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What Your Hair Says About You

Sure it’s what’s on the inside is what counts, but did you know that what’s on the outside (and more specifically, what’s on your head) can lead to assumptions about what’s inside? Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly on first impressions when it comes to your hair (including what hair men like the most):

If you have…

hair first impressions

1. Curly hair people perceive you as friendly and low-maintenance (not the type that blows out her locks after ever shower).

2. Pin-straight tresses, folks assume you are wealthier and more sophisticated (it takes a lot of money to maintain those straight locks). It’s also what hair men like most according to studies.

3. Long hair you are perceived as more feminine and soft, maybe easier to persuade, and long hair is the type of hair men like most on a woman.

4. Short hair you seem down to earth, strong, responsible, and more serious.

5. Bobbed hair people perceive you as having lots of energy and being fun.

Those descriptions seem to be true, but it’s hard to say since women are so individual, so I decided to compare those ideas about first impressions based on your crowning glory on one woman who has had them all (the versatile Keira Knightly), side to side…what is your impression of her based on the hair style?

What would your first impression based on her hairstyle be?

keira knightley hair styles

A good hair day can mean a good day for many of us, and a bad hair day…well, I’ve known people who wouldn’t leave the house if it looked bad. And I don’t blame them, because looking unkempt affects how people see (and treat) you. Our self esteem is often based on what we see in the mirror, and even somewhat on how others see us as well. So if you want to be seen drastically differently, you may decide to join the millions of women who dye their tresses another color, trying to get hair men like (read on to find out the hair color men like and prefer). In the US 75% of women today color or highlight their natural hair. In the 50’s only about 7% of women used dye, and it was to cover up gray and match their natural color- no one was supposed to know you colored your hair or were going grey!

First Impressions Based on Hair Color

hair men like

There are lots of theories on what hair color men prefer, but apparently both men and women form impressions based on your hair color. Here are some fun stats and trivia on each hair color to help you decide whether you are meant to be a Redhead, a Goldilocks, or a Raven-haired beauty:

Red is the most popular color choice of women. The majority of women who dye their tresses choose this fiery shade, but in actuality only 3% of the population is naturally red-haired. Redheads are often seen as strong-willed, independant, sporty, temperamental, wild, hot headed femme fatales, so it’s understandable why women like this hard to maintain shade for their tresses. Famous redheads include Julianne Moore, Debra Messing, Lucille Ball, Bernadette Peters, Cleopatra (who knew?), Queen Elizabeth I, Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts, and Rita Hayworth, and Jessica Rabbit.

famous redhead beauty

Blonde hair is traditionally the color seen as most sexy and high-maintenance, and traditionally believed to be the hair color men prefer, ever since Marilyn Monroe graced the screen in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, singing about her love of diamonds. Blonde locks evoke images of youthfulness (many of us were blonde as children) and happy, sunny days (since it lightens in the sun), but the maintenance can be difficult, and the damage by bleach can be pretty severe. As a result, many women opt for highlights instead, to save time, money, and the health of their beloved strands.

Blondes tend to run the spectrum at both ends, being seen as either as very fragile and needing saving, or very confident and a little distant. They tend to be the target of jokes because some very famous blondes follow the ditzy stereotype of the funny and innocently sexy dream girl, including Marilyn Monroe, Suzanne Somers, and Jessica Simpson. Other golden-tressed beauties are utter femme fatales who always get their way, such as Mae West, Sharon Stone, Farah Fawcett, and Bridgette Bardot, or sophisticated ice queens such as Grace Kelly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and all of Hitchcock’s leading ladies.

famous blonde beauty

Older women with heads of platinum or silver are seen as classy and sophisticated, especially if they also dress well and take care of themselves overall. Women who are gray and have a modern hairstyle are perceived as career-focused and intelligent, and if their style is not up-to-date, they tend to come across as older and lacking in energy and vibrancy.

