History Main / LettingHerHairDown

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': Inverted in the episodes "Booby Trap" and "Galaxy's Child". In "Booby Trap", the warm and flirty holographic incarnation of Dr. Leah Brahms wears her hair up, while in "Galaxy's Child", the real, cold Brahms wears long and flowing locks.
** Captain Janeway wore a bun in the first few seasons of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. It disappeared when the writers decided to drop her "This is a Starfleet vessel" persona and let the poor girl loosen up a bit (or when they started stuffing up her character). Likewise Kes ditched her bobbed wig for long flowing locks, but that was because Jennifer Lien was getting a reaction to the adhesive used to stick her pointy ears on. Seven of Nine also wore her hair down in later episodes when she was doing social experiments in the holodeck. She'd immediately pin it back up when reporting for duty.
** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''. Science officer T'Pol has the standard Vulcan SciFiBobHaircut, but in "In A Mirror, Darkly" she's got long flowing hair down past her shoulders, in accordance with the EvilIsSexy look of the MirrorUniverse. Ensign Hoshi likewise has loosened her hairbun into a ponytail. Both are portrayed as FemmeFatale-types in contrast to their restrained normal personas.
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard''. As a sign of her [[CharacterDevelopment more casual personality]], Seven of Nine has WildHair in contrast to the French pleat she wore as an IceQueen on Voyager.
* Pam Beesly in the later seasons of ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' when she finally gets together with Jim.
* In the second season of ''Series/{{Lost}}'', when Ana-Lucia is being tough and in-charge, her hair is pulled back in a ponytail. In her more vulnerable moments (crying to Eko, apologizing to Sayid) it's down on her shoulders.

* Chlo Granger briefly goes "high-bunny" in ''Series/WaterlooRoad''.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in one episode of ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'' when Carrie started to wear her hair in a really tight and unsexy bun... until the very end, when she saw how she looked exactly like a gnarly old librarian.

* Parodied in an episode of ''Series/That70sShow''. At the start of an episode, Kelso gets a ticket from a beautiful female cop who wore her hair down. Later that same episode, he meets the same female cop, this time with her hair in a tight bun, and does not recognize her at all. (Averted somewhat however, as he attributes her previous sexiness to the uniform instead of her hair).

* Invoked in an episode of ''Series/BetterOffTed''. When Veronica is told that she is too intimidating, she starts wearing her hair down as part of an attempt to be more approachable, and hates it. When told that Phil is falling in love with her new, more positive self, she even sighs and says something like, "This is why I keep my hair up. It maintains distance."
* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' episode "The Maternal Congruence", Leonard's mother Beverly, who is generally cold and emotionless, does this after she gets drunk and starts to feel sexual attraction.
* Parodied in an episode of ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' where during GOB's seduction attempt, secretary Kitty undoes her bun and removes her glasses to reveal horribly frizzy hair and severely crossed eyes.
* ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' character Holly J starts out with her hair in a tight ponytail at all times, letting her hair down once in a failed seduction technique on resident hottie Blue. As she becomes more comfortable with people, and stops being the AlphaBitch, she slowly moves to less uptight hairstyles. Season 9 she wears a series of cute functional hairbands, finally in Season 10 she moved to her hair being unadorned unless for practical reasons for whatever activity is going on. Other characters have done the switch to hair down for BeautifulAllAlong reasons.
* Ami's mother in ''Series/PrettyGuardianSailorMoon'' is a doctor and the first time we see her is at the hospital with her hair in a bun. This coincides with a plot where she wants Ami to transfer schools because her grades are slipping[[note]]She misses cram school because of her duties as a Sailor Soldier[[/note]]. At the end of the episode when the two have worked things out, we see Mama with her hair down and she looks like a different person.
* In ''Series/{{Glee}}'', head cheerleader and the AlphaBitch Quinn wears her hair in a tight ponytail for most of season 1, until her teen pregnancy is revealed and she is forced to quit the cheerleading team. She starts wearing her hair loose and becomes a more compassionate person. At the start of season 2, having given up her baby for adoption, she goes back to her original tight ponytail hairstyle. (Her more relaxed personality is also reflected in a change in wardrobe-- from the sharp cheerleader uniform to more casual clothes.)
* When Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark lets her BeehiveHairdo down, she ''really'' lets it down! You wouldn't expect such a small beehive to have so much hair in it.
* Annie in ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode [[Recap/CommunityS1E09Debate109 Debate 109]]. Notable for not only starting one of the most enduring and influential ships in the series but also turning her into a BreakoutCharacter and one of the main members of the cast due to the overwhelming fan reaction.
* Inverted on ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. When we meet Ziva, she's a wild, seductive, crazy, Israeli, ninja assassin. Her hair is also absolutely wild. As she becomes more friendly, open, and relaxed, her hair is also tamed somewhat. She's no less badass with her hair in a ponytail, but a little less...crazy.

