Why exactly are people so fixated with straight hair?

[maborosi]

I've pondered this for a while after my SIL made a comment about how straight my hair was. It was something like, "Ah, your hair's so straight, it's amazing. Even when I use a flat iron, my hair won't stay straight". I also seem to receive compliments from guys about it.

I always thought that wavy hair looked the best on me, because my hair is not very coarse, sometimes, my hair being straight made it look kind of thin or flat, and having a bit of body in my hair sometimes looks nice.

But when I go places like the mall and am harassed by the rolling-cart guys with the flat irons promising "supar straight hair!11" (when I wear braid/bunwaves), I am perplexed. (And then I tell them my hair's naturally straight ><)

What exactly fascinates people so much about straight hair? It seems like the standard preference among people I know is to have nearly stick-straight hair.

~maborosi~

[spidermom]

Enjoy it.
I remember when everybody wanted curly hair.

[katsrevenge]

It comes and goes. It's just fashion!

[battles]

I always thought my hair was really straight because it never got long enough to show any wave.

I would much rather have loose, pretty curls than straight hair.

[Anywhere]

Because it looks "neat" and "professional" while curly hair is more "crazy". :rolleyes:

i.e. Producers of Harry Potter movies casting a Bellatrix with curly hair, while in the books it is straight. To me (and probably to them) the curliness is more unkempt on her and adds to her 'crazy' personality.


I like curly hair. I have have somewhat curly hair. I wanted it straight when I was in middle school because I had no idea how to take care of my curls and people called me filthy if I didn't brush my hair (apparently brushing = cleanliness in some peoples eyes) and I hated having a frizzy bush for hair. Nothing wrong with us curlies looking a little wild though. ;)

[fridgee]

I think its just a fashion thing, and also probably a bit of 'grass is always greener' as I think there are few people with genuinely not even a tinie bit of wave in their hair. I'm still learning to embrace my curls as I love my hair straight but hate the damage it has caused, people always want what they don't have!

Also straight hair is easier to handle (for me) as you can run your hands through it to feel how silky it is and not mess up what it looks like.

BTW you are probably receiving the compliments because you have beautiful shiny hair, which attracts people to it and then they comment on the straightness. I doubt they would comment if you had unhealthy looking straight hair, that wouldn't be so desirable to them.

[Cjatje]

Wts, I think most people associate curly hair with a wilder personality.
In moments I wish I had curly hair... My mum and my sisterr have very curly hair, and the always want straight hair ;)

[maborosi]

BTW you are probably receiving the compliments because you have beautiful shiny hair, which attracts people to it and then they comment on the straightness. I doubt they would comment if you had unhealthy looking straight hair, that wouldn't be so desirable to them.

That is very nice of you...thank you. :)


Because it looks "neat" and "professional" while curly hair is more "crazy". :rolleyes:

i.e. Producers of Harry Potter movies casting a Bellatrix with curly hair, while in the books it is straight. To me (and probably to them) the curliness is more unkempt on her and adds to her 'crazy' personality.

This is actually really interesting. I never noticed this before!

~maborosi~

[Bene]

I don't think anyone is "fixated" on it, it's just the current trend.

[sbhonda]

There was a time when I really, really, really wanted straight hair. I still kind of do. And it's pretty much always been because I thought it would be easier to take care of. If I don't treat my wavy hair exactly how it wants, it does weird things. I was so jealous of my straight-haired friend during our high school swimming unit because she could just leave her hair down and let it air dry after swimming, and I had to spend the day with my hair trying to frizz its way out of a ponytail.

I liked straightening my hair because I could brush it whenever I wanted without it getting poofy. I did gymnastics for ten years and I ride motorcycles, so despite my best efforts to keep it under control, my hair would get pretty tangled. It was just so much easier when it was straight.

Now, I still kind of wish it was straight because I'm very good at heatless curling methods, but I'm not so good at straightening without heat. If I started with straight hair, once again, I just think it would be easier. I'm guessing a lot of other people like straight hair for how it looks, but I always wanted it because I thought it would be easier to take care of.

I had straight hair when I was younger, but it gradually got wavier, and my mom kept treating it like it was straight. So I think that's part of the reason why I was so against my waves for a while. They didn't look or feel good when they were treated like straight hair.

[maborosi]

I don't think anyone is "fixated" on it, it's just the current trend.

