new thread
In my book, Our LONG HAIRitage, Bringing Peace and Health to Your Head, it shows how and why long hair is far healthier than those who crop their heads (1). I am not the first to understand this concept. Natural health advocate, Bernarr Macfadden said the same thing over a hundred years ago. Here are some remarks from his books:
“The principle reason why a woman’s hair is stronger, and grows longer than the opposite sex, is that it is allowed to grow long from very early youth.” But “when kept closely cropped as in boys, conditions” become “decidedly different.” The scalp is weak because it is trained to become thinner and less “blood is attracted to it.” This is why males are more liable to lose their hair than females whose hair is more “strongly rooted and nourished (2).”
He also encourages daily massages of the scalp, which include pinching large swaths of the scalp and pulling and brushing the hair. Pulling and tugging temporarily adds weight to “exercise” and strengthen the scalp. It is of utmost importance, to keep the subcutaneous fat layer (that rests on the scalp) loose and pliable (3). Of course, just the extra weight of long hair does this all day long. Nevertheless, extra tugging will even strengthen your scalp more!
Although Macfadden’s books are somewhat dated, he came to the exact same conclusions I have. And like him there really is no excuse for premature baldness. So get educated, tell your friends. Is it not time to educate all these crop-headed conformists out there? By understanding the truth will allow you to not only defend long hair, but to actually promote it with sound science. After all they are the ones promoting baldness out of shear ignorance.
(1) Roger Sigler, Our LONG HAIRitage, Bringing Peace and Health to Your Head (Bloomington, Indiana: WestBow Press, 2011).
(2) Bernarr Macfadden, Macfadden’s New Hair Culture: Rational Natural Methods for Cultivating Strength and Luxuriance of Hair, 3rd Greatly Enlarged Edition (New York: Physical Culture Publishing, 1901).
(3) Bernarr Macfadden, Hair Culture: Rational Methods for Growing Hair and for Developing Its Strength and Beauty (New York: Macfadden Publications, Inc., 1924).
Attached is a photo of him. I think he would have worn his hair longer if he could get away with it.
Our LONG HAIRitage - strengthen your scalp, prevent hair loss
Your supposition has some merit. However. I want to see explained the variance in scalp response. Many of my friends. who like me had long hair when young are now suffering through the pangs pf MPB. It seems to strike more out of hereditary respoinse than not and I do hold that hair pattern follows ones mothers bloddline. I have been lucky to reatin a full head of hair. all the men in my mothers family did likewize. However MPB was prevalent on my fathers side. I do believe hereditary/genetic cues have as much to do with if one retains their hair as does good hair care and length of same. The prevalence of baldness could well be, as another responder has mentioned, due to the fact that humans are living longer. In the age when it was uncommon to know well, ones grandparents, when most folks died due to disease or being eaten before the age of 30. Baldness was less common as the genetic triggers had no chance to set and fire. Heart disease and other ailmenats were also less common due the lack of folks that lived to what is now considered "Old Age" DO not get me wrong your hypothesis concerning the affects on the scalp of long hair may well prove out. I fervently hope so. but Like "Occams Razor", the simplest answer may be the correct one. It is a blend of many factors on an individual basis.
Yes, you are correct: everyone as an individual has a unique physiology. In the past most cases of baldness were linked to "Old Age" when someone began to lose their sex drive in their 50s and 60s. My book addresses all the manmade causes of baldness. Bernarr Macfadden and I (100 years later) were both on the verge of hair loss, but were able to prevent it (as others have as well) by understanding how to take care of it properly. Some men do have a "too-much-testosterone" problem that leads to loss. I believe that can be overcome with proper diet (like lots of fruits and veggies), and proper care of body structure (spine). Longer hair and exercizing the scalp are key. Other manmade causes of hair loss include (1) sodium lauryl sulfate based shampoos, (2) smoking, (3) too much alcohol; (4) too much caffeine; (5) chlorine (in the public water supply; (6) stress; (7) poorly ventilated hats; and a host of other things. These and much more are addressed in Our LONG HAIRitage. If you don't have a copy yet I recommend you get one - it could be used as a life-long reference for you. Products to help rejuvenate the scalp are also listed in a handy appendix. Anyway, when you acquire the book I will be more than happy to address any questions you have (www.longhairitage.com). Thanks for your response!
Our LONG HAIRitage
I probably should have asked you this earlier when you responded to another person's post.
50 years ago long hair was not the norm for most adult women any more than it was for Men and I have seen photos from that era and most adult female styles were around the length and style of Janet Leigh, Liz Taylor, or Barbara Billingsly(June Cleaver).
many teenage girls wore the same styles too.
What changed was the Beatles and the hair revolution which had a HUGE impact first upon the teenagers and then the adults by the early 1970s. As everyone knows both young Men and Women grew their hair long and some quite long at that!
Since you seem to have some knowledge on this topic historically speaking why is it that the majority of Men chose to return to the pre-Beatle era hairstyles of the 1950s in the 1990s while Women have kept their hair long?
Great question. Most men don't seem to give it much thought - they just follow the crowd. It's like a subtle peer pressure. When the 1990s came along, the hair became shorter, shorter and shorter, so most men kowtowed to it. They have no idea how detrimental it is for their scalps, and probably 50% of them could care less. The influence of closed-cropped or shaved head stars like Vin Diesel did not help matters either.
