Spinoff: Do you feel that healthier/longer hair has helped you career?

[CAPlush]

I recently was listening to a show on the radio that discussed a study that showed that "attractive" people (however that's defined by the study) either receive more job offers or get promoted more often than "unattractive" people. I believe some of the parameters they used were weight and height, and how pics of various people were rated by others. This has me thinking if hair could be one of the parameters that effect Black women, as we know that baldness surely effects many men's careers (I've NEVER personally had a bald male bosserplexed, and every man in higher level management at my old corporate job had a full head of hair).

Hair is a somewhat important factor in whether some one is perceived as attractive. Has healthier hair or longer hair helped you in your career in any way that you can tell? Or has having unhealthy hair negatively effected your career?

 

[Divine Inspiration]

I believe it has. Hair is a part of an overall image and healthy hair, IMO, is a huge part of that.

I've seen people who were qualified for positions but not as groomed get passed over for promotions they deserved. I've also seen people who weren't all that qualified get promotions just for having the look of "having it together."

I think Americans attach so many connotations to appearance, and clearly, hair is a "thing" for black women so I think it makes a difference, whether we think it should or not.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

interesting thread. I agree with Divine Inspiration. Hair is a part of the overall image and can really help. Not just hair though, attitude and personal confidence has a lot to do with it, I think.

 

[spiceykitten]

I will not say it has helped or hurt my career. I have had a short Halle Berry cut and looked good.

I will say that my long hair gives me more of Barbie doll look. My hair is just topping on an already beautiful package. I think you have to have the whole package to have an effect. I have the whole package: hair and body.

Yet, in the workplace women hate me so I keep very few women friends and men love me but often get upset when I do not want to give them a time of the day.

Again, no offense to anyone you but you can have all the hair in the world but if you do not have the cute or pretty face and nice figure..hair is not a big deal. This has been my experience.

 

[Brownie]

For me, beauty is in---not only the outer appearance---but also in a person's attitude---the vibe a person gives off. Regardless of what the face/body looks like, a person is unattractive, unless he/she is giving off a certain vibe. On the flipside, someone can be visually average or even less than average but come off as attractive due to attitude, his/her vibe, and other measures of attractiveness such as: personality, positive energy, verbal/nonverbal communication, intelligence, and everything else.

If physical factors like weight, height, hair length, and facial beauty were the only measures of success, Oprah would not be where she is today. Other people who do not fit the "norm" (visually pleasing facial features, average height/weight, full--men/long--women hair) of being attractive but who did accomplish success would include: Donald Trump, Rosie O'Donald, Halle Berry (short hair in past), Monique, Queen Latifah, Jill Scott (full figure), Danny Divito, Roseann Barr, Rodney Dangerfield, Forest Whittaker, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Anniston, Barbara Streisand, Steve Martin, Tina Turner/Angela Bassett (strong/versus soft, feminine features), Barry White, Jay Z, Bill Gates, etc, etc, etc.

Being cute is not enough and having long hair is not enough. As for what the studies have found, for every study, there is another study to discount it, and people tend to pick only certain parts from a review to focus on instead of the entirety.

Bottom-line, everyone can work on improving his/her outside packaging by working on grooming, picking out flattering clothing, and by working on the state of the body itself; however, the inward person has to be continuously improved (education, self-knowledge, knowledge of others, confidence, love, compassion, spirituality, motivation/drive/passion etc. etc.) also because this tends to be just as important for a first and lasting impression.

 

[willie525]

I believe there is more to it than just beauty. Although being attractive does help you in some ways, I think the most important thing is being well-groomed. Having healthy fresh hair that is cut into a flattering shape is more important than having long stringy greasy hair IMO. Having well-groomed nails, always looking well put together, and a sense of confidence factors into that as well.

And sometimes...I've noticed, that average women may get promoted before a beauty...particularly if the boss is a woman. So I guess it can go both ways.

 

[guesswho]

Well I always bun so I don't believe hair gave me anything job wise, but I'll be the first to say in my profession which is real estate I do sell more men houses! I use that to my advantage lol, and I've been doing this for 7yrs and I milk it lol