Not the right wording, I suppose. ^^;

~maborosi~

[May]

I think right now it's more about big, loose waves (think boho chic) than stick straight, flat ironed hair. I personally like hair with a bit of body and not flat ironed flat to the head :)

[maborosi]

I think right now it's more about big, loose waves (think boho chic) than stick straight, flat ironed hair. I personally like hair with a bit of body and not flat ironed flat to the head :)

They are really great! If only I could find a secret method to replicating loose waves without heat...

~maborosi~

[Purdy Bear]

I do agree with you about straight hair. I didnt even know I had unstraight hair until I was in my 20s. I would wash it and then it would go mad and I would wet comb it :( so it went straight and the usual bad management. Even as a child my mother made sure my hair was straight.

I came to the conclusion that straight hair actually shows the shine better then curley hair.

People have always pestered me to have my hair either dead straight or really curly. Even strangers have said to get my hair permed because my perm was dropping out, when it was my own natural hair.

I no longer have that problem ofcourse, but I do totally understand your meaning. Just enjoy what you have, whatever it is.

[Amber_Maiden]

Everyone wants what they can't have. I see tons of adds for curlers as well as straighteners. People like being able to be anything like want...

[jesis]

I've always wanted straight hair, even when I was a child and perms were in. I just adored long, straight hair. I'm not sure why. Even now, I see lots of people on campus with beautiful, naturally straight, long hair. It's just so much easier. It's sleeker, and in general beautiful.

But at the same time I wouldn't trade my waves for anything :P.

DBF also is obsessed with straight hair. Not sure why, but his "ideal woman" probably has straight hair. Who knows? Haha :)

[MsBubbles]

I don't know why things become fashionable when they do...but as long as it continues I will enjoy it. I killed my hair in the 80s trying to make it big & curly! Curls/waves/body just don't happen in my hair.

[PinkyCat]

I'm just waiting for the giant 80's hair to come back in...for men too! :cheese:

[maborosi]

I've always wanted straight hair, even when I was a child and perms were in. I just adored long, straight hair. I'm not sure why. Even now, I see lots of people on campus with beautiful, naturally straight, long hair. It's just so much easier. It's sleeker, and in general beautiful.

But at the same time I wouldn't trade my waves for anything :P.

DBF also is obsessed with straight hair. Not sure why, but his "ideal woman" probably has straight hair. Who knows? Haha :)

I think your hair looks absolutely beautiful! The texture is amazing and it looks great on you :)

~maborosi~

[darklyndsea]

I'm just waiting for the giant 80's hair to come back in...for men too! :cheese:
I would be in fashion for once in my life--and without doing a single thing to my hair!

[Madora]

Braiding and styling is not limited to straight hair. That being said, I think some people like the idea of sleek, long, healthy looking hair because of the way it moves.

Sleek is "in" now...but next year it will be something else.

And isn't it interesting that many people long for "fairytale hair", which is usually wavy!

[In2wishin]

I am old enough to have been through the flip/pageboy trend (early 60's), the ironed straight hair (late 60's to early 70's), the Farrah flip, 80's big scrunched hair and spiral perms, etc. Everything goes in cycles. Supposedly we are about at the end of the straight hair cycle and soft waves (ala Kate Middleton) are just starting to be popular.

[akilina]

lately ive been wishing my hair was just slightly curly. its wavy and mostly straight though. ever since i quit using my flat iron ive been wishing it was curly so it would actually look good on its own!

[rowie]

I hate to break it to all of you, but curls are back again. Here is a forecast for 2012 hair styles from this site: Click here (http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--2012-hairstyles-2012-haircuts-2012-hair-trends-4338.html#long-hairstyles-2012)

Like what a lot of people in this thread are saying "fashion comes and go," and "we always want what we don't have." I personally am glad that I am Asian blessed with thick coarse wavy hair. I love how I always feel like I have volume and thickness. It fascinates me how my straight hair friends are obsessed with buying volumizing products and curling irons just to even attempt getting closed to the volume I naturally have. I have more volume than most of my girlfriends who have stick straight hair! They can have their length and I can enjoy my mane like a lion, "now hear me roarrrrrrr."

So a spin off of this thread would be "why are people so fascinated with curly or wavy volumed hair"? I often get asked if I curl my hair or braid my hair, and I have people from curling iron booths telling me that they can guarantee lushes waves and curls. I just wink and tell them I have natural wavy hair.

[pepperminttea]

Everyone wants what they can't have.

This! I spent years wishing I had curly hair, eventually perming my own, yet a girl I grew up with (who has amazing 3a/b dark brown curls) always told me she wished her hair was straight.

