I'm one of those who usually paint hair - IF I even use hair in the image.. But, to imply that all painted hair looks better than the hair props is ..well.. not true.. there's alot of crappy painted hair out there.. I say whichever works for the image is the best wy to go.. also very much depends on the style of your image.. if the rest of it is heavily postworked then maybe painted hair would look better.. If the image is basically a straight render - then what will probably look best is a hair prop.. these images (if done well) are the ones I'm the most impressed with.. cause I can't produce that kind of result myself and to comment about some of the artists you mentioned as being "real artists".. well to be honest.. quite a few of those galleries are just different versions of the same stuff.. I don't really call that being creative... so to sum my standpoint up: It's all a matter of taste.. most ppl have it - just not the same

CRITIC, n. A person who boasts himself hard to
please because nobody tries to please him.