Body Language of Hair Length Language
Cue: Hair Length Language
Synonym(s): Long Hair, Short Hair, Shaved Head.
Description: The hidden meaning associated with the relative length of the hair.
In One Sentence: The length of a person’s hair indicates underlying emotions and beliefs.
How To Use it: Use the length of the hair to signal to others your underlying emotions and beliefs. For example, long hair signals youthfulness and is therefore often useful to women whom are trying to portray an image that includes sexual appeal. In young girls, it is useful in signaling femininity generally and helps to separate them from young boys whom are generally restricted to shorter more masculine hair.
All women, but particularly older ones can use hair extensions to create the illusion of youth and sexuality. A high quality weave or hair extensions produces thickness and usually comes from youthful sources so gives the impression of good health.
Men can also use hair length to demonstrate various attitudes. Long hair signals a carefree and easy going attitude, generally, and in highly attractive dominant looking men, long hair, signals a feminine beauty. Men do best with shorter hair which has historically been the default for men since it presents less of a functional hindrance and commands less grooming overall.
Men should drop long hairstyles when they suffer from male pattern baldness and avoid come-overs as they are universally seen in a negative light. A clean shaven head in men can be particularly attractive to women as it is a demonstration of confidence.
Whatever hair style you choose, know that it will help define who you are.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: See Meaning and/or Motivation.
Variant: N/A
Cue In Action: a) She broke up with her long-term boyfriend and immediately cut off all her hair. She let her emotions dictate her hair length. She told the world that she was no longer in a dating mood and to prove that, she cut off her sexuality at the root. b) In his youth, he rocked it hard with long hair. It was just part of fitting into the band. As he got a job, a house and kids, his hair style evolved to be much shorter. He grew out of his carefree youth with more conventional hair length.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Men with short hair are often conservative whereas those with long hair are usually carefree, artistic, or radical. A shaved head can mean that he has succumb to male-pattern baldness and has chosen to shave it off or desires to appear tough and masculine.
Women with short hair are seen as artistic, business minded and sometimes harsh, hardheaded, emotional or radical. Long hair on women is associated with youth, sex appeal and good health, but aging women with extremely long hair can harbour insecurities or are trying to maintain their youthful appearance.
Short hair or a shaved head can also be an indicator disease such as cancer.
Cue Cluster: Hair length is only one cue to the hidden meaning of hair length. Be sure to couple this cue with adjoining cues in cluster to determine its true intent. A long-haired woman in her 20’s is probably using her hair to embellish her sex appeal, whereas another with short hair who is an activist is likely telling a story of strength over passivity.
Body Language Category: Amplifier, Courtship display, Elective nonverbal traits, Hostile body language.
Resources:
Fink, Bernhard ; Neuser, Frauke ; Deloux, Gwenelle ; Röder, Susanne ; Matts, Paul J.
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