[KiwiBum]

I like all hair types. I like straight sleek hair if it has a lot of volume, but I also like soft waves and loose curls. My hair is straight with a slight wave to the ends (more on the right side), but its so fine that it looks limp on occasion. However when it's humid, it gets a bit frizzy and wavy and has a wild look to it which I kinda like. I went through a phase where I wanted THICK wavy hair, but I don't think it would look good on me.

[Quixii]

I think it's just the current fashion trend. :shrug: Like not too many decades ago, curly poofy hair was all the rage. (Maybe that's actually the cause of the preference for straight hair.. Those who lived during that time are embarrassed by their youth and want to encourage a completely opposite trend. :P)

[maborosi]

I think it's just the current fashion trend. :shrug: Like not too many decades ago, curly poofy hair was all the rage. (Maybe that's actually the cause of the preference for straight hair.. Those who lived during that time are embarrassed by their youth and want to encourage a completely opposite trend. :P)

Oh yes. I know in the 70's though, if I'm not mistaken, a lot of people went with a sleek, straight look. When I looked at my dad and mom's old yearbooks, I saw a lot of very, very straight hairstyles.

I figure we're on the verge of seeing more 80's fashion/styles, including possibly curlier hair. Somebody did tell me that fashions and such were cyclical in about a 30 year timespan, or something like that. So the 70's-esque styles were popular in the 2000's and 60's-esque styles were popular in the 90's and so forth.

Though that person could be wrong, I think their observation is not far off at all from what I've seen.

Anyway, straight hair being a fashion trend makes a ton more sense now that I think about it ^^;

~maborosi~

[RapunzelKat]

I think it is just trends - hair types go in and out of fashion. Personally, I think that hair of any type can be beautiful if it's healthy and well cared for :)

[HintOfMint]

Because it looks "neat" and "professional" while curly hair is more "crazy". :rolleyes:

i.e. Producers of Harry Potter movies casting a Bellatrix with curly hair, while in the books it is straight. To me (and probably to them) the curliness is more unkempt on her and adds to her 'crazy' personality.


I like curly hair. I have have somewhat curly hair. I wanted it straight when I was in middle school because I had no idea how to take care of my curls and people called me filthy if I didn't brush my hair (apparently brushing = cleanliness in some peoples eyes) and I hated having a frizzy bush for hair. Nothing wrong with us curlies looking a little wild though. ;)

Whoa, I didn't even realize the Bellatrix change! I just remember thinking that the movie version was too kooky compared to the heavy lidded, hyper serious and passionate book version.

As for the topic, it's fashion. If you can look like a newscaster, it's "professional."

[Alex Lou]

Sleek, straight hair is in fashion right now. That is all.

Although as someone with some wave, as pretty as it is, I must say that I envy hair that is always predictable. Sometimes my hair just hasn't waved in the right way and I have to mess with it to make it look okay. ><

[racrane]

It's just fashion.

But just enjoy what you have. Remember, someone out there envies your hair and wishes they had your hair.

[sycamoreboutiqu]

>>It's just fashion.

But just enjoy what you have. Remember, someone out there envies your hair and wishes they had your hair.<<

How true. I don't understand why some on this group would want huge bushy volume like I have, I spend a lot of time trying to tame it down.

A funny thing happened on my recent visit to the Sally Beauty Supply store. I had needed to get there for months to buy a few basic, long hair items. U shaped updo pins, Wide Toothed comb, Tangle Teezer to name a few.

My purchase amounted to over $45 so lucky me - I was entitled to a Free Straightening Iron !!

Funny thing though - the sales associate who came over to assist / inform me of this wonderful offer took one look (even though I was braided) and said well, you don't look like someone who straightens their hair .... LOL

She was very perceptive.

Anybody need a flat iron ???

[Lilli]

The grass is always greener on someone else's head. I hate those flat-iron hawkers at the mall. Go away!!!

[Fortresca]

well, I love straight hair, too, but just about 1b or 1c. 1a looks to straight to be real for me, not really "alive" mostly. But that's only my feeling about it, not what it can look like, as I have seen great 1a hair on the web ;)
But, well, I always thought my hair was really strait. But when I changed my hair care about half a year ago, it started to do a wavier look. And I don't really like it. It's just for me and on myself, but I don't like my hair unbrushed (brushed it is straighter) anymore. But well, guess it had to come this way, as my mother and grandmother have (or "had" for my granny) quite curly hair.

