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On Facebook yesterday I asked whether readers preferred long or short hair on men. As I thought about it, I realized that every single hero I’ve written has longish hair. Not Legolas long, but brushing the collar long. Mostly slightly unkempt, in need of a barber.
I don’t know why I do this, except that I think I like the idea
that these guys have more on their minds than the length of their hair. At the same time, I don’t want to see greasy locks or dandruff or unsightly chewed ends or anything. Unkempt but clean, I guess.
It’s not that I don’t like the military cut, especially for military men, but in my mind my heroes just have that certain look.
So what’s your preference? Long hair, short hair, or does it matter? And is it different in real life than in fiction?
57 Comments on “It’s All in the Hair”
You can track this conversation through its atom feed.
Short hair in real time. For some reason long hair on guys always looks stringy and unkempt to me.
In fiction, however, long hair. Although I did write a bald hero once. Loved that guy.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 11:07 am.
I’ve never written a bald hero, Lori. Which book of yours was he in?
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:12 pm.
NATE, one of my Rock Creek westerns. He, of course, had hair on the print cover. On my ebook cover, which I think is on the right here, no hair. I think he looks good.
Posted on June 10, 2012 at 6:57 pm.
I’m with Lori on this one! Short hair is much more attractive to me than longer hair on guys. I even prefer a shaved head over longer locks. Maybe it’s because I have hair envy–if I guy has prettier hair than I do (which is NOT a long shot)–it bugs me
Happy Friday!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 11:52 am.
LOL, Haley — I agree, the heroine has to have better hair than the hero. *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:13 pm.
I like brushing the collar length hair if it’s GOOD hair. You know, thick, full coverage. If a guy doesn’t have good hair, he should keep it short. Or do what my nephew does and just shave it.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:05 pm.
I know what you mean; thinning long hair always reminds me of the combover. Hate that look.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:14 pm.
I think you have to have a certain personality to pull off the longer hair. I have a friend who is from Puerto Rico and has the shoulder length hair. He has this fabulous personality that just works perfectly with it. I know another guy with a similar cut and it just doesn’t work as well. I have only seen a few men with longer hair that made it work. Overall, I prefer shorter hair, though.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:06 pm.
In real life I agree — not many guys can pull off the longer look well. Book heroes, though, always have a slight breeze ruffling their hair wherever they go. *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:15 pm.
Oh, well, of course.. and the heroes can always pull it off.. hence them being heroes
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:40 pm.
New Guy has long hair and natural curls. While he does need a trim to get rid of the split ends, his hair is really clean and as tidy as you can get with curly hair. I will admit to having a thing for guys with long hair because I love to brush the hair of the one I love and short hair just doesn’t really cut it for me. New Guy’s hair when wet is roughly shoulder blade length and looks amazing on his 6 foot 3 height. Yep I am definitely a sucker for long hair on guys.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:10 pm.
That sounds really sexy, Kelly. Yum!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:16 pm.
‘as tidy as you can get with curly hair’
As someone with curly hair, that absolutely cracks me up because as a curly myself, I can imagine it’s not very tidy by most people’s standards. When I finally embraced my curly hair, I had to tell my dh to stop running his fingers thru my hair because one, it hurts, and two, it was giving me MAJOR triangle/pyramid head. Not so attractive, lol.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:29 pm.
I must confess I like a military cut. Not buzz-cut short, but short. My favourite description in a novel comes from Linda Howard’s After the Night. The hero keeps his hair shoulder-length because the sound of hair clippers freaked him out as a child, so he’ll only go into a salon if they swear not to turn on clippers while he’s there. LOL! Genius!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:13 pm.
I love it, Zita!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:16 pm.
I just went thought this with DH. He decided he wanted “long” hair. Well, I told him when we got married (12 years ago) that he didn’t get to tell me how to wear my hair, and I wouldn’t tell him how to wear his. Unfortunately, DH is blonde, that is now turning a “dirty” color with age, and it is thinning…..then there is the definition of “long”. It didn’t even reach the base of his neck when he cut it back to his usual short self. Though it didn’t look good, I miss running my fingers though it.
I’ve often wondered why heros in novels always have long-ish hair. Not many men can pull off long, as mentioned above. I’m more inclined to believe that a dark hair guy would have better looking long-ish hair than a blonde, because of age, thinning, and the whole thing about the darkening color.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:41 pm.
