I had my hair REALLY short when I was in GIS school. I was in class 36 to 40 hours a week and did about 20 hours of school work a week. I had two kids with me for part of the time. I was on about 8 different drugs, trying to keep breathing. I didn't have time to fuss with my hair.
I don't think I would ever do something like Match.com in part because I really do not like to be judged for my looks. The men who want me because they think I am "beautiful", without really knowing anything else about me, are pretty offensive, in my book. I told one such guy to "stop wasting your time -- I am not what you are looking for". His reply was "I have seen your picture. You are exactly what I am looking for." My reply to that was to the effect that there are women who do what he is looking for. They usually charge cash up front. And, I reiterated: Stop wasting your time. And MINE. (I think he was about 22. That might explain how shallow he was.)
When I did 20 months of drug withdrawal, I often chatted with whomever happened to show up online because it was 3 a.m., I was miserable, and I couldn't sleep. As long as they weren't too obnoxious, I was up for conversation with almost anyone, about almost anything. It beat feeling sorry for myself. For some reason, it was only men that contacted me via IM. (All my online women friends use e-mail.) The ones who showed up to talk and enjoyed the conversation, generally continued to hang around. Eventually, it would come up in conversation that I expect to get divorced. They would inevitably make it clear at that point that, really, I was quite an attractive woman and they would like to be more than "just friends". And that never offended me, even if the feeling was NOT mutual.
And then there were the guys who showed up and, within about 5 minutes, wanted to basically know 2 things: 1) How big are your boobs? and 2) Wanna meet somewhere in the next 15 minutes and get naked??? That was generally the last time I spoke to such a person.
So, I think I probably would never utilize a service like Match.com because I would feel that it was a polite version of the previous paragraph. People on Match.com are looking to get Hooked Up. That is their reason for being there. And I would feel like I was in a Meat Market. I know my personal views on that are extreme. And I know Match.com has led to a number of marriages and it works for some folks. But, for me, it wouldn't. A lot of men think I am beautiful. A lot of men would like to get hooked up with me for that reason, without knowing anything else about me. And I would rather be celibate than sleep with a guy who is treating me like nothing but a piece of meat.
And a lot of people don't know how to take pictures, so I think it is hard to really judge what a person "looks" like from homemade pics on the Internet. And I think women dress more consertively when they feel insecure. I would guess that many of the folks on Match.com feel insecure about being there and being sized up by strangers, etc. A woman on Match.com is probably a "career woman" who feels she has to throw herself into her career because the romance thing ain't really happening. She may not feel she can afford to be too "sexy" because it would interfere with her job and she also may feel that she cannot invest too much in that aspect of her identity because, well, she doesn't FEEL all that "hot". I mean, the romance thing isn't really happening. And it can feel really bad to feel like you are "trying too hard" and no one wants you.
A lot of "attractive" people are attractive precisely because they got involved with someone and began to feel sexy and attractive and confident and no longer much cared how they were being judged. And that allowed them to blossom. My husband was the biggest nerd with the worst clothes when we met. After we got involved, I took him shopping and took him for a decent hair cut, etc. I know that looks matter socially. But I genuinely don't judge a man on the "looks" thing too much. There are a lot of factors in how a person "looks". And if it is successful and you find True Love and get married and live happily ever after, you are both going to be old and gray before its over.
I am SO tempted to post pics of me as a scrawny teenager. I have been married 19 1/2 years and got hooked up as a scrawny 17 year old. I don't look anything like that anymore. And Hair?? That changes a lot quicker and more frequently than weight. So, when this marriage ends, I will bet the same way I did last time: On someone I can TALK to. If he can't dress, hey, what will that matter in bed? If he wants to know how to dress better, I can help. If he doesn't care and it isn't a problem for his career, hey, he will fit right in with my 17 year old who likes orange clothes and hates cutting his hair and has glasses with red frames and the only pair of shoes he owns is sandals...and the list goes on. Nerds R Us. ;-) 8-! :-D
Sorry for the length. No criticism or offense intended. Just Pontificating over breakfast.

:-} :-D