Hair Manners... Excuse Me?!

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Yep, hair manners. Of all the rediculous things, there are rules for what you can and can't do with your hair!

http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip195.htm

Now, whilst it is nice for someone to actually point out that these things are 'wrong' (given that I do a good proportion of them it's nice of someone to take the time to tell me instead of just giving me dirty looks!), I would dearly love to know a few other tidbits of information. Like, for example, why are these rules important? I mean sure, I don't especially appreciate hairy guacomole or hairy soap either, but can someone tell me why playing with one's hair or merely touching it in public is a cardinal sin? And plucking eyebrows... at the table sure, a bit intrusive to the food, but what about when you aren't at the table? I'm guessing that there are far fewer instances of stray eyebrow hair in relation to stray head hair. And where is the 'thou shalt not flick your glorious locks over your shoulder in public. Anywhere. Full stop. Especially not on crowded trains.'? I personally have a lot more trouble with that one; I nearly scalped a teenager with long blonde hair who for some reason felt that her hair was so beautiful that how could I not want it flicked all over me on the train?

Call me whingy if you will (it's probably just all in self defence!), but it seems a tad... stupid? I suppose I'm probably reacting because I find it hard NOT to do those things: I'm accutely sensitive of when my hair is knotty or has turned to rat's tails and I despise the feeling so I carry combs, brushes, bobby pins, elastics and clips with me everywhere and brush as often as I feel the need, and yes, I am guilty of eyebrow plucking on the train (that was most interesting as I later went into a shop where the shop assistant took one look at me and said 'omg you're that girl who was plucking her eyebrows on the train, how did you keep so still?!). I can only imagine what 'Miss Manners' would say if I told her that I cut my nails on the train too!

Hmm. Not sure what to say next. Comments? Opinions? Anyone else feel like a rant? Or know why it's so wrong to do your hair in public? Anyone who has trouble NOT breaking this annoying little social rules? Oh yeah, and I've already got enough greasies to last me a lifetime for cutting my nails in public so even if it grosses you out please be nice: I don't do it cos I'm vain, I do it because I have the whole hyper-sensitive thing going so I'll start when I notice a hangnail (piece of cuticle/skin that's all raised up and bumpy) and I'll cut that off and then notice that there are some more and eventually that leads to ripping off my cuticles and then I notice that my nails aren't even so I try to make them even only I can't because there is what's even for the nail in relation to my fingers at the front, the nail in relation to my fingers at the back, the nail in relation to my cuticles and the nail in relation to the white where it leaves my skin, so invariably I end up drastically chopping them and just getting rid of as much as I can as fast as I can which takes away the relationship to the white AND the back which helps! Gah... what a headache! For those of you who care, I got them BEAUTIFULLY long the other day and then tried to even them out so I currently have short, trimmed, 'nice' nails and I am trying my best to not look at them!

/rant

I play with my hair a lot in public and especially if i'm talking to someone, it's a stim of mine. I don't know if it looks like I'm flirting or I think I'm gorgeous but frankly I don't care because I know it's just a stim.

I went for a job interview once and had waist length hair at the time, I had been rained on and blown to death so I tried to untangle it. It was very knotty! I got funny looks and didn't understand why at all.

I hate people who inflict their greasy hair upon the whole world, it makes me feel sick, I have a reall phobia of that.

I don't generally like people brushing in confined rooms because of hairspray and mousse, I have to make my mum go into my garden when she does hers. If that gets up my nose I'm sneezing and my eyes water for hours.

As for the combover no no, well ok it may look funny but god it's someones choice if they want to do that. Smelling horrible and looking dirty offends me, but a clean bad hair style doesn't.

The food and hair situation is obviously one that I agree with and the bathroom too.

Reading about Miss manners was just hilarious, That is one good laugh.
As to if I agree with it or not well I do.
I used to have really long hair and would mostly keep it up out of mine and everyone elses way. But when I was going to college I would usually brush it out on the bus, A big no no.
I do hate to see dirty hair, dirty anything.
I disliked finding strands of my hair all over the place and would find them on my clothes, twist them around my fingers and throw them away in the bin.
Now I have really short hair and can put my fingers through it if it needs it. Bliss.

Woman who flounce their long hair I find very annoying and find it rather funny when they do it too flirt with eligable studs.

This one was a little funny:

She must have been bored.

I have very long hair and I have put it in a ponytail or a twisted bun before in public, and I didn't notice any dirty looks, but it is possible I could have been oblivious to them.

*grins* I don't know that I would do *quite* that many hair styles in church, but I think I could if I was in a boring class!

Im tired of the hair throwing thing. I do it sometimes if its in my face but everyone I know does it every other minute.

I bite my hangnails off but they hurt so bad I have to get band aids.

I think I've broken just about every rule on that list.
I used to comb my hair on the bus when I was late for school/work and had to run out the house before the bus passed my stop. I wasn't aware of any dirty looks. Of course, some folks on the bus weren't that well groomed anyway so what could they say?

As for the rule about not touching someone else's hair without permission, I've yet to see anyone obey that rule. I know because people are always playing in my hair (it's really long and thick) and it makes me cringe.

Do not comb your hair at the table. People are eating, and do not want stray hair in their food.

Guilty

Do not play with your hair in public unless you are a child. (And if you are, someone will tell you to quit it soon enough.)

