Earlier today, a woman sent me an e-mail in response to a profile that I have on match.com. I check out her profile, see her picture, and immediately feel … nothing. No physical attraction whatsoever. In fact, she looked “haggard” and “Appalachian” to my eyes. I got the impression that if I saw her on the street and asked her how she was doing, she’d respond with a somewhat nasal, pack-a-day sounding “fuckin’ a all right … heh heh heh.”
It got me thinking … what exactly was it about her that made me think she was haggard and “white trashy?” Given a photo of a face alone, I can tell is someone seems haggard or white trashy … no clothing or other indicators of class, occupation or social status needed.
So, gang … excepting a mullet, what qualities in a person make them appear haggard and shopworn?
I’d say it’s dry, lifeless, messy, or obviously-dyed hair, combined with poorly-cared-for skin (which is either dry and wrinkeled from too much tanning, or has blemishes,) and dull, yellowish teeth. If a person is pale, with dark circles under the eyes, it can add to the problem. Looking “haggard” is not just in one feature which you can point to, but a combination of many.
Basically, anyone who looks like they might be decomposing while still alive fits the definition. Old people are increasingly susceptible to this condition. Unfortunately, the medical research on this topic is woefully inadequate.