* Cirque du Soleil series ''Solstrom''. In the episode "Rockin' Wind", a female orchestra member lets her hair down before hugging and kissing the conductor.

* ''Series/AllyMcBeal'': Done occasionally with Nell Porter, who usually wears her hair in a professional bun at the law firm. Occasionally, however, she would let it down, revealing a cascade of very long, platinum blond hair that usually catches the breath of anyone who sees her.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' - Talisa usually wears her hair in a braid for practical reasons (she's a combat medic). For her wedding to Robb, it's shown down for the first time.

* ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': All women keep their hair up regardless of status, but when the Handmaids are giving birth, both Handmaids and the wives keep their hair down.
* In ''Series/FateTheWinxSaga'', Musa's interest in Sam and general softening is marked with her hair being worn down more often.
* ''Series/Stargirl2020'': In season 2, Bobbie is letting her hair hang a lot loeser while she drinks wine and dances around the kitchen. Once Cindy shows up to reassert her power, Bobbie's hair is seen back in its previous {{Housewife}} style.

* The first line in Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" goes "Take the ribbon from your hair/Shake it loose and let it fall...." Played for humor when he and Miss Piggy performed it on ''The Muppet Show'' and the Ray Stevens cover.
* Charlie Rich: "When we get behind closed doors/Then she lets her hair hang down..."
* Lucinda Williams, "Side of the Road": "And a farmhouse out a-ways./And I wondered about the people who live there./And I wondered if they were happy and content./Were there children and a man and a wife?/Did she love him and take her hair down at night?"

* In ''Theatre/TheRainmaker'', it takes a ConMan to convince Lizzie that she's beautiful with the pins taken out of her hair. (Her joyful exclamation of "is it really me?" became the title of one of the songs in the musical adaptation, ,''110 In The Shade''.)

* Ilse in ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'' (when played by an actress with long hair). In the first act, when she is living with her strict family, she wears her hair in two braids. In act two, after she runs away to live in an artist colony, her hair is down.
* One community-theatre production of ''Literature/{{Ragtime}}'' had Mother wearing her hair up in a very staid sort of style in Act I, then wearing it loose in Act II after moving to Atlantic City (and meeting Tateh, whom she falls in love with [[spoiler: and eventually marries [[DeathOfTheHypotenuse after her husband dies]]]]).

* [[ActionGirl Ashley Williams]] does this between her appearances in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' and ''3''. Amusingly, James Vega still jokes about her being "a fun girl when she actually lets her hair down".

** At the end of ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', Samus is seen out of her Power Suit and Zero Suit, and into what looks to be a uniform, long hair let down. Though she ties it back into a ponytail after a while, the dialogue and her expression easily convey her feeling of peace and coming to terms with [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice Adam's death]]]] and the resolution of the Bottle Ship incident.
* Chris Lightfellow from ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' dons a casual outfit for her 3rd chapter. Her character portrait for that segment of the game even looks a good deal more relaxed than the scowl she usually settles with.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'', Kasumi, who has been wearing her hair in an [[TomboyishPonytail action ponytail]] for the entire game up until this point [[ShakingHerHairLoose dramatically]] undoes her ribbon and lets her hair loose. This is done to give a sense of finality to her story now that [[spoiler:she has killed her clone and made some sort of amends with the other members of her tribe]]. Also a gratuitous show of the game's new [[JigglePhysics hair physics]].
* Midnight Venus, the hostess of ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'', has a giant redhead afro. You can see her with her hair down if you beat the challenge mode.
* Inverted with Juniper Woods of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'', who wears her hair in two braids in casual clothes but lets it down at school, when showing her more serious and professional side as a student in the Judge course and StudentCouncilPresident.
* In ''VideoGame/BarOasis 1'', Desree Mboshi lets her hair down after a series of late night duties, looking to relax at the titular bar. [[spoiler:That also happens to be the very same night Vic sleeps with her.]]
* ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'': Alia lets her hair down as part of her redesign, she also gains other...ahem, [[FanservicePack upgrades]], and [[TookALevelInBadass puts up quite a fight]] imitating X's fighting style quite well.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelIV'': Juna Crawford usually has her hair tied up but in her swimsuit DLC costume, she has her hair down. She also has it down in [[spoiler:the true ending route of the game.]]

* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' has a RareMaleExample: Souma typically wears his hair up in a SamuraiPonytail, fitting for his hard-working and serious personality. However, in ''Greek Legends'' he falls ill and ends up in the nurse's office, and the player is treated to a CG of him sitting in his pyjamas with his long hair loose and a LuminescentBlush, proving that despite his scary initial impression he is capable of being downright {{Moe}}.
* ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'': Callie and Marie usually wear her hair up, but various promotional material shows that they let it down when off-duty and lounging around their shared apartment.

* The uptight Necr... sorry, Croakamancer Wanda Firebaugh in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'' becomes a lot sexier (and much more open towards the protagonist) when she does this late in the comic.

* A sort of reverse example happens with Vaarsuvius in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' when the elf cools down after his/her rampage of insanity, admits his/her mistakes and ties his/her EvilMakeover-induced WildHair into a ponytail. With his/her Headband of Intellect.
* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', after Annie messed with Jack's half-recovered brain and he in return messed with her, she let the hair down and took a deep breath before saying she's sorry. Combining it with a subtle case of PuppyDogEyes made the apology absolutely irresistible.

* ''WebComic/MagickChicks'': Callista is introduced with her hair done in a [[TomboyishPonytail tomboyish]] [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/deadeye ponytail.]] But, once she and [[spoiler: Cerise]] start dating, she convinces Callista to [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/a_little_something let her hair down and bleach the fringes of it]], [[spoiler: as part of her scheme to reshape Callista's image]].

--> '''Tom:''' That... ''totally'' works.

--> Harlan had a brief flash of déjà vu, looking at Delta Spike. Then he realized that she was the picture of a Hollywood ‘Girl Scientist’, the one who’s supposed to be a drab little geek, but you know that the second that she takes off her glasses and '''lets her hair down''', she’s absolutely gorgeous. Delta Spike had long glossy black hair that was tied up in a style that really didn’t suit her. She wore a pair of thick clunky-looking black frame glasses that couldn’t have done a better job of disguising her classic features if she’d designed them for just that task. Still, she smiled prettily enough.

* Kimiko Tohomiko undoes her bun by removing the Tangle Web Comb in order to use it as a weapon during a showdown with Jack Spicer in ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' episode "Tangled Web!".
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Homer Alone," Marge treats herself to a spa visit but is too worried about her family to relax. While taking a long hot bath, she finally unwinds, allowing herself and her towering hairdo to gradually sink beneath the surface of the water. When she comes back up, both she and the hair have loosened up.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': For the first two Books in the series, Katara was known for her "hair loopies", though they often [[SlipknotPonytail came undone]] during fight scenes. Come ''"Book 3: Fire"'', she finally decided to simply wear her hair long as part of her disguise, while they were in Fire Nation territory.
** Interestingly enough, this was a conscious decision on the part of the writers, who, during commentary for ''[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheWaterbendingMaster "The Waterbending Master"]]'' episode, [[WordOfGod admitted they preferred Katara's look with her hair down.]] Which they cited as the reason for usually having her hair unravel during her fight scenes.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' has Major Carol Danvers undo her bun once she starts fighting crime as Comicbook/MsMarvel, using the superpowers she developed after exposure to Kree energy. She also proceeds to wear her hair like this in her civilian identity. Though it's possible she always let her hair hang loose when she wasn't at work, so tying it back in a bun or a ponytail was just for the pragmatic purposes of her military job.
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'':
** One of the {{Rule 63}} episodes features Fionna removing her hat and revealing her ''very'' long hair while singing with "bad little boy" Marshall Lee.
** The first time Finn took off his hat (season 2 episode "To Cut a Woman's Hair"), it was played as a gender-swapped version of this trope, with a specific focus on the majestic beauty and length of his golden locks.
* Artemis Crock spends most of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' with her hair tied back in a ponytail for functional day to day reasons, but can occasionally be seen with her hair down, usually to indicate relaxation (''Salvage'') or vulnerability (''Summit'').

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', a brief variation of this shows up in the episode "Sisterhooves Social". Rarity normally has her mane curled, but near the end of the episode, she goes out in the rain to play with Sweetie Belle, and her mane gets straightened by water. While it's unintentional on her part, it still fits, as it's an indicator that she's been willing to relax her desire to keep up appearances in favor of spending time with her sister. Rarity's mane gets straightened by the rain again in "Magical Mystery Cure" and "Rarity Takes Manehattan".

