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short answer is "it works better on the models"

things like topknots keep the hair clear of the neck/shoulders, which makes it easier to assemble and paint without worrying about the interface between the bare head and the chest armour.

its easier to make as well, as "Up" dos let you keep the head as a complete whole with a clear, easy to glue neck joint that allows that ever-requested CUSTOM POSING!!!, while a longer "down" hairdo would limit the position of the head to whatever the hair interface dictates.

also, models are used to visually express the faction, so hair styles need to be a part of that expression. topknots and mohawks on orks harken back to thier 80s goth/punk roots as footie hooligans. the Tau have topknots because they were popular with historical Chinese and Japanese warriors, suiting their Asian/anime aesthetics. Most space marines have short, practical haircuts as befits their professional warrior vibe, but Space wolves, as space vikings, get long hair and beards, and get to have up dos in the "barbarian warrior" style. Templars seem to favour either the shaven bald or the "pudding bowl" haircuts, as both of these are associtated with religious monks and medieval knights.

The sisters of Battle bob cut just seems to have been semi-fashionable in the early 90s when their original look was created, and has stuck around as visually iconic, though.

Even the Talharn models and many of their artworks show them as being very clean-shaven despite them being Space Arabs.

See, thats where your slightly wrong. They weren't "Arabs IN SPACE", they were "Lawrence of Arabia IN SPACE". At the time you could still buy talharn, they were uniformily painted in European flesh tones by the 'Eavy Metal team, and their notable engagements in the lore were cribbed form exploits of the british LRDG and SAS in north africa in ww2.