shoulder length hair. I absolutely love it and couldn't care less what men think (except maybe my own husband occasionally). I have learned long ago that when I go to the hairdressers looking for a Sharon Stone or Meg Ryan cut, I ALWAYS come out with New York Butch Lesbian. Even the guy in passport control once told me it wasn't a good look compared to what I actually look like! :D

I always assumed longer hair would be more time consuming for washing/blowdry/brushing?

Have you ever heard of curly hair? Or the Curly Girl Method?

[quote Ilovegreentomatoes]@heartsonacake bit of a sweeping statement dont you think?[/quote]

How is Heart's comment any more of a sweeping statement than your OP?

Quite frankly OP it sounds like you are just after validation for your choice of hair cut.

Who fucking cares what hair you have and why or anyone else.

Sounds like this would be better placed in feminism.

And you sound the kind of person I'd avoid like the plague with your strong opinion on something that's nothing to do with you.

Go away and continue to be generally baffled 😂

I’ll come right out and admit it. I keep it long because DH loves it long. And he wears his hair the way I like it. One of my friends told me once “I’ll be damned if I’ll let a man tell me how to wear my hair” but I told her, truthfully, that when I do things to make DH happy, and he does things to make me happy (which he does non-stop!) somehow we both end up happy. And since I really am not that attached to a hair style, it doesn’t matter to me much anyway. And, nobody in real life knows that when we got back together, after 24 yrs apart, he had a ponytail that was actually a MULLET and I begged him to cut his hair in a normal cut. Believe me, I happier with my side of the bargain,!

I have long hair because if I cut it short I'd look like my mum. Not all of us aspire to be under the male gaze FFS

Well I'm currently sporting the longest hair that I've had as an adult... bra strap length. I'm 52 (so too old for long hair?!) It was shoulder length and overdue a cut at lockdown...

I'm keeping it, grey and all... so much easier to bung in a plait for work! I also like the feel of my hair swishing around.. it's thick and wavy and every time I have it cut short I look like my dad in a dress!

Most of the time my haircuts depend on how much wine I’ve had!

Not at all in my case

I like my hair long . It is long for me, because I like it Couldn't care if anyone else does or not.

I have long hair and I don’t keep it long for the interest of men. I can style it in more variety of ways and I love having longer hair, shorter hair just doesn’t suit me at all.

I'd rather die than rock the 'complain to the manager' haircut tbh.

Quite different to a lot in this thread. I have OK bone structure, not amazing, and a masculine jawline, but I look better in very short hair. I have it shaved at the moment and have had no longer than a pixie for decade. It used to be down to my waist, was thick and wavy (too thick to handle or do anything attractive with, it always looked like shit). I am slim and long hair around my face makes me look fat, throws shadows on my skin (highlighting my acne and age lines) and generally pulls my whole face down. If I wear a wig I instantly look like a guy in drag (not in a good way)! It just looks better off my face, I'm like a swamp goblin otherwise. So I've never understood the 'hiding behind long hair' thing because it makes me look worse!

but why do lesbians with short hair get called the butch one?

Because some honestly do look butch (not an insult as I get the impression they don't care about confirming to 'feminine ideals').

I think long hair is definitely more popular going by this thread.

I just don't suit short hair. If I did, it would be short - less time faffing about. But I want to feel confident. Maybe that makes me more attractive to the opposite sex. Maybe not. I don't think I care. I also like my head to be warm!

Except for taking longer to wash and dry, I find long hair easier and less time-consuming than short.

If you have a "style", you "have" to go have it cut regularly to keep it looking decent (unless it's something you can do yourself, which I can't). That's expensive, compared to my longer hair that only needs trimming rarely.

I also find that shorter cuts often require more daily styling and product to look nice, whereas longer hair can (sometimes) look at least passable with minimal fuss.

Unless it's very short (and kept that way), it falls into my face, which I hate. I like my hair long enough to keep tied back.

My husband has stayed with me through haircuts long and short; it's definitely mostly for my own convenience that I keep it long. (I do suspect that most men are more likely to find longer hair more attractive than very, very short hair, but that's only one factor out of many.)

I'm a man and I definitely prefer long hair. Its not not that short hair can't look good, its just that longer hair always seems more feminine.

I don't think its any objective beauty, more that having long hair is a lot of work, so it is only indulged by those who care most about their appearance. The same of course goes for almost all beauty treatments of either sex, such as tans, muscles, cuts, dyes etc. There's a psychological term for this but I cant remember it, something to do with a show that can only achieved with significant personal sacrifice, making it scarce, and therefore valuable. Can be a Ferrari, an obsessional beauty regime or anything else.

As a perhaps more direct response to your question OP, I was watching songs of praise this morning. 99% of the women had short, grey hair. Good for them, but the default for women who are less interested in their looks will never be particularly attractive in my opinion.

Put a skin fade and some tram lines in and you're alternative, that's a different beast, but low maintenance will never be particularly attractive in either sex.

I look much better with long hair (but I get a few layers chopped into it every now and again to make it a bit more interesting!)

I prefer men with long hair too, luckily so does my husband!

Forgot to add, we're both in our forties and have no plans to go shorter any time soon.

I have loved long hair since being a child. Had fights with my mother around age 5 when she wanted me to have a “wedge” and horribly so when I hit puberty and greasy hair started. I have always, except one miserable time the hairdresser cut it short, always had long hair. Nothing to do with opposite decisions. My hair feels part of me

Did you not read any of the thread, @JoachimH? One of the commonest responses was that people wore their hair long because it was less work , and required less maintenance and fewer hairdresser appointments than short hair that needed frequent cutting. The vast majority on here aren’t ‘making a significant personal sacrifice’ for the sake of the male gaze.