If you are born as a girl in India, there is a very high possibility that you hear, at least once, that short hair doesn’t look good on you. Well, this could be dismissed a generalised statement, but a recent study suggests otherwise.
While short hair might be extremely convenient and trendy, the study conducted by beauty brand Dove with Hansa Research found that 87% Indians prefer women to keep long hair as opposed to short.
“In a world where everyone is experimenting with new looks, quirky hair color, and head-turning hairstyles, there still exist pre-defined standards of what ‘beautiful hair’ looks like. According to a new study commissioned by Dove Hair, in collaboration with Hansa Research, reflects strong biases to various aspects of women’s hair. For the study, 2007 men and women between the age group of 18 to 55 years were enrolled in several tests to study biases towards hair and the results revealed are shocking,” Dove said in a statement to IANS.
The study further says that 71% of those who took the test found short, coloured, and curly hair less beautiful than straight long hair.
“As many as 42 percent people agree that women with coloured hair are not considered to be professional at workplace,” the study said.
“The results further echo a stereotype mindset that is intrinsically unhealthy and weighs down the choices for Indian women. It is stressful for women that they are judged by prematurely greying hair or type of hair before they even enter the room. That’s exactly what the study reflects – a strong bias against curly hair where 81% Indians do not prefer it while 63% Indians think that women with premature greying should dye their hair,” Dove further said.
Harman Dhillon, vice-president, Hair Care, Hindustan Unilever, said that the research highlights the need to change mindset of the people.“It is essential to liberate women from pre-defined notions of beauty, embrace the diverse attributes that Indian women have, to enable them to explore their potential to the fullest,” Dhillon said.
