Ponytail

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Austrian footballer Sarah Puntigam with a ponytail 20140913 1810 W AUT HUN 1265.jpg
Austrian footballer Sarah Puntigam with a ponytail

A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most, or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the tail of a pony.

Contents

Ponytails are most commonly gathered at the middle of the back of the head or the base of the neck but may also be worn at the side of the head (sometimes considered formal), or on the very top of the head. If the hair is divided so that it hangs in two sections, they are called ponytails, twintails, pigtails , or bunches if left loose and pigtails, plaits or braids if plaited.

Ponytails on women and girls

Detail from an 18th-century engraving showing a girl (left) with a ponytail Girl with ponytail-Women at the Quern.jpg
Detail from an 18th-century engraving showing a girl (left) with a ponytail
Image of the fresco, "Ladies in Blue", from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, with women wearing what seems like a ponytail hairstyle. Ladies in Blue fresco.jpg
Image of the fresco, "Ladies in Blue", from the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, with women wearing what seems like a ponytail hairstyle.
A blonde fashion model with a ponytail Backstage with AVEDA at Osklen Spring Summer 2014.jpg
A blonde fashion model with a ponytail

The ponytail can be traced back to Ancient Greece, from records of images depicting women with ponytails in ancient Greek artefacts and artworks, such as the frescoes painted millennia ago in Cretes (2000–1500 BC). [1] Hence, it is likely that the ponytail hairstyle emerged in Ancient Greece before spreading to different cultures and regions, for Egyptian and Roman art also depict women wearing hair in a style that we now call the ponytail. [1]

In European and Western culture, it was unusual for women (as opposed to girls) to wear their hair in public in a ponytail until the mid-20th century. The expansion in the ponytail hairstyle was in large part due to the arrival of the first Barbie doll by Mattel, which popularized the hairstyle, and movie stars like Sandra Dee who wore it in movies such as Gidget . [2]

In the mid-1980s and through the mid-1990s it was common to see women of all ages from girls, tweens, teens, college and beyond wearing high ponytails or high side ponytails held with a scrunchie.

Today, both women and girls commonly wear their hair in ponytails in informal and office settings or when exercising with a scrunchie or tie; they are likely to choose more elaborate styles (such as braids and those involving accessories) for formal occasions. High and low ponytails are both common. Ponytails with a scrunchie are back in style and practicality as they are seen as better on the hair then traditional hair ties. The ponytail is popular with school-aged girls, partly because flowing hair is often associated with youth and because of its simplicity; a young girl is likely to be able to redo her own hair after a sports class, for example. Wearing a scrunchie with your ponytail is popular with school aged girls especially those with school uniforms as it is one piece of stylish item girls can wear as long as they conform to school colors or requirements. A ponytail can also be a fashion statement; sometimes meaning athletic; other times a low ponytail sends signals of a chic personality.

A ponytail is a practical choice as it keeps hair out of the eyes when doing many jobs or hobbies. It is not uncommon to require long hair to be tied up for safety reasons in an environment like wood shops, laboratories, sporting activities, hospitals etc., even where hair nets are not mandatory. The ponytail, particularly a low ponytail, is often the most practical way to secure the hair.

As a male hairstyle

Chinese men wearing ponytails Chinese Meal by Lai Afong, c1880.JPG
Chinese men wearing ponytails
Man's white-haired ponytail on a black background 2009-10-27 pt development 01.jpg
Man's white-haired ponytail on a black background

Historical

In Europe in the second half of the 18th century(1751-1800), most men wore their hair long and tied back with a ribbon into what we would now describe as a ponytail, [3] although it was sometimes gathered into a silk bag rather than allowed to hang freely. At that time, it was commonly known as queue , the French word for "tail". The queue lost favor amongst civilians, but continued as the mandatory hairstyle for men in all European armies until the early 19th century. The British Army was the first to dispense with it, and by the end of the Napoleonic Wars most armies had changed their regulations to make short hair compulsory.

