Hair and Its Costs: A Decision Guide for Women

Hair needs to be considered in terms of its drain on energy and resources from other areas of life. By this I mean hair on a woman’s head, the sort of hair that is tended to flatter the wearer and communicate something about her nature. All that is possible, but only at a cost, similar to the energy tropical birds – male in that case – channel into non-functional plumage.

But, we women of modern America are smarter than tropical male birds and we have the ability to make choices. The following guide is intended to help you make appropriate decisions about the sort of resources you are able to invest in your coiffure. The X axis represents the types of hair by length. The Y axis indicates the level of required investments in different areas. A minus sign (-) represents the absence of significant investment, an equals sign (=) represents a modest level of investment, a plus sign (+) represents that the resource requirement is significant.

A Note on chemical treatments: The chart assumes that the choice of hair length is independent of decisions about color and permanent waving, which represent a uniform increase in money, some initial investment in time, but have the potential to reduce the required level of tolerance. Risk rises significantly with chemical applications.

So, here’s the breakdown. If you’re young and have sufficient money, cut it off! Wear your own cute face without the hassle of hair! Of course, the shorter the cut, the greater the risk of complete failure. Before taking it too short, consider your tolerance for going completely bald if that’s what necessary to salvage a bad cut.

If you’re a bit older and have adequate time and financial resources, it might be wise for you to grow it out a bit to a medium length. Increase the length and go for dignity.

If you have no money and no time, whether you’re old or young, you should wear it long. (Be advised that actual styling norms for long hair are dependent on age; the young can wear wispy clips, the older might consider buns.) But, long hair requires tolerance. You have to live with it. It will just hang there, it will pull when you’re sleeping, it will require engineering to keep it out of your face when you read or exercise. It requires self control: under no condition should you play with it in public, even if you are 18 years old.