Star Trek Humanoid Hairstyles

[Lois007]

So, I'm watching some Voyager, and I begin to think - "Why are all the Borg bald?" (Must have to do with easy access to brain components or what not...) then it occurred to me, Romulans all have the same unisex hair, Klingons all seem to have the same unisex hair, Tallaxians have the same hair, the differentiation between genders being whiskers...Ferengis all have the same unisex baldness....

Humans though, they all have different and varied hairstyles.

I wonder if it has to do with the amount of makeup and/or prosthetics involved in the alien. (That doesn't jibe for the Romulans though.)

Any input, ideas?

 

[Kilana2]

Just when I thought all the TNG/DS9 Klingons have long manes, I was proven wrong. I saw a DS9 Klingon with shorter hair. Exceptions confirm the rule. At least not all of the wigs the actors who played the Klingons had to wear are dark. There are at least different hair colors.

As to the Ferengi: their baldness comes with their nature. I'd like to see a half Ferengi child. There is at least one instance in one of the relaunch novels.....

As to the Romulans: their hairstyle is just military. I'd like to see Sela with longer blonde hair..... I guess the Romulan populace has different hairstyles, undergoing local and contemporary fashions....

And Worf changed his hairstyle over the years/movies/shows....

 

[Lois007]

The male Vorta all have the same hair. The male Cardassians all have the same hair.

Bajorans have different hairstyles - nose prosthetic makes it easier for hair variety...

Earlier Vulcans, the women have different hairstyles, but later, the women have hair like the men...

 

[Velocity]

Perhaps the uniform hair/hairless styles are used to indicate a single-mindedness of the species. Ferengi mostly care about profit over all else, so they aren't too interested in personal appearance. Cardassians are very regimented in their lives; creativity and individuality is not encouraged. Especially in trials.

 

[Timewalker]

The male Vorta all have the same hair. The male Cardassians all have the same hair.

Bajorans have different hairstyles - nose prosthetic makes it easier for hair variety...

Earlier Vulcans, the women have different hairstyles, but later, the women have hair like the men...

It could be argued that T'Pau and T'Pring were some kind of aristocracy, and had nothing to do with the military. So they wore more elaborate hairstyles, and would have had servants or professional hairdressers to help them. But in TNG and onward, most of the Vulcan females we saw were either Starfleet or some other kind of military. While it makes sense from a practical POV for them to have short hair, it makes no sense why they were so damn identical. The Romulans were even worse.

It could be said that 23rd century styles were just different from 24th century styles, but it's more accurate to say that the studio just wanted to save money by not having to create unique wigs or bits of costuming that had less chance of being reused later.

Perhaps the uniform hair/hairless styles are used to indicate a single-mindedness of the species. Ferengi mostly care about profit over all else, so they aren't too interested in personal appearance. Cardassians are very regimented in their lives; creativity and individuality is not encouraged. Especially in trials.

 

[eyeresist]

Only humans are so foolish as to enslave themselves to fashions. Being the most awesome species in the galaxy has to have some downside....

 

[Kilana2]

The male Vorta all have the same hair. The male Cardassians all have the same hair.

Bajorans have different hairstyles - nose prosthetic makes it easier for hair variety...

Earlier Vulcans, the women have different hairstyles, but later, the women have hair like the men...

Don't forget M'Pella. She is Bajoran, but has no nose ridges. Maybe she has human ancestors.....

 

[2takesfrakes]

Occasionally, I've wondered if the pointed sideburns in STAR TREK ever became a fad, in the Sixties, or Seventies, when syndication established the show as a cultural icon ...

 

[scotpens]

Occasionally, I've wondered if the pointed sideburns in STAR TREK ever became a fad, in the Sixties, or Seventies . . .

Only for geeks.

 

[2takesfrakes]

>>SNORT!!!<<
... Fair enough!

 

[hux]

Each Trek species tends to have a one-note culture and as such, will generally demonstrate very little diversity in their appearance, dialect, politics, culture etc etc. Only humans have any meaningful complexity.

