Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blonde ambition

When a woman feels bad about the way she looks, there’s nothing like a visit to the hair salon to make it all better. Women derive much of their confidence from the hair on their heads, which should explain the power of a ‘bad hair day’.

Long, short, wavy, fringed, bobbed or bee hived, when it comes to hair and the feel good factor, it’s less about the style and all about the colour. Goth kids prefer pitch black and punks prefer electric blue but as for gentlemen, they prefer blondes.

Many women agree too.

Thanks to Western media, a beautiful mane of blonde hair oozes glamour and sex appeal. It’s feminine, seductive and carefree - hence the legendary quip ‘blondes have more fun’. But can a bottle of peroxide really hold the secret to achieving the best out of life?

Does a Jackie really need to become a Marilyn to find her perfect love match or get ahead at work?

According to latest research, bleaching hair does wonders for a woman’s self-confidence. Lighter locks make women feel significantly more confident, impulsive, exciting and attractive.

Dyeing their hair gives women a chance to reinvent themselves and to put on a new persona. It simply gives women a chance to express feelings and behaviours that were already there.

It’s estimated that somewhere in the region of 60-80 per cent of women dye their hair. The motivation varies enormously depending on age. Younger women like to keep up with celebrities and fashion trends, whereas a lot of older women dye their hair to cover up the signs of ageing.

The change in levels of confidence and women finding themselves more attractive (after dyeing their hair) was huge.

Buying a new pair of designer jeans or shoes could make someone feel a little more confident. But in the case of dyeing their hair, it seemed to make women feel a whole lot more confident.

Most women start experimenting with hair dye at the age of 20 and will try an average of four shades during their lifetime.

According to statistics, red is the tone which most women test out first, but the colour they stick to the least. Light and dark blonde are the most popular colours followed by chestnut and dark brown. Black is the least popular.

IT’S IN THE GENES

Jena Pincott, author of ‘Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?’ is convinced men’s preference for blondes is down to genetics.

“Modern men are attracted to blonde hair for the same reason as their cavemen counterparts: it’s eye-catching,” she says.

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