I think dark hair naturally looks thicker than light hair, just because it’s easier to see.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:19 pm.
i like short hair. but yes a bald hero does sound nice
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:51 pm.
Doesn’t he? I have to find Lori H’s book now.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:20 pm.
In fiction I LOVE a guy with long hair. There is something about a Regency rake dressed to the nines with his hair over his collar brushing his shoulders. That “mane” of hair tells the heroine he might just be a handsome handful.
In reality it depends on the hair. Some hair looks great longer on a guy. And some colors and textures of hair look scraggly when long no matter how clean or well-kept. We have Fort Days here in our little town. Fort Toulouse was a French encampment in the early 18th century. Inhabitants were a mixture of French military, French trappers and Native Americans. We have re enactors come from all over to participate in a week of traditional living. One guy comes every year and we ladies in the bakery cannot WAIT to see him. Six foot six, Native American in a loincloth and those thigh high doeskin boots with raven’s wing black hair to his waist. All I can say is “HOT” “DAYUM!”
But hair that long on most of the customers who come into Walmart makes me want to douse them in shampoo and turn the dog clippers on them!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:57 pm.
That fella sounds…awesome. Take pics next time, Louisa!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:21 pm.
Oh we’ve brought cameras to work every year in the hope of catching this guy on camera! (And the face, by the way is just as good as the body!) But so far the timing has been off and none of us has had the courage to follow him around with a camera. This year I think I’ll take one for the team and just walk up and ask him if I can take a photo “Purely for research purposes.” Wish me luck.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 3:24 pm.
LUCK, Louisa!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 8:41 pm.
I’m an 80′s rocker kinda gal – long hair (and don’t mind a little “guy liner”, ha ha. – but I don’t think I’ve ever read about a hero wearing eye liner.)
As long as there is enough hair to fall in the eyes, blow in the wind, grasp hand fulls of… I’m all for it.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 12:57 pm.
another thought – don’tcha love it when it’s in a “queue” and some falls out
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:55 pm.
I don’t think I’ve ever read about guyliner in a romance either, Christy, but Captain Jack Sparrow certainly pulls it off well. *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:22 pm.
I married a serviceman, and I like the neatness and cleanliness of short hair. That said, in a historical setting, I much prefer longish hair. Okay, maybe even in other settings, too. *G* The whole “bit of a renegade” thing tends to lend an element of danger to a bold hero.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:07 pm.
Isn’t it funny how that works, Gwyn?
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:23 pm.
I’m a brush the collar or shorter type. When I think longer hair I think greasy and unattractive. I like to run my fingers through the hair, not get them tangled in it. We’ll leave the tangling for other…nevermind! That goes for real life and fiction.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:07 pm.
LOL, Kelly!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:23 pm.
In real life I prefer short hair because there are very few guys who can pull off long hair. Although, there was this Irish background artist that my dh worked with about 12-13 years ago, who had the longish hair that most Regency heroes seem to have. It had some curl to it, too. Add that he was a soccer player – SO yummy!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:18 pm.
Oooo, and with an Irish accent, too? Yummy indeed, Janae.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:24 pm.
I love long hair it is my favorite to me long hair is more rugged and you can get your hands in it in those most romantic moments.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 1:19 pm.
Amen, Gail! *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:25 pm.
Give me a nice short cut – the texture is so much nicer than long hair! I’m a sucker for a buzz cut!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:02 pm.
On some guys, Elizabeth, I can’t picture anything else.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:26 pm.
Nothing linger than the Hugh picture for me
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:41 pm.
Was that “linger” or “longer”, Archer? LOL – I lingered on the Hugh photo, myself.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:18 pm.
lol sorry just arrived in Scotland today and am still trying to adjust to the time difference so Hugh through me off
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 6:31 pm.
I love Legolas! Don’t mind long or short or medium as long as they look good in it.
I get my boys hair cut short. Very short!!!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 2:45 pm.
And that’s the trick, isn’t it, cff? Figuring out what length looks best on some men.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:19 pm.
In present day world, NO ponytail length long hair. It screams dou….. oops, don’t want to go into moderation.
If a guy has the personality or lifestyle to match, he’s too contrived and focused on making an impression.
