# Cutting Off A Girl's Hair: Is This Ever OK? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2010, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859 "2010-06-20T08:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/221 "2010-06-23T16:01:18Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. > > Jen has like 2 months of a less-than-ideal haircut. Some people have to get their arms amputated and she complains about having to wear a sassy Natalie Portman haircut rather than a Angelina Jolie haircut. Talk about a first world problem. Jesus, your hair grows 2.5 inches a month?! What a lucky duck you are! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/222 "2010-06-23T16:07:38Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. > > Jen has like 2 months of a less-than-ideal haircut. Some people have to get their arms amputated and she complains about having to wear a sassy Natalie Portman haircut rather than a Angelina Jolie haircut. Talk about a first world problem. So, if I have large breasts (and I do) and sometimes complain about the issues associated with them to my flat chested friends who are jealous of my voluptuous rack, they are within their rights-- to some degree- to. . . attack me? Really? Your insecurities aren’t my problem, friend. And 5 inches is not two months- I have no idea where you’d think that. Five inches is very likely the better part of, if not an entire, year. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/223 "2010-06-23T16:07:41Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. It must be hard to always assume the worst of people. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/224 "2010-06-23T16:12:50Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. > > Jen has like 2 months of a less-than-ideal haircut. Some people have to get their arms amputated and she complains about having to wear a sassy Natalie Portman haircut rather than a Angelina Jolie haircut. Talk about a first world problem. Yes, you’re right, Jenn should immediately shave her head so that she won’t tempt others to assault her and alter her appearance without her consent and against her will. What DOES the bitch think she’s doing, walking around with HAIR?! Why, some people are BALD - she should remember that! In fact, since some people are amputees, Jenn should immediately arrange to have her limbs amputated so she won’t make amputees jealous. Oh, and arrange to have herself paralyzed so she won’t make paraplegics or quadriplegics jealous! And become unemployed and homeless immediately so she won’t make the unemployed and homeless jealous. Double :rolleyes:. In fact, there aren’t enough :rolleyes: in the world for this statement. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/225 "2010-06-23T16:13:51Z")
I hate the whole idea that bragging=you need to get taken down a peg. Especially when it’s related to women–I feel like it’s too common and it’s just sad. And it doesn’t even work. It just makes the attacker look like a pathetic, insecure person. No one’s going to stop thinking that Jen has beautiful hair even though it’s shorter now but they are going to think a lot less of Susan. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/226 "2010-06-23T16:28:16Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. **She had it in a thick braid over her shoulder yesterday, and was telling a mutual friend of ours (let’s call her Susan) that she needed to trim it because her split ends were getting out of control.** Doesn’t sound like she was going around rubbing it in people’s faces. It sounds like she was making small talk. Anyone else curious – what became of the hair that was cut off? ---
**Author:** ![goodneighbor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b77776/32.png) [@goodneighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goodneighbor)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/227 "2010-06-23T16:34:44Z")
It’s absolutely amazing to me that Susan TEXTED an apology- Not only should it be done in person, it should be done on her knees, begging forgiveness. And as for her being a bridesmaid, Audrey, you don’t want to take a chance on her slicing up your dress or somehow otherwise screwing up your day! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/228 "2010-06-23T16:44:10Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. > > Jen has like 2 months of a less-than-ideal haircut. Some people have to get their arms amputated and she complains about having to wear a sassy Natalie Portman haircut rather than a Angelina Jolie haircut. Talk about a first world problem. I don’t care if Jen took out a full page newspaper ad to let everyone know how gorgeous her hair is. That would be a good reason to be annoyed with her. It is not a reason to cut off a chunk of her hair to get back at her. That’s practically a working definition of civilized, adult society. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/229 "2010-06-23T16:44:28Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Is it the $300 price, or the fact that the original suggestion was that Jen deliberately run up the price? If Jen normally got $300 haircuts, would you be ok with her getting her normal haircut or would you feel like she should go “down market” to be mre in line with what Susan thinks is normal? I agree that running up the price would be dickish, but if it’s what she normally does, I think it’s appropriate. If Jen normally got $300 hair cuts, it’d be a different story. In my opinion, running up the price or going to a salon that costs several times what you’d normally pay is uncalled for- especially if you are not intending to continue the friendship. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/230 "2010-06-23T16:48:42Z")
Damn. I have long curly hair. Everyone loves it and compliments it. Yes, sometimes I complain about the issues inherent in it - it’s hard to comb, you always know what the weather is, etc., but generally I love it and I think it’s beautiful. I didn’t know I needed to be taken down a peg because of the above. If anybody cut my hair, though, I’d probably cry. Curly hair takes forever to grow…for every 2 inches it grows it curls back up an inch. The text apology is the capper, btw. I am going to sound like such an old fart but whatever happened to REAL apologies? I remember being 18 and having something happen at my graduation party. My friends hurt me by doing something…I don’t feel like getting into what. They were wrong initially but when I found them I yelled at them in front of everyone and humiliated us all. You bet your ass my parents made me call every single one of them and apologize over the phone, crying. I still remember the humiliation of having to do it, especially since I didn’t feel like I was the only one in the wrong, but my parents taught me from the beginning that apologies have to be made from the heart. Obviously Susan never learned that one. Here’s the thing, even sven: Normally I either just trim my hair at home or go to a Supercuts. I only need an inch taken off the bottom, after all. About once every two years, though, I go to a nice salon that knows how to handle curly hair to get it cut into a style. If you chopped my hair so brutally, I would absolutely go to the more expensive salon to get it fixed. I wouldn’t trust Supercuts to know what to do. Is that also “running up the price”? