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View Full Version : Straight vs Curly - a study (video)



DrkAngel
September 26th, 2009, 07:56 PM
This video is more than a year old so I wouldn't be surprised if someone already posted it. But for the people like me who had never seen it, here it goes. I found it quite interesting. Watch it first before reading my comments and let me know what you think.

http://jezebel.com/5036149/gma-investigates--could-straightening-your-hair-change-your-life?autoplay=true

First off, let me say that is test was far from scientific. The interviews could have been VERY different, even if she says she said the exact same things (body language does change) and the panel interviewing her were different people with different values and possibly even appreciating different things in their candidates. Also, and very importantly, I could tell her curly hair in the picture was sort of crazy, it didn't really have a style, while her straight pic was trendy and well groomed.

That said, I think there is a huge possibility that in social relationships, curly hair is perceived as wild and unmanageable (therefore the guys rating her lower...) and in the corporate world it might - sadly - be considered unprofessional by some, but others might also link it to independent women with strong characters. Interestingly enough the guy that rated her a 3 admitted to finding the girl in the straight hair picture "more approachable". Scared of curlies? haha... interesting.

Quixii
September 26th, 2009, 09:28 PM
Huh. Talking with my little sister about it, we decided it was more that her straight hair looked like she had spent some time on it, while her curly hair looked like she had just gotten out of bed. She didn't seem to try to make it look good. It looked kinda frizzy. If she had taken care to have better defined curls, I think she would have had different results.
Definitely far from scientific, though.

Flynn
September 26th, 2009, 09:38 PM
Hmm, let me think... straight-outta-bed hair versus salon-perfect, ready-for-a-photoshoot hair? I wonder which one is going to look more polished...

You may as well compare natural fair skin with a done-at-home orange fake tan and conclude that guys like fair skin better.

Ugh.

girlcat36
September 26th, 2009, 09:57 PM
As a frizzy/curly, I seriously don't know what I'd do if I needed to make myself 'presentable' for a corporate job. I've always held jobs where my hair usually had to be put up and contained.

But don't get me wrong---I think my curly hair is presentable, but I've had enough people say things that I know some people consider it just unkempt.

My DD is a business major in her final year of college, and making her hair 'presentable' and professional is a source of constant angst.
The students have a strict professional dress code even though they are still in school, and she gets her hair straightened to go along with the 'look'. She is so worried about the possibilty of not getting a job in a tight job market because her hair does not look totally polished.

It's too bad.

redcelticcurls
September 27th, 2009, 02:34 AM
How timely.

I am wearing my hair straight right now, and the uptick in positive reinforcement from men has been astounding and annoying. Now that my hair is straight, I am suddenly hot? WTF?

I could perhaps see the difference in length, going from BSL to hip, being a factor. But, still, it does leave me with the impression that my natural curly hair is just not as attractive as my hair blown out straight.

girlcat36
September 27th, 2009, 06:04 AM
I'm sorry, RCC, but I don't see how the blown out hair in your avatar could possibly be hotter than those curls in your siggy! :nono:

Elphie
September 27th, 2009, 06:35 AM
I agree, don't get me wrong, your straightened hair looks lovely in your avatar but your curls are stunning, rcc.

Lemur_Catta
September 27th, 2009, 06:52 AM
Once I read about a study a woman had made. She had published her profile in a dating site, with a picture of her with straight hair. Some weeks later, she deleted that profile and published another one, with a picture of her with curly hair (I can't remember if her natural hair was straight or curly). The profile with the picture with straight hair had received many more comments and contacts than the other one. So we should think that man (and women, too) prefer straight hair. I think this is because straight hair is easier to style, while curly hair requires a lot of attention. A lot of fashionable styles (pixies, bobs etc) look good only on straight hair, and terrible if the hair is wavy or curly.
So when a woman choose one of these styles, she has no choice but straightening her hair every day, if she wants to keep the look of that style.

