BS: Why do women bleach their hair?

Subject: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 09:58 AM

Has anyone noticed, when standing in a queue at the super market, how many women have bleached hair? Why? Bit like this really

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:09 AM

It's like the plethora of Iraqis [men] under Saddam Hussein's rule, most of them had moustaches. Surely they didn't all think it suited them?


I thought it was blonde ladies who died their roots black Sal?


How does one find out?

G

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:10 AM

Yes, and don't forget the pink lipstick ! Also the orange make - up.

Why do blondes wear underwear? To keep their ankles warm.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Wesley S
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:16 AM

The rumor is that "Blondes have more fun". Some brunettes would dispute that.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: jacqui.c
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:12 AM

Because they can. Same as why do they wear make-up. Just for a change of look or because they really think that it makes them more attractive.

Mine has been every colour from blonde through to dark brown in its time. I got to a point where it was just too much trouble and expense to keep it coloured. It's now gone 'back to its roots'.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:17 AM

It's almost the same question as "Why do you bob your hair, girls?"

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Emma B
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:27 AM

if you can't quite make up your mind.....

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:29 AM

Well if you'd seen the amount of male bleach blonde spike jobs on the train this afternoon, you'd wonder if maybe you hadn't got it wrong.

I can't decided whether it was a hairdresser's convention just finishing or some University ident tag, like Rag Week Tshirts....

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: JulieF
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:53 AM

Don't know about the youngsters but I'm blonde(ish) because the grey can't quite mke its on its own yet.

J

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Becca72
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 11:54 AM

Why not?

The only color my hair hasn't been (besides grey) is black and that's simply because I am very fair skinned with green eyes, and black hair would make me look like the walking dead (not that I haven't considered it).

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 12:12 PM

Hmmm I see what you mean Becca.

G

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: bobad
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 12:55 PM

Because Gentlemen Prefer Blondes of course.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Becca72
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:00 PM

Goik! How on earth did you get those pictures of me?? :-O

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:09 PM

They got the silly idea somewhere that it would make them look better, that's why. I think they are mistaken.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:24 PM

Changing hair color or style is a bit like buying a new frame for a favorite painting. It doesn't change the essence, just the presentation.

Of course, the trick to chosing a picture frame is that the frame needs to be pleasing of its own merit, yet sufficiently understated that the painting, not the frame, is the center of attention. Unfortunately, there are a lot of gaudily framed paintings in the world, and there are a lot of people with gaudily framed faces as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:31 PM

"Why do women bleach their hair?"

For the same reason men do.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:32 PM

Mine has certainly been most colours over the years. When I change colour I do it for me - sometimes a change is just what we need to give us a lift!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:34 PM

I thought that was bras?

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:39 PM

Why do men grow those silly little plaits? It seems the balder the man, the longer the plait...

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:40 PM

They say that the best form of defence is attack.

G

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 01:44 PM

sometimes if follows divorce.

other people change their sartorials at this juncture.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 02:14 PM

When I was little, my hair was a beautiful golden yellow. Then it turned to dishwater brown.

Now look at gardens. How many golden flowers do you see? How many dishwater brown flowers do you see?

Conclusion: people bleach their hair because it's prettier that way.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: frogprince
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 03:11 PM

Years ago I realized that I had something of a fetish for long, dark hair. It never reached the level of leading to compulsive behaviour, or even making me inclined to consider hair color or length at all when it came to actual romantic pursuits. I ended up with a woman with mid-length blondish hair, which is now mid-to-dark brown. My long-dark-hair obsession fizzled out, unnoticed, somewhere back in the years.
I would like to think that a woman who bleaches her hair does it because it makes her happy with her own appearance, if only as a change of pace for fun at a given point.
I'm sure that most, if not all, of us have seen any number of young people around with hair of every imaginable hue by now. Usually it looks a little silly to me. But a couple of months ago, in the local grocery, I fell in line with one young lady with very vivid blue locks. She was dressed in young, but neat and tasteful, style.
Y'know, she looked "cute as the dickins".

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 03:38 PM

These replies are facinating. Some of you joking, some of you spiteful, some of you defencive and some of you actually question it. The 'Gentlemen prefer blonds' is good, but I want an answer to 'Why bleach'? What's so wonderful about being blonde?? It's only a small step to become grey but that's a no no!

