Hair & Self-esteem Might Have a Deeper Connection Than You Thought (plus 5 Tips to Protect Your Hair)
Every time I think about Friends, the first thing that pops into my head is not those six old pals, but Denise Richards and her astonishingly smooth hair. Her hair looked so amazing it even came with its own background music and is a great example of how hair can contribute to someone’s attractiveness.
Obviously, hair as a part of physical appearance plays a huge role in our daily lives. Yale University conducted a study to explore the psychology behind bad hair days, with subjects stating that bad hair days made them ‘feel less smart, less capable and sociable but more embarrassed’. So it seems that having hair you’re not happy with can trigger feelings of low self-esteem and other negative emotions.
Dr. Marianne LaFrance, Professor of Psychology and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Yale University concludes that ‘Both women and men are negatively affected by the phenomenon of bad hair days,’. Women reported experiencing more feelings of shame and embarrassment while men might be lower in confidence and increased nervousness. You can clearly see the magic impact of hair and how it can boost or dent our confidence.
Generally speaking, changing our appearance isn’t an easy feat. Oftentimes it requires either a drastic change in lifestyle or cosmetic surgery, which can be time-consuming, expensive, risky, difficult or all of the above. Your hair, however, is an exception to this rule. It can easily be altered through the products you use, cutting or styling. If you’re looking for a quick confidence boost, why not start with your hair?
Before I go, here are some additional tips to keep your hair in great shape:
- Keep your hands out of your hair at all times - Our hands are not only bacteria magnets from everything we touch but they also contain their own oils, so touching your hair often can transfer these oils and make your hair greasy.
- Protect your hair from UV - Similar to our skin, our hair can also be severely damaged by sun rays, so always remember to cover your hair with a hat and keep it out of direct sunlight.
- Trim your hair every 8 weeks to prevent split ends - Split ends affect everyone and give your hair unwanted frizz. The best solution is to visit your hair stylist for a trim and we’d recommend going every 8 weeks to keep that frizz at bay.
- Find the right shampoo for your hair - While everyone’s hair is different, we all want our hair to be healthy, manageable and well-balanced. In all cases, we’d recommend avoiding shampoos with harsh chemicals such as silicones, parabens and sulphates, and go for hair products formulated with naturally derived ingredients. Unsure of what to choose for your hair? Take our quiz.
- Every time you wash your hair, condition it. Conditioning should definitely be a part of your hair care routine. Not only does it help greatly with detangling your hair, it can always give it a silkier appearance. We designed our conditioner to complement our shampoo, so that combined they give you