Lamb
September 27th, 2009, 07:00 AM
I'm not sure I can believe the findings of these "studies." Perhaps it's just that where I live, prejudice against hair types is rare, if not nonexistent. I never encountered it.
Now, about dating. My hair is one of the very few things on me that men comment upon - next to my accent (:rolleyes:), it is the most noticeable thing about my appearance, short or longer. I never had the impression it was a "turn-off."

So I can only offer a theoretical conjecture as to why some women attract more male attention with their hair straight(ened). Curly hair does look extraordinary, eye-catching, unusual, ornamentative, even when frizzy it is not the same as tangly straight hair. I can see why some men would consider the wearer of curls a notch less attainable, a notch more difficult than the wearer of straight hair. It is unfamiliar - therefore, especially in the already risky world of online dating, it seems more of a risk.
(BTW, online dating sites are hardly suitable scenes for such experiments, precisely because of their very special, particular atmosphere. A totally different ground than the real world, IMO.)

mwedzi
September 27th, 2009, 07:14 AM
Welp, guess I'm in trouble! (are we not allowed to type "lol" here?)

I loved the interviewer's curly hair. It looked great to me. I may be biased though.

Even though the study wasn't to strict scientific standards, I think the results would be true in a more tightly controlled setting. It is clear that straight hair is seen as more polished and glamorous. I hear it all the time. Look at how people do their hair when they go to a formal event. Look at hair commercials. Curly hair may be "cute", but there is definitely an idea that it is "wild" and lacks sophistication. I don't think it has to do with number of styles. There are few hair types that can do and hold a style better than my uber curly hair. Rather, it's just that those hair styles, in the wider culture, are not seen as beautiful.

At the same time, there has long been an idea that women who are very into their looks are more frivolous and less intelligent. So again, it's not surprising that if people think curly hair means you care less about how you look, they'll think you are more "serious" in some ways.

Of course, hair on my level of curly has special society issues living where I do (the U.S.). If she's in trouble and out of control for her curly hair, what am I?!

darkwaves
September 27th, 2009, 07:28 AM
25 out of 50 for curly, vs 31 out of 50 for straight? And most of the curly loss in points was because one of the male panelists had a bias against curly hair?

I'm at a loss to know what this "study" is saying... That six point difference is negligible, given that most of the panelists rated her about the same, either way.

However, I think there likely is something about sleek straight hair that is very attractive -- the silkiness and way it moves. Curly hair clumps and you can't artfully slide your fingers through it, while straight hair can do that hair-dye-commercial slow motion flow.

EllisGurl
September 27th, 2009, 07:41 AM
I agree with Quixii and Flynn. In this instance, the reporter's hair, when curly, looked like she had done nothing to/for it. It also looked like it was in need of a DT and some TLC.

If she had taken the time to make her curls look cared for, she might have gotten a different reaction.

Heidi_234
September 27th, 2009, 08:05 AM
Hardly a study, hardly objective, hardly enough people participated, and she hardly did anything to her hair when it was curly. It did look like she just rolled out of bed. At least she didn't look much more attractive either way she wore her hair, but the other factor outweigh it by much.

But I do feel prettier when my hair's blown out straight. :shrug:

Buddaphlyy
September 27th, 2009, 09:08 AM
I didn't read/look at the study because I didn't have to. I know the bias exists and have experienced it first hand. As other curlies in the thread have mentioned, I notice a drastic difference in people's responses to me (be they from potential employers, family members, or men) when my hair is straightened versus coily/curly.

ericthegreat
September 27th, 2009, 11:02 AM
How timely.

I am wearing my hair straight right now, and the uptick in positive reinforcement from men has been astounding and annoying. Now that my hair is straight, I am suddenly hot? WTF?

I could perhaps see the difference in length, going from BSL to hip, being a factor. But, still, it does leave me with the impression that my natural curly hair is just not as attractive as my hair blown out straight.

Redceltic, I know have already given you a buttload of compliments lately, but I feel I need to give you at least one more.

You simply have gorgeous hair. Period. Whether you have it natural in its 3b state, or blown out and flat ironed straight your hair is simply stunning, and of course I can't say this enough I love how vibrant your red is, your choice of color is simply wonderful.


