The one thing I would add to the general discussion of long hair, tattoos and general appearance. There are some, although more and more limited professions where clean cut and "professional" is required. No football is not one of them. Although there still aren't any tatted up long haired coaches...just sayin. In my younger days I dressed, acted, and had haistyles that made me look like a punk. No tattoos or piercings, but picture 80's metal and you'll be close enough. Thank god there are no surviving pictures. I got in a LOT of trouble, mostly for doing stupid ish. Then I cut my hair, cleaned up a little bit, and quit getting in as much trouble, even though I kept doing stupid ish. To this day I still think and act like that stupid headbanger boy sometimes (my poor wife lol ), but nobody in my professional life would ever suspect a thing. I've been pulled over riding dirty, speeding, I refuse to answer any more of these ridiculous questions until i can speak with my attorney, etc. etc. and gotten away with it because I look like a good clean cut boy. My point is, right or wrong, or mostly just wrong really, IMAGE IS EVERYTHING, people judge other people based on visual perceptions like appearance and body language. Even open minded non judgemental people like most of us filter visual cues thru environmental and cultural experience.
