How important is hair to your attractiveness?

It was very timely of Pantene-- the company synonymous with beautiful, long, healthy hair-- to conduct a hair survey right on the heels of our burgeoning Viviscal (hair-growing supplement) experiment. 

While Pantene was surely trying to capitalize on Valentine's Day by figuring out a way that hair is relevant to romance, they devised a way to make woman pay even more attention to the condition of their hair, by questioning men about exactly how important hair is to a woman's attractiveness. 

The results certainly lend themselves to a continued devotion to Viviscal's instructions...

• 74% of men indicated that they initially notice a woman because of their hair
• 44% of men surveyed said that hair is the first thing they notice about a woman, more than her clothes (26%), legs (25%), or makeup (4%)
• More men surveyed said they would be more likely to approach a woman at a bar with great hair, than a woman wearing a low-cut shirt (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
• 82% of men indicated that sexy hair is a key element to a woman’s overall sex appeal
• 60% of men surveyed say they would rather date a woman with great hair than a woman with big breasts
•  78% of men surveyed consider healthy hair to be a turn-on

It makes sense that men would subconsciously use the appearance of a woman's hair to determine her attractiveness, because hair is an immediate way to gauge a person's health and youth, both of which are huge factors that signal "you should mate with me!" 

Steve Ward, a professional match-maker whom Pantene has hired to represent these findings, has the following down-to-earth response about the results:

"A good first impression goes the distance and these survey results reveal you don’t always have to go for the most revealing look on the first date.

Instead of struggling to decide what outfit to wear, it may be a good idea to start to rethink your hairstyle.

Hair that is healthy and well-kept immediately signals to a man that you are responsible, classy, attentive, and take pride in your appearance and these are all characteristics that men look for in women." 

While these findings are all very interesting, it seems a bit unfair that the survey was so one-sided. Sure men care about women's hair, but what about what women think about men's hair? (And c'mon Pantene, surely you want to ramp up the number of men that use your products too? Why not also sell "sexy hair" to men by quizzing woman about their opinions on men's hair turn-ons/turn-offs?)  

In the end, it seems hard to believe that men would choose a woman with great hair over a large chest, but it seems there is no escaping the subliminal context cues people pick up on when choosing a possible mate. For these reasons, styles that emphasize health, youth, and vitality, will never go out of vogue.

 

And in the meantime, it's just about time for my next dose of Viviscal...