During this time, young people were rejecting the mainstream culture of their parents and seeking a new way of life based on peace, love, and freedom. The hippie hairstyle became a symbol of this movement, as long, natural hair represented a rejection of traditional, conservative beauty standards.
Long hair became such a symbol. It scared adults and challenged the very conformist authority that the youth was fighting from the beginning.
It was often associated with anti-war sentiments and the broader civil rights movement. Overall, long hair was a powerful symbol of identity and resistance during the 1960s, encapsulating the values and beliefs of the hippie movement.
Dating back to the '60s and '70s, when rock 'n' roll was the soundtrack to countercultural movements, long hair became a symbol of non-conformity. Think about it, during a time when the 'clean-cut' look was the norm, pushing back against societal expectations meant doing the exact opposite, growing your hair long.
A hippie male might have worn his hair long to show that he disapproved of conformity. The counterculture movement of the 1960s rejected mainstream norms and values, and long hair became a symbol of rebellion and nonconformity. It was a way for hippies to express their individuality and reject societal expectations.
First, there was fashion: Hippies wore exaggerated sideburns and long scraggly facial hair, and head hair mostly in opposition to our parents' generational emphasis on being well-groomed.
Around the 6th century, however, the Greek men shifted to shorter hairstyles, with the exception of the Spartans. Women in the culture kept the longer style, which for them showed freedom, health, and wealth, as well as good behavior. With men, long hair by this time was considered a sign of false pride.
In the '80s, big hair was not only a status symbol, but also allowed women to take up space, Rachael Gibson, who runs the account The Hair Historian, told the outlet. It was a statement and, especially for artists in the limelight, “filling the screen with your hair felt like quite a power move,” she added.
It is a common misconception that long hair makes you look older. In reality, the way your hair is styled and maintained has a bigger impact on your appearance. With proper grooming and styling, long hair can actually make you look younger.
It dates back at least to ancient Greeks and Romans, and according to archaeologist Elizabeth Bartman, even despite the Ancient Greek ideal of a “bearded, long-haired philosopher,” women in that society still had longer hair than men regularly did.
It has been theorised that the longer growth period of human head hair is due to this mutation in this gene. You would think that the hair would get in the way, but it could be that having to look after this long hair improved social bonding in our ancestors after body hair was lost and people lived in small groups.
Big hair became popular in the 1980s for men as well as for women. The term is also used in the glam rock, hair metal, goth and alternative cultures and is particularly associated with fashion of the 1980s, or inspired by the period.
Long hair, historically prevalent among women across cultures like ancient Egypt and Rome (Robins, 1999; Bartman, 2001), is emblematic of this tradition. As such, long and healthy hair has likely become an integral aspect of sexual scripts, serving as a symbol of femininity and attractiveness.
As a longstanding tradition, Choctaw people have worn their hair long for generations. The earliest European accounts from the Choctaw homeland (1540-1720) indicate that neighboring tribes called us Pashi Falaya, or the Long Hairs (Rangel 1993[1557]:296; Adair 1775:192).
Long Hair: Hippies often grew their hair long, eschewing short, traditional hairstyles. Natural Texture: Hair was often worn in loose waves or with natural curls and kinks. Accessories: Hippies frequently adorned their hair with flowers, beads, and headbands.
There are many outdated “rules” about how women should wear their hair once they reach 50 – and outdated they should remain. No you don't need to go for a short crop past a certain age, nor should you avoid growing your hair long – it really doesn't matter what age you are, great hair is all about self-expression.
Evolutionary Psychology and Long Hair
This attraction is believed to be rooted in the association between long hair and reproductive capability. Longer, healthier hair is seen as a sign of youth, vitality, and fertility, making it inherently appealing to the opposite sex.
No matter how thick of a head of hair you were born with, you will gradually lose its thickness as you age. Hair amount is at its peak at age 35, but at age 45, it will wane by 5 percent, and at age 50, 11 percent. The pattern of hair thinning is different for both sexes.
The 1980s were a time of excess and expression. With fashion serving as a bold statement of individuality and freedom, big, curly hair wasn't just a style; it was an attitude—a rebellion against the sleek, restrained looks of previous decades.
The decision about locks for a youthful appearance is more about style than length. As a result, whether or not you choose long or short hair, your hairstyle determines if you look older or younger with your hair.
From the sky-high bouffants of the 1960s to the pinned bang poufs of the 2000s, big hair has always been a trend that comes back around.
Luscious locks teaming with life have been a striking staple of longed after ladies for centuries. When men are asked to rank features they find most attractive on the opposite sex, maintained manes always dominate the list. The truth is that long hair triggers a primal, instinctive response within men.
In this section of Scripture, Paul uses four words in reference to hair: Covering (or covered)—long hair. Uncovered—short hair. Shorn—extremely short hair (in modern terms, a buzz cut).
As we have seen from the (very limited) written accounts and the few period artifacts we have to pull from, Viking hair styles varied from short hair to long braided hair, and sometimes included shaved on the side and possibly even bangs over their eyes.