| Hair
has absorbed humankind since the beginning of history. Cultures
have often defined themselves by it. The Egyptians hated it.
The Greeks loved it. The Persians curled it. Warring parties,
the Whigs and Roundheads of the English Civil War have focus
on their hair styles. Within cultures succeeding generations
adopted new styles and conventions concerning hair length.
One generation reviling in long hair might be followed by
a generation committed to long hair.
Americans came to associate long hair with
protest and civil disobedience. In previous generations it
was short hair that was seen as modern and progressive. Especially
notable is the intensity of feeling concerning hair length.
Text exceeding 2,000 years reveal Greek civic leaders railing
against the "atrocious" hair of young people. In
our modern day, war veterans question the patriotism and manliness
of long -haired protestors. Long haired youth saw the attitude
of parents and school officials as repressive and unreasonable.
Many styles and processes have been employed to lend greater
beauty or improve the appearance of the hair on one's head.
In our modern age rhe greatest attention is given to women's
hair styling. Lesser attention is given to that of men and
children. This has not always been the case. Men have given
great attention to hair styling in some ciltures and historical
eras.
In our modern era, boys have begun gicing
great attention to their hair. This began with Elvis Presly
and his side burns in the 1950s and the Beattles in the 1960s
with what was at the time considered long hair. The teenage
boy in the 1990s might spend considerable time preening in
front of a mirror. Perhaps not as much time as the modern
girl, but certainly more than was common in the 1950s.
Hair styling has been practiced from pre-historic days and
among all known peoples from the most primitive to the most
civilized. Hair is styled for two basic reasons. First hair
was styled for utility. Long flowing hair can get in a person's
way and thus early man may have styled to keep kit out of
his way. The other baic reason is for adornment or fashion.
Hairdressing is not new to our modern era.
Man since the dawn of human history has stylled his hair.
Ancient civilizations have given as much attention to their
hair as modern man--although in ancient socities it was often
on the wealthy that could afford elaborate hair styling. Today
hair styling is a fashion persued by all classes. Hair styles
varied greatly from society to society. Hair arrangement could
also proclaim age and majority. Boys in ancient Greece cut
their hair, and Hindu boys shaved their heads when they reached
adolescence.
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