Then, when longer hair was becoming popular again around 2003 (in Houston area), they were severly pressured by some schools to cut it off. What really ticks me off is how many from the 1960s and 1970s eventually kowtowed to being shorn. Now they look as unsightly and terrible as any politician. The only thing I can say is that apparently most men don't believe in the Creator's design for them. Instead of being handsome, manly beauty is condemned, so they choose to be as plain as possible.
Our LONG HAIRitage
Yes, I am really amazed at the number of people in their 40's and 50's who think Men either "look better" or "should only have short hair" now. many of them are women, btw
they won't say anything about a woman with long hair in the workplace, but in many employment situations(and I have discussed this with numerous friends) if you are a Man and your hair is over the ears or collar they will often tell you to get it cut while a female employee is entitled to wear her hair to her waist if she wants because she is a woman.
nothing is ever said to women regarding hair length in most employment situations.
for me, I think it should be an individual choice. if a Guy wants waist length hair, what is the problem?
if a lady wants to wear a pixie cut and has no objection to how others wear their hair I support her 100%, but if some woman with long hair thinks that a man should get a short short haircut because she thinks it's "more professional" maybe someone should remind her that it was not always the norm for women to have mid to waist length hair in the business-world at one time and maybe she should be a little less discriminatory towards Men with longer hair instead of being a narrow minded person!
for the record shoulder length hair was about as long as most women wore their hair in the 1960s(especially in business environments) and was generally pinned up when she went to work. most female office workers during the same era wore much shorter hairstyles.
hairstyles worn by Peggy Olson on the show Mad Men were quite commonplace for women in the workplace during that time.
http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons1/192/1922283/37_2009/c8548874d2450b06_peggy-olson-mad-men.jpg
I wonder how women would react if they were asked to cut their hair for a job.
maybe then they would realize how Men like us feel.
In the early 70s, when in college, I took a job with Marrioot Corp. as a waiter. My hair was below my shoulders in length. I was told I would have to cut it or wear a wig. (Unreal, eh1?) I chose the wig, but I noticed the waitresses could wear hair any length or style. The wig lasted about a week. By hair was alway clean and neat. Several of the waitresses were comcerned and asked to pplease not do this as they had concerns of repercussions. However, I pounted out the unfairness and muled up. came into wok without the wig and locks free. I braced for battle, Nothing happened. absolutely nothing. The manager noticed, I am certain, but said not a word. Sometimes you just have to "do it" if you are facing discrimination due to hair length, stand your ground. My hair is longer than then, now and I have no issues with employment. (as of this writing)
First, I applaud you for standing your ground, but I must ask what "repercussions" were the women so concerned about?
I can't say for certain. But I've been married a long time now. I know that "security" is a number one concern of women. So they want their men to be able to earn a living to support their family. My hair is shoulder length and I am earning pretty good money now in sales (with my beard and hair I don't look like a typical salesman, so I think my hair has actually helped me)That's one issue. The other is that women are emotional creatures - most (not all of course) don't want to see people get hurt.
Our LONG HAIRitage
As I remember it (It was so long ago.) The waitresses were concerned that in the name of equality they would be made to wear hairnets or cut their hair. A trued concern as several had beautiful wist length hair. However, I also was read for As reported , Nothing happened, and when i left Marriott to pursue my career, The manger actually expressed sadness as he was hoping to bring me along in the Hostelry business. Nice to know.
..that at one time there were some businesses that actually were not "long hair" friendly to even women back in the 1960s and actually requested that they cut it at least to shoulder length if not a lot shorter.
I do not know if this is truth or fiction because i was not there and have never worked in a place that have ever requested women to cut their hair shorter, but as a Man I have personally experienced such requests and have known other guys who had the same requests made of them as I am sure many on this board have.
it would not surprise me though since based on photos from that era most women did not wear hair longer than shoulder length.
As a teen in the 60s (and very early 70s) I knew a lot of women and girls that waist length hair. true that a lot of styles had them wearin it 'Up" however, not all the time, and not all women. Women had hair of varying lengths. However, it was unfortunately, men, that had trouble being accepted. Even the Early Beatles styles of the mid 60s were at first too radical for some folks. (Such lengths today of "Business cuts" actually. I let my hair gow long and I suppose I was on the Follicular font regarding length. It was demanded in High School that I adhere to the dress code of the times, no hair on males over the eyes, ears , or collar. I violated all three points. and refused to cut it. I was never suspended or had a lot of pressure. (Though one assistant principle believed me to be an agent of the devil, if not a commmie, pinko, long haired fag (yes I heard all those names) and would follow me down the hall, sure to catch me up to something. He never did (Though I was likely ,at times, up to something, he just never caught me, that used to vex him mightily) Also my dress was on the cutting egde (For the late 60s.) Tie Dye T-shirts, Bell bottom jeans and Harness boots. This is why I refused to accept cutting my hair to keep a waiters job. I kept the job and my hair. Yeah, I can Mule up with the best. I was born under the sign of Taurus, of Scot ancestry, in Missouri. Nothing is more stubborn than that combo. The waitresses knew me well enough and were concerned as they did have long hair. Forunately, the management was enlightened enough to drop the idea as I did care fo my hair. Hairnets were still used by longhaired kitchen help of both sexes, and for good reason. but on the floor, if you presented yourself well, Ther was no longer an issue.
I?ve read about it but never done it. My hair is dilinetefy thinning (I think I?m just too stressed out). You?ve convinced me to do this tonight! Wish me luck!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003405498221
This guy has a really great head of hair and I agree that he would have worn it longer if he could have.