Now back to the topic at hand, being that I naturally have pin straight hair I actually wish I could trade with many of you curlies here! I've always dreamed of having natural, big spiral curls. You guys have so much versatility with your curls. You can wear it naturally curly, or have it blown out straight, or have it styled in a multitude of updos and with your natural texture it will hold much better than my sleek, silky and slippery pin straight hair ever could.

It is a shame that there is discrimination even down to the texture of one's hair. Its bad enough there is discrimination against skin color, religion, politics, gender, and sexual orientation. I agree with many of the previous posters, curls that are styled and well managed can look just as beautiful as sleek, pin straight hair. But, since this world appearently favors straight over curly, I can see why a natural curly would simply not be educated in how to take care of his or her curls properly and make them look good. Its much easier to just use a blow dryer and flat iron to straighten them out, so they can look more "attractive and professional".

redcelticcurls
September 27th, 2009, 11:41 AM
As those who are curlier than I am have mentioned, there are other elements at play in the US in the whole curly vs straight thing that delve into race and beauty standards, and that does seem to seep into things.

Eric, thank you so much! :) I do like the ability to go straight sometimes, but I only do it a few times a year (not in summer). I love my curls, finally, but it is fun to see it straight. My hair straight doesn't move and act as nicely as natural straight hair. I love it, but I can see that it's not "real." I'm not sure why that's a bit of a thing with me since I'm quite fond of the unreal color. :) Also, that V cut I love on my curls looks quite wispy-at-the-ends straight!

Thank you Girlcat and Elphie! Interestingly, women, no matter their sexual orientation seem to prefer it curly. They enjoy the look of something different, but most of them prefer the curls on me even if they straighten or relax their own hair. I get a few who tell me that I should relax to so I can "control" it, but women react more positively than men do to the curls., at least where I live.

As for men, those who do mention why they prefer straighter hair mention being able to touch it. Curly hair is seen to them as untouchable. You can run your hands more easily though straighter hair. It seems that tactility plays a big role in hair type preference for some men.

Even longhair f****h sites cater to this trend. How many 3s and 4s do you see on these types of sites?

I do understand why someone may want to go straighter for certain careers. When my hair was short in the first couple of years of my military career, I often got a comment on my evaluations about my "flyaway" of "big" hair. Granted, I didn't know how to properly care for my curls at that point, but it still sucked to get a bad grade for something that I felt I had no control over. I was so happy when it grew out long enough to bun it. I retire next week, and I joke about the temptation to go chin length just because I *can* do it now. I won't cut it now though because I'm happy with the current length.

Goodness, I could rant forever about this. It's one of those toppics that gets me fired up I suppose.

BeatlesFanGirl
September 27th, 2009, 11:49 AM
I'm at a loss to know what this "study" is saying...



Dont be, Darkwaves! Your curls are just beautiful!! :)

Curly hair IS beautiful. Straight hair IS beautiful. We are ALL beautiful. :)

redcelticcurls
September 27th, 2009, 11:57 AM
Dont be, Darkwaves! Your curls are just beautiful!! :)

Curly hair IS beautiful. Straight hair IS beautiful. We are ALL beautiful. :)

Good point. :)

Heidi_234
September 27th, 2009, 12:21 PM
Even longhair f****h sites cater to this trend. How many 3s and 4s do you see on these types of sites?

How many classic length+ 3s and 4s did you happen to see out there? :wink:

redcelticcurls
September 27th, 2009, 12:27 PM
How many classic length+ 3s and 4s did you happen to see out there? :wink:

They are out there though. We see them here. Although there are fewer classic 3s ad 4s than classic 1s and 2s, I still think part of it is aesthetic preference. The combing, stroking, ad laying out of hair that is often seen in those types of vids isn't something you'd see done on many 3s and 4s heads.

