Mermaid with short hair?

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

I think you're all forgetting something... in The Little Mermaid (the original story), the Little Mermaid's sisters cut and donate their hair to Sea Witch in exchange for a knife that can be used to kill the prince and turn the Little Mermaid back to her mer-form instead of turning into sea foam in the morning. I remember seeing several paintings of the mermaid's sisters with short hair as a result.

[Prince Calypso]

personally for me as a guy long hair is one of the most feminine things about a mermaid, its what gives her her power. naturally my hair reaches to my shoulders which for a boy is long but for a mermaid too short for my liking. so when i start mermaiding for money i'm gonna be wearing swim cap wigs and then weaves.

this is not to say that mermaids with short hair aren't beautiful as hell, i mean even the mermaid girl in "Lost Voices" has short hair, as did the the mermaids on Charmed.
Short hair on a mermaid can be very beautiful and sexy as hell
but just for me personally i would prefer long hair

[Mermaid Azira]

I like to wear shells and such in my hear, no one cares that it is super short.

[AniaR]

I have short hair again, kids tell me mermaids have long hair. I say, how many mermaids do you know? Just me! and I have short hair! bahahah

[Kanti]

Aren't mermaids pretty much like people?
I think they're pretty capable of choosing their own haircuts haha

[LittleTreasure]

:P You're right, Kanti. However we all have our stereotypes...and what woman would actually wear short hair in the time that mermaid legends started circulating? (Granted I assume mermaid legends are really old, I don't really know). When I think of merfolk I automatically picture girls with long shiny hair.

I felt a little bad about my hair when I first got it cut because it just didn't look so good with my tail. I've decided to grow it out, just because I want to play with my hair and I think I'd feel more feminine with it. Shallow I guess, but I'll probably just get tired of it soon enough and cut it off anyway XD

I'm just glad we live in a time now that short haircuts are accepted on women.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

One of my goals as a mermaid is to make it clear to children adults alike that people come in all different shapes, sizes, (hair styles) colors, and so on. By showing them that their favorite mythical creatures come in a variety may help them to see that it's a good thing humans have variety too. But that's just me. :>

[Bellasea]

^^ Thats wonderfull!

I really prefer the short hair look on a mermaid. In my opion, merpeople are designed to live in the water and anyone with long hair knows how much of a hassel it is in the water. It gets all tangled and in your face. My hair sits just above my belt. When I swim with it down, it gets all wrapped around my arms and neck. So, why would merpeople keep their hair long if it provided no benefit?

[Mermaid Momo]

i have short, about an inch from shoulder length hair and though i love it now, i'm growing it out so that i don't have to buy wings when i wear lolita. there are shorter styles for loli but i want to be able to have those huge cascading curls without dishing out the money for the wig. XD

[MermaidRaegan]

Up until 14 or 15, I'd actually never gotten a single hair cut, EVER. My grandmother believed it was a sin for a woman to cut her hair, and my mother humored her for some time until my hair just got too long to manage. After that I kept my hair at midback until about two years ago, then I went from an emo-chick poof to scene hair, to a mohawk (mohawked mermaids are sexy, dude) and then finally lopped everything off to an inch long so it'd grow even. I really miss my long mermaidy hair cause it was so pretty, but I'll never grow it out that long again. Being a short-haired mermaid has been so easy!! I love it.

[Delphine]

It is good to know that other mers are also thinking about this hair-length question. It has been in the back on my mind for Project Delphine, as I once had hair that fell to my waist. Then, after reaching that length-goal & having long hair for much of my life, I closed my eyes & had my friend chop it off to my jawline in a bob. It was a literal weight off my shoulders (my hair had been SOOOOO heavy & tangle-prone) & I felt that special type of freedom that lopping one's hair off brings. (Those who have done this, you probably remember this lovely feeling.) Anyway, I cut my hair a little again, & it's currently to my shoulders. I've been wrestling, as Performance Day looms ever-closer, what to do about my hair. Some days I want my long hair back (to go "traditional"), others I want it shorter. Then, I think about how much I hated how all the girls I knew as a standard had long hair, how it has associations with being young, feminine & how free I felt with it short (above shoulders). So now, I want a new cut, that's shorter, and still fits Delphine the mermaid's spunky personality.