Guilty

Ditto--the tub.

Guilty. as if i'm going to sift through the gross smelly drain.

Do not flip your long hair behind you in a crowded restaurant. Chances are it will land in someone's plate.

Guilty

Be aware of where your hair is at all times, especially in a restaurant. In other words, be careful not to drag your hair through the guacamole.

Guilty

If you work in close quarters with others, be aware of others' sensitivities or allergies to hairspray, perfumed mousse, etc.

Guilty

Do not play with or touch other people's hair unless you ask permission first.

Guilty

Do not offer comments to strangers about their hair unless they ask for your opinion.

Guilty

Do not create a new hairdo in a public place. Once in church I sat behind a teenage girl who, in the course of the service, made these hairdos one after the other:

guilty

Do not chew the ends of your hair in public. Get your protein another way.

Used to but not now

No matter what the temptation, do not put underwear on your head. It's a look that seldom works for anyone.

TAKFISH is guilty
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I cut my hair so I'd quit rubbing my lips with the smoothness of the strands.

Now I file my nails smooth and do that.... ah to stim.....

My favorite: Be aware of where your hair is at all times.
f**k, it's on my head!

I'm guilty of a fair number of those - I chalk it up to more things I didn't learn in kindergarten. I have long hair and I use it to thermoregulate - if I'm hot I put it up, if I'm cold I take it down. I use whatever is at hand to put it up and I'll give it a quick twist and put it up anywhere - even in meetings at work. I was so happy when I discovered I could keep my hair up with a pencil. So half the time I've got a yellow pencil sticking out of my hair.

Well I break at least half of those rules subconsciously so it's unlikely that I'll be able to stick to that list

I know someone who did this a few times for the whole day at school. It was her birthday one time, and she got underwear for her birthday and wore it as a headscarf type thing - if it wasn't so underwear looking she might have actually pulled it off and gotten away with it (not that anyone cared). I have no idea why she had underwear the other times but the underwear appeared on her head again at later dates. No one gave her dirty looks, it was more "WTH?" It's not something I'd try.

Do not comb your hair at the table. People are eating, and do not want stray hair in their food.

Not guilty (Though my hairs have been found in food even though I was nowhere near when it was being made lol!)

Do not play with your hair in public unless you are a child. (And if you are, someone will tell you to quit it soon enough.)

Why ever not?! (no, seriously, why not?)

Do not pluck your eyebrows in public (see #1).

Not guilty, though unless it's at the table or during something when you're supposed to be concentrating, I'm not sure I see the harm.

Do not leave stray hairs in the sink when you comb your hair in the bathroom. People do not want to clean up your hairs.
Ditto--the tub.

Ah ... Guilty

While we're on the subject, do not leave hairs wrapped around the soap in the shower. Of course if you live alone, then it's your choice: leave them or shave the soap.

Can't stand it. Guilty until I take them off (ie when I notice)

Do not flip your long hair behind you in a crowded restaurant. Chances are it will land in someone's plate.

I've only ever been in a crowded restaurant a few times, and by coincidence I've always had my hair in a plait or bun

If you are balding, do not do the comb-over thing. It never looks good, and you're not fooling anyone.

Guilty ... (kidding!)

Be aware of where your hair is at all times, especially in a restaurant. In other words, be careful not to drag your hair through the guacamole.

Ditto to other restaurant question. My problem is more with sleeves ...

If you work in close quarters with others, be aware of others' sensitivities or allergies to hairspray, perfumed mousse, etc.

How presumptuous! I don't need any chemicals to make my hair stay in place, thank you!

Do not play with or touch other people's hair unless you ask permission first.

Unless it's particularly soft and fluffy (eg a baby's) why would I want to?!

Do not offer comments to strangers about their hair unless they ask for your opinion.

Their problem if it looks bad - anyway, I can't really judge!

Do not create a new hairdo in a public place.

Why not?

Do not chew the ends of your hair in public. Get your protein another way.

Gha not guilty - can't stand the texture and the thought I could have a hair going down my throat *gags*

Do not go for long periods of time without washing your hair. No matter how much else you may have going for you, dirty hair is still dirty hair.

Guilty when I'm ill.

If you wear a wig or hair extensions, be sure and check from time to time for passing debris that may have landed on your false hair.

Darn, they found me out (!)

Do not appear in public wearing a headful of hair rollers.

I'd never find the room on my head to get all my hair in rollers ...

No matter what the temptation, do not put underwear on your head. It's a look that seldom works for anyone.

Oh, so that's why they gave me funny looks ... (! !!)

I wish I still had enough hair to be able to still break those rules

I play with my hair in public a bit, but generally do not brush it around food. I usually excuse myself to the bathroom to do it in public places but if I'm someplace that has no food and is kinda grungy anyway (I'm thinking of a couple lounges) or if I'm alone (like at work) I may brush it outside the bathroom.

And by brush, I mean comb. I don't use brushes to brush my hair; I just have one I style it with.

And by style, I mean hold the hair so it dries faster and doesn't tangle when I dry it (yes, I use a blowdrier; I used to hate the sensation, not I now only mind it but blow it under my shirt when I'm cold), and however it looks (my hair), that's how it looks. The only thing I really bother with the part. Always striaght, sometimes to the side (either one) and sometimes down the middle.