So, I am only "fixated" on straight hair on my and because of my own experiences :D


Curls and waves are beautiful, look strong, creative and, as said a little crazy, not to talk about how the different hairstyles look from hairtype to hairtype. Of cause, curls and waves are adorable, too, but I wouldn't want them, that's all.

[girlcat36]

I must confess to being obsessed with straight hair. I always have been, even as a small child. I had my glory days in the eighties when I had thick 3b curls(unlike the thin wimpy 3a I currently sport). Even as people were drooling over my big, poofy hair back in the eighties, I still wanted flatironed 60's hair!
I think straight hair looks so easy! And curly hair is so hard!

[ilovelonghair]

Stick straight hair is not that common, maybe that's what causes the fascination?

[vanillabones]

It is just in for fashion at the moment. Either way I don't really like it. My hair always looks straight sleek and flat and thin.... I prefer a wavy even curly look. My hair has been short all of my teenage years so I haven't gotten to experiment with sleeping with soft curlers yet... but can't wait until my hair is long enough to try. I'll always wear it in waves/curls, it makes it looks like I have twice the hair that I do and for a F/i I need that! I don't know why people are envious of straight hair... I guess probably because it is the easiest to care for when it comes to washing and combing, which I do admit is nice, but added to the time it will take me to get damage-free curls... it evens out.

[holothuroidea]

I had stick straight hair when I was a kid and I hated it. My hair turned wavy after I had my first baby and I was like :joy:

I like all kinds of hair and I think they all have their own unique beauty. For myself, though, I love the waves. Straight hair never complimented my face.

[xoxophelia]

I'm not really sure. I have noticed it seems to be more "in" here in the US but with high fashion or internationally not as much. A slightly more tousled/bedhead look seems to be the thing.

That being said, I do know just as many people wishing they had curls as wishing they had straight hair in the states. One factor that may contribute is that it is much easier to get your hair to look straight. You only have to blow dry or run a flat iron over it. Nice curls take more skill to reproduce.

Before when my hair was damaged I didn't like the natural texture. Now that it is growing out and becoming silky loose waves I really like it though.

[PixxieStix]

When I was a child I would have given anything for a big mop of huge ol' messy curls! (Like my best friend's hair.) My entire childhood, my mom curled or straightened her hair every day because she has (I think it's hard to tell with all the damage and dye) naturally wavy hair with a small section under her left ear that has 2 or 3 spiral curls and thought what she has "always looked horrible." She always told me how lucky I was to have straight hair naturally, the color was perfect and that so many women pay huge amounts of money in the salon to get my color, etc., and that I better not ever change it!

I can't say I never wish for some pretty curls or big waves once in a while, but there are heatless methods of curling to get those when my hair is long enough. But from experiences with my mom and best friend, I think they could just never figure out how to properly take care of their hair type, and that is what frustrated them the most and lead them to desire hair that would be easier to take care of, aka straight hair. I love all hair types, especially when you can tell someone takes good care of it!

[Nuin]

During one hair cut, about three years ago, the hairdresser set about me with straighteners and without any warning. Scared the bejebus out of me, but I was too uncomfortable to say anything in case I startled the person with the hot things next to my head :rolleyes:

Okay, it was a lovely hair cut, prompting someone to say that I looked like Isabella Rossellini (win!), but still... the whole straighteners thing still freaks me out. I've known people more concerned about having forgotten their straighteners on a trip than about having forgotten their keys.

[BeatlesFanGirl]

I don't know why others are so obsessed with straight hair, as for me, I see the beauty in all textures, straight, wavy, curly, and all colours. :) :) As for myself, I have straight hair and I'd give anything to have wavy (2c) hair!! :D I want the waves that I have after the sock bun. But they las for a few hours. :(

[Gothchiq]

Probably because waves and curls are prone to frizz and unruliness, making them higher maintenance than straight, or so I think at least.

[drquartz1970]

I would prefer straight hair as it appears to be easier to manage then curly or wavy hair. My hair is naturally wavy on top and curly around the neck area.

I used to envy people with straight hair because I wanted length not bulk! I've now made peace with my hair texture and most of the hair compliments come from people with straight hair not curly hair! Curls are harder to keep neat and tidy and are a lot more unpredictable. In humid weather my hair puffs out. However I am finding with length the curls are easier to manage now.

I would say that I'm a naturally introverted person with extroverted hair!

