FCPart wrote:
I'm a new photographer who just finished a project on the role of hair in the perceived beauty of women.  I found two beautiful model's who were willing to shave their heads.

As someone who really admires people who are able to pull off drastic makeovers (like shaving your head), I got to thinking: what makes some models unattached to their hair and others very attached?  Remove the potential lost compensation factor from the equation. 

I'm curious as to what others think.  The way I see it, there are three levels of attachment to one's hair:
Level 1 - willing to drastically change styles or shave your head for none or minimal compensation
Level 2 - willing to part with your hair only if the price is significant
Level 3 - not willing to part with your hair for any price.

Which level are you?  I'm Level 2, mostly because I'm not confidant enough to pull off no hair or different color hair.  And I'm not even a woman, or a model.     

Would your level change if you weren't a professional model?

I am level 3.  My hair is long enough to touch my waistband on my pants currently.

IDiivil wrote:
Level 3.

I had a pretty short haircut in the past, and not only did it make me look I was 12 and boyish, but my neck was always cold. Combine that with my partner preferring me with long hair and my own aesthetic tastes for women being longer haired, ...

... well, long hair it is for me

Heck, I don't even dye my hair... it's healthy, thick, and the color is too nice for me to want to mess with it.

That's a great reason to keep long hair - if your hair is healthy and you partner prefers it, why change?  I keep my hair the way my partner likes it.  I basically ask her how she likes it best and I keep it like that.  I don't really care that much how I keep my hair, but I'm a guy. 

Paige, loved your red hair.  You look great with short hair. 

Lea, you look great with long hair.  Some models really look the best with really long hair, and I think you are one of them. 

Not surprisingly, a majority of people seem to be 3's.  Though it seems like if you've gone short and liked it, you are more willing to go all the way. 

How many of you 3's would change your mind if the modeling world emphasized and sought short haired or bald models as opposed to long haired models?   If society's perceptions of beauty with regard to hair length were reversed (if bald woman were thought of the way long haired women currently are), would it make a difference to you?

I wonder how many of our preferences for how we present ourselves are programmed by the societal norm.

FCPart wrote:
That's a great reason to keep long hair - if your hair is healthy and you partner prefers it, why change?  I keep my hair the way my partner likes it.  I basically ask her how she likes it best and I keep it like that.  I don't really care that much how I keep my hair, but I'm a guy. 

Paige, loved your red hair.  You look great with short hair. 

Lea, you look great with long hair.  Some models really look the best with really long hair, and I think you are one of them. 

Not surprisingly, a majority of people seem to be 3's.  Though it seems like if you've gone short and liked it, you are more willing to go all the way. 

How many of you 3's would change your mind if the modeling world emphasized and sought short haired or bald models as opposed to long haired models?   If society's perceptions of beauty with regard to hair length were reversed (if bald woman were thought of the way long haired women currently are), would it make a difference to you?

I wonder how many of our preferences for how we present ourselves are programmed by the societal norm.

Well, for some markets/ types, short hair is better, though not for most.

For mine, long hair is better.

So, if MY modeling market changed and short hair or bald was better, I would change it in a heartbeat, regardless of societal standards or visions of what's "prettier." But I'd try to book a hair show so I could make some $$$ off of it.

Actually, even if I wanted shorter hair and was willing to do it for free/ paying to get it done, I would try to book a hair show to either profit from my decision or offset the costs of my new 'do.

K I C K H A M wrote:

Well, for some markets/ types, short hair is better, though not for most.

For mine, long hair is better.

So, if MY modeling market changed and short hair or bald was better, I would change it in a heartbeat, regardless of societal standards or visions of what's "prettier." But I'd try to book a hair show so I could make some $$$ off of it.

Actually, even if I wanted shorter hair and was willing to do it for free/ paying to get it done, I would try to book a hair show to either profit from my decision or offset the costs of my new 'do.

You are a smart business woman.  
I don't think we will ever reach a day where bald is better, for men or women.  There does seem to be a trend in women losing their locks, but most do it to support cancer sufferers rather than as a fashion choice.   

How much do you generally get paid for a hair show? 
I've heard of models getting paid up to $1500 for shaving their head, though I have not paid that much.

K I C K H A M wrote:
It is impossible for me to remove potentially lost income from the equation.

I did a hair show a few years back that took my hair from long to a short androgynous cut with fringe.

My agency and my freelance bookings COMPLETELY fell off.

I suppose I'd be a level 2, but that pay rate would have to be quite significant (10 grand or so), that for all logical purposes that seems closer to a 3.


If I wasn't modeling, I'd be a 1. I chopped all my hair off for locks of love before I started modeling. It was a chin-length cut, and I'd probably be willing to shave my head if I had a good cause or reason.

This.

I did have a Marilyn 'do for a while, and it was AWESOME, but I got almost zero shoots during that time period. >.