Why do some men bleach their hair? I think we now have to ask why it's only caucasians that bleach.   Have you seen many black people with bleached hair?

Why do black people straighten hair? What happened to the afro hair of the 70s & 80s?

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:10 PM

"Have you seen many black people with bleached hair?"

Well, yes, actually I have. Also hair dyed other colors.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:23 PM

The simpole answer is to make it lighter for whatever their personal reason.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:30 PM

BLEACH? I thought it was BEACH. I know why whales do it.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:38 PM

Because they want to.


DC

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:40 PM

"It's only a small step to become grey but that's a no no!"

I have never been blonde, and my hair is going grey real fast. Nowt to do with bleach. I can't be arsed to try and make myself look ten years younger, because then I'd look like a 60-year-old trying to be 50 years old. I suppose I could dye it but it would clash with the tie!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:41 PM

Life's a bleach innit?

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:42 PM

lol

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:43 PM

DANG.

Life's a bleach

--get ready for this--

and then you dye!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:47 PM

You obviously have an eye for the curls Peace

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:48 PM

Keriste, Giok, if I didn't have a black satin pillow case I wouldn't be able to find my hair in the morning!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Emma B
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 04:56 PM

you Canucks sure know how to live :)

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 05:13 PM

Oh, yeah . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Gurney
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 05:32 PM

My hair is self-bleaching.
Unfortunately, it is not on my head anymore.


But my beard is platinum blonde!



Makes my teeth look yellow.



Pothing's nerfect, is it!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 05:33 PM

No ma'am.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 06:36 PM

I was listening to a bit of science journalism on the radio the other day and the interviewee was trying to convince us that "blonde" is associated in our minds with "young"; he didn't have any sort of Asian or African accent so I guess his ancestry was mostly north of the Mediterranean.

He went on to say that most of us are into wanting "young" either as a descriptor of ourselves or as a sexual partner and thus are more attracted by blondes/blonds. If you look at the models photographed in mags like Vogue and analyse the semiotics involved, I suppose you'd find supporting evidence for the notion that "young" is sexually attractive.

And then there's the evidence that the ancient Greeks (north of the Mediterranean but with lots of dark hair) dyed their locks blond so they'd more closely resemble 'those exotics from north of the Alps" and thus enhance their own sexual attractiveness.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:17 PM

SE corner of Wyoming, US....I see LOTS of dark skinned people, mostly young ones, with bleached hair. Black, Hispanics, etc. It's a current fad, looks 'cool'. 'Patterns' seem to be currently In. Stripes, X-es, etc. The trouble with bleaching very dark or black hair is that it turns a nasty (IMO) yellow. Strokes for folks.

I've been thinking about dying mine green lately, just for fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:35 PM

I was a towhead as a kid, with white blond hair. We all had it. It stayed quite blond thorough my teens, but as I approached 20 it got darker, more of a greenish (ash) color to it. After having children it got a lot darker. For the last 6 or 7 years I've used blond highlights that resemble the shade at about 20 to blend with the current ash color. This masks the gray that is coming through.

I haven't had all sorts of colors, and I'm not ready to try doing all of it one color. For many years I wore long hair and didn't do anything except wear it in braids or a pony tail. The color and the decision to have nice haircuts came with maturity and the realization that when women reach middle age they become invisible to most of the world. I'm fading into the background fast. But at least taking the trouble to do more with my hair after all of this time is a nice way to pamper myself.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:55 PM

blond hair has been fashionable since the Ancient Greeks started coveting their neighbour's hair

... dyed hair was actually accepted as necessary for mourning when it was darkened. It could also be reddened, or made blond. This is the first indication of the tradition which was maintained by the Latin races & later by western society, that fair hair was more desirable than black and has connotations of innocence, superior race & sexual desirability. The blonds of ancient Greece were induced by a pomade of yellow flower petals, a potassium solution, or other coloured powders which veiled their hair with red, gold or silver. (p.29)

Writing in the second century, Apuleius expresses the Roman attitude when he says that the first thing he notices in a pretty woman is her hair, shining with golden light & glossy with spikenard lotion. Although he spares a glance for the dark haired woman, for him the truly attractive girl has blond hair. The Romans debased his view, dyeing their hair red or blond hair with with a soap from Germany which had originated in Gaul. Blond hair became the brand of a prostitute. The savages of the north ... sent this unguent to Rome ... (and) the fair hair of their women, which was made into ornate wigs ... (p.31)