[Lianna]

his "ideal woman" probably has straight hair. Who knows? Haha :)

I have this feeling about my DBF too, his hair is wurly (2c) and I know he wanted straight for himself. I've always gotten compliments on my hair though, even more so after I joined here (now he knows I'm obssessed about hair and wants to do something nice) but also when my longest bits were my eyebrow level blunt bangs. This makes him such a sweetheart (hair related) that I wouldn't care if his "ideal woman" would have 1a hair!


I don't understand why some on this group would want huge bushy volume like I have, I spend a lot of time trying to tame it down.

While we are trying to keep it down, they're trying to keep it up, because it's falling (becoming straighter) so they don't often have the same problems as "natural wavy/curly hair".

[isabelx]

I think it partly because it's just a fashion, and people strive to imitate the appearance of celebrities, where unfortunately the majority have straight or slightly wavy hair. Also it could be because it looks neat, clean and as though you take care of yourself.

I completely disagree with both of these, firstly why would you want to try and look like somebody else, especially a celebrity who has many other people trying to look like them also? and curly hair can look equally as beautiful, I personally prefer curly hair and wouldn't trade mine for the world. If looked after it can look incredibly beautiful, just look at our curly LHC members, and a celeb who embraces her curls, Beyonce: http://thelavalizard.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Beyonce4.jpg

[Lianna]

Beyonce: http://thelavalizard.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Beyonce4.jpg

What an example...since she wears wigs A LOT.

I used to prefer straight hair, but only because my flat ironed hair didn't have frizz. Right now I prefer my own texture, since it looks shinier than my heat styled hair.

[Hollyfire3]

During one hair cut, about three years ago, the hairdresser set about me with straighteners and without any warning. Scared the bejebus out of me, but I was too uncomfortable to say anything in case I startled the person with the hot things next to my head :rolleyes:

Okay, it was a lovely hair cut, prompting someone to say that I looked like Isabella Rossellini (win!), but still... the whole straighteners thing still freaks me out. I've known people more concerned about having forgotten their straighteners on a trip than about having forgotten their keys.


I used to be that sad person, making sur ei had my straightener before all else was packed. . . is till want the swing and shine of straight hair but i like the waves too, oh if only my wavy hair was swingy like straight hair. . . i want it to move when i walk and shine in the sun like glass!

[luxepiggy]

Well, for me it's 'cos I've got a bunch of it attached to my head (^(oo)~)

[McFearless]

Its more than just fashion.


I love that pic of Beyonce somebody posted. Those curls are beautiful

[MissManda]

I got the opposite. I grew up in a family that was really into volume and curls, so I started to feel really bad about my straight hair. I do have memories of really liking my hair texture before that (it's a long, complicated story), and I hope to get back to feeling the same way. :)

When I did meet people who were amazed by how straight my hair is, I just got the impression that straight hair was somehow rare (in my area, anyway), or maybe they just really liked how it reflects the light.

[jacqueline101]

Its a style trend.

[candycandace]

Lol, I remeber last Winter where I lived that tousled bed-head curls were in. This season it seems that straight hair is in. Which sucks for me :lol:. Oh well, I've never been one to follow trends. I bet next Winter the fashion industry will announce that curls are "in" again.

[Lianna]

Well, in my country we have a lot of people with wavy and curly hair. A lot of them blow-dry and flat iron often, here it is regarded as more beautiful, it's not "just a trend". Quite a few don't even care about fashion or even know the name of high end designers.

When it's time for a party or special occasion, it's time to have your hair straight even if you don't on a daily basis, it's ridiculous. And THEN people start giving them compliments on their new do. Of course it can be just the fact that something changed, however they could have curled their hair to perfection aswell, and even straighties could, but they don't (that's why I find interesting that there's so many how to curl your hair tutorials on YouTube).

[dwell_in_safety]

I think that it is a passing trend. It's always gone back and forth between straight and curly as the preferred look so to speak. I also think it might have to do with the fact that most people have at least some wave in their hair, and most when trying to look their best do so by changing their appearance in some way, whether it is by caking on makeup and therefore concealing rather than enhancing or by changing the way their hair falls.

Additionally, waves and curls are often very frizzy because many in the US are taught to care for their hair as if they all have stick straight hair. That's how i was taught to, and for many years I did have waves, but as a consequence there was so. much. frizz.

Personally, I can remember that when I was little I wanted to be Black, because I loooooved that ethnicity's natural hair, which is not straight at all. Still do, but now I appreciate all healthy hair equally. :)

[GoddessLocks]

honestly for me, it looks more neat and polished. My hair is naturally wavy and sometimes it just looks "messy". So when im getting pictures done or going out for the day I straighten. Wavy hair is very unpredictable.