The Importance of Hair for Characters

Hello there, lovelies!

So, in an earlier post, I talked about characters' clothing, and how the colours and style you pick can influence the reader's perception of them.

However, I am now going to talk about something I consider even more important, not just for descriptions, but more so for a character's identity; hair.

Hair holds great cultural significance across the globe, even if it's not directly perceived, and unlike clothing, which can be put on and taken off, hair is part of the body. On top of that, it's a part of the body that can be changed and styled to a person's preference, making it something intimately personal.

So, choosing what hair your character will have is not only an integral of physical description, but also their identity.

Colour and Texture:

This is the more obvious, and practical part when it comes to a character's hair. Much like skin- and eye colour, it's useful in showing where a character may come from or where their roots may lie. The significance of this depends on the time and place your story takes place in.

If your setting is fairly isolated, there will likely not be much variety in hair. So, in order to differentiate characters, you should try including different shades of the same colour. For example, if the people in your setting have predominantly black hair, you can use terms like glossy black, brownish black, ash black, blueish black, plain black, ink black etc.

Texture also tends to not have much variety in isolated places, but even then, the quality of the texture does, and since the texture already shapes the hair, this can detail that even more. For example: straight hair can be full, thin, sparse, sleek, wild, chipped, shiny etc.

In fact, texture is important, and should be taken into account regardless of the setting, because the quality of someone's hair can greatly influence a person's sense of beauty and confidence. So, be aware of this.

If your setting is more global or multi-cultural, hair colour and texture is a good way of showing that, again, much like skin- and eye colour can. However, that doesn't mean you should simply give a texture and hair colour without further elaboration, just because it will be easier in this setting to tell characters apart. Each hair colour still has different shades, and each texture still has different qualities, all of which can add a more distinct look to your character, and influence their self-confidence.

Furthermore, texture, colour, and cultural context should be treated as a solid basis to built the rest of your character's hair on.

Length, Style, and Culture:

This is where, in my opinion, the biggest part of characterisation comes into play, because this is where a character actually has control over what they do with their hair. It will also be something that they will have thought about more than other parts about their appearance, since it's more difficult to change.

The culture your story takes place in will have the biggest influence on the length and style your character's hair will have, since in most cultures, the way a person keeps their hair is very much linked to identity.

A good example of this is most of older, Chinese dynasties, where cutting one's hair was considered an act of self-mutilation. This was because hair was a gift from your family and ancestors, meaning you would directly show the disrespect by damaging any part of your body on purpose. So, other than for maintenance, people, regardless of gender, would keep their hair long.

This is in contrast with Victorian England and some parts of Ancient Rome, where short hair was linked to masculinity, and long hair was linked to femininity, as was hair maintenance in general. This is also the association which has influenced current Western culture the most. Another different example would be Norse culture, where long hair and taking good care of it wasn't necessarily tied to just femininity either. In fact, having vibrant, healthy hair was just as much a sign of virility and manliness, showing strength and majesty, as well as beauty. The god Thor is often described with beautiful hair as a result.

Length and cut of hair is going to give the reader a different image depending on the character's gender precisely because of these different cultural glasses. So, this is something to be aware of, and something you can play with.

Codes of hairstyling within cultures is also a good way of showing off the type of character you've written, since people often have certain associations towards a person's hair. Because of this, these 'codes' can also be used to show how a character wants to be seen, instead of who they are. This includes things like key personality traits, social status, profession, and age.

Many cultures and historical time periods have certain hairstyles for certain professions and social status, often accompanied by accessories to drive that point home.

For example: having your hair tied up as a woman during most European societies, was more often a sign that she was both of at least middle class status (although not necessarily), and no longer considered a child. Loose hair was often considered something to have in intimate, private situations, and so a woman's hairstyle was very much linked to a her maturity and sexuality. Even now, having your hair in a tied up hairstyle tends to give an impression of an elegant, serious nature.

Another example is the tradition of the older Chinese dynasties referring to fifteen as the 'hair-tying age', where children would change their signature hairstyle to show they were closer to maturity. Women would change it again once they got married to reflect that new status as well

If a character wears a headdress, that headdress will also be an indication of social status, especcially if it is tied to their profession. The most obvious examples of this would be a crown or helmet. However, many religions and cultures will also have specific head wear tied to the societal position of the person wearing it. This is essential to be aware of, in every setting you might choose to have your story take place, but especially if you write about a culture or religion that is not your own.

While accessories in general can provide an inside of a person's position in life, they can also show personality, particularly if they are used as symbols. Cultures will have symbolism for certain images, so if those images are used in hair, it can sneakily tell the audience what kind of character they're dealing with. For example: if someone wears an ornament looking like a daffodil, it can be indicative of an arrogant, self-absorbed personality.

However, even without those associations, certain ornaments can still give off a certain personality. For example; a boy with a single braid and beads in his hair can give him a rebellious, eccentric look, while a girl wearing her long, curly hair in a bow can give off a soft, child-like image. Whether these things are true about the characters themselves is something you can play with.

Much like the length and cut, how a person chooses to decorate their hair will be taken differently depending on the gender. However, this can be also be a factor within your worldbuilding, not just your audience.

All in all, hair is an essential part of not only a character's physical descriptions, but also their personality, image, status, and demeanour. So, I urge you to be aware in how you approach this specific part of character creation.

Goodbye, lovelies!

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