10 Years Younger jumps on the band wagon rant

**liseling** · June 16th, 2009, 08:12 AM

Apparently 10 Years Younger is one of those makeover shows that doesnt believe that you can look young and fashionable with long hair. Watching this show made me so mad!

This poor woman had beautiful hip length, thick hair. It was smooth and straight and her braid was about as thick as a large wrist. It was amazingly eye-catching, to say the least, and one of the first things the host said was that they were going to cut it, which by her face you could tell made her very nervous.

When it came time for the stylist to actually cut it she was crying before she even got into the chair, and by the time the girl started chopping the poor thing was out and out sobbing! It was so sad to watch! To make matters worse, one of the ways they convinced her to allow them to cut it was by telling her that the hair would be given to Locks of Love!

Even though at the end of the show she said she was ok with it, the thing that she kept mentioning was not that she liked the way it looked but that she was happy that she was helping children through Locks of Love.

I dont know why tv shows still do this! Is it because of the social meme that long hair is only for the young, regardless of how old the person actually looks with long hair? You would think that these tv shows would then encourage long hair if it's a symbol of youth...

Or is it more like if you look old you have to cut your hair because society thinks you shouldnt have long hair unless you're young, and you cant look good if your hair is sending "conflicting" messages?

I dont know what it is, but it really irritates me. It's annoying enough when you see this myth routinely being perpetuated all over the media every day, but when you see it done in situations where the person is obviously being traumatized for the sake of making her more "socially acceptable" for the entertainment of others it's just terrible!

**bakertwins2004** · June 16th, 2009, 08:17 AM

I didn't see the show. I do think some people look nicer with shorter hair. BUT if she felt better with it long then I think they should have left her be. I love my hair longer with shorter layer around my face. I think they should have kept made a effort to give her both a uplift and keep the long hair.

**Heavenly Locks** · June 16th, 2009, 08:20 AM

They want to make a drastic change for TV, cutting off a lovely long braid is a heck of a drastic change.

**Themyst** · June 16th, 2009, 08:27 AM

I don't know how those shows work - do the participants get money or something if they follow through with it? I would imagine that could be the case if her original reaction was fear and reluctance. How sad.

!

#@!!! media!!!

**liseling** · June 16th, 2009, 08:29 AM

I definitely think they should have tried to give her the uplift without chopping her hair - the minute they saw how much she loved her hair they should have forgotten about amputating it.

I also agree that a big motivation to cut hair in these shows is to get a dramatic change. I think hair is a big part of a first impression. It's always struck me as odd that when they cut hair in these makeover shows the haircut the person always ends up with is always within a certain length range and always within a certain texture range - they all look pretty much the same, in other words. It's like conformity equates to beauty in their book.

**JamieLeigh** · June 16th, 2009, 08:51 AM

It's ridiculous how popular it's become to use hair cutting as an entertainment form. They know that nobody will watch the show unless there's major drama - and what could be more dramatic than a huge haircut?

I'm sorry for that poor woman, if she was truly unhappy. We seem to have a problem with sticking up for ourselves nowadays.

**Tap Dancer** · June 16th, 2009, 08:53 AM

Is it still on the air? I thought it was canceled in 2007 or 2008, but I could be wrong.

**Fifty-Five** · June 16th, 2009, 09:12 AM

Maury Pauvich is another show that does it. >< Although, most of the time the women say they're ready for the change, often times, they're brought on the show by a relative, boyfriend, husband or someone, and it's pretty much 'Get rid of your hair, or get rid of me' ...

America's Next Top Model is another example =/

**VioletFire** · June 16th, 2009, 09:44 AM

I remember while watching What Not to Wear, every time they had a woman on the show they cut her hair off. A lot of those women would have had beautiful hair if it was just trimmed a bit, not the huge chunks cut off.
I agree with what someone above said about the conformity. There's a very clear line of what is popular(eg acceptable) and what is not. These shows it seems try to make everyone come down on the same side of that line so that they can 'fit in'.

Personally...hoorah for individuals.

**DarkChocolate** · June 16th, 2009, 10:23 AM

This seems to happen on every makeover show!!

I will not let "social norms" dictate how I will wear my hair.

I also hate it when people say "Its hair, it will grow back". Yeah of course it will but it will take a long time.

There are ways to drape hair and different hairstyles that give a more youthful vibe. Why don't the stylists pipe up and do these things instead of cutting the beautiful hair.