It may not be the answer that you're looking for, but there was a journal article that I read recently (of which I have forgotten the title and author) that examined hair curling as something politically and socially derived, in the context that they were writing about, at least. The concept was that, in this nation (again, the name of which I forget), hair treatment was associated with globalisation and the abandonment of traditional values (the metaphor of which were traditional styles of hair), thus those individuals that treated their hair were seen to be both investing in global style trends (and the cache associated with it) and in non-conforming with 'traditional' social values.
It's not the answer you were looking for, but it's still interesting to consider the wider, social issues that encourage individuals to beautify themselves in certain ways.