Medieval women used blond & dark dyes, tho never red as that was the colour associated with witchcraft! Hair could also be lightened in the sun scroll down to pic of courtesan lightening her hair using hat without crown

Maggie Angeloglou - A history of makeup (London Studio Vista 1970)

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 07:58 PM

it took me so long to compose the above post & find the pic which I have in my Histocical costume books, that I nearly lost it - I posted twice & nuffin' happened!

Good thing the back arrow allowed me to find it!

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 08:20 PM

Sally - I personally dont give a **** about the colour of a lady's hair , but I cant help wondering how much nastiness would have been generated if a Mere Man had asked the question !

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 08:53 PM

Hydrogen peroxide, the key chemical ingredient in bleach, also kills cooties. Maybe there's a connection.

Cheerily,
Charley Ignoble

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Apr 08 - 10:35 PM

Oh, ho, Charley!

************88
By the way, above Ms Lemon asked why some Black women straighten their hair. I would answer that they do it for the same reason that many White women curl theirs.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: GUEST,LTS - natural blonde pretending to work
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 03:29 AM

Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but bad boys are more fun!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: mouldy
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 05:10 AM

I have allowed meself to go grey - not for me the panic every few weeks when the shop's run out of my colour (as witnessed regularly with a friend). I started off blonde as a child, then ended up a mucky dark blonde/mousey light brown. I now have a "colour" (grey's a colour)! I'm not saying that I wouldn't perhaps look better with a bit of warmth in the shade, perhaps some lowlights, but once you join the bottle club....

...and I would look DREADFUL as a blonde, which does seem to be the preference for ladies of a "certain age" - either that, or an unconvincing beige. I have, however, vaguely considered a semi permanent green, or purple from time to time. Mrs Duck looks great in red, but I don't think I could manage that!

Andrea

ps - my son's fiancee, who is black, has straightened her hair in the past, but tends to revert to a number one cut all over when she's got bored with it. She has also been known to completely shave her head!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: nutty
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 06:44 AM

A relatively "Clean" comment from Roy (Chubby) Brown

I like blondes - they get dirty quickly

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Moses
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 06:58 AM

I have my hair 'restored to it's natural colour' regularly.... It IS natural.... it says "Natural Ash Blonde" on the box:-)

Reason - same as the reason for wearing make-up or nice clothes - it makes me feel good.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:38 AM

What little hair is left on the top of my head seems to be naturally bleaching.

I have been wondering how it might look if I dyed it, along with my beard, a nautical Navy Blue. Maybe I'll experiment in Photoshop first!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:38 AM

make sure you send a photo to Joe so we can all see you with blue hair, Bluebeard!!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:47 AM

My hair is now and has always been blonde, as have my siblings (except for first the gray and now the white). My nieces are all naturally blonde, although one is tending towards a light brown. The youngest collects blonde jokes, so I sent her the only clean one I heard.

Like Peace, I can't be bothered to use Grecian Formula or something else to "change my hair back to it's natural color."

Although, years back, for a school picnic my brother did dye his hair red. Bright red. Using food coloring. He started to sweat, the red dye ran down over his face and the nuns thought he was having some sort of Awful Attack and made him rest in the shade while they brought him cold drinks and ice cream. Needless to say, his Awful Attack lasted for about an hour, at which time my mother came looking for him and laughed herself sick when she discovered what he was up to -- and then she blew the whistle and his little game was over. It's not NICE to fool nuns...a lesson he learned on the spot.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Penny S.
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 03:39 PM

Same as Stilly River Sage. I started blondish, got mousey, and then, when someone called me brunette, had a good look and didn't recognise myself. It wasn't a nice positive brunette. So now, while awaiting for the grey, I'm having highlights so it looks like me.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 03:51 PM

I think the more interesting question is - why don't more men bleach (or otherwise colour) their hair? :)

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 04:18 PM

Sue, there are just some things that cannot be improved upon.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Rowan
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 08:26 PM

why don't more men bleach (or otherwise colour) their hair?
My beard already has every (natural) hair colour in it, including grey, so why would I want to emphasise any one over the others?

