a pinoy hair story.2
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A PINOY HAIR STORY (Anthro10 Mini-ethnography Project)
A Pinoy Hair StoryAs in all cultures, Filipinos consider hair an important asset. May it be to signify social
status or simply to encourage the opposite sex to approach--- Filipinos do not lag behind their
Western brethren in recognizing the power of hair.
Hair in Pop Culture. The Finalists of a local network’s star search sports a variety of ‘dos
that reflected various hair trends in the Philippines
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A PINOY HAIR STORY (Anthro10 Mini-ethnography Project)
A Glance of History.
The Filipinos in the 1500s let their hair grow. This was not for lack of a means to groom
it; as the Bontoks in northern Cordillera cut their hair by resting it on a block of wood and
chopping it with their headaxe (resulting in a "coconut husk" cut). This was their preference and
they gathered their long hair up with a cloth wrapped around their head. An alternative take on
hair cutting was that it is a sign of punishment or deep mourning. The Ifugao son whose father
was murdered would not cut his hair until he himself had sought vengeance. These Filipinos
loved to display their long tresses. Back then, to have cropped your hair meant you were from
the province. "Inalotan ka! (you close-cropped *$#@)" was also curse then, a sign of how short
hair was frowned upon.
But even if sixteenth-century Filipinos sported long hair, they did not have beards. They
chose to trim their facial hair with tweezers or a pair of clam shells. It was the influence of the
Spanish that caused a change in the trend. Notably, only Filipinos in areas with strong Spanish
influence had short hair. According to the late historian William Henry Scott this was something
the church considered a part of "taming their ancient ferocity with the gentleness of the Gospel".
As much as hair is an object of vanity, it has also been a means of expressing oneself,
politically most especially. Macario Sakay, a member of the Katipunan, grew his hair long as
part of his campaign against foreign domination. He fought, undaunted by the death of Andres
Bonifacio in 1897 and the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo in 1901. In 1906, he surrendered under
the impression that he would be granted amnesty. Unfortunately, that was a farce. He was
convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for banditry. In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos
also ordered all Filipino men to cut their hair as part of the "taming of their revolutionary spirit
with the gentleness of the New Society". The late Zamboanga Mayor Cesar Climaco wore his
hair long in open defiance of the Martial Law. Upon his death, his long white hair had already
reach his waist.
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A PINOY HAIR STORY (Anthro10 Mini-ethnography Project)
“Imported” Hairstyles.
Hair styles also vary with every decade. The trends often reflect the status of that era.
The Philippines can be seen as following the history of America's hair trends. The emergence of
short, bobbed and waved styles, for example, was met by the 1920's. This style signified the
new independent, free-spirited, free-woman ethos of the day. Men’s hair remained short and
was most often worn with a centre parting and slicked back using brilliantine and highly
perfumed oils. In the 1940’s, the feminine and romantic styles for women were dominant. This
translates into soft curls falling onto the shoulders or long, wavy natural looks. More practical
women wore their hair in a neat roll around the nape and over the ears, often covered with a
headscarf knotted at the front leaving only the fringe (or bangs) exposed. Plastic hair rollers
were an essential part of styling as was styling lotion to hold the hair in place for as long as
possible.
Female Hairtrends as popularized by the media from(presented left to right, top to bottom)
the 1920s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s.
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Glamour regained popularity in the 1950’s. The aim was to look like a "domestic
goddess". The impression that all household chores could be accomplished whilst still looking
stylish and well groomed was aspired to. Hair began to suffer abuse however; it was teased,
sculpted, sprayed, permanently waved and forced into perfectly formed curls. Hair often
resembled a perfect helmet and women started to visit salons on a weekly basis. Men of the day
were also prepared to spend time copying their idols James Dean and Elvis and greased back
hairdo’s were coupled with long, heavy sideburns. This style can be easily viewed in the popular
movie "Grease". Although this film was released in the 70's, the plot was set in the 50's. By the
1960's, practicality once again became an issue with women's hairstyles. Women were once
again entering the workforce and therefore had to adopt a more achievable daytime look. Many
favored short, back-combed hairstyles that could be quickly styled and held in place with hair
spray, softened with a long, feminine fringe. Younger women who left their hair longer tended to
wear it loose or in a simple ponytail, adorning it with flowers or ribbons during the fashionable
hippie phase. Men on the other hand, wore their hair similar to the Beatles or a simple crew cut.
The 70's gave way to free-spiritedness and long, long, long hair on both genders. The
emphasis was on free-flowing, feathery hair. The late 70's was the birth of punk, with its spiked
hair and outrageous colors. The 80's style icon was Madonna, with her ever-changing style.
This era focused more on freedom but women preferred the long-bob was highly favored-
precisely cut and evenly curled under. During the 90's, there were less constraints with
hairstyles, pretty much anything was acceptable. What was popular with women was the
"Rachel" cut inspired by Jennifer Aniston's character in the popular TV series FRIENDS.