Heidi_234
September 27th, 2009, 12:36 PM
They are out there though. We see them here. Although there are fewer classic 3s ad 4s than classic 1s and 2s, I still think part of it is aesthetic preference. The combing, stroking, ad laying out of hair that is often seen in those types of vids isn't something you'd see done on many 3s and 4s heads.
That's a good point. I just thought that there where so few classic+ 3s and 4s, even less of these who also will agree to shoot that kind of stuff, and probably even less of these who we also know of, kind of impossible...

Aries_jb
September 27th, 2009, 12:59 PM
I don't have much to say about the video, but I love curly hair...on men, women, children, who cares? It's just beautiful to me. There's a character to it that you just don't find with straight hair (no offense meant to straighties). A simple bun can look so gorgeous just because the hair is curly.

I'm not saying I've never run into people who thought my hair would look better straight, but I get a lot of positive feedback about my curls and I would never trade them. I think it suits my personality and my personal style. My curls, even if I wear them in a bun, are a big part of my persona. That's how people identify me (the girl with the dark curls).

Tornerose
September 27th, 2009, 04:57 PM
That video is just weird... Why didn't they style her curly hair? It didn't even look combed, like some of the other models curly hair did.

GlassEyes
September 27th, 2009, 05:43 PM
That video is just weird... Why didn't they style her curly hair? It didn't even look combed, like some of the other models curly hair did.
XD

Uh, honestly, if they were properly styling her hair, combing would be the last thing they'd do, unless it was wet. Combing curls= bad.

Flynn
September 27th, 2009, 06:06 PM
XD

Uh, honestly, if they were properly styling her hair, combing would be the last thing they'd do, unless it was wet. Combing curls= bad.

You know what Tornerose means, smarty-pants. >_o

Brat
September 27th, 2009, 06:43 PM
I think her curly hair looked very nice. Course, the video was a little grainy, but in the interview, it looked very good. I am a curly, and I know that sometimes it takes work to get curls to look good. Hers looked to me like she spent some time on it, perhaps even adding products and diffuser-drying. Which is a lot of work. Her straight hair looked quite boring compared to the curly.

I love my hair straight, but I don't like to take the time to do it. I love how silky it feels and how I can run my fingers through it without breaking up curls or finding a tangle. But when it's curly and the curls are fresh, nothing can beat the sight of a curl lying on my shirt. I don't have a straight bias at all, I love my hair both ways.

When I first discovered the flat iron, I was working at this dealership. I had been there a couple of years, so of course everyone got used to my curls. Then, I began to flat iron. EVERY single person thought I looked better straight. Then, I moved to another dealership, still flat ironing. When I stopped, every single person that said something liked the curls better. In my case, just a change was exciting enough for people. Not sure if that means anything in the grand scheme of things, but just thought I'd add my little story!

rhubarbarin
September 27th, 2009, 06:50 PM
I take this particular example with a grain of salt, but I do think a lot of people in America at this time strongly prefer straight hair. Maybe even a majority. People tell me to straighten mine all the time and make rude remarks. Of course I also get many compliments, and I know many people (including men) that strongly prefer curls.

In the late 90s/early 2000s 60s-style super-straight ironed hair was everywhere. Now I see more and more curls and waves with each year.. it's nice.

There was a 180 turnaround (for white women) at some point, maybe the 50s/60s. Before that, voluminous, curly and wavy hair was idealized (although I don't think there has ever been widespread acceptance of kinky and more tightly-curled hair, due to racism/classism) - I know because it was a major source of anguish for my grandmother who will be 87 this year. She had totally pin-straight hair that her mother refused to curl for her, and she was actually teased in school and told by men that it was ugly! She was so traumatized by it all that she has been curling her hair daily for nearly 70 years now.

alligatorbaby23
September 27th, 2009, 09:57 PM
Rhubarbarin, yes, you hit the nail on the head. My granny was the exact same way! She was so envious of my mother (her daughter in law) and I because she would get a perm and it would fall out within the first 2 weeks. Ericthegreat also commented similarly I believe.

I think most of us here, at LHC have come to enjoy our natural hair state, whether it be curly, whirly, kinky, wavy, straight, thick, thin, etc.. Colors, on the other hand.... Well, I myself have blue highlights.