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* Variation after the events of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', which has Teana losing her {{Tsundere}} [[GirlishPigtails twin-tails]] after she had matured into a highly competent and reliable leader.
** Inverted with Nanoha. She loses her tight little pigtails as she grows up, and is shown wearing her hair out, but her personality doesn't change at all, since she was already very mature. She's back to wearing it tied up in the third season, albit looser and in a single side ponytail.

* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''
** Setsuna stops wearing her hair in a {{Samurai}} style side-ponytail in the later chapters once she starts growing out of her intensely serious, [[TheStoic near-deadpan]] demeanor.
** Inverted with [[ShrinkingViolet Nodoka]], who starts with her hair down and [[TheFaceless over her face]]. As she gains self-confidence she starts wearing her hair back so we can actually see what she looks like.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'''s Lady Une normally keeps her hair up in a [[http://strangeplaces.net/fandoms/gw/une.jpg tight bun,]] but [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Saint_Une_3633.jpg lets it down]] for her less uptight alter-ego "Saint Une". [[spoiler: When both personalities merge back into the real Une, she decides to keep her hair down from then on.]]
* In ''Manga/TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'', when Mari Katsuragi lets her hair down, someone will get hurt very badly (and she'll look good at it). [[CuteMonsterGirl E]][[CuteWitch l]][[TheDitz s]][[TheWatson i]][[{{Moe}} e]] on the other hand just gets prettier.
* No-nonsense Dr. Chiba in ''Anime/{{Paprika}}'' wears her hair in a neat bun; we only see it down when she's asleep or [[spoiler: in the process of transforming into her free-spirited dream avatar Paprika.]]
* In ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', Aki reverses this: when she lets her hair down, it's a ''bad'' sign. The band holding her hair up is designed to hold her psychic powers in check. When it comes off and her hair is let down, run.
* ''Manga/DGrayMan'':
** Miranda Lotto definitely does this when she first activates her Innocence, by accident. Well, she transforms from [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090703003304/dgrayman/images/a/aa/Huhmiranda.png this]] to [[http://img2.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/08122008/1/d/3/0/1d30c5c7ab6260_full.png this.]] Honestly, which one looks better?
** Lenalee has done this several times, too, before she gets an ImportantHaircut.
* ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'''s Tiffa Addil has a ponytail but [[spoiler: when BarrierMaiden Lucille Lilliant [[GrandTheftMe "borrows" her body]] to ask for help from Jamil, Tiffa's adoptive father as well as her former pupil]], she lets it loose.
* Misty/Kasumi from ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' normally has her hair tied into a small pigtail. While she is indeed a cute girl, her appearance [[BeautifulAllAlong changes]] dramatically every time she puts this trope to practice.
* In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', following [[spoiler:the rather traumatic incident with N at the Nimbasa Ferris Wheel]], White keeps her hair out of its usual ponytail, signifying her depression. She ties it back up when she somewhat comes in terms with herself. Incidentally, fans agree she looks much prettier with her hair down.
* Played very unusually in ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''. Originally, [[spoiler:Homura]] has her hair done up in twin braids, but eventually lets it down. This doesn't signify her becoming more relaxed in the slightest, though; in fact, it marks her transition ''into'' being serious. So you could say it's inverted, only it's also played straight, because the character was previously shy, so it signals a growth in confidence. On the other hand, it also seems to represent the loss of her innocence. So it's hard to classify where this one lands.
** [[spoiler: Kyoko]] also later does this in the fight with [[spoiler: Oktavia von Seckendorff]] to show that she finally became a better person.
* [[spoiler:Ringo Noyamano]] from Manga/AirGear lets her long hair loose when [[spoiler: she becomes Ikki's link tuner.]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny'' has Meyrin Hawke, who keeps her hair in GirlishPigtails. After [[spoiler:helping Athrun defect from ZAFT and joining the Archangel]], she ditches the pigtails and wears her hair loose. At the very end of the series she puts it back up again, to the disappointment of some fans who thought she looked a lot more mature with it down.
* Retsu Unohana of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' is an inversion. She's gentle and motherly with her braid, but [[BewareTheNiceOnes when her hair is let down]]...