The stuff on top, while it started dark, is gradually going that sort of 'natural blonde' that increases with age. And yes, I do have "matching collar and cuffs".

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Apr 08 - 09:35 PM

I didn't bleach my hair. Time did it for me.

Why do I grow it long? Mostly because I spent most of my life being dictated to that I had to cut it.

Why do women shave (I don't do that either)? I suspect that this is "dogwhistle" institutional paedophilia.


And why do we all use deodorants (guilty, here but not as guilty as some who assault my nostrils by smelling of improbable things like chemical pine trees) when most animals seem to be sexually attracted to each other by their natural smells (or foxshit in the case of dogs), not the smells of chemicals?

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: open mike
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 03:08 AM

when i noticed that many of the Asian students in my area bleached their hair, i wished i had stock in the company because sales have sky rocketed since thousands of "boat people" have been landing here in the past few decades..

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:31 PM

I have three things to say.

1. You can say all you want about the desire to look young or to look sexy, but the main reason people change their hair is because they are playing. We don't lose our desire to play (fool) with things just because we get older.

2. Nonetheless it's intelligent to be reasonable. The person in ms lemon's first post is never going to succeed as a blonde. Her natural color is too dark for that. Sorry, lady.

3. Peace: is that your own picture that you posted? My, you're handsome! But if I were you, I'd lose the lipstick.

Just a suggestion.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:50 PM

Crud. Everyone's a critic.

Jeeze, leeneia, I wish. I'm an ugly old fart who just turned 60. My hair is still there, in places. When people use a camera I ask them to boost film speed because the flash bounces off the top of my head and I may end up being responsible for sending some messages into space. Lord knows how they'll be interpreted.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Peace
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:50 PM

Uh, no offense, but the lipstick STAYS!

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 06:08 PM

Hey, thanks for the clarification. (I'm sure everybody appreciates your not sending messages into space.)

As for the lipstick - I guess you don't play flute, whistle, harmonica, which would get clogged up and all pink around the top.
======
When my niece was a college freshman, she dyed her hair dark blue. Everybody in the family thought, 'Let's not say anything, and she'll get tired of it.' She kept it up for FOUR YEARS. (Must have been reading our minds.) Meanwhile, her natural hair was a lovely, dark brown, soft and shiny...

Heaven knows what was really going on.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Gurney
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 11:45 PM

Some travel agents advise blondes travelling in Africa to dye their hair black!

Blondes fetch the best prices in the bazaar.

I'm really not kidding.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: JHW
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 12:48 PM

> A blind man wanders into an all girls biker bar by mistake. He finds his way to a bar stool and orders some coffee. After sitting there forawhile, he yells to the waiter, "Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?"
>
> The bar immediately falls absolutely silent. In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, "Before you tell that joke, sir, I think it is only fair---given that you are blind---that you should know five things:
>
> 1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.
>
> 2. The bouncer is a blonde girl.
>
> 3. I'm a 6 foot tall, 175 lb. blonde woman with a black belt in
> karate.
>
> 4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional
> weightlifter.
>
> 5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.
>
> Now, think about it seriously, Mister. Do you still wanna tell that joke?"
>
> The blind man thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters, "No...not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times."

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 03:49 PM

Richard

Yeh - I've always uncomfortably suspected that very thing myself...*ducks at the inevitable onslaught of denial*

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Apr 08 - 05:11 PM

The multiplicity of answers herein - Sal - is your clue to the impossibility of an answer. THERE ARE MANY REASONS, as many as there are people who do it, plus those they do it for.

I can't say any of my girlfriends were ever blond, what does that say about me?

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Gurney
Date: 07 Apr 08 - 12:11 AM

That there aren't many blondes around your way?

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Apr 08 - 02:50 AM

In Wednesbury? Land of peroxide?
You may have a point though - I left before girls were a factor. We moved upmarket (??) to West Bromwich.

No, having thought about it - blonde is not one of my pecadillos.

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 04:48 AM

So this doesn't have anything to do with blonde hair and blue eyes as in Hitler's perfect race?

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Why do women bleach their hair?
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 02:37 PM

Looking into a mirror must have been hard for Hitler...