Any sacrifice a woman makes to care for her children is readily accepted by society hair being no exception. The second scenario is in the professional world. I have read many times in women's magazines that it is considered unprofessional to have long hair in the office. Professional women shorten their hair in an effort to gain respect and to present an authoritarian image on the job. And since authority is associated with men in this patriarchal society, it is acceptable to be mannish in the office.
Old age is the third stage in life when short hair is socially suitable to women.
In our youth-worshipping culture, senior women are graciously allowed to stretch the boundaries of conformity. They have paid their dues, and are out of the game. Look closely at these windows of opportunity. This leads me to conclude that our culture, teeming in its patriarchy, equates a woman's hair to an easily identifiable sexual symbol. Stubbornly assuming heterosexuality as the norm, long hair means go , short hair means stop .