In Asia, the queue was a specifically male hairstyle worn by the Manchu people from central Manchuria and later imposed on the Han Chinese during the Qing dynasty. From 1645 until 1910, Chinese men wore this waist-length pigtail. The queue was utilised as a symbol of dominance over the Han Chinese by the Manchu people. [4] Being a Manchu hairstyle, it was imposed on the Han Chinese to force them into submission. [4] The queue hairstyle involves shaving the rest of the hair on the front and sides of the head, leaving a meagre portion that is tightly tied into a braid. [4] With this hairstyle, the Han Chinese could not grow their hair naturally and freely to style them as they normally did in their own culture, and were hence denied their cultural right to grow their hair comfortably, experiencing suppression and limited agency in the rule of the Qing. [4] Any Han Chinese man who did not wear the queue was executed by beheading. [5] This rule of law was upheld with the exception of monks, who attended monasteries and shaved their entire heads. [5] For this reason alone, many Han Chinese left their homes for monasteries to protect their freedom from this symbol of domination. [5] Otherwise, those who opposed the queue were perceived as threats to Qing culture and power and were purged. [5] Many of the officials who contributed to the enforcement of this law were Han Chinese who defected to the Qing. [5]

The queue ended in 1910 after revolutions against the law through queue-cutting demonstrations, law revisions to make it more lax, and further queue-cutting demonstrations by Chinese influenced by Western democracy, all of which pressured reform of China's law. [6] Not long after, the Qing dynasty ended in 1911 or 1912. [4]

Apart from origins in China, men in the Edo period (1683–1868) of Japan also wore short ponytails. [1] Sumo wrestlers of Japan also wore their hair in a ponytail that is then styled in a fan shape. [1] This hairstyle involving the ponytail continues in the culture of sumo wrestlers today.

Recent history

In the 1970s, many men wore their hair long and in ponytails. This look was popularized by 1970s-era rock musicians.

In the late 1980s, a short ponytail was seen as an impudent, edgy look for men who wanted to individualize, but keep their hair flat and functional (see mullet). Steven Seagal's ponytail in Marked for Death is an example. (Also see Man bun ).

Scientific studies

Street Parade 2013 033.jpg
A woman's ponytail from the side

The first equation of state for hair was developed by C. F. van Wyk in 1946. [7]

Scientists in the UK have formulated a mathematical model that predicts the shape of a ponytail given the length and random curvature (or curliness) of a sample of individual hairs. The Ponytail Shape Equation provides an understanding of how a ponytail is swelled by the outward pressure which arises from interactions between the component hairs. [8]

The researchers developed a general continuum theory for a bundle of hairs, treating each hair as an elastic filament with random intrinsic curvature. From this they created a differential equation for the shape of the bundle relating the elasticity, gravity, and orientational disorder and extracted a simple equation of state to relate the swelling pressure to the measured random curvatures of individual hairs. [9] [10] The equation itself is a fourth order non linear differential equation. [9]

The Rapunzel number is a ratio used in this equation to calculate the effects of gravity on hair relative to its length. [9]

Ra ≡ L/l

This number determines whether a ponytail looks like a fan or whether it arcs over and becomes nearly vertical at the bottom. A short ponytail of springy hair with a low Rapunzel number, fans outward. A long ponytail with a high Rapunzel number, hangs down, as the pull of gravity overwhelms the springiness.

It is now also known why jogger's ponytails swing side to side. [11] An up and down motion is too unstable: a ponytail cannot sway forward and backward because the jogger's head is in the way. Any slight jostling causes the up and down movement to become a side to side sway.

The research on the shape of the ponytail won the authors the Ig Nobel for Physics in 2012. [12]

The Rapunzel number is important for the computer graphics and animation industry, as it helps animators resolve challenges relating to the realistic digital representation of hair and hair movement. [8]

Health issues

It is common for those who wear tight ponytails to experience traction alopecia, a form of hair loss. It has been proven that traction alopecia is highly associated with hair-pulling hairstyles, including the ponytail, and that hairstyles involving less tension are not associated with this condition. [13] Sometimes it can cause a headache. [14] : 761  [15]

Additionally, people who wear ponytails may experience extracranial headaches due to tension from prolonged tying of the hairs together in a bundle, pulling at the skin of the head. [16] The pain that results is also because the ponytail pulls at the nerves in the scalp around the face, resulting in light to serious headaches or migraines.

Loosening the ponytail may relieve pain and the headache, though the extent of this varies for different individuals. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hairstyle</span> Style of hair, usually on the human scalp

A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head but sometimes on the face or body. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wig</span> Head accessory that mimics hair

A wig is a head covering made from human or animal hair, or a synthetic imitation thereof. The word is short for "periwig". Wigs may be worn to disguise baldness, to alter the wearer's appearance, or as part of certain professional uniforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohawk hairstyle</span> Hairstyle

The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. Mohawk hairstyles have existed for thousands of years. As of the 21st century, they are most commonly associated with punks, or broader non-conformity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigtail</span> Hairstyle gathering hair at the sides of the head

In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("pigtails") to refer to twin braids on opposite sides of the head. Sometimes, the term "pigtails" applies whether or not the hair is braided, but there is not widespread agreement on this.