If its long because it’s cool among all the other smokers tokers and jokers in his wanna be hippie lifestyle, then it sure ain’t pretty hair.
If he’s got a corporate gig and it’s ponytail long, he’s trying too hard to be different and there’s usually a receding hairline up front.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 3:20 pm.
Yeah, very few guys can get away with ponytail-length hair. Collar-brushing, though — that I like.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:20 pm.
I love longish hair and facial hair. My DH goes from short to long constantly throughout the year. A few of my exes have had pretty long hair, including one who had hair almost as long as mine! I love that sexy unkept look. It’s very piratical.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 3:47 pm.
And piratical is good, cail. As long as it’s on the sexy side rather on the stringy side.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:21 pm.
I’m the same way; in fiction, longish hair. And Legolas long? Hey, there is nothing to knock about Legolas hair. It looks especially nice on Legolas.
In real life, I prefer short hair on mature men. Young men? Fine. Go long. Mature men? What are you? A Doobie Brother?
Fiction. Reality. Not the same planet.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 4:23 pm.
Although it would be fun to see all the real men going around with fans attached to their chests to blow their hair around sexily. *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:23 pm.
Huh. This is the 2nd article I’ve read today on men’s hair length….
I prefer the Bruce Willis/Mitch Pileggi look myself. No muss, no fuss. To me, shaved heads = self-confidence coz I figure you gotta have guts to go bald, regardless of whether nature intends for you to or not.
About 15-20 years back, I had a colleague who was terrified of going bald (and he was – bigtime), to the extent that he bought tons of quack hair-growing products, tried combovers, wore a hair piece for a while and finally got a hair weave done. He looked so bad that I actually convinced him to shave it all off. As soon as he did it, he started getting compliments and he *loved* it. It also helped that his hair weave had been botched horribly, so the shaved look was a huge improvement. All that time, money and energy wasted, only to end with the easiest of hairstyles!!! Irony.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 4:53 pm.
I’ll tell you what I *don’t* like – straightened hair on men. What is THAT about??? Bad enough that women do it, but when men do it…. Gaaahhhhh…..
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 4:55 pm.
Some guys look awesome bald. Patrick Stewart, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington. Others, not so much. Hair can do a lot to cover a weird-looking head shape. *g*
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:25 pm.
In historical romance, hair that ‘curls around the collar’ is nice. I like dark hair drawn back in a queue or shaved heads in paranormals. In contemporary romamce, I go for that ‘regular boy cut.’ Guess I’m rather particular about my hair styles. Never knew I gave it that much thought.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:12 pm.
I hadn’t realized that I did either, Donna, until I started looking back at all the pictures I’d posted on Facebook. Most of them had that longish hair.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 5:26 pm.
Oh, I’ve always loved long hair – from 80′s rockers (then, not so much now) to Tom Brady’s shoulder length to Legolais. No need to mention 1) CLEAN or 2) CUT well – that’s a given. Always long in fiction except my current fav military stories! But in today’s reality, I’d just love to see more of that Hugh Jackman photo length!
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 8:52 pm.
I’m now, and always have been a fan of long hair, on a man. Could be falling in love with the Beatles at an impressionable age or a reaction to the military cuts I was surrounded by growing up, but I’ll take long hair over a buzz any day of the week. On the other hand, I also had a major crush on Yul Brynner (who was maybe the first hottie who was bald for all of you youngsters out there)! In fact, I still prefer the long-haired looks of the cover models who used to have long hair but now have short. Honestly, it’s a contrast thing–long hair makes a gorgeous man look more masculine to me, just like I like to know I’m wearing very sexy underwear beneath really boring, buttoned-up clothes. Opposition provides emphasis. My partner has gorgeous curls, of which I’m totally jealous, and wears his hair longish except in the summer when it’s too hot here.
And, Suzanne, I’m definitely going to have to visit your Facebook page.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 8:57 pm.
I like long shiney hair if they keep it up, but generally the guys I have dated are shorter hair and no mustache and beard, and stubble only late eve or early morn.
Posted on June 8, 2012 at 10:32 pm.
No great preference. Just not daggy long.
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 3:39 am.
Short hair for me! I hate long hair on a man.
Posted on June 9, 2012 at 5:09 pm.