In the beautiful verse of Soundarya Lahari, Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavadpaada has extolled the beauty of the Divine Mothers hair and through His contemplation describes Her hair to be a dark thick forest, filled with naturally scented blooms. He further goes to express His presumption that the flowers in the garden of Indra are perhaps living in Her hair deriving their fragrance from the rich aroma of the Mother's Divine locks 

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The hair as per the Sanathana Dharma is a very important part of the body that plays a  significant role in carrying out one's spiritual practices. Shastras have laid down quite some descriptive rules  both for men and women about the way the hair should be grown & maintained. As per the Shastras, it is a mandate for the male to keep a shikha and it is also strictly forbidden for girls and women, especially Sumangalis (married women) to have their hair cut, barring for a  very few exceptional situations

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The very first time the tonsuring is permitted is when the child completes a year; the practice then is to offer  offer the hair to the Kula Daivam and this as the Choula karma Samskaram is done to all children, irrespective of the gender. Another instance which is followed as a Desha-acharam, by people hailing from certain regions of India, is to offer one’s hair in Teertha Kshetras like Tirumala. This is a Desha-acharam which is followed by both men and women, however in a large majority this custom is followed only by men and forbidden for women, especially of the Brahmin belonging. As one another exception, in which the cutting of hair of a sumangali (married woman) is permitted is in the form of a one-time ritual called  'Veni Dhaan', a very unique type of Dhaan (ritualistic sacrifice) that has a mention in the Kashi Khand. Apart from these, the only other instance where the men have their head tonsured is in an uneventful occurrence of death of a relative in the lineage

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But for these specific reasons, the Shastras strictly prohibit the cutting of hair for aesthetic needs. In the modern age however, given strong external influences and the big ask for transformation in outfit & appearance to fit into the race of the corporate culture, a "hair cut" has become a very common practice, or has rather come to be looked upon as one's hygiene habits, both among men and women across all ages. Going a step beyond, Hair Styling by itself has become a subject of professional study and the business is leading a big way in the market now. Considering the feasibility factors it becomes a challenge to expect a complete transformation to get the society to strictly adhere to the Shastras in this regard.