Generally, I can overlook this as it's done for obvious reasons and shouldn't be dwelt on too much but that being said, some species are explored more regularly and so their cultures should probably exhibit a little more variety.

The fact that Vulcan logic has latterly been conflated with the notion of sameness is an example of this. When your philosophy is 'infinite diversity in infinite combinations' it kinda makes the fact that you all sport the same hairdo slightly idiotic.

 

[eyeresist]

Obviously a bowl cut is the most logical choice.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Mostly its a visual shorthand and cost saying measure. In the case of Vulcans and Romulans I wish they had let the actors use their own hair, like in TOS. The Vulcan/Romulan wigs were the worst.

 

[Kilana2]

Mostly its a visual shorthand and cost saying measure. In the case of Vulcans and Romulans I wish they had let the actors use their own hair, like in TOS. The Vulcan/Romulan wigs were the worst.

I don't know if Kim Cattrall would have looked better with her own hair dyed black.

 

[Timewalker]

Mostly its a visual shorthand and cost saying measure. In the case of Vulcans and Romulans I wish they had let the actors use their own hair, like in TOS. The Vulcan/Romulan wigs were the worst.

I don't know if Kim Cattrall would have looked better with her own hair dyed black.

You mean it was worse than her "hairstyle" in the movie? She'd say in interviews how proud she was of her look and that stupid hairband, and I'd always wonder what she and the director were thinking. She looked awful.

 

[Kilana2]

Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan with red hair (hair tint) look awful.

Don't get me wrong. Red hair is beautiful. When it is natural.

Seven as Three of Eight had ugly hair IMO.

 

[2takesfrakes]

She'd say in interviews how proud she was of her look and that stupid hairband, and I'd always wonder what she and the director were thinking.

Her hair, the headband, the mix-and-match uniform she had on ... all of it seems like, to me, efforts to draw a clear distinction between Valeris and Saavik, who'd already been recast once, so far in the movies. I'm pretty sure Kim Catrall was passed over for the role of Saavik, initially, which she'd rather coveted. I'm all for protecting Kim's feelings and letting her contribute further to her character, but Valeris didn't seem to really benefit by it. She wasn't as memorable as Kirstie Alley's Saavik was, even with the scream. I'm given to understand that Kim even made Valeris' headband, herself ...

 

[Timewalker]

Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan with red hair (hair tint) look awful.

Don't get me wrong. Red hair is beautiful. When it is natural.

Seven as Three of Eight had ugly hair IMO.

Kate Mulgrew sometimes had reddish hair on Voyager, but since it was more brown than red, it was okay - subtle, and it did suit her.

I agree with you about Jeri Ryan. Red hair doesn't suit her at all.

She'd say in interviews how proud she was of her look and that stupid hairband, and I'd always wonder what she and the director were thinking.

Her hair, the headband, the mix-and-match uniform she had on ... all of it seems like, to me, efforts to draw a clear distinction between Valeris and Saavik, who'd already been recast once, so far in the movies. I'm pretty sure Kim Catrall was passed over for the role of Saavik, initially, which she'd rather coveted. I'm all for protecting Kim's feelings and letting her contribute further to her character, but Valeris didn't seem to really benefit by it. She wasn't as memorable as Kirstie Alley's Saavik was, even with the scream. I'm given to understand that Kim even made Valeris' headband, herself ...

She would have made a horrible Saavik. As for the headband... it's just pathetic how she kept going on: "I'm so happy about the character I play... see, she has this really cool headband I designed myself!"

Just vapid and shallow, with no real understanding of Vulcan characters. She wasn't playing a Vulcan. She was playing a ditzy human with pointed ears and a bizarre hairstyle who was pretending to be Vulcan (referring to the actress' portrayal and attitude and not the actual character, obviously).

 

[Kilana2]

I saw Kate Mulgrew with reddish hair long after Voyager. The color/tint didn't look natural and she had better hair colors, even red ones that suited her better. Just my opinion.

 

[Orphalesion]

Obviously a bowl cut is the most logical choice.

Since when does "ugliness" denote "logic"?