Teenage boys however sported hair similar to the Backstreet Boys, particularly Nick Carter's.
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A PINOY HAIR STORY (Anthro10 Mini-ethnography Project)
The famed F4 group who revolutionized the male hairtrend.
Particularly in the Philippines, cultural trends influence hair. Early in the 2k's, during the
F4 and Asianovela boom in popularity, pin-straight hair was the ideal. Because of this, hair
rebonding and relaxing became prevalent practices. For the women, long hair or asymmetrical
or shaggy cuts were "in" while men would go for longer hair either wispy or pin-straight as well.
After this, permed or curled hair became popular for women while anime and cartoon-ish cuts
became common with the younger population. Through this, men have started sporting shaved
heads without the previous connotation of "ex-convict" attached to it. Currently, the trends
seem to be "emo" hair (bangs covering eyes) for both genders, short bobs for women and
shaved heads for men.
The Long Hair/Short Hair Generation.
When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, they brought with them Christianity.
Through religion, they were able to impose a lot of things to the Filipinos. They used the most
powerful tool of all – the bible to govern almost all aspects of life of the Filipino people. So
when the bible states in 1 Corinthians 11: 14-15 that “Does not the very nature of things teach
you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her
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glory?,” it is no wonder for me why in the context of Filipino culture, women have always
treasured their long hair.
Even Philippine literature says a lot about the long hair culture of women. From Maria
Makiling to Maria Clara, it is almost inevitable to see them represented to possess long hair.
Because of this, having long hair has been a symbol of beauty for many years now. Today,
however, Filipino women have more than just one Maria Clara to emulate. Because of
globalization and modernization, there are many influences now that it seems like short hair is
taking over in the beauty department. Hollywood and media have been huge factors to this
change.
Now, more than ever, women are sporting the short hair look. If you ask salons about
the most requested hairstyle for women, it has to be the Pob. It is derived from two words: Posh,
after Posh Spice Victoria Beckham who popularized it and bob which is the technical term
referring to short hair usually aligned close to the face. Another trend that has taken over
women is the Rihanna look. It is shorter than the Pob and usually associated with boy-cut
already. A friend of mine, who is a dancer, had her hair cut just like Rihanna said, “Since it’s
actually something that looks like a boy, not everybody will look good with it that is why it’s a lot
sexier and hotter if you can pull it off and still look like a girl.” Another friend said, “It’s a lot
easier to maintain. Shorter hair means less shampoo, less combing and more than that, it’s nice
to feel the wind blow on your neck.” For them it’s the style, difficulty of pulling it off and the
practicality that comes with short hair that made them ‘buy’ it.
Women also wanted their hair long because it attracted more men. Filipino men are
usually drawn to girls with shiny, silky long black hair – one that can already pass up for a
shampoo commercial. A certain guy friend said, “Even if the girl isn’t that pretty but her hair is
long and gorgeous, pwede na rin. Minsan kasi nadadala sa buhok eh.” For him, if the hair is
well-groomed and long, it says a lot about the person. It shows how healthy the girl is there’s
just something about the movement of shiny long hair that guys can’t get enough of. But then,
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guys are also aware of today’s short hair generation. Another guy said, “Today, it doesn’t really
matter if you’re hair is long or short, as long as it suits you.” He defined the importance of finding
the perfect cut for you. Having the right cut can make or break you. Some girls look good with
long hair but look better with shorter hair. Some women, on the other hand, try the latest trends
like for example the Rihanna cut but end up looking like a boy. Still, one would argue, “Kung
maganda ka, maganda ka talaga, kahit mahaba, maikli, maganda o panget man yang buhok
mo!” For him, a woman’s crown doesn’t matter because it’s the face that would determine one’s
beauty and not the hair.
Celebrities Rihanna and Victoria Beckham are among the Hollywood Celebrities who have set the short hair trend.
Having the short hair generation today shows how culture is always changing. Our
perception of what is beautiful in terms of our hairstyles updates by the second. If Maria Clara
was to be seen sporting the Pob cut, she would have raised the eyebrows of many friars back
then. But if we ever fall into the trap of finding ourselves with ridiculous hairstyles just to conform
to our changing culture, it’s a good thing to know that our hair grows back and no one dies of a
bad haircut caused by silly hair eras.
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On Colored Hair.
It is in the twentieth century when colored hair became known and considered a trend.
When Madonna in the mid 80’s became a star, her becoming known began the fashion of
having a colored hair. Aside from following Madonna’s footsteps, why do people consider
coloring their hair? A palpable explanation of coloring one’s hair is to conceal the inevitable sign
of aging – the gray hair. Since even a twelve-year old girl is not an exception for having a gray
hair, this became the primary reason of people who engage in dye hair. But the rest gave
strange and unusual reasons.