Brunettes project a grounded, stable image, and have the hair men like most in their mate (most men prefer to marry brunettes). Darker colors connote earthiness, reliability, intelligence, independence and self-sufficiency. Over 60% of men see brunettes as stable and competent, easy to get along with, and more approachable, and over 75% of women think the first female president will have brown hair. Women with darker tresses are often perceived as smarter and more fun loving than any other color, and the ideal mate and girlfriend or wife for most men is expected to be a brunette. Famous ladies with this color include Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Garner, and Evangeline Lilly.

Raven-haired women tend to be seen as glamorous and sophisticated, dominant, self-contained and in control, even exotic. Black hair and blue eyes is considered the beauty standard for many, and raven-haired beauties tend to be seen as larger than life, dominating everywhere they go, as characterized by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Vivienne Leigh, Ava Gardner, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Megan Fox, Bettie Page, and Angelina Jolie. Black locks also tends to look healthier and shinier than any other color, both of which are biological indicators of fertility and thus beauty, making black appealing to both men and women.

famous brunettes beauty

So, what color and type of hair do you have? Does it match who you are, or is it time for a fun change? Do these stats match what you thought was the hair men like most in women?




  • Shop with Me Mama (Kim)

    I have naturally auburn/red hair, but I guess it is more brownish red. I prefer blond, LOL. My hair is naturally wavy, so I use my big barrel curling iron to curl the ends and make them flippy and curly 🙂

  • Sarah@Mum's gone 2 Aus

    Curlywavybobbedbrownish red. Curlywavy because I don’t have time to straighten it, bobbed because it’s easier to keep neat than long and needs cutting less often, brownish red to cover the grey – less about who I am but more about who I need to be!

  • My hair is more red now that I’m older. I love me some read heads!!!!!!!!

    And I have long hair. I don’t think I’m that soft haha.

  • Donna

    Long hair here. I sometimes go straight and sometimes curl it. Depends on my mood. 🙂 I’m naturally a brunette, but color it blonde.

  • I have dark hair with slightly wavy however more straight hair. I straighten every single day which equals pain in the butt. I do believe men love long hair and brunettes;)

  • I flip-flop between my natural jet-black and high/low lights of lighter brown. I just went back to black as the highlights are too much (time and money) to keep up. Plus, at this stage, I think my natural color suits me more.

  • Human Treses

    Thx for this quick read – just added it to my FB page! Thx

  • As a male with curly hair, I have to add another trait that people perceive with curly hair (both male and female) and that is rebellious.

    Since I have long curly hair, I have had many females telling me that my curly hair looks rebellious and asking if I was the lead singer of any famous band. Thing is, I have had the same comments from ladies when my curls were shorter. Moreover, I find that women love a properly looked after mane, whether straight or curly haired.

    With regards to color, black haired women tend to be viewed as mystical and sensual whereas blondes are fun and sexy. By ” tend” I am referring to what I have heard for I don’t particularly share that line of thought and dislike stereotyping.

    All the best.

  • My natural color is light brown and my hair is naturally straight. Although in recent years if I air dry it, my hair takes on a slight wave. Since I usually blow dry my hair my hair is generally straight and I have it highlighted blonde so my natural color is woven in there and doesn’t look as harsh and isn’t as damaging (as you pointed out) on my hair. I also prefer highlighting to all over color because since my natural color is still there as the base, I don’t have to spend as much on frequent trips to the salon since there isn’t such an obvious line of demarcation.

    I definitely think color can transform your impression of a person but I didn’t realize that texture played a role as well!

  • Ellie, The Attic Diary

    So I’m grounded, stable, earthy, reliable, self-sufficient, feminine, and soft. Yeah I just have long brown hair!

  • nicole @nicky_olea

    Great post! As someone who has changed her hair a ton, I’ve had it the same for a while and I’m itching for a change -but I want to grow it out super long, so I may just have to become a blonde! 🙂