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"Men hate short hair," according to Patti Stanger, CEO and owner of The Millionaire's Club, and star of the hit Bravo series "The Millionaire Matchmaker."* If that is actually the case, perhaps that explains why so many women choose to cut off their long locks as they grow older. By adopting a more androgynous appearance, they are making a statement to themselves and the world that they are no longer interested in attracting or dealing with the opposite sex.

Short hairstyles for woman first became popular in the 1920s, where bobs and waves signified independence, a free spirit, a woman unshackled by the constraints of Victorian era standards. Long, braided plaits and waist-length hair, bound into buns and twists, gave way to short, sassy styles that screamed freedom from the control and influence of an otherwise male-dominated society.

The post-war 1950s ushered in another period of short hair styles for women - the clipped, helmet-like, hair sprayed coifs popularized by TV moms June Cleaver and Jane Wyman and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower - were a big departure from the glamorous, free-flowing styles of the 1940s. The domestic goddess was in - the sexy pinup was out. Women's sexuality was further suppressed during this time - simple, neutral-colored button-up dresses belted at the waist, practical shoes and minimal jewelry did much to downplay a woman's appearance as the short hair styles of the day.

Short hair is characterized by such adjectives as "cute," "low-maintenance" and "tomboyish," but rarely is "sexy" or "beautiful" ever used to describe it. You rarely notice a woman's hair if it is clipped short, but you are hard-pressed to forget a woman who has grown her tresses down to her waist. An "older" woman with long hair is a unique commodity - and something you tend to remember or subconsciously notice. With that said, short hair is somewhat forgettable - long hair is not.

Whether an older woman should have long or short hair, obviously, is up to the woman and how she sees herself. Most woman look more interesting, more feminine and more attractive with long hair. It is a female trait that has been in existence since caveman times - grab the woman by the hair and drag her to the cave.

If an older woman has no interest in men, or what goes on in their caves for that matter, then she most likely has short hair. If she has long hair, then she continues to recognize and appreciate the power it weilds over the opposite sex - no matter the stage of life in which she finds herself.

*Source: Amanda Beals, Mainstreet.com 2008-07-03

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