A La Sallian guy when asked why he managed to color his hair with burgundy said,
“Well, I wanted to be ‘in’, since most of my schoolmates are either Koreans or foreigners with
their hair colored, I have to belong“. Being accepted by a certain group you live in is everyone’s
dream, and people’s nature is to gamble everything just to ‘belong’. Another instance is when a
girl was asked why she colored her hair with a pure metallic green said, “I love animes! That
explains it, right?“ Most often than not, we tend to mimic the things we admire, we even try to
live in the strangest world of cartoons just to get by. Another answer you would get is “That’s art!
Different shades, colorful hair represents colorful life! That’s a product of art! Coloring my hair’s
the only way where I can let my emotions flow.” While others would settle for answers like, “wala
lang, para maiba naman” and some would even say “wala na kasi akong mapag-gastusan”.
Different answers from different heads. But whatever the reason is, one fact can only be
depicted: our BODY is an ARENA of our CULTURE. Through our body, our hair to be specific,
consciously or not, we let others see what’s inside of us – our interests, our passion, our
personality, and that. Our biological bodies are being used as a medium for social action, like
what others have said, ‘to belong’. It is the product of our own beliefs, our own culture and often,
it is also an influence of other ethnicity, may it be Western, Anime or etc.
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The Hair Straightening Revolution.
Hair pressing as it was previously called dates back in the 1960’s where it was a part of
Black Women’s culture – A very important ritual for the transition of their childhood in
approaching womanhood. Alongside this relevance in their culture was also the issue of racism.
The whites believed that the blacks had this obsession with straightened hair, reflecting a
colonized mentality. It was at this time that the natural hairdo, the ‘afro’ became fashionable as
a sign of cultural resistance and as a celebration of blackness.
Media Advertisements usually feature these pictures so as to highlight the “big” difference between a “kinky” hair and a “tamed” hair.
Do we consider ourselves also a product of the American colonization which still goes on
up to now? Comparing for example the Aetas to the people most Filipinos look up to for ideal
beauty nowadays, It is a totally different image. The ideal dictates fair flawless skin, straight hair,
even sometimes colored. Have we totally succumb to our colonizers and have adapted a
different perception of what beauty is?
The fad for hair straightening as far as one can remember started here in the country
around five to seven years ago. People started having their hair relaxed, rebonded, and flat
irons were sold rapidly even up to now. Surprisingly, women are not the only ones involved in
this age of hair straightening.
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When it comes to the topic about hair straightening, different reasons spring out. Some
wanted a change in their look since they have had a different one since birth. Some people who
already have straight hair just wanted to have their hair flattened more to see if they looked
good in them. Others for their hair to feel healthier and softer and a few had practical reasons
like “It is easier to manage”. Although these are the most common responses, other people
have responded with “Because longer and straighter hair is more attractive”
Ever since the boom of hair straightening, the shampoo brands went with it. There are
shampoos “For more relaxed hair”, “Longer, straighter hair”, “Instant ayos”. Alongside these
taglines are the different commercials that went with them. Where the guy gets the girl with
longer straighter hair, or the girl with relaxed hair looks more presentable and therefore gets the
job instantly. What do these entail?
Filipinos have this tendency to ride with what’s “IN” and are also fond of trying new
things especially when surroundings and media dictates. These and more are what people see
as avenues to rely on their perception of beauty. This shows us that Culture is always adaptive,
that it adapts to change whatever the reasons may be.
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The Hair Story Continues
Many personal decisions are made by the society, which is the representative of
the collective thoughts of its members. The decisions are affected by the society’s goal:
either reproduction or reproduction control. It is wired in every individual’s brain that
their main purpose is to find a partner and build a family. Why do people wear their hair
the way they do? Expressing their beliefs through their body could be the reason, but
this could be seen as a signal to a possible partner: this is who I am, and I want to find
somebody who would not only tolerate me, but actually like me. Your body and the way
you treat it is the ultimate indication of the type of people you want to be with. People
want to express their feelings and thoughts, and who they are and what they are made
of through their body to attract the people who like them. These displays save time and
energy in getting to know the person’s views and character; instead of having everyone
as a possible partner, we are consciously or unconsciously eliminating those who would
be repelled by our lifestyle. Our body is like a big neon sign saying “this is me; if you
don’t like it, keep out”. It is the totality of the cultures we observe, the religion we
practice, and the knowledge we possess. Briefly, it is the ultimate expression of our
mind; whether it is bounded by culture or not.
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Resources:o Caruncho, Eric. “My Life in Hair, So Far”. Sunday Inquirer Magazine. April 20, 2008.
<http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20080420-131530/
My-Life-in-Hair-So-Far>
o Cimatu, Frank. “16th Century Filipinos Also Wore Long Hair”. KASAMA Vol.10 No.3 July-
August-September 1996. <http://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/1996/V10n3/LongHair.htm>
o “History of Hair from 3000 BC to the present”. UK Hairdressers.
<http://www.ukhairdressers.com/history%20of%20hair.asp>
o Hooks, Bell. “Strengthening our Hair”. Z Magazine. September 1988
o Zamora, Fe. “Hairy History”. Sunday Inquirer Magazine. April 20, 2008.
<http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20080420-131528/Hairy-History>
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