I am currently in the process of procuring my mother's flat iron. Hey, we all like a little change once in a while! And I want to see how long/even my hair is when straight. Once or twice a year that is.

At any rate, there are some people, including Eric whos straight hair I would love to have, at least for a day. But I wouldn't give up my curls for anything. I do recall this video being posted previously. I didn't watch it then and I won't watch it now. The comments here are revealing enough.

With all that said, I really don't care what anyone finds attractive about me, as long as my family/partner/friends (and myself) love me for who I am, curly and everything else that is me.

Girlcat, I can understand your daughter's struggle. The corporate world is a whole other beast. I too am a senior in business- therefore I intend to keep my hair neat and frizz free. Neat doesn't mean straight to me and I really haven't had any issues YET. (fingers crossed!)

JamieLeigh
September 30th, 2009, 10:10 AM
Unfortunately there's not a clear line between stick-straight and super-curly. There's a LOT of differing levels of wave in between, and I think the majority of human hair falls in there. It's just simply not possible for everyone to wake up and love their hair without it being brushed or combed. Some of us have S-waves that tend to look very tangly and messy if we don't at least finger-comb to calm it down. There's no ONE happy solution for everyone.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - hair is such a trial-and-error thing. You have to sometimes search a long time before you find what works well for you.

And I don't agree that straight hair makes one look more put-together - I've seen some curls that looked very unnatural and like they took a long time to set...only to find out that they're naturally that way, and all she did was fluff them up after she got out of bed. It's all a matter of perception, and everyone perceives differently. :flower:

DrkAngel
October 1st, 2009, 07:33 PM
thank you all for your thoughts! it was interesting to read. It might be absolutely true that there is a social aesthetic preference for straight hair as being more professional (which I strongly oppose to) as well as wide-spread ideas associated with each type of hair. Just like with everything. Who knows, maybe one day society might become more open. In the meantime, I couldn't care less about all this prejudices.

30isthenewblack
October 24th, 2009, 04:38 AM
I never bothered to watch the video. It's not really news to me that most people prefer straight hair. I've been discriminated against so many times in job interviews and jobs because of my hair when I worked in public relations. I was lucky to be able to make the transition to copywriting where my writing ability was far more important than my image. I never wanted to stay in an industry where looks outweighed talent. As for relationships, I have no doubt most men prefer straight hair. I find this very hypocritical because men claim they prefer women who are low maintenance but they would look at a woman with straight hair who spends a lot of time and money to look like that and think that I've spent hours doing my hair when in fact, I've just washed it, put a bit of wax in it and walked out the door. I've never straightened my hair and my curls epitomise the person that I am. I have never cared about what others thought about me or my hair.

plainjanegirl
October 24th, 2009, 09:54 AM
I didn't watch the video.
But I do know that I envy curls and think curly hairs look amazing.
My younger sis was blessed with naturally curly hair, right now it is shoulder length but it looks like the kind of curls you'd walk out of a salon with after paying good money for.
Now me I got the mostly straight hair....blah....lol.

gibsongirl71
October 24th, 2009, 05:24 PM
Sadly I have always gotten more compliments on my hair when it is straight. I don't bother to straighten it anymore since it has grown. There is a bias and I think a lot of it has to do with the fashion images we see every day.
I have decided to go in the opposite direction and break out my ionic hot rollers and make my hair really curly and big! I do this for special occasions so as to not abuse my hair too much.

Back in the 90's when the "Rachel" hairstyle became popular, that was a terrible time for wavy/curlies. Everyone wanted to cut my hair in a similar style and blow it out straight. I hated it! I also live in a wet humid climate. Making my hair straight never lasts long anyways before it starts to wave and frizz.

starshinedarkly
October 24th, 2009, 06:03 PM
I never get these things...Maybe its where I live but people here love curly hair. Most people straighten their hair because its easier and curl it for special occasions and they do all these things to try and make the curl stay. And I get soo many more compliments with my curly hair as opposed to my straight hair where people were just like "Uh...Your hair's really straight today. How come?"