Traction alopecia is a type of alopecia or hair loss caused by a chronic pulling force being applied to the hair. It commonly results from a person frequently wearing their hair in a particularly tight ponytail, pigtails, or braids with increased likelihood when hair is chemically relaxed as this compromises the hair shaft's tensile strength resulting in hair breakage. Traction alopecia causes a recession of the hairline due to chronic traction, which is characterized by a fringe along the marginal hairline on physical exam. Diagnosis is clinical and treatment directed at cessation of the chronic traction, while cosmeses, with surgical restoration is reserved for severe cases with scarring fibrosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bun (hairstyle)</span> Type of hairstyle

A bun is a type of hairstyle in which the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on top or back of the head or just above the neck. A bun can be secured with a hair tie, barrette, bobby pins, one or more hair sticks, a hairnet, or a pen or pencil. Hair may also be wrapped around a piece called a "rat". Alternatively, hair bun inserts, or sometimes rolled up socks, may also be used to create donut-shaped buns. Buns may be tightly gathered, or loose and more informal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigtail Ordinance</span>

The Pigtail Ordinance was an 1873 law intended to force prisoners in San Francisco, California to have their hair cut within an inch of the scalp. It affected Qing Chinese prisoners in particular, as it meant they would have their queue, a waist-long, braided pigtail, cut off. The proposal passed by a narrow margin through the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1873 but was vetoed by the mayor. An identical version of the law was enacted by the California State Legislature in 1876 and was subsequently struck down as unconstitutional in 1879.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rattail (hairstyle)</span> Tail-like hair style

A rattail is a hair style that is characterized by a long "tail"-like element of hair growing downward from the back of the head. The rattail usually hangs naturally; however, it can be braided, treated as a dread, permed, straightened, poofed, or curled with an iron. In some instances, an individual might choose to grow several tails as opposed to a single very long tail. A rattail is characterised by hair longer than the rest of the hair surrounding it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queue (hairstyle)</span> Hairstyle worn by the Jurchen and Manchu peoples of Manchuria

A queue or cue is a hairstyle worn by the Jurchen and Manchu peoples of Manchuria, and was later required to be worn by male subjects of Qing China. Hair on top of the scalp is grown long and is often braided, while the front portion of the head is shaved. The distinctive hairstyle led to its wearers being targeted during anti-Chinese riots in Australia and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scrunchie</span> Hair accessory

A scrunchie is a fabric-covered elastic hair tie used to fasten medium to long hair types. The elastic hair tie is encased in loose fabric that forms a ruffle when twisted around a ponytail. Large, elaborate styles and diminutive, unassuming forms are available in many different colors, fabrics, and designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long hair</span> Hair length

Long hair is a hairstyle where the head hair is allowed to grow to a considerable length. Exactly what constitutes long hair can change from culture to culture, or even within cultures. For example, a woman with chin-length hair in some cultures may be said to have short hair, while a man with the same length of hair in some of the same cultures would be said to have long hair.

Hanfu Movement, also known as the Hanfu Revival Movement, is a cultural movement seeking to revitalize Han Chinese fashion. That movement developed in China since 2003. Han Chinese clothing was changed drastically during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty. The Hanfu movement seeks to restore the dress and attire and aesthetic sensibilities of Han Chinese dress from previous eras recognized as high points for Han culture - principally the Ming, Tang, Song and Han.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese clothing</span> Traditional and modern dress in China

Chinese clothing includes the traditional hanfu and garments of ethnic minorities, as well as modern variations of indigenous Chinese dresses. Chinese clothing has been shaped through its dynastic traditions, as well as through foreign influences. Chinese clothing showcases the traditional fashion sensibilities of Chinese culture traditions and forms one of the major cultural facets of Chinese civilization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair tie</span> Fashion accessory used to bind up hair

A hair ties is an item used to fasten hair, particularly long hair, away from areas such as the face. This is usually done as part of a hairstyle such as pigtails, bunches, or ponytails for straight, wavy, and loosely curled hair, and referred to as afro puffs, bunny tails, and "pineapples" for highly curled and highly textured natural hair. Two common types of hair tie are the scrunchie and the elastic. The term can also include a fixed tie or rubber band which is placed through or around strands to hold specific parts of hair together, rather than tie it or clasp them together like a hair clip.

