Right off the bat, I realize that this post is mainly for the ladies. Of course, the longer-coiffed dudes who read this site are totally welcome to partake; but typically, women are the gender most responsible for the classic long hair versus short hair debate. Also, it’s Friday afternoon, which is the perfect time for a somewhat-frivolous and totally random post about the sustainability of hair length. TGIF!
I got my hair cut yesterday. I didn’t do it for any reason other than I wanted to, but today I took my first shower since the chop, and I noticed how much less water and shampoo I used. Much less, actually. And I made sure to get a cut that can be air-dried, meaning that I’ll waste less energy straightening my hair after a wash. So, I guess shorter hair really is more sustainable, if you think about it. But you can then take it further: Why not shave your head? That’s got to be the ultimate in sustainable hairstyles, no? Or how about dreadlocks, which you never have to wash at all? Those examples are extreme, but on some level, they’re valid.
So what about women (or dudes) who just love their long, luscious hair? It’s silly to think that they should cut it simply because a shorter length would help to save the planet. Or is it? I admittedly have hair on the brain (ha, ha, get it?) because I got a cut yesterday, but I can’t get away from the fact that my shorter hair will save lots of water, hair product, and power over the next several months, if not years.
So I guess longer hair is sort of an indulgence, to put it in these terms. If you’re one of those Goldilocks types, just make up for it somewhere else. Like, say, by washing your hair every other or third day, or by replacing one or two of your conventional hair products with natural versions.
Am I over-thinking hair length? Time to move away from the computer…
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Grace 02.22.08 at 9:25 pm
Personally, I don’t think this one has too much impact… and you can argue both positions. I keep my hair long. For me, short hair took more fussing and care. To maintain a short style meant MUCH more frequent cuts/trips to the hair salon, equaling more driving/gas/time. And I had to wash more often as the style didn’t look good after sleeping and the passage of a few days. Long hair=a few trims a year. Wash every few days, looks good, easy care and frees my time for other sustainable pursuits!
Jenni 02.23.08 at 9:04 am
Interesting. My hair is the longest it’s ever been, and Johnny likes it. However, I do wash it every other day.
Jessica 02.24.08 at 8:20 am
I think there are probably some people with short hair who use more product than those with long hair. Like a lot of things, case-by-case I guess.
Chase 02.25.08 at 8:00 am
You DO wash dreadlocks.
Kerry 02.25.08 at 9:42 am
Really? I didn’t know that. Wouldn’t it take forever for them to dry?
Marianne 02.25.08 at 7:36 pm
I agree with Grace and Jessica — I’ve gone from super-long to short and the short is much more high-maintenance. It requires more styling product (most of which is NOT eco-friendly), more trips to the salon, etc. Plus, aesthetically, short hair says ’soccer mom’ more than ‘Earth goddess’. Which is fine, but seriously, show me an SUV and I’ll show you a woman with short hair in the driver seat. However, in the Winter, short hair is way more ear-flap hat friendly.
Chris 02.26.08 at 9:09 am
Ted and I are super sustainable on this front. We have this one nailed I think.
Mehitabel 03.21.08 at 2:17 pm
My hair is what is know by industry standards as “a big mess of hair”. It is incredibly dense, coarse, curly and dry - I tend to see my Hair as its own entity - it is huge and frizzy, like a dandelion puff with a very bad attitude. Styling products are not only desired, but mandatory, or else my Hair will surely endeavor to take over the world. For me, long hair = lots of styling products. Lots.
Keeping that in mind, for the past four years I shave my head every March as part of a fundraiser for childhood cancer research. Personally, I find the shaved head to be most liberating and sustainable - though being a bald female I have a tendency to compensate for not having hair by emphasizing more with makeup and jewelry. Short hair works second best for me from a time/money/energy standpoint - if I get a stylist who knows how to tame hair like mine, s/he can create a cut that works with my Hair’s natural good points (thick, curly) and deemphasizes the bad points (tendency to get frizzy, generally unmanageable). Because of the copious amounts of shampoo, conditioner (especially) and styling products I’d have to use to tame long hair, not to mention the amount of time and water spent getting it clean, etc. - I’d have to say that long hair is not an option for me, especially concerning sustainability. So this vote goes for short hair - yay!