Mermaid Lorelei put it nicely, and I agree with the merpeople being choosing their own look. I'm not sure what they'd use in the wild (sharpened rock or shell knives?), however I'm sure they'd find a way to shear their hair to their liking. Likely because I'm reading about women's studies right now, long hair for women was (and largely still is) the traditional standard for women to show their obvious femininity. At the same time, it's a rebellion to cut one's hair (or if pushing the gender roles the other way, for males to sport long hair), which is why it's freeing, though also gets tricky & political. My friend told me that the males at her old job wouldn't take her seriously in the businessworld, when she had her long hair (she got a fantastic short cut, I've never seen her with long hair) pulled back in a swinging ponytail. Hm, I'd agree long hair for merfolk is the stereotype, however short hair on some (male or female, mer or human) may compliment their facial features & personality, for others, longer locks. MermaidRaegan--WHOA, NEVER cut it?! How long was your hair, at it's lengthiest?!?


LittleTreasure, as someone who's been diving into mermaid & merfolk legends, stories & sea shanties, they are as old as we are, at least. They are from every country & continent you can think of. Antartica's Sedna, to Africa's Mami Wata & Water-meid, to the Iele of Romania, to the Rusalka hailing from Russia, mermaids are everywhere. There are some articles about Wendy Hardie's experience looking for Mermaids in Karoo (http://travel.iafrica.com/searchsa/westerncape/195193.html). Interesting, huh? Phew, this post is longer than I meant it to be. ^__^'

[Mertara]

I am having the same dilemma! On one hand I miss by thigh length hair, because it would have looked amazing under water, but at the moment its a pixie, though I am planning on growing it back out, I will just have to make it work until then. I also have facial and body piercings and a tattoo, so I am thinking of going the gritty/dark route for my tail, I'm not sure....I always envisioned "real" mermaids as being dark and scary anyways. If mermaids really do exist, they live deep deep in the ocean, and probably resemble more deep water fish than tropical ones ^_^.

[Mermaid Dottie]

I chopped my hair off over thanksgiving to do the Locks of Love thing. ^_^ I've had long and short hair off and on throughout my life.
I love it both ways.
I think my current look is super cute. I dyed it Brown to Seagreen ombre.
I have lot's of fun styling it now.

[Mermaid Dottie]

I am having the same dilemma! On one hand I miss by thigh length hair, because it would have looked amazing under water, but at the moment its a pixie, though I am planning on growing it back out, I will just have to make it work until then. I also have facial and body piercings and a tattoo, so I am thinking of going the gritty/dark route for my tail, I'm not sure....I always envisioned "real" mermaids as being dark and scary anyways. If mermaids really do exist, they live deep deep in the ocean, and probably resemble more deep water fish than tropical ones ^_^.

I love spikes in short hair. Maybe with fake sea urchins, spiky shells, or crazy starfish?

[Mertara]

I love spikes in short hair. Maybe with fake sea urchins, spiky shells, or crazy starfish?

oooh sea urchin hair is a great idea! Would look better on a merman though XD

[seagirls626]

I'm letting my hair grow out so that I can donate it later on.

[Delphine]

Hello, mers! Quick update, had my friend chop of my grown-out cut from when I'd gotten mad at my growing hair earlier. It managed to crawl past my shoulders, & now it's barely brushing the back of my neck. Love it! So light & feels like freedom, swimming in my tail did, too.

[Stefani]

Los tópico de las sirena son; pelo largo y cantar bien. yo creo que el pelo largo es importante, en el agua crea un efecto muy bonito con las ondas

[Mermaid Pickles]

I have dark red/auburn hair that reaches just past my chin, and I like having long hair, but I always have to braid it when I sleep, because I toss and turn, so I've decided to keep it short. Still have to braid it sometimes, but this way, I can keep it back at work and not worry about if I leave it down. (I work at a daycare/preschool) So for my cosplaying that I used to be able to use my actual hair for, I have a wig. And wigs for other cosplays, but you get the point. I can frenchbraid my hair and the ponytail it back. I have a ponytail with strips f red fabric and shells tied to it. >,O That's my hair accessory.

[seagirls626]

There are advantages to being a mer with short hair (although I've never known them having hair down to my waist). Mermaid Raina maid a webcomic explaining why mermaids (sometimes) have short hair, it was really funny!