# What do you prefer in a man/woman, long or short hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207 "2000-08-13T20:00:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Anniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniz)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/1 "2000-08-13T20:00:54Z")
For me it doesn’t matter if the guy have long or short hair. Some suits in long and some in short. Boring answer I know. But tell us what you prefer or if it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/2 "2000-08-13T20:08:10Z")
I tend to go for the short, cropped look on men - not quite Marines-short, but not much longer than that. There are, of course, occasional exceptions. Don’t really have an opinion about women. ---
**Author:** ![7\_of\_7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/3bc359/32.png) [@7\_of\_7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/7_of_7)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/3 "2000-08-13T20:10:23Z")
If she cuts her hair, I really hate it, but if I met her with short hair, then it doesn’t matter. Unless she lets it grow out, which is ideal. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/4 "2000-08-13T20:38:55Z")
As long as it looks good and the person is happy with it, I don’t care what their hair looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/5 "2000-08-13T21:05:06Z")
There’s not a woman alive who doesn’t look better with long hair. It’s a pet peeve of mine that women over a certain age all seem to cut their hair short. Long hair on an older woman looks great! ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/6 "2000-08-13T21:42:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > **There’s not a woman alive who doesn’t look better with long hair.** Here I am. I have thin, straight, stringy, oily hair - think Peppermint Patty without the fringe - and when I tried to wear it long it was a complete unmanageable sloppy mess. The only way it looked half-decent was in a ponytail, so I wore it in a ponytail pretty much every day until I finally had the good sense to cut it. The approval rate amongst friends and acquaintances was 100%. I’ll never wear it long again. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/7 "2000-08-13T22:02:47Z")
Short, short, short! I love women with short hair. The shorter the better. There’s nothing sexier. Seeing her neck, ears and jawline gets me very, very excited. Spoke, you can just send your rejects my way. I’ll make them feel very, very wanted. ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/8 "2000-08-13T22:45:34Z")
If a guy has really nice hair, then he should wear it long, if it’s thin or stringy it should be short. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/9 "2000-08-13T22:52:45Z")
I’m in 100% agreement with ruadh, on both counts. Short hair on men, and I’m a woman who looks gross with long hair and for the exact same reason. I got my first “pixie” in 4th grade and it’s never been longer than a bob since. And also to add to what Zenith said, some guys look good with long hair, but I think the key is to take care of it. Some guys just decide “I’m gonna have long hair” and never cut it again. It ends up either a shaggy haystack of split ends or just lays there looking slimy. Like those Hanson kids. ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/10 "2000-08-13T22:53:22Z")
Personally, I think _everybody_ looks better with long hair. My hair is long, thick, and red with just enough curl to make it wavy. I once had a girl at a party plop down on my lap and start playing with it, all the while cooing about how nice my hair is. Ain’t no way in hell I’m cuttin’ it off. ---
**Author:** ![FreakFreely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@FreakFreely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FreakFreely)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/11 "2000-08-13T22:55:34Z")
Oh yeah, and I take _damn_ good care of my hair. The women like it, and I’ll take every advantage I can get. ---
**Author:** ![GreatKingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@GreatKingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreatKingRat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/12 "2000-08-13T23:03:55Z")
Long and blond. ---
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/13 "2000-08-13T23:59:00Z")
i prefer longer hair on girls, i think midlength to long looks the best, although short does work for some people. i just like longer better for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/14 "2000-08-14T00:28:02Z")
Some women look good enough to pull off the short-hair thing ( **ruadh** and **voguevixen** included- I checked out the People Pages ;)). Long hair still looks better, IMHO. **ruadh** , as far as polling your friends on the matter is concerned, come on. When you ask, “Do you like my hair better this way?” who in their right mind is going to answer by saying “Well, no. I liked it better long…”??? ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/15 "2000-08-14T01:00:25Z")
Either long or short is ok by me for men or women, but the hairstyle to avoid, IMHO, is the mullet, also known as the Achy-Breaky-Big-Mistakey or Business-in-front-Party-out-back. You know, the hairstyle that is short on the top and sides, but has a long fringe in the back. Mulleteers are usually seen wearing sleeveless Miller tshirts and driving trucks–and that’s the women. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/16 "2000-08-14T01:01:41Z")
As I like to say, long hair for men, even longer hair for women. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/17 "2000-08-14T01:28:52Z")
It truly depends on the woman and the hair. Some look phenomenal with long hair and not-as-good-but-still-radiant with short hair. Some look like they don’t know what a pair of scissors look like with long hair and beautiful with shorter hair. FTR, I have long hair. I dunno if it goes with the rest of me. ---
**Author:** ![kiffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/18 "2000-08-14T02:10:19Z")
I agree with Iampuna; it depends upon the woman, her style and her hair. For a man: shaved head and trimmed beard. I used to like long hair, but alot of men don’t know how to keep their hair in good condition with a haircut that has style. I’m tired of the “wash with soap, air dry and cut only when the hair gets caught in the wheel spokes” syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/19 "2000-08-14T02:10:55Z")
I don’t really notice hair on males. I myself have had long hair since the Carter Administration…but since it is busily abandoning me in the center, I occasionally think about going to very short instead. In a general sense, I prefer long hair on women. But I can think of enough exceptions that it’s a pretty weak preference. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207/20 "2000-08-14T02:45:59Z")
I personally love long hair on women. I’ve yet to see a woman cut her hair off and have it look better. On the other hand, short hair bests suits petite women with cute, pixie-like faces. In other words, not Roseanne Barr. But, said petite woman probably looks better with long hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-prefer-in-a-man-woman-long-or-short-hair/29207.md?page=2)