That is the question that’s been on my mind lately.
I come from people who value big hair. We affectionately call it “Texas Big Hair.”
My mom, sister and I are hair volume groupies. We use volumizing products and teasing combs and hot rollers and hair spray and bobby pins to achieve big hair. It’s what we do.
** I’d like to issue a disclaimer right now that my mother is beautiful. Seriously gorgeous and has lovely hair which, while big, does not fall into the “poof” territory that I’m going to be discussing. She should not change anything about her hair because it’s perfect. Love you mom!
My sister and I have been big fans of the “poof” for a while now. We notice poofs around town and will often comment when we see a particularly awesome one.
Let’s lay some groundwork, shall we?
 |
| This is a poof. |
As you can see in the photo above, the girl’s hair is about 3-4 inches higher in the back than the front. It was carefully coiffed into a nice, moderate poof.
That is a good example of the poof that many girls are going for. We keep our eyes out for photos, videos and online tutorials that show how to achieve this kind of poof.
In fact, part of the reason this has all been on my mind is that I came across a pin on Pinterest the other day and it linked to a poof tutorial. But I’m getting ahead of myself. There’s still more foundation to lay before moving on…
I believe there are bad poofs out there. Poofs that anyone in their right mind would think are ridiculous. Like these:
 |
| Source |
 |
| Source |
 |
| Source |
BUT, on the other hand, there are moderate poofs that I (and many other ladies) think are great. The following are examples of good poofs:
 |
| Source |
 |
| Source |
 |
| Source |
Heck, there’s even the “Presidential Poof” that many a middle-aged man definitely ogled back in 2008. Yes, ogled is a word. Look it up.
 |
| Source |
Ok, now that you are a certified poof expert, let’s move on.
Like I mentioned before, I was browsing Pinterest the other day and came across a poof tutorial. It had tons of comments so I scrolled through a few of them and saw that a guy posted something like, “Don’t do this to your hair. Guys don’t like it and it makes you look like you have a dinosaur head.”
After I laughed out loud, I scrolled down and saw other comments that said, “My husband/boyfriend says the same thing. He doesn’t like this hairstyle at all.”
So the gears in my head started turning.
What if we girls are wasting our time trying to achieve the perfect poof when the men in our lives don’t even like it?
So, I decided to take a poll on Facebook. Like any serious researcher would. ::snort::
The feedback was interesting….
I highlighted the many “nays” that were cast into the ballot. There were some women who chimed in and there was also a little tangent about taxes, but you get the point.
Most guys do not like the poof!
I was itching for even more feedback, so I posed the same question to a bunch of guys at work. I showed them the sample poof from above (first pic in the lineup) and asked what they thought.
The response was overwhelmingly NAY!
Guys do not like the poof.
A few interesting things came up in the conversation at work:
1. The girl in the picture is cute.
2. If a girl is pretty enough the poof becomes irrelevant
3. Women over 40 should never wear a poof
4. Most guys wonder if there is “something” inside the poof holding it up*
5. A blond poof is worse than a brunette poof
6. A poof won’t necessarily stop a guy from hitting on a girl, but it’s not going to make her more attractive to him either
So there you have it.
We should stop working so hard to achieve the perfect poof and start figuring out how to make flat hair work for us.
This is going to be tough for me.
I’m in the midst of a “Big Hair Intervention” because my beloved husband does not like the poof. I’m glad he felt free to share his thoughts with me, and I’m taking them to heart because hello! he’s the one I’m trying to look good for in the first place!
Yesterday was day 1 with flat hair and I survived. In fact, when I woke up today with leftover flat hair, Andy mentioned several times how pretty my hair looked. Now I just need to come around!
Goodbye big, poofy hair. It’s been a good ride.
Are there any other big hair lovers out there? Would you ever go flat because that’s what your man liked better?
*Bumpits totally freak guys out and should be avoided at all costs!
 |
| Source |
Just saw this….have to say I’m more in the guy’s camp with the ‘nay’. It reminds me of triceratops or a tumor. I don’t understand it. This is coming from a girl with a shaved head and a tasteful mohawky thing. To each their own.
I don’t mind how the poof looks from the front but from the side it looks very prehistoric.
Love the poof. Need I say more? Your most profound comment though was in regards to what your man likes — no poof. So whether or not you like it, leave it straight. Great Q & A Rebecca. You are the Blog Master!!
NO!!! Don't abandon your poof!! I love it!!! I love that second pic of you the BEST!!! I knew Tom didn't like the poof, but when I dressed up in 2009 as Sarah Palin, complete with Bumpit, he loved it. So I don't get it. I love the poof and I've never really been able to do it myself, so I'm jealous of your poofability.
I mean, I just don't think guys really think too much about what they like hair or clothing wise. They like a woman who presents herself well. I think it has more to do with how confidently a woman wears her clothes or hair than what she's wearing. I asked my Andy what he thought and he shrugged and said he didn't care.
haha. This made me laugh. Some of those photos were ridiculous. I can't even imagine wearing my hair that high. I honestly think a well done “poof” (like the ones you had and the one one Jennifer Aniston wore) is barely noticeable and guys probably like them without even realizing it. My sister's in cosmetology and she introduced me to teasing my hair a couple of years ago. She points out all the time that there's a fine line between a little height or body and the over the top poof.
Great article! My super flat hair won't poof no matter what I use, so quit trying! I think many can be too over the top, too, especially when the poof is accompanied by flat hair everywhere else (assuming people won't notice anything but the poof?) Anyway, as long as you have good bangs I think you're golden ;) (“Lord protect my bangs!”)
Wow. I'm sort of surprised that guys have such an opinion. You should do a “straight or curly” survey too. Most guys I know like flat and straight v. curly. I can't believe you have poofed for so long and Andy prefers no poof! Did he just share his feelings now or has he always hinted that he doesn't like it? For the record, your hair always looks PERFECT in my opinion…poof or not. I think I will be shocked to see you with flat hair at first though. and, Jennifer Aniston knows how to do it best, I think. Sexy pic.
This was sheer brilliance Bec. I am still so flabbergasted… all this time… effort… and product I have wasted. Unbelievable. The bullet points from your male co-worker findings was quite hilarious. “A blond poof is worse than a brown poof” LMAO “A woman over 40 should never wear a poof” LMAO LMAO LMAO
How interesting about the guys! I could never get a good poof so I quit trying
Rebecca, I have made the decision to stop trying to achieve perfectly teased hair! I have always tried to back-comb my hair and failed most of the time. So thank you for for allowing me to have this realization, making me laugh before bed, and ending this day on a positive note! :)