* ''Anime/SpaceDandy'':
** A particularly badass example is seen in the second episode. Scarlet, almost always seen with an uptight bun, lets her hair down before demolishing a team of elite super-mafia aliens.
** Later in the series, when she has Dandy be her pretend date to make her old stalker boyfriend jealous, Dandy is impressed with how good she looks with her hair down.
* Phyllis Jaraba in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration [[Characters/MasouKishin Coffin of the End]]'' normally has her hair braided up and also wears glasses. She takes off her glasses and lets her hair down [[spoiler: after she's BrainwashedAndCrazy by the giants of La Gias.]]
* Variation: The hot-headed, brash Yuri Plisetsky from ''Anime/YuriOnIce'' wears his hair down most of the time, but there's a significant shot of him letting his hair down during training as he embraces his very well-hidden vulnerability and sensitivity.

* ''Anime/FushigiYuugi'': In the series, Miaka is seen letting her hair down whenever she is in her place (her home or her bedroom in the palace), where she can be relaxed. In the OVA, she lets her hair more often indicating her maturity.

* Virtually universal in any romance fic involving [[Literature/HarryPotter Minerva McGonagall]]. Probably something to do with a funny line she had in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire''.
* ''Blog/AskJappleack'' introduces its version of Applejack with the same ponytail as her canon self, and a crude personality befitting the blog's humor. As the story progresses and she mellows out (befitting her introspection after [[spoiler:losing her sister]]), she begins letting her hair fall naturally. This also helps to separate her from her canon self [[SerendipityWritesThePlot when they begin interacting]], and carries over to her appearance in the finale of WebAnimation/PonyDotMov.
* ''FanFic/{{Rules}}'': [[spoiler:Light Yagami's love interest Charlie is a tough-as-nails tomboy who usually has her hair up. Light only realizes his attraction to her when he sees her hair down, which causes her personality and overall appearance to soften considerably]].

* ''FanFic/TheBridge'' has typically pigtails wearer, Aria Blaze, let her hair down in the final battle with Enjin. [[spoiler: Especially once she activates her SuperMode.]]
* A variation occurs in a side story of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' with Elite Four member Lorelei, who normally wears her hair in a ponytail. [[spoiler: In this case, it's more of a LetsGetDangerous moment since she keeps a Key Stone for Mega Evolution hidden in her hair clasp.]]

** The first time Boscha [[spoiler: goes into her GoldenSuperMode]], she removes her braid and lets her hair down [[spoiler: before transforming.]]
** Near the end of Act 1, [[spoiler: right before she leaves the Boiling Isles]], Skara follows suit by letting her hair free as she's [[spoiler: packing up to leave.]]

* Princess Jasmine in ''{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}}'' is shown with her hair down after the "Whole New World" sequence where she and Aladdin have fallen in love, and she's truly happy for the first time in the film.
* Belle too, from ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', after the Beast rescues her from wolves. Also, after the Beast defeats [[https://sphotos-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1001738_10152137696029097_465538097_n.jpg Gaston in battle.]] In both cases, the hair being down happens at a moment when she's more vulnerable.

** Then in ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', she begins with it braided just as it was in the latter half of the first film, and she's still not entirely happy, feeling restless and somewhat unfulfilled, which is twisted together with her fear of changing her already-happier-than-it-used-to-be life. The braid continues to hang until the scene where she finds herself standing alone ready to challenge the ocean, at which point she unbraids it and puts it into a loose ponytail. And as she [[spoiler: reaches Ahtohollan]], she undoes the ponytail and now her hair is completely unbound for the first time ever, symbolizing how she's finally completely and truly free from all fear and self-doubt.

* Rose in ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' is first shown with her hair down when she meets Jack - the first time she drops her ProperLady image and allows herself to be vulnerable. Around the time she decides she's going to leave Cal and her rich life behind, her hair is always down.
* The silent classic ''Film/{{Sunrise}}'' features this in its powerful ending, when [[NoNameGiven the Wife]], who wore her hair pulled back for the whole movie, is shown with her hair down after she's been rescued from drowning.
* In ''Film/LoadedWeapon1'', Destiny Demeanor is introduced wearing glasses and her hair up in a bun. When she lets her hair down, she is replaced with an obviously different actress. Colt's reaction? "You should always wear your hair down."
* Lee the masochistic heroine of ''Film/{{Secretary}}'' mostly wears her hair braided across her head to begin with. As she enters a, well, ''unconventional'' romance with her boss, she starts to wear it down, especially at moments when she clearly feels most confident. She reverts to updos somewhat as the relationship founders, but her reunion with her lover culminates in a scene in which he tenderly and sensually ''washes'' her hair, which is of course down for the purpose.

