Why do human grow extra-long hair?

[timothyu]

I haven't seen any data cited in this thread. How long does human hair grow compared to, say, orangutans?

Human lifespan is approx 79 years, orangutan approx 40

 

[Monna]

Why do human grow extra-long hair?

Some humans do it because they get better prices for it when the cut it for sale.

 

[sfs]

Human lifespan is approx 79 years, orangutan approx 40

Each hair, however, only lives a few years before falling out.

 

[timothyu]

Each hair, however, only lives a few years before falling out.

Just like most of your body has died and been regenerated over the yeras

 

[juvenissun]

Barbershop?

I am a scientist, not a business man.
So, how to cut the hair 2000 years ago?

 

[juvenissun]

Each hair, however, only lives a few years before falling out.

Good point.
If I do not cut my hair for, say, three years, would the hair grow to its maximum length? According to the speed of growth of my hair, in order to raise my hair to my waist long, it probably would take 5 years? I think the longest hair I have ever seen (in literature) is about to the thigh.

 

[juvenissun]

I haven't seen any data cited in this thread. How long does human hair grow compared to, say, orangutans?

Long hair reach to the waist is quite common in humans.
Why do we need it to be so long?

 

[timothyu]

Long hair reach to the waist is quite common in humans.
Why do we need it to be so long?

No toilet paper in the early era

 

[juvenissun]

Stone age men weren't around when Paul wrote that

The sharpest "knife" at Paul's time could be a flint or an obsidian knife. Even with that, "chopping" (no scissors!) human hair is not anyway better than pulling it.

How frequent was a Roman soldier get his hair chopped? chopped to how short?

 

[juvenissun]

No toilet paper in the early era

Hmm... interesting. That is a possibility.

 

[timothyu]

chopped to how short?

Look at the coins of the Caesars

 

[juvenissun]

Same way he would skin an animal,
a sharp stone.

Hair and nails contain waste products from the body.

Nail could be ground off against any rock. But hair ... not that easy.

 

[JackRT]

It is shameful for a man to have long hair (especially a husband)

There are many cultural taboos with regard to our bodies, our hair, our clothing and our behaviour.

 

[JackRT]

Why?
How would a stone-age man cut his hair?

A freshly knapped flint would work just fine if you don't mind a shaggy look.

 

[JackRT]

Stone age men weren't around when Paul wrote that

All the inhabitants of the Americas and Australia and much of subSaharan Africa were stone age at the time of Paul.

 

[JackRT]

Good point.
If I do not cut my hair for, say, three years, would the hair grow to its maximum length? According to the speed of growth of my hair, in order to raise my hair to my waist long, it probably would take 5 years? I think the longest hair I have ever seen (in literature) is about to the thigh.

There was a secretary in a school I taught at that had hair down to the floor. She seldom wore it down because the weight of it.

 

[juvenissun]

Look at the coins of the Caesars

I don't mean people then could not trim their hair. I just mean that hair-cut should not be a common thing to do at that time.

 

[timothyu]

I just mean that hair-cut should not be a common thing to do at that time.

Understood as was the case through out most of history until now

 

[juvenissun]

A freshly knapped flint would work just fine if you don't mind a shaggy look.

OK, I would agree on that.

 

[Shemjaza]

Good point.
If I do not cut my hair for, say, three years, would the hair grow to its maximum length? According to the speed of growth of my hair, in order to raise my hair to my waist long, it probably would take 5 years? I think the longest hair I have ever seen (in literature) is about to the thigh.

It varies by individual. I didn't have a hair cut between ages 18 and 32 and it never went past my shoulders.