A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to a styling of head hair.
The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical considerations also influence some hairstyles. Hairstyles are also influenced by various subcultures.
A hairstyle's aesthetic considerations may be determined by many factors, such as the subject's physical attributes and desired self-image or the stylist's artistic instincts.
Physical factors include natural hair type and growth pattern, face and head shape from various angles, and overall body proportions; medical considerations may also apply.
Self-image may be directed toward conforming to mainstream values (military-style crew cuts or current "fad" hairstyles such as the Dido flip), identifying with distinctively-groomed subgroups (e.g., dreadlocks or punk hair), or obeying religious dictates (e.g., Orthodox Jewish payot or the Sikh practice of kesh), though this is highly context-dependent and a "mainstream" look in one setting may be limited to a "subgroup" in another.
Hairstyling may also include adding accessories to the hair to hold it in place, enhance its ornamental appearance, or partially or fully conceal it with coverings such as a kippa, hijab, or turban.
