Question about Centauri

[nebulan]

If a Centauri woman didn't shave her head... Do we know if it would grow like the hair of the males? So they shave it to have their form of feminine? I'm still trying to remember if a human ever tried to pass as a Centauri or a Centauri as a human? Anyone remember if this was discussed?

[SaberBlade]

They would grow hair, but it wouldn't appear like the men. Men wear their like that as a symbol of status. The bigger the hair, the more important they are. Women don't have status like that, it's the men who are leaders of houses and hold important roles in the government so the women shave their head like other men would keep their hair standing short.

[Jae'a]

According to the Centauri Prime Fact Book, a Centauri female could pass as human if she let her hair grow normally.
I'm not sure if that's the same for the men, but there is one in the first book of the Legions Of Fire trilogy who wore his hair down instead of sticking it up. (Defiance )

[nebulan]

Haha, ok. Thanks for the info! I just assumed the men's hair grew like that because that seems like too much work to style it every morning! (so it seemed likely that the females might have something similar). Are there any [Canon] stories of centauri trying to pass as human or vice versa? I guess they're not at war most of the time so there would need to have spies or whatnot.

[Jae'a]

Are there any [Canon] stories of centauri trying to pass as human or vice versa?

Not that I know of, but I'll keep my eyes open.

[nebulan]

Are Centauri ever anything other than pale with dark hair? (Or no hair) it reminds me kinda of the star trek wiki (memory alpha) for vulcans... "Vulcans are pale-greenish sooner with dark, very straight hair... That is until tycoon...". Haha!

[Jae'a]

Are Centauri ever anything other than pale with dark hair? (Or no hair)

Well, I've never seen any variations. Apart from older ones with grey hair, of course. (Like Urza Jaddo)

[Cold Fuzz]

I haven't seen any variation in the Centauri phenotype. I think it's safe to assume that they're virtually homogeneous in appearance.

[Skydiver]

I think they're like native americans.....in that the predominate hair color is dark. you won't see any pure blooded blonde indians (without chemical assistance)

Like others have said, the men groom their hair bigger as their position is bigger/larger in respect and importance. I remember Londo's nephew having a very small crest. (one could also draw the conclusion about the size of the crest being representative to the size of a male's...well, maleness. and the better your position the larger your crest and size matters)

their hair style could be something like a Geisha's hair, it's styled in such a manner and with such material that it maintains its style for days/weeks. (geishas would almost shellac their hair to the point that it wouldn't easily move. another example could be an african american putting in corn rows/braids or those with dreadlocks, styling their hair in such a way that it's very long term)

[Cold Fuzz]

I think they're like native americans.....in that the predominate hair color is dark. you won't see any pure blooded blonde indians (without chemical assistance)

Like others have said, the men groom their hair bigger as their position is bigger/larger in respect and importance. I remember Londo's nephew having a very small crest. (one could also draw the conclusion about the size of the crest being representative to the size of a male's...well, maleness. and the better your position the larger your crest and size matters)

their hair style could be something like a Geisha's hair, it's styled in such a manner and with such material that it maintains its style for days/weeks. (geishas would almost shellac their hair to the point that it wouldn't easily move. another example could be an african american putting in corn rows/braids or those with dreadlocks, styling their hair in such a way that it's very long term)

With the Centauri males, there was one notable exception to the status trend: Emperor Cartagia. He cropped his hair to be very short, which allowed him to walk around in places that were considered distasteful for a noble to be seen in. After he had the shorter crest, many of the men in the royal court followed suit. Then again, Cartagia was seriously a madman so one has to wonder whether the other courtiers shortened their crests to be fashionable... or to make sure they still had heads for their hair.

With the women, I thought I remembered several Centuari women growing ponytails in the very back of their heads and tying them into an nicely fashionable and elaborate but discrete braid.

[Jae'a]

^Yes, I forgot, some women do have ponytails with the rest of their heads still being bald. Adira, the dancer near the beginning, did.

[nebulan]

it reminds me kinda of the star trek wiki (memory alpha) for vulcans... "Vulcans are pale-greenish sooner with dark, very straight hair... That is until *tycoon...". Haha!

*Tuvok! I meant "Tuvok"! Curse you autocorrect! And "sooner" was supposed to be "skinned". *sigh*
Like many fandoms maybe they'd change their mind and introduce more varieties of some of these aliens if they had more material but that might just come off as fickle. I suppose all we can do is speculate.

[Jae'a]

Oh, Tuvok! I wondered what you meant by 'tycoon'! I thought it was something to do with either Enterprise or one of the new films which I haven't seen!
(Are you writing on your phone? )
Maybe they 'evolved' since TOS like the Klingons..

[maneth]

Seem to remember Lady Morella having hair... Perhaps imperial spouses had special dispensation...

[Jae'a]

I'm sure Lady Morella was bald too. I think she wore some kind of veil over her head, maybe that's what you're thinking of...?