There's no stigma attached to having curly hair and lots of people wear their hair naturally. I don't know a single black person who relaxes their hair either, maybe because I live in extremely diverse place? I'd actually be a bit scared to go to America with my hair natural after all the anti-curly comments I've heard from people there.

And I think she looked quite pretty with her hair curly rather than straight where imho she just looked blah and completely unremarkable.

But maybe I'm a bit biased. :D

Pear Martini
December 14th, 2009, 11:03 PM
Ooopsie daisies

Pear Martini
December 14th, 2009, 11:06 PM
Wow. This video does not surprise me at all. My hair is wavy when uncombed but goes wavy-straight if I comb it while damp.

All I know is all of my BFs I have had liked my hair straight more because they could "run my fingers own your hair" or some other rubbish.

I also know when I go to job interviews, my wavy hair looks messy. I will try to make it look as sleek as possible.

I honestly think most Americans subconciously prefer straight hair because of the media and because of deep rooted racisim that is perpetuated by the main stream media.

There is an interesting documentary on this subject somewhere on the web. :o

I am not implying that most Americans are racist. I hope this makes sense.

Hopefully I don't get flamed for my oppinion :o

curlylocks85
December 28th, 2009, 04:40 PM
I have had the opposite reaction when I was flat ironing my hair I got zero comments. When I decided to go with my natural curls, I received many comments. I still do.

I found it interesting that when she played with her hair when it was straight at the interview it was not a distraction. Then when she played with it when it was curly, it was a HUGE distraction.

DarkBotticelli
December 28th, 2009, 05:54 PM
Got to chime in on this one myself since I went through many years of straightening and then after living somewhere humid where straightening literally did not work got used to my curls. I think a lot of us curlies are aware of a certain stigma attached to our natural texture and because of that we lose confidence when our hair is curly, which is part of the reason for bad reactions from people. Maybe it's not the hair itself but the way we let it wear us instead of being confident no matter how our hair is. I love natural hair on everyone, especially black women because to me it conveys a sense of inner strength and confidence which are much more beautiful than anything external. I wouldn't worry too much about beauty standards as I am sure they will change again in a few years and curly hair will be back in style. I think people got tired of the 80's big hair days and started going super sleek to be different, but now that 80's fashion is coming back in style perhaps hair will as well.

Just remember what's looked at as professional/stylish/whatever is totally dependent on the era and culture in which we live and it WILL change whether we like it or not. Perhaps we will just have to be the ones at the head of curly fashion and start the trend ourselves :D I know I get compliments on my general appearance with straight hair, but I get hair specific compliments on my curls. Either way is beautiful as long as you are true to yourself. Embrace that untameable part of yourself curlies and be free. hahaha.

bumblebums
December 28th, 2009, 06:46 PM
I'm so glad this thread has been revived, because it is fascinating!

First things first--if you are going for a job interview, you should look polished and well-groomed. If you look decent with your hair up, that's the best thing to do. It makes younger women look slightly older and more competent. It removes distractions from the interview situation, both for you and for the interviewer. You do NOT want to be remembered for your hair, either in a good way or in a bad way--you want to be remembered for your brilliance and competence.

Second, you guys collectively bring more insight to this issue than most social scientists and evolutionary psychologists could. It's true that fashion has to be a factor (straight or loosely wavy hair is in, curly for the most part out right now). Length is also a factor--curly hair looks shorter than straightened hair, and longer hair can make you more girly (good for dating, bad for job hunt). If someone was to do this study properly, they would have to pay attention to all of those things. For cryin' out loud, they didn't even tell us if curly models got rated lower than straight-haired models in the dating experiment. It would have been an easy number to come up with.

klcqtee
December 28th, 2009, 07:36 PM
People tell me to straighten mine all the time and make rude remarks. Of course I also get many compliments, and I know many people (including men) that strongly prefer curls.


People tell you two straighten your 2c hair?! But, your hair has the perfect amount of wave to give it a little bit of body, and not just lay there flat and slicked down.

Ugh.

