A New Hairstyle Tells Others a Lot about You

Putting together my online hairstyle class “Finding the Right Hairstyle for You!” I had to do quite a bit of research on new hairstyle issues that I needed brushing up on, I found the Procter & Gamble’s hair care research site invaluable. Since that time I keep finding nuggets under the Procter & Gamble banner. I ran across this article, while being a couple of years old, confirms something I have long advocated. Visual discrimination does exist, a new hairstyle can convey all sorts of images about who we are, some good some bad.

University Study Concludes A New Hairstyle Make or Break Your First Impression

Evidence Reveals Different Hairstyles Are Linked To Perceived Personality Traits

New Haven, — Within three seconds of meeting you, people form a first impression about the type of person you are, and it’s not your face that gives you away — it’s your hairstyle! A recent study validates that a new hairstyle dictates the first impression you make, significantly overpowering the impact of facial features.

We all know how important it is to make a good first impression, whether you’re looking for a new job, getting ready for a first date, or meeting the potential in-laws. Your choice of a new hairstyle might project an image of intelligence and self-assurance, or one of insecurity and conceit, so make your new hairstyle work for you. If celebrities can change their hairstyles to play a part or make a statement, why can’t you?

Dr. Marianne LaFrance, director of the study First Impressions and Hair Impressions and Professor of Psychology and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Yale University, asserts that until now there has been no investigation of the unique effect a new hairstyle has on first impressions. “We wanted to learn whether the frame around the face — the hairstyle — can significantly alter how a person is seen,” says Dr. LaFrance. “We found that different hairstyles quickly lead others to ‘see’ different kinds of people.” First Impressions and Hair Impressions was commissioned by the team for Physique®, a styling-based hair care line.

So what does your new hairstyle say about you?
Dr. LaFrance’s study confirms that no hairstyle is all good or all bad, and that we do, in fact, judge a book by its cover. The following key findings demonstrate that different new hairstyles are linked to perceived personality traits. Those range from positive qualities to the not so flattering:

KEY STUDY FINDINGS FOR WOMEN’S HAIRSTYLES

Can women have it all? — It appears that this is not the case, as the study showed that any new hairstyle (relative to base) increases a woman’s perceived sexiness, but decreases a woman’s perceived intelligence. We wonder how stereotypes start.

Short hairstyles = successes — Women wearing short, tousled hairstyles (think Meg Ryan and Charlize Theron) are seen as the most confident and outgoing, an asset when meeting new people or starting a career.

Does hairstyle length matter? — It is no surprise that women with long, straight, blonde hairstyles, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Christina Aguilera, are perceived as the sexiest and most affluent. By contrast, women with medium-length, casual-looking hairstyles, like Liv Tyler or Sandra Bullock, are viewed as more intelligent and good-natured.

KEY FINDINGS FOR MEN’S HAIRSTYLES

Who’s the sexiest of them all? — Men wearing short, front-flip hairstyles (think Brad Pitt and Matthew LeBlanc) are perceived as most confident and sexy. It is not surprising that men with this hairstyle are also perceived as the most self-centered.

Why Wall Street men walk tall — Men with medium-length, side-parted hair are viewed as the most intelligent and affluent — great for that job interview. However, men with these hairstyles are also seen as the most narrow-minded.

Fabio ain’t so fab after all — Bad news for long-haired Fabio types. The study validates the myth that men with long hairstyles seem to be all brawn and no brains. They are perceived as least intelligent and most careless. But all is not lost — they are also seen as the most good-natured.

“Working with Dr. LaFrance and her team last year (An Experimental Investigation into the Effects of ‘Bad Hair,’), we confirmed that hairstyles have a profound psychological impact,” says Diana Shaheen, North American Marketing Director for Physique. “This year the Physique team commissioned the study to understand whether your choice of a new hairstyle impacts your first impression. We now have clear evidence that a new hairstyle does dramatically affect first impressions and is linked to perceived personality traits. You might even say, projecting the right image depends on creating the hairstyle that’s right for you.”

Physique, from Procter & Gamble, is a hair care collection of products for men and women that is scientifically designed to help you create a volume, straight, curly or controlled hairstyle and keep it for 20 hours. Physique is available at grocery, drug and mass market retail locations nationwide. For more information, product samples or styling tips, visit www.physique.com.

Check out my article: Career and Job Interview Hair Styles and check out this article for: Tips On How to Make a Hair Change Without Tears

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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Back to School Hair Style Tips

Back to school hairstyles . . . have you thought about what to do with your hair? Maybe you haven’t but as your on-line dresser, I’ve been thinking of you – and what you will be up against. Back to school hairstyles means you will have less time each morning to fuss over hair styling. You’ll need quick easy, no fuss hairstyle that hopefully will look great and be flattering.

“Hairstyles for School”

So here are my tips for making the transition from easy-living summer hair, to back to school hairstyles.

Keep it simple–Your hairstyle should work with your hair type not against it . . . end the battles and go with the natural grain of your hair. Unless you are very talented with styling your hair, you will find any big change will mean more time upfront on your hair styling routine each morning. When you’re pressed for time, this is stress you can do without. Save the new back to school hairstyle change till after you are into your new routine back to school. If you want to make a change, remember less-is-more. A small change can do wonders! Cut in bangs, grow out bangs, partial foil hair color, semi-permanent hair color.