<i>Hanfu</i> Traditional dress of the Han Chinese people

Hanfu are the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of hanfu, such as the ruqun, the aoqun, the beizi and the shenyi, and the shanku.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liangbatou</span> Traditional hairstyle worn by Manchu women

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braid (hairstyle)</span> Hairstyle formed by interlacing 3 or more strands

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Tifayifu was a cultural policy of the early Qing dynasty as it conquered the preceding Ming dynasty. In 1645, the Tifayifu edict forced Han Chinese people to adopt the Manchu hairstyle, the queue, and Manchu clothing. The edict specifically applied to living adult men, who did not fall in the stipulated exceptions. In 1644, on the first day when the Manchu penetrated the Great Wall of China in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Manchu rulers ordered the surrendering Han Chinese population to shave their heads; however, this policy was halted just a month later due to intense resistance from the Han Chinese near Beijing. Only after the Manchu captured Nanjing, the southern capital, from the Southern Ming in 1645 was the Tifayifu policy resumed and enforced severely. Within one year after entering China proper, the Qing rulers demanded that men among their newly defeated subjects adopt the Manchu hairstyle or face execution. The Qing prince regent Dorgon initially canceled the order to shave for all men in Ming territories south of the Great Wall. The full Tifayifu edict was only implemented after two Han officials from Shandong, Sun Zhixie and Li Ruolin, voluntarily shaved their foreheads and demanded that Dorgon impose the queue hairstyle on the entire population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qizhuang</span> Traditional Manchu clothing

Qizhuang, also known as Manfu and commonly referred as Manchu clothing in English, is the traditional clothing of the Manchu people. Qizhuang in the broad sense refers to the clothing system of the Manchu people, which includes their whole system of attire used for different occasions with varying degrees of formality. The term qizhuang can also be used to refer to a type of informal dress worn by Manchu women known as chenyi, which is a one-piece long robe with no slits on either sides. In the Manchu tradition, the outerwear of both men and women includes a full-length robe with a jacket or a vest while short coats and trousers are worn as inner garments.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sherrow, V., (2019). "Encyclopedia Of Hair: a Cultural History." Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group.
  2. ↑ Whitaker, H. (7 December 2018). "A cultural history of the ponytail."
  3. ↑ Sherrow, Victoria (2006). "Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History" . Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.  310. ISBN   9780313331459.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Szczepanski, K. (9 May 2019). "Why Did Chinese Men Wear a Single Long Braid?"
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Chin, S., & Fogel, J. A. (2015). "The Taiping rebellion." London: Routledge.
  6. ↑ Godley, M. R. (1994). "The end of the Queue: Hair as symbol in Chinese History." East Asian History, 8, 53–72.
  7. ↑ Wyk, C. M. V. (1946). "20—Note On The Compressibility Of Wool." Journal of the Textile Institute Transactions, 37(12).
  8. 1 2 "Science behind ponytail revealed."(2012, 13 February)
  9. 1 2 3 Goldstein, R. E., Warren, P. B., & Ball, R. C. (2012). "Shape of a Ponytail and the Statistical Physics of Hair Fiber Bundles." Physical Review Letters, 108(7).
  10. ↑ Goldstein, R. E.; Warren, P. B.; Ball, R. C. (13 February 2012). "Synopsis: Ponytail physics". Physical Review Letters. 5 (7): 078101. arXiv: 1204.0371 . doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.078101. PMID   22401258. S2CID   31964168 . Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  11. ↑ Keller, J. B. (2010). "Ponytail Motion." SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, 70(7), 2667–2672.
  12. ↑ "The 2012 Ig Nobel Prize Winners". Improbable Research. August 2006. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Johns Hopkins Medicine. (27 April 2016). "All hairstyles are not created equal: Scalp-pulling and hair loss: What dermatologists need to know about African-American hairstyling practices and the risk of traction alopecia." ScienceDaily.
  14. ↑ James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology." (10th ed.). Saunders.
  15. ↑ Freedberg, et al. (2003). "Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine." (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
  16. 1 2 Blau, J. N. (2004). "Ponytail Headache: A Pure Extracranial Headache." Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 44(5), 411–413.
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