I have noticed a huge difference between when I straighten my hair and leave it wurly. Straight, I get lots of compliments and looks, mostly from younger guys. Wurly I get compliments from ladies more often than men, and the men that do mention anything or look tend to be in there late 20s or 30s (which is waaaay too old for me!). If I happen to put my hair in pin curls :rolleyes: It's as if I don't even exist to any male under 40! Occaisionally women with straight hair will compliment mean with envy, or ladies with frizzy curls (generally poorly taken care of) will make nice comments, but the only men who notice me tend to be well into their 60s, haha.

I think this also has to do with what these people grew up with. In recent years, straight hair has been the big thing. All commercials and tv shows tend to have straight hair from the late 80s on up. (Hence the straight hair appealing to younger men.) In contrast, throughout the 40s-60s curly hair was quite popular. (Note the appeal to older men.)

Women though, appear to just appreciate healthy hair that is well taken care of, and suits the person in colour and style.

ETA: I was thinking about the repeated comments that straight hair is "more touchable". I somewhat agree. Many women, in order to get nice, pretty curls (the kind you'd want to run your hands through!) need to take a heated curling iron to their hair. Then apply mouse/gel/hairspray. These can make hair very crunchy or just have a weird texture in general. No one wants someone fondling their hair if they know it isn't soft and touchable. Another thing is that curly hair can go "poof" when played with too much (think about brushing out dry curly hair!). There could be a generally understood idea that you shouldn't touch curly hair because of these reasons.

Of course, that's not to say that you can't get beautiful curls without product and heat styling, as many of the lovely LHCers show us!

TheEndlessOcean
December 28th, 2009, 08:09 PM
Well, I'm probably different than most guys, after visiting this site so much and being a longhair myself, but personally I like all hairtypes equally as long as they're healthy and well-taken care of. The only things I don't like to see are totally fried hair and obviously bleached hair.

GlassEyes
December 28th, 2009, 08:19 PM
I think it has more to do with how the pictures looked than anything else--she looked completely off in her curly haired picture. :rolleyes: Then the other one had a coy smile-thing going on. Oy.

Far from scientific.

SunshineHair
December 28th, 2009, 08:39 PM
If this is already said I am sorry....I didnt read any of the posts.

I wanted to tell the curly people here who might be offended or feel less than confident that I think your hairs are beautiful! I found the people in that clip to be unprofessional, to be focused on her hair rather than her answers really disappointed me.

Yes, people should keep themselves groomed and clean! But be who you are! Forget if somebody thinks you should look a certain way....I think curly hair is truly amazing, I myself cant pull it off but thats ok as my hair comes in straight. Enjoy your beauty! And remembert that it is your inner self that truly speaks who you are :)

MotherConfessor
December 28th, 2009, 11:47 PM
For the record, in the test where she was judged by a "man panel" she was wearing different clothing and jewelry, she had a different facial expression, and was positioned to the camera differently. While they probably did this to fool the men, it really confuses the issue since all those aspects have a huge impact on first impressions. Also, her curls looked unkept in that photo, unlike the interview, where they looked more (although still not entirely) well cared for. It looked, to me, like she had used a massive amount of gel and fluffed her hair incessantly.

Of course it must be said that I am a curly and I want to make the article seem silly. It makes all those stupid insecurities I had as a teenager come flying back...

teela1978
December 29th, 2009, 12:22 AM
I was initially thinking in the 'man test' scene that they were going to do all the models curly and straight... and with more than one group of men...

I did like her insight about the interview, about her doing better curly because she was more comfortable with her natural hair. I also agree with several others that the curly version should've been professionally styled as well. Doesn't really seem like a fair comparison (and her curls looked really odd to me... maybe its just being used to the well-cared for curls here?)

