Hair and Beauty in the Wizarding World

[ritadear2]

No: HPFGUIDX 37190

Uncmark wrote:

"If you hade magical powers, wouldn't you be as 
beautiful as possible? Or in a world of Magic would the views of 
beauty differ?"

This is something that I have given a considerable amount of 
thought to, usually during my own beauty routine ;-).  In my 
fantasies about the wizarding world, they are less inclined to the 
anorexic body types and favor a more normal figure, lol.  

"Snape is content to leave his oily hair long and greasy. If there 
was a potion that could fix hair, wouldn't the Hogwart's Potion 
Master have it?"

Yes, I am sure he would.  There is no discussion/description of 
him being otherwise unclean--no mention of offensive body odor 
or unwashed clothing, so I had assumed that his "greasy" hair 
was not of a dirty sort, but instead something he liked or just the 
way his hair was in a normal hygienic state and he just didn't 
care at all.  He's got bigger things on his mind than the state of 
his hair!

"So there is hair potion, Is it just that Hermione considers it too 
much trouble or that she values books more than looks?"

I'd imagine this to be true, too.  She can't possibly be spending 
three hours to get her hair under control on a daily basis.  
Besides, Rita Skeeter described her as pretty or attractive or 
something with her hair all wild anyway, and Krum found her 
attractive enough to ask her out, and Ron is obviously smitten.  I 
don't think Hermione needs to fuss with hair potion to be pretty.

"It would be a good topic for discussion. Would you use a spell 
instead of buying makeup? Would there be sufficient motivation 
(profit) to get skilled wizards making instant beauty spells?"

Oh, gawd yes!  I'd also like to find a hair color I like and 
somehow make it stay that way!  But, I also remember Prof. 
McGonagall making a remark to one of the Patil sisters about a 
decorative hair clip, telling her to get that ridiculous thing out of 
her hair.  So, do the witches wear makeup?  Do they change 
their hair color?  Is ornamentation, aside from dress robes, 
considered frivolous and silly?

Another thing, on the same lines, I have been thinking about...do 
wizards and witches exercise?  I know they laugh at muggles for 
lifting heavy objects, but, as I dilligently go about my exercise 
routines, I wonder, do they?  Do they need to?  Their physiology 
is the same as ours, from what we know, except they live longer, 
so it seems that keeping stong muscles and stamina would be 
important as well.  And, with what I've read they eat there on a 
regular basis, it seems they'd need something to get that 
cholesterol under control.  Can you imagine McGonagal doing 
pilates?  LOL, or Snape in a martial arts class?  Tee hee hee.

Rita