Listen Up, Ladies: Long, Lush Locks Lure Lovers

Reuters ^ | June 27, 2003 | E. J. Mundell

[demlosers]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Halle Berry aside, most American men show an "overwhelming" preference for women sporting long, luscious hair compared to shorter cuts, researchers report.

Oh, and sorry, Madonna: men also seem to prefer brunettes over blondes, by a wide margin.

The findings are based on interviews with 50 men conducted by psychology researcher Dr. Kelley Kline, of Florida State University in Panama City, Florida. She and co-authors Dr. Colin Peeler and undergraduate student Kim Fazzone presented their findings earlier this month at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, in Atlanta.

Numerous studies have examined the sexual appeal of various female facial characteristics or body types, but Kline said no one had looked at "perceptions of attractiveness based on hair length" until now.

In their study, the Florida team had 76 women and 50 men averaging 27 years of age rate the attractiveness of women depicted in 6 different photos.

Three of the photos were actually of the same young Caucasian woman, her hair altered by computer to short, medium and long lengths.

"We had a short-hair condition where the hair was above the ears, cropped close to the head," Kline explained in an interview with Reuters Health. "We (also) had the hair in a medium style ... just a little bit below the ears, and then we had the long-hair condition where it was at least 8 inches or more past the shoulders."

Otherwise, the woman's face and expression were exactly the same in each of the three pictures.

According to Kline, both men and women "overwhelmingly find the long hair length significantly more attractive than the short and the medium hair length."

She said the biological imperative to find a healthy, fertile mate may explain the finding, at least in men. One popular psychological theory holds that while women are driven to find moneyed, 'resource-rich' men, men are primarily looking for reproductive fitness in their mates.

"Hair is going to be a signal of that, because a younger woman will usually have longer, thicker hair," Kline explained.

On the other hand, when Kline's group asked women about hair-length preferences for men, the vast majority chose short or very short cuts. Since long hair is so closely linked to femininity, Fabio-like locks might signal to women that a man is somehow less virile or capable than his buzz-cut brethren, Kline theorized.

And there was one more finding of interest.

"At least in our study, gentlemen do not prefer blondes. They prefer brunettes," Kline said. "Its kind of an interesting finding, considering that in our society we concentrate on the blonde -- it's so pervasive."

The Florida researchers hope to reproduce their findings in larger studies using photos of various women, including older women and women of different ethnicities.

[Age of Reason]

Who's that? (I'm serious--I don't have a TV.)

[Desdemona]

Why waste time washing and drying hairwhen you can use that time to further your career?

Who wants a career?

Sorry, there's no versatility with short hair. And it's way too much work. And, yes, from time to time I do sleep on it wet.

[Pukin Dog]

I realize that they are gone now, but again, food can cure that malady. According to Google, those puppies are the real thing. She even breast fed her child with them. As for you, I'm a short, bald ex-fighter jock. I expect no commitments. Just drop off the food and take the house. LOL!

[Senator Pardek]

So, should a feller swaller one penny a day, or two?

If you have a cold, take two since pennies are virtually all zinc.

[putupon]

that's uncalled for! barf

[Katya]

Are you a guy or a girl? I've never heard that short hair is easier. I grew my hair back out years ago....because I didn't have the time to maintain a shorter styled cut and style. I'm also very non-traditional.
My grandmothers generation and my father in laws generation are ripe with traditional women, in their 70's and 80's with short hair. Just go to any beauty shop that caters to them....they all have short hair.
Sorry, I don't think you can generalize this.

[The Grammarian]

That's one heck of an alliteration.

[SGCOS]

[savagesusie]

Ohhhyah, jellybean! Mel Gibson looks good in locks (Braveheart) semi-locks (The Patriot) and no locks (everything else.) He even looks good in the mullet of Lethal Weapon! (Sigh...) (Drooling on the keyboard, here...)

My thoughts exactly! In certain cases, hair length doesn't matter at all!

[Monkey Face]

Yessim! I'll watch Mel in ANYthing, and I could care less about his hair length! But give me a shot of his backside, and well...

[martin_fierro]

Hands off, you slob.

She's mine Mine MINE!!

<|:P~ <|:)~

[reg45]

So, should a feller swaller one penny a day, or two?

NO!

Most modern pennies have a zinc core which is very toxic when swollowed.

[AngrySpud]

My attention is always caught by dark-haired women with freckles ... 32 years later, looking at my wife still takes my breath away.

[tsmith130]

Funny, my husband has the same reaction to me...it's usually preceded by a right hook to the stomach. ;o)

Just kidding.....

[VermiciousKnid]

As one who was pursuaded to cut her locks a little shorter (currently working on growing it back), I can attest that short hair is way too much work. It actually has to be styled every day.

Long hair - brush it and put it up and it lasts all day.

You said it, Des. Long hair, while it does take longer to rinse after shampooing is MUCH easier to deal with. Towel dry it, comb it through & let it be. Short hair? Spend ½ hour blowdrying it, kill some ozone with hairspray, and go back to the salon every 3 weeks to have it reshaped.

I'll take the long hair every time.

Regards,

PS: This study is a no-brainer. I've never known a man who REALLY preferred short hair to long (on a woman).

[VermiciousKnid]

Monkey...

You might want to pick up a Mason-Pearson hairbrush. They are expensive, but BOY are they worth it for long hair.

The brushes are kind of hard to find in the normal marketplace, but a high-end beauty supply company might have them, and I know they have a website from which you can order directly.

I've had mine for more than 30 years, and it is still in great shape.

Regards,

[Wonder Warthog]

"I didn't know ANYone knew about boar bristles but me! ;-"

AHEM! "I" know from boar bristles--believe me. Any lady brunette warthog that wants to rub up against my bristles is welcome.

[Monkey Face]

I haven't had access to a boar bristle brush since I was 20 (no tellin'!) so I thank you for the info! I will definitely check it out. And, most likely, I'll succumb to the boar...I hope they have the brushes with wooden handles...:-)

[freedumb2003]

>>But stupid she's not.

I'm sure she's laughs her way to the bank.
<<

Hmmm.. I guess I was thinking shrewd was not part of stupid (look at her decisions about having kids, naming them, her lifestyle, etc.). I depsise everything about her, but I MUST give her credit for creating a celebrity from whole cloth. She's like a mega-Angelyne -- famous for being famous.

[VermiciousKnid]

Monkey,

Mason-Pearson does not have wooden-handled brushes. But it doesn't matter...they are without a doubt the finest boar bristle brushes around -- especially for long hair.

Here is their website:

http://masonpearson.com/

Regards,