Page 58 - Cosmetology

long hair often tied-back into a ponytail. Famous long-haired men include Oliver
Cromwell, George Washington and during his younger years Napoleon Bonaparte had a
long and flamboyant head of hair. Before World War I men generally had longer hair and
beards. The trench warfare between 1914 and 1918 exposed men to lice and flea

infestations, which prompted the order to cut hair short, establishing a norm that has
persisted.

However it has also been advanced that short hair on men has been enforced as a means
of control, as shown in the military and police and other forces that require obedience and
discipline. Additionally, slaves and defeated armies were often required to shave their

heads, in both pre-medieval Europe and China.

Growing and wearing long hair is a lifestyle practiced by millions worldwide. It was
almost universal among women in Western Culture until World War One. Many women
in conservative Pentecostal groups abstain from trimming their hair after conversion (and
some have never had their hair trimmed or cut at all since birth). The social revolution of

the 1960s led to a renaissance of unchecked hair growth. Hair length is measured (in
inches or centimeters) from the front scalp line on the forehead up over the top of the
head and down the back to the floor. Standard milestones in this process of hair growing
are classic length (midpoint on the body, where the buttocks meet the thighs), waist

length, hip length, knee length, ankle/floor length and even beyond. It takes about seven
years, including occasional trims, to grow one's hair to waist length. Terminal length
varies from person to person according to genetics and overall health. Large internet
communities are set up to encourage and support a long hair lifestyle.

Hair style can also surpass personal expression and enter the realm of artist expression. A

thriving salon culture in Detroit gave rise to the Detroit Hair Wars in 1991. Using the
medium of human and synthetic hair, elaborate fantastical head pieces, such as spider
webs, flowers and flying "hair-y copters", have been made by participants. The nationally
touring, spectacular showcase redefines the limits of head hair.

Body hair

The attitudes towards hair on the human body also vary between different cultures and
times. In some cultures profuse chest hair on men is a symbol of virility and masculinity;

other societies display a hairless body as a sign of youthfulness.