The man test was rather opposite to what I've experienced with a couple of my friends. My buddy with the long curly red hair (2c, gorgeous ringlets) had quite a few more men coming on to her than I and my other straighter-haired companions.

wavestogrow
December 29th, 2009, 12:46 AM
Well, just seeing the title of the thread, I knew which was going to win out if it was a popularity contest. I actually disagree with other people on this thread, I think her curly hair looked styled and beautiful. I mean if that hair looked frizzy than I hate to imagine what most people think of my hair on a typical day. I bet they styled it at the salon. When I go to the salon and I ask them to style it curly they style my hair much more volumious/poofed up like that than I would normally style my own hair. It didn't look frizzy to me. I think that for guys who really do prefer curly hair (which I have found to be few and far between), such as my husband, that the curly pic still would be more appealing despite the differences in clothing and jewelry. Of course, asking my husband for his opinion is also far from scientific evidence.

I have a few people in my life who love my hair curly, and who actually give me a hard time when I straighten it. However, for the most part when I straighten my hair I get overflowed with compliments and I do get a lot more attention from men like rcc said as well. Also, it is weird but I swear people treat me differently depending on whether my hair is curly/straight.

I don't see the point of the video besides to add society pressure to straighten curly hair, which I already receive. I think that in general the kind of man who would be biased against me because of my hair is not the kind of guy I would like to date. However, in the working world it is a different story. I mean who wants to risk not getting a job because of your hair? I think curly updos can look elegant or professional depending on how you style it. So for a business interview I would probably wear my hair in a sleek updo like a french twist. Luckily, I do not work in the business world because being pressured to "tame" or hide my curly hair would drive me to insanity. :rolleyes: Sorry for the long post this is a :soapbox: of mine.

WyrdWay
December 29th, 2009, 03:41 AM
When I occasionally flat iron my hair maybe once every couple of months and wear it down to work I get the "Suddenly hot" thing too, with people doing double takes and the like. I enjoy the attention but with every smile or look in the back of my head I'm wondering why they don't see me when my hair is curly out or even when my curls are stretched and bunned? I know that I have never worn my hair naturally curly to an interview for a job, and usually won't wear it like that until after I've gotten my foot in the door, and shown how invaluable I am, just in case I need to negate any negativism. But that goes for my wild hair colors and the way I dress too. I tend to dress some where in between goth, punk, and steampunk. People seem to be just as prejudice about those things too.

Vic
December 29th, 2009, 04:37 AM
people who make stupid comments about (curly) hair often have terrible hair themselves.
as far as I can remember there have been 2 women who said my hair was ugly compared to a much larger amount of people who said to like my hair.
This "study" is just laughable...

30isthenewblack
December 29th, 2009, 07:16 AM
I agree Wavestogrow that a guy who would be biased against a girl with curly hair is not a man I wish to date. I've heard so many derogatory comments from guys who have girlfriends with naturally curly hair forcing them to straighten their hair. I'd drop them in a minute. I cannot imagine the maintenance and the cost of upkeep when you have three children and possibly holding down a job. That's a deal breaker for me for sure.

growingmyhair
August 30th, 2010, 02:14 PM
How timely.

I am wearing my hair straight right now, and the uptick in positive reinforcement from men has been astounding and annoying. Now that my hair is straight, I am suddenly hot? WTF?
I got my hair temporary coloured recently and I got SO much more male attention you wouldn't believe! my colour was a reddish brown and I can't say it was much more dramatic than usual, it was just a different colour, maybe it was me unconsciously expecting males to react (in the end, wasn't it the reason for me to colour my hair?..) and thus I behaved a bit differently than compared to my usual behaviour?

and, having read this thread - there is CURLY RACISM!! I am a curly racist myself - I hate curly hair (I've got 3b curly hair; I also hate my hair colour, my hair cut, the length of my hair, how it grows insanely slowly; but I do love a thing or two about my hair - just so you don't think I hate my hair completely)

Arianwen
August 30th, 2010, 02:24 PM
This video made me raeg a lot. I was bullied about my wurls as a kid (Medusa etc) and been told my hair is "unprofessional" and "you won't get a job with hair like that" as an adult (turned out to be totally WRONG!)

That little shmuck that gave her a 3/10...I wouldn't give him the time of day and I'd give him -3/10 for being a jerk.

eta: I have a ceramic hair iron which I rarely use, I used it once and showed DH on skype and he was like ew yuck no, I like your hair curly better!