Heather LeStabbityDeath wrote:
Probably a 2. I am willing to alter my hairstyle, my day job doesn't give a fuck about it, and how much I'll alter it depends on how much you're paying because:

1: I like my hair the way it is--you have to give me a reason to change it
2: My hair stylist isn't cheap and I don't want it to look bad. My hair is longer than my shoulders, and I have to live with it every day until it grows back, it's going to have to look good the whole time.
3: I don't actually think I look that good bald (been there, done that) though I do look good with the *right* very short haircut, including variations on a mohawk, so see point #2.

That's interesting.  I would think if you look good with a short haircut, you look good bald.  Must not be the case for everyone.

FCPart wrote:

You are a smart business woman.  
I don't think we will ever reach a day where bald is better, for men or women.  There does seem to be a trend in women losing their locks, but most do it to support cancer sufferers rather than as a fashion choice.   

How much do you generally get paid for a hair show? 
I've heard of models getting paid up to $1500 for shaving their head, though I have not paid that much.

Depends on the client and how extreme the cuts and colors are. Some are mostly styling, and can pay as low as $200, and the more extreme ones range anywhere from $500-$2500, in my experience. But usually those higher paid ones are for multiple days, so that is a *show* rate rather than a day rate.

FCPart wrote:

That's interesting.  I would think if you look good with a short haircut, you look good bald.  Must not be the case for everyone.

My face looks sharp and masculine without any hair, which isn't necessarily bad, but not something I am going for.

Scarlett Renee wrote:
I'm a level 3.

I adore my hair. Even if trends changed and short hair would get more shoots, I still wouldn't cut it above my bra band. I have to be happy with myself on the everday. My own confidence and happiness is what drives how I look and always will. I've cut it to my shoulders once and I just felt so so so very wrong. I think part of the reason I am so attached to it is because I have a hair color that isn't in the majority. I have natural darker auburn hair that can look really fiery in the sun or more on the darker chesnut side in dim light. I think it's really pretty - one of my better features - so I prefer to show it off and grow it as long as I can with it still looking healthy. I'd like to have it long enough to end around my belly button.

If I had brunette hair I'd probably be more likely to experiment with it.

Although, if someone gave me ten grand I would cut it in a heart beat. Wouldn't shave it though. Everyone has their price and I can do a lot with ten grand. Like buy extensions.

You hit the nail on the head, it's about being happy with yourself.  I know I feel a lot better when I like how my hair is as opposed to when I think I got a bad cut.

Kelleth wrote:
I'd be willing to change my hair only if the new style or colour still made me marketable and if the rate was significant enough that any potential lost jobs due to it would be covered.

When I was in Hong Kong a sixteen year old llama was crying at a casting one day. Turns out her agency was trying to send her home because she had refused a job that paid the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars that involved her shaving her entire head (she had long beautiful hair down to the middle of her back). She wasn't wrong for refusing the way I see it. 10% of earnings go to Chinese government, 10% to her mother agent and 20% to her agency in HK. Leaving her with $6000. Her next stop was supposed to be in Singapore where her agency there had said that there was NO WAY she would work with a shaved head. So she'd have go back to her home country where she'd do what with a shaved head...? This is obviously a pretty extreme example because being open to changing your hair usually doesn't mean cutting it ALL off but honestly, $6000 is chump change if you think about how many months of work she would have lost having no hair and then having her hair be in some awkward in-between phase.

How unfortunate.  Sounds like a Catch 22.  What they were attempting to force her to do was almost equivalent of a do not compete clause.

I feel like I hear about opportunities for bald llamas but who knows if they actually pan out.  I've never really followed up with llamas who have shaved their head to find out if they had a steady stream of work.  With the quality of wigs you can get today, I'm surprised more agencies are not more receptive to bald llamas - from an outsiders perspective it seems to offer a little diversity and a uniqueness, though it is obviously and extreme change and not at all mainstream.

Presley ONeil wrote:
I'm between one and two.

Personally I like my hair short. I grew/am growing it out for my boyfriend(I'm not letting him cut his hair, he wants me to grow my hair:-) so Id cut my hair for me if I could(-:

But when the time comes, he knows ill be losing it when there's money involved(:

If you are willing to go all the way, we would be willing to compensate you.

FCPart wrote:
I'm a new photographer who just finished a project on the role of hair in the perceived beauty of women.  I found two beautiful model's who were willing to shave their heads.

As someone who really admires people who are able to pull off drastic makeovers (like shaving your head), I got to thinking: what makes some models unattached to their hair and others very attached?  Remove the potential lost compensation factor from the equation. 

I'm curious as to what others think.  The way I see it, there are three levels of attachment to one's hair:
Level 1 - willing to drastically change styles or shave your head for none or minimal compensation
Level 2 - willing to part with your hair only if the price is significant
Level 3 - not willing to part with your hair for any price.

Which level are you?  I'm Level 2, mostly because I'm not confidant enough to pull off no hair or different color hair.  And I'm not even a woman, or a model.     

Would your level change if you weren't a professional model?

I guess I'm level 4, hair left me, I'm OK with it.