Back to School Hairstyles

Get it healthy–Summer can leave your school hairstyle, dry, split ends and faded from the sun. If you swim in salt water or a pool you need some TLC to get back to healthy, shiny, and more vibrant hair. If your hair is damaged looking, it won’t look good, no matter how much you spend for the right hairstyle. Try this routine!

• Use a clarifying shampoo, once a week if needed to rid your hair of product buildup.
• Do a deep hair conditioning treatment, once a week, after clarifying. Use a shower cap or Saran wrap and towel to generate heat, leave it in your hair for at least 20 minutes in order to penetrate the hair shaft deeper.
• Add moisture if you have dry hair, by using a good hair moisturizing conditioner or moisturizing leave-in hair conditioner.
• Add protein if your hair is lifeless. That is a hair conditioner with collagen and elastin which adds a slight feel of thickness to the hair.

Learn 3 different ways to style your back to school hair–By spending a little time spent up front learning just a couple new hair styling techniques, you will give your hair a break, save yourself time every day and get a reputation as being fashionable too! Too many women I see, assume the part of being hair styling impaired or just can’t visualize a different way of styling hair.

You will probably have a favorite way of hair styling, but by changing it around a bit, it won’t get old and tired looking. You will be seen as more creative too! At every haircut appointment you have, ask your hairdresser to show you a new way of styling your hair. Make sure to get the styling hair care product recommendations at the same time. You don’t need to buy the hair salon product, however, you will need the same type of product to achieve that particular look for your hair type.

• Learn how to use one new hair styling tool. Try a flat iron, different size curling iron, velcro rollers, hot rollers, rag rollers, bendy rollers, pin curls, roller brush iron, blow dryer with round brush attached, diffuser.

Learn to style with a product only and give your hair a break. Try one of these: gel, spray gel, mousse, pomade, serum, curl enhancer, shine product, smoothing product, styling cream, root lifter, sculpting lotion, thermal spray, volumizer.

• Learn an updo. If your hair is long enough, learn one new way to get a classic, casual, contemporary or elegant look and change your look totally and quickly. A hairdresser, who is into their trade, can help you out here. Your hair doesn’t need to be as long as you may think to do some of these hairstyles for school girls.
• Learn to braid, they are back. Classes are given at my local Community Education, check it out in your area. The library is another source for learning to braid. Grab any teenage girl with long hair, she can probably WOW you with the back to school hairstyle possibilities.

Hairstyles for School

Don’t miss these other hairstyles for school articles:

• Back to School Hairstyles
• Hair News Round-Up November
• Tips for Back to School Hairstyles
• Cool Hairstyles for School
• Feather Hair Styles for Back to School Hair Bling!
• Hair Styles for School From Christina

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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Hair Care Products Diversion

Are the professional hair care products you find in the drug store or department store the same hair care products you find in your hair styling salon?

It’s a good question, but have you ever tried to get a straight answer? Your hairdresser answers something like,”Read the label, it says, they won’t guarantee it is their product unless sold by a licensed hairdresser.” Or, “It’s got to be an imposter because they are only authorized to sell to legitimate hair styling salons.” Most manufacturers of salon-only hair care products do have such a disclaimer. Then how come I held the same product yesterday at my local Walgreens? So,”Is it the real thing or not?”

My take–IT’S THE SAME PRODUCT AS LONG AS THE TRADE MARK IS THE SAME.

There are only a couple ways in which this could happen:

• Hair care products manufacturer or distributor sell to unauthorized persons.
• They could also choose to look the other way when selling more hair care products than would legitimately be used by a hair styling salon.
• Salons that sell bulk hair care products to a third party who then in turn sells to whomever.

So why don’t the hair care products manufacturers and distributors trace where the product is being sold? My local Aerial Beauty Supply said,”There is an ongoing lawsuit about this”. . . I’ve heard that answer for almost 30 years now.

It used to be that illegitimate retailers wouldn’t be as bold as this Snyder’s ad, to advertise their salon products and especially at discount prices. I spoke with a representative at Target, which actually has an area called,”The Salon Store.” Of course he wasn’t able to tell me who distributes the large amount of salon hair care products to their stores, but he assured me Target is a reputable company and would not dupe it’s customers. He agrees that the “trademark” on the bottles will tell you of the legitimacy of the product. But that does not wash with the labels on the product. I found, Paul Mitchell, Matrix,TIGI, Redken, Rusk, and more on the shelves at Target.

The only company who at least is putting a public face on the issue seems to be, Graham Webb International, with their “diversion practices” and the illegal distribution of their hair care products. They say:

“We believe our quality hair care products will produce optimum results only if they are prescribed by trained salon professionals who understand their clients’ hair and beauty needs. We so firmly believe this that we guarantee you will be satisfied with Graham Webb products when you purchase them through professional salons.

Another important reason Graham Webb fights diversion practices is to ensure the quality of the Graham Webb hair care products you are buying. When products are “diverted” and sold at unauthorized retail outlets, they may have been mishandled before reaching the store’s shelves, or may be old, damaged, obsolete, contaminated or even counterfeit.”

Do the department stores or the drug stores sell hair care products cheaper? In my little survey at my local Target some products were cheaper and some were not.

I challenge Paul Mitchell, Matrix, TIGI, Redken, Rusk, and the retailers, drug chains and supermarkets to come clean.

What is going on? Quit playing the hair care label game. I invite any of their executives to leave comments.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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