* Done by serious librarian Evy in ''Film/TheMummy1999''. She is played by Rachel Weisz, so also a HotLibrarian.
* Played in reverse in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}'': Jennifer starts out with her hair down, but becomes ''more'' serious as the movie goes on, and pulls her hair back at about the same time as she discovers literature.
* In ''Film/TheBigSleep'', the bookseller woman has her hair all tied up. After the detective chats to her a while, she closes the shop, lets down her hair, takes off her glasses, and ...apparently, helps him pass the time until the person he's seeking turns up across the street.

* The heroine of the German film ''Mostly Martha'' (and its American remake ''No Reservations'') wears her hair up for most of the movie, finally letting it down after the first time she spends the night with her love interest.
* When cousin Rachel is introduced in ''Film/MyCousinRachel1952'' she has her hair bunched up on two sides in proto-Princess Leia buns. So it makes for a dramatic moment when she enters Phillip's bedroom for the first time, in her nightgown and with her long hair undone, and kisses him.

* Angela Drake in ''Film/BrewstersMillions1985''. When the movie begins, she's purely professional with her hair up, but near the end she sports a lady 'fro.
* Saavik, in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', once in an elevator, and once at [[ToAbsentFriends a more emotional moment]]. In ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'', she is seen with her hair down most of the time, and ''has'' certainly loosened up some.
* ''Film/OurManFlint''. After she's lured Flint to her apartment, Gila does this to signal to him that she's in the mood for love.
* In ''Film/GoodbyeLenin'' the main character notices that his love interest wears her hair down when she is happy and up when she isn't. This acts as a convenient visual aid for the viewer later on when they have an argument.

* Lena in ''Film/TheSisterhoodOfTheTravelingPants'' after she steps out to spend time with Kostas to show that she's now open to love.

* Discussed about Aunt Polly in ''Film/{{Pollyanna|1960}}''. Her old lover Edmund Chilton remarks that she used to wear her hair down when they were in love. Nowadays as a cold and detached ProperLady she only wears it up. She does let it down for a moment after an argument with Edmund, but actually doesn't do this in the film. Her hair remains up after her CharacterDevelopment.
* Mitsuyo in ''Film/{{Villain}}'' is a rather dark example; she starts the movie with her hair in a tight ponytail and lets it down when [[spoiler:she decides to go on the run with her murderer boyfriend instead of turning him in to the police]]. After [[spoiler:he's arrested]] she puts it up again.

* In ''Film/{{Cursed|2005}}'' we are introduced to Ellie with her hair tied up in a bun. After being bitten by the werewolf and thus gaining a natural sexual aura she is always shown with her hair down with the men gawking appropriately. One of her co-workers mentions how much nicer she looks with her hair down.
* In ''Film/AirplaneIITheSequel'' (as seen in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeLnS8O08ng this clip]]), Ted Striker needed something metal to deactive the control panel. Elaine Dickinson, wanting to help, pulls out her bobby pin and lets her hair down, complete with a slo-mo HairFlip.
* Inverted in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''. At the beginning of the film, Dr. Elsa Schneider lets her long, blonde hair flow while she explores Venice with Indy. However, once she's revealed as a Nazi collaborator, her hair is shown in tight buns. Her hairstyle remains this way for the remainder of the film, except in the grail temple, when her hair comes somewhat undone and messy when she desperately reaches for the artifact, but we never see the flowing locks again.
* Inverted in ''Film/IntoTheWoods''. The Witch has her hair down in hag form. [[spoiler:When she becomes beautiful again]] her hair is tied back. Also inverted with Cinderella, who wears her hair down as a scullery maid, and up when she's in her ballgown.
* ''Film/{{The Secret Garden|1993}}'': Inverted with Kate Maberly's Mary. She wears her hair down completely when she's in her IceQueen phase. As she defrosts, she is seen with her hair in GirlishPigtails or tied up with ribbons.
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Katniss is only shown with her hair down when she is at her most vulnerable. There's some justification to this, since her iconic braid is just how she wears it when she's hunting or in the games.
* Similarly used in ''{{Literature/Divergent}}'' with Tris's hair. While going through the Dauntless TrainingFromHell, it's usually tied back in a ponytail. During intimate moments with Four, her hair is usually down. [[spoiler: When she confesses that she's a Divergent]] her hair is down.
* Done the other way around in ''Film/AmericanHustle'' with Rosalyn. She and Irving are in the middle of a rocky marriage for the bulk of the film, and she wears her hair up. In their wedding photo - and it's implied they were happier when they got married - her hair is down.

