You should never judge a book by its cover and you shouldn’t judge a person by their hair. However, according to research, we are judged a lot by our hair. You might even be paid more if you have a certain hair color. There are decades of research that your hair affects how others perceive you and opportunities that are created. Here’s what your hair says about you:
1. Having Better Groomed Hair Is Correlated with Better Grades
Did you get C’s throughout high school? Perhaps that’s because you wore your bed head to math class. It could simply be that those who care about their hair are also more on top of their schoolwork.
Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a study was conducted to determine whether or not certain aspects of physical appearance affected a students GPA in high school. For both male and female students, being well groomed was associated with statistically higher GPAs. Possible explanations include teacher discrimination and the difference in student objectives.
2. Blondes Make More Money and Gentlemen Prefer Them
We’re not sure if blondes have more fun but research has shown that they have more money and perhaps more opportunities to have more fun.
A study called “Physical appearance and wages: Do blondes have more fun” from Economics Letters that focused on physical characteristics relation to labor market outcomes found that blondes received larger wages on average. Another study on fund-raising found that blonde females raise more money compared to their brunette counterparts. Finally, Gad Saad has an interesting review that suggests blondes are approached more often by men. He artificially dyed the same woman’s hair red, brunette and blonde and hit the nightclubs. The results:
3. Redheads Are Seen As Dumber Than Blondes
Move over ‘blonde jokes’, according to judg.me/blog, a website that has users make judgments based on their reactions to photos and they found that redheads are judged as being dumber than blondes.
4. Redheads Are Also Seen As Leaders
Redheads might be the majority but according to studies, they know how to lead the majority. Natural redheads like Emma Stone are often seen as natural leaders but they can also come off as naughty to their potential partners.
5. Women with Dyed or Short Hair Are Seen As Extroverts
According to judg.me, people make the snap judgment that women with short or dyed hair must be extroverts – but they aren’t the only ones. Scientist theorize that women who change their hair color to bold colors do so that they can stand out from the crowd, and hopefully stand out to their partners.
6. Women With Short Hair Are Creative
Think about the women you know who have chopped off their locks in favor of a short pixie, do you think they’re creative or artistic? According to research, females who opt for pixies or a short bob tend to be more artistic and creative than their long haired friends.
7. Long Hair Might Mean You’re Wife Material, According to Men
A survey published by Cosmopolitan revealed that 74% of men found long hair more attractive and the top four adjectives used to describe long hair were: sexy, fun, young and wife material.
Long straight hair is often seen as sexy and affluent while medium length hair suggests that you are intelligent and good-natured. Short hair is often debated as some believe it shows that you are confident and outgoing, others say it portrays masculinity. Perhaps it portrays all of the above!
8. Curly or Wavy Hair Is Likable
Research has shown that women with curly or wavy hair are often seen as likable and approachable. The hairstyle sends the message that you are low-maintenance and carefree. Some research has even suggested that curly haired ladies are more committed to the companies that they work for. Wearing the natural texture is also seen as a sign of confidence.
9. The Perception of Your Sexuality
There is probably little truth to your hairstyle reflecting how sexual you are but it probably does hold some truth in how sexual people perceive you to be. According to Cosmopolitan, long flowing hair is associated with romance, shorter hair is associated with fashion and curly hair is perceived as sexually wild. Furthermore, women with black hair are associated with dangerous bedroom behavior, while redheads are seen as more sexual than blondes or brunettes.
10. Good Grooming is Associated with Higher Wages (For Men)
It’s understood that personal grooming is an important source of nonverbal communication about a person. Using data from the American Time Use survey, research found that individuals who spent more time grooming also earned higher wages for men. Although there was no significant effect found on women’s wages, spending a few extra minutes on your hair might mean a few extra bucks.
Regardless of your hairstyle, actions speak a lot louder than your hair. It can still surprise people how much we are perceived and judged based on our hair. However, don’t let stereotypes or research hold you back from trying new hairstyles or colors.
