Fashionable hairstyles come and go, but some styles remain in vogue throughout the ages. However, even these standard ‘dos tend to have an oscillating trend factor. One such eternal hair style is long, straight hair. Although it has been a popular standard style for decades, recently it has become one of the hottest ways for teens and young women to wear their hair.
The Influence of Pop Culture
As with many fashion trends, one significant factor in the renaissance of long, straight hair comes from popular culture. Teenagers and young women see many of their celebrity idols, such as Selena Gomez, Beyonce, the Kardashians, and more sporting the ‘do. These girls strive to attain the same look as their fashion icons, and long, straight hair is sometimes easier than other looks sported by these celebrities.
How Girls Get Long, Straight Hair
Long, straight hair is no longer only available to those naturally endowed with silky straight hair. Women with curly hair can now achieve the straight hair they desire with a variety of tools. For those who want to do it at home, they can use a relatively inexpensive flat iron tools to achieve the look. Alternatively, many young girls can head to the popular blow out salons that are popping up around the country that offer straightening service, with no other services such as cuts or color.
The mainstay of the business is Drybar, which started with 4 locations netting $1.5 million in revenue in 2010 and by 2012 had 25 locations and more than 19 million in revenue, with no signs of stopping, according to the Daily Beast. Some salons also offer keratin treatments, which is a treatment of protein and chemicals that leaves hair looking smooth, silky, and straight for several months. Many of these services are affordable, allowing more teens and young women to jump on board this trend.
Generations of Blow Outs
In the past, some teenagers would want long, straight hair but be unable to do it because their mothers did not allow it. Instead, their parents would determine what hairstyle they would get at the salon. Now, not only are many young girls given more control over their hairstyles by their accommodating parents, but many of their mothers want to have similar treatments. Weekly outings to the salon for a blow out have become a mother daughter bonding experience for many, according to the New York Times. Therefore, the combination of opportunity, affordability, and parental support leads to many more young women obtaining this hairstyle in the past.
Not Just About Straight Hair
Although sleek, straight hair is an important component of this popular hairstyle, for many of these young girls, it is also important to have the longest hair possible. Long hair has become a trend for many hair types, with some women turning to extensions to get the look. For several girls, having to chop off any of their locks becomes a harrowing experience, since they will no longer have an enviable length of hair.
The Dangers of Straightening Hair
Although many of these girls desire long, straight, silky smooth hair, the chemicals and constant heat treatment leads to damage to their hair. They end up with frayed, jagged split ends and burnt hair, which can lead to them having to cut off inches of their length just to have healthy hair once again. However, for most of these girls, it is worth it to damage the ends of their hair for the ability to have sleek and smooth tresses like their friends and peers. Many salons also offer treatments to help mitigate some of the damage caused by the treatments.
Long, straight hair has become more popular than it has been for many years, thanks to the ability of teenage girls to head to a salon and afford professional treatments to make even the curliest hair straight. With the increasing success of blow out salons, it seems like this trend is set to stay for years to come.
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