* Another case of being done the other way around in ''Film/BlackNarcissus''. As a nun, Sister Clodagh of course has her hair up in a wimple. In her HappyFlashbacks to her pre-convent life in Ireland, it's no coincidence that her hair is down.
* ''Film/TheLegendOfBillieJean'' shows Putter with her hair down after she gets her first period. It's been tied up in GirlishPigtails for the majority of the film.
* ''Film/PitchPerfect'': a minor but significant one when uptight control freak Aubrey undoes her bun and later removes her vest in the Bella's finals number showing that she has learned to mellow a bit.

* ''Film/TheHourOfThePig'': Maria does this along with removing her head covering prior to having sex with Courtois.
* In ''Film/HowToRobABank'', Jessica removes her black wig once she knows her cover is thoroughly blown. Under it, her naturally brown hair is pinned up to allow her to wear the wig over it. When the power to the vault is turned off, she lets her hair down, showing how at ease with Jason she now is.
* ''Film/TheWhiteOrchid'': Claire starts out with her hair in a neat bun, as a shy, rather nerdy woman. Then, while getting into the shoes of The White Orchid, she lets it down to become looser like the dead woman was.

* Played for laughs in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', where [[SternTeacher Professor McGonagall]] makes a remark about ''letting our hair down'' (in reference to the Yule Ball). Lavender and Parvati start giggling, and Harry's narration notes that it doesn't look like she's ever let her hair down in any sense.
* In ''Literature/ATreeGrowsInBrooklyn'', Francie's mother won't let her get a fashionable bob because a woman should have long hair as her "secret" beauty that only her lover/husband (well, presumably Katie means husband) gets to see when she unpins it at the end of the day.

A variation of this can be seen in shows for younger girls. If the girl has low self esteem, she will wear her hair down and [[PeekABangs over her face]]. At the end of the show, when she has gained some confidence, she will pull her hair back to signify the change, opening her face and no longer hiding.

* When cousin Rachel is introduced in ''Film/MyCousinRachel'' (1952) she has her hair bunched up on two sides in proto-Princess Leia buns. So it makes for a dramatic moment when she enters Phillip's bedroom for the first time, in her nightgown and with her long hair undone, and kisses him.

* A variant is seen in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' with Violet. She hides behind her hair for most of the movie, but when she gains confidence in herself and her powers, begins to wear it back.

* ''Blog/AskJappleack'' introduces its version of Applejack with the same ponytail as her canon self, and a crude personality befitting the blog's humor. As the story progresses and she mellows out (befitting her introspection after [[spoiler:losing her sister]], she begins letting her hair fall naturally. This also helps to separate her from her canon self [[SerendipityWritesThePlot when they begin interacting]], and carries over to her appearance in the finale of WebAnimation/PonyDotMov.

* ''Blog/AskJappleack'' introduces its version of Applejack with the same ponytail as her canon self, and a crude personality befitting the blog's humor. As the story progresses and she mellows out (befitting her introspection after [[spoiler:losing her sister]], she begins letting her hair fall naturally. This also helps to separate her from her canon self [[SerendipityWritesThePlot when they begin interacting]], and carries over to her appearance in the finale of WebVideo/PonyDotMov.

* Captain Janeway wore a bun in the first few seasons of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. It disappeared when the writers decided to drop her "This is a Starfleet vessel" persona and let the poor girl loosen up a bit (or when they started stuffing up her character). Likewise Kes ditched her bobbed wig for long flowing locks, but that was because Jennifer Lien was getting a reaction to the adhesive used to stick her pointy ears on. Seven of Nine also wore her hair down in later episodes when she was doing social experiments in the holodeck. She'd immediately pin it back up when reporting for duty.
* ''Series/StarTrekPicard''. As a sign of her [[CharacterDevelopment more casual personality]], Seven of Nine has WildHair in contrast to the French pleat she wore as an IceQueen on Voyager.
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''. Science officer T'Pol has the standard Vulcan SciFiBobHaircut, but in "In A Mirror, Darkly" she's got long flowing hair down past her shoulders, in accordance with the EvilIsSexy look of the MirrorUniverse. Ensign Hoshi likewise has loosened her hairbun into a ponytail. Both are portrayed as FemmeFatale-types in contrast to their restrained normal personas.

* ''VideoGame/Spyro3YearOfTheDragon'': In the anthropomorphic setting, Bianca lets her rabbit ears down when she joins the side of the heroes. Before, she hid them with a shadowy, imposing hood.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'', Alia lets her hair down as part of her redesign, she also gains other...ahem, [[FanservicePack upgrades]], and [[TookALevelInBadass puts up quite a fight]] imitating X's fighting style quite well.
* Juna Crawford from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel IV'' usually has her hair tied up but in her swimsuit DLC costume, she has her hair down. She also has it down in [[spoiler:the true ending route of the game.]]
* In the anthropomorphic setting of ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon 3'', Bianca lets her rabbit ears down when she joins the side of the heroes. Before, she hid them with a shadowy, imposing hood.