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/231 "2010-06-23T16:49:49Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > If Jen normally got $300 hair cuts, it’d be a different story. In my opinion, running up the price or going to a salon that costs several times what you’d normally pay is uncalled for- especially if you are not intending to continue the friendship. Yeah, but remember, there is a huge difference between your regular trim and getting your head fixed after some asshole screwed things up. Like, if someone deliberately dumped wine on my pants, there’s a cost difference between me throwing them in the washing machine like usual and getting them dry cleaned to deal with the wine stain. In any case, the $300 is bullshit, it never happened, it was all hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/232 "2010-06-23T16:55:46Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > It must be hard to always assume the worst of people. For someone to write a post as dumb as that one, it’s probably not hard at all. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/233 "2010-06-23T16:57:59Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Yeah, but remember, there is a huge difference between your regular trim and getting your head fixed after some asshole screwed things up. > > Like, if someone deliberately dumped wine on my pants, there’s a cost difference between me throwing them in the washing machine like usual and getting them dry cleaned to deal with the wine stain. > > In any case, the $300 is bullshit, it never happened, it was all hypothetical. Right. The point here is in intent. If you asked your dry cleaner to cut off all the buttons and resew them on just so it would cost more, that would be a dick move and if your friend found out about it, I think it’d be ok to refuse to pay for that part. I mean, if someone really wanted to make the other person pay, it’d be better to ask them to donate the money to charity or something than to run up the price on principle. That’s just passive aggressive bullshit, and I agree it’s not something anyone should do. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/234 "2010-06-23T17:09:08Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Here’s the thing, even sven: Normally I either just trim my hair at home or go to a Supercuts. I only need an inch taken off the bottom, after all. About once every two years, though, I go to a nice salon that knows how to handle curly hair to get it cut into a style. > If you chopped my hair so brutally, I would absolutely go to the more expensive salon to get it fixed. I wouldn’t trust Supercuts to know what to do. Is that also “running up the price”? I don’t know about **even sven** , but to me this would be fine–I mean, if you cut a chunk of your own hair off on accident, you’d go get the nice cut, right? You’re fixing your hair, not punishing the crazy psycho bitch. To me, adults shouldn’t punish each other. Make restitution when possible, yes. Apologize, yes. Cut someone out of your life when you decide you don’t like them or are uncomfortable with them, yes. But punishment is emotionally unhealthy for the punisher. It’s not how adults are supposed to act with each other. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/235 "2010-06-23T17:28:25Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Jen is not exactly free of blame either. She has perfect and luxurious hair that everyone is jealous of, and goes around complaining about her split ends. She should be more humble since it could be perceived as rubbing it in people’s face. It’s like hanging out with a guy in a wheelchair and then complaining that you’re tired of walking. _The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General._ [RIGHT]–Kurt Vonnegut, _Harrison Bergeron_[/RIGHT] Stranger ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/236 "2010-06-23T17:42:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > \*The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. \* Ah, that takes me back. To high school. Damn you! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/237 "2010-06-23T17:52:27Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > At the risk of Godwinizing the thread…look at newsreels of the liberation of France and the Low Countries. While the Allied tanks are rolling through the streets and people are cheering and waving flags, right while it’s happening, people are pulling out of the crowd women who collaborated with the Nazis, and shaving all their hair off. Social ostracism, taunting, and even beatings may follow, but _the first thing they do_ to their perceived archenemies is cut off their hair. And the women being shorn are weeping uncontrollably. It’s okay. The thread has apparently already reached a consensus that having four inches of hair cut off is equivalent to being beaten or raped, so Godwinizing is almost anticlimactic at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/238 "2010-06-23T17:55:20Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > For someone to write a post as dumb as that one, it’s probably not hard at all. When did thread turn all ugly-poo? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/239 "2010-06-23T18:20:04Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > It’s okay. The thread has apparently already reached a consensus that having four inches of hair cut off is equivalent to being beaten or raped, so Godwinizing is almost anticlimactic at this point. Who here has said that getting your hair cut is like beaten and raped? It’s rude and ill mannered to cut off someone’s hair, especially when their hair is something they love and treasure. Is that so hard to understand? It’s not about the property value. It’s the fact that an ostensible friend tried to go out of their way to destroy something someone loved because they knew she loved it. That’s what’s disturbing. If it was (somehow) an accident, that would be one thing, but to willfully cut off hair _because_ you know they love it…that’s what makes you a disturbed individual. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859/240 "2010-06-23T18:41:52Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > It’s okay. The thread has apparently already reached a consensus that\*\* having four inches of hair cut off is equivalent\*\* **to being** beaten or **raped** , so Godwinizing is almost anticlimactic at this point. It is. There is even a poem about it. Called, fittingly enough, The Rape of the Lock. (Okay, it’s–damn, I forgot the term, but essentially using grand language for a trivial thing.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-off-a-girls-hair-is-this-ever-ok/543859.md?page=13)