* Callie and Marie from ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' usually wear her hair up, but various promotional material shows that they let it down when off-duty and lounging around their shared apartment.

* ''FanFic/TheBridge'' has typically MegaTwintails wearer, Aria Blaze, let her hair down in the final battle with Enjin. [[spoiler: Especially once she activates her SuperMode.]]

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who is normally seen with an efficient, no-nonsense bun, but generally lets her hair down when she's seen off-duty. In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime]], Hawkeye doesn't take her hair down until the very last episode, when she visits wounded comrade [[UnresolvedSexualTension Roy Mustang]].

* Inverted in ''WesternAnimation/CloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballs'', where Sam puts her hair *up* and her glasses *on* when she loosens up.

* Twice inverted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'', since it was after a long time with Flynn that she put her hair up, and let it back down [[spoiler:after returning to Mother Gothel]].

* ''Literature/{{Rapunzel}}'' has the titular character's evil stepmother Gothel and the prince repeatedly asking her to do this so they can climb up to her tower. As Freud would point out, this releasing of her hair was not just for utilitarian purposes, considering that Rapunzel eventually gets pregnant from all this, um, "[[IsThatWhatTheyreCallingItNow relaxation]]" with her prince.

[[quoteright:260:[[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/riza_hair_down_6177.jpg]]]]

* Callie and Marie from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' usually wear her hair up, but various promotional material shows that they let it down when off-duty and lounging around their shared apartment.

* Callie and Marie from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' usually wear their hair up to keep up their appearances, except for any occasion when they're off-duty, both Squid Sisters let their hair down.

* At the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "The Mane Event", as the girls wake up from their sleep, we get to see Blossom with her hair down.

A variation of this can be seen in shows for younger girls. If the girl has low self esteem, she will wear her hair [[BlindingBangs down and]] [[PeekABangs over her face]]. At the end of the show, when she has gained some confidence, she will pull her hair back to signify the change, opening her face and no longer hiding.

* Victorian ProperLady Lucille Sharpe from ''Film/CrimsonPeak'' finally lets her RapunzelHair out of its elaborate updo near the end of the movie (in-story, because she's about to go to bed). While this does represent her loosening up, it's not exactly a good thing- she's no longer hiding her true nature as an [[BrotherSisterIncest incestuous]] [[AxCrazy serial killer]], and things are about to go downhill fast.

* Det. Dani Reese from ''Series/{{Life}}'' wore her hair pulled back in Season 1. In Season 2, she wears it down, reflecting her new, considerably more relaxed, attitude towards Crews.

** At the end of ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', Samus is seen out of her Power Suit and Zero Suit, and into what looks to be a uniform, hair let down and rather [[RapunzelHair Rapunzel-ish]]. Though she ties it back into a ponytail after a while, the dialogue and her expression easily convey her feeling of peace and coming to terms with [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice Adam's death]]]] and the resolution of the Bottle Ship incident.

* Women and girls with RapunzelHair will sometimes wear it up everyday for practical reasons (to protect the ends from damage, keep it from getting tangled, etc.) and only let it down for special occasions.

* A variation occurs in a sidestory of ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'' with Elite Four member Lorelei, who normally wears her hair in a ponytail. [[spoiler: In this case, it's more of a LetsGetDangerous moment since she keeps a Key Stone for Mega Evolution hidden in her hair clasp.]]

* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', Jerin usually keeps his hair in a practical braid. He gets to "let it down" at a royal ball, where it is decorated with flowers and jewelery, and arranged so that it cascades down over his shoulders. [[spoiler: There's also the incident when Princess Lylia talks him into kissing her. She undoes his braid, a physical symbol of the unchaste act she got him to commit. Princess Ren re-braids it later, after scolding Lylia.]]

* Captain Janeway wore the [[FanNickname Bun of Steel]] the first few seasons of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. It disappeared when the writers decided to drop her "This is a Starfleet vessel" persona and let the poor girl loosen up a bit (or when they started stuffing up her character). Likewise Kes ditched her bobbed wig for long flowing locks, but that was because Jennifer Lien was getting a reaction to the adhesive used to stick her pointy ears on. Seven of Nine also wore her hair down in later episodes when she was doing social experiments in the holodeck. She'd immediately pin it back up when reporting for duty.