By Zoya Gervis // SWNS
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
Sitting in traffic, being in the line at the DMV, and walking around with toilet paper on their shoes are some of the things people would rather do than have a bad or unflattering hairstyle, according to new research.
The study of 2,000 Americans examined people's confidence and attitudes around their image and found some would go to interesting lengths to avoid enduring a bad hair day.
In fact, one in seven would rather gain 10 pounds or get caught picking their nose instead of walking around with a hairdo they didn't like.
The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Clairol, explored the beauty, hair, and grooming habits of 2,000 Americans and uncovered that 28 percent would much rather sit in heavy traffic than have a terrible hair style.
But what are Americans really willing to put up with just to avoid being seen with a messed up head of hair? Turns out, one in eight of those studied would not shower for a week if it meant they would have a nice head of hair.
And that’s not all. One in five are willing to stand in line at the DMV just to avoid walking around with messy hair while a further one in eight would rather deal with the physical pain of a root canal than suffer the emotional mess of having a bad hair day.
With Americans really trying to avoid having any chance of people seeing them with bad hair, it’s quite surprising that 61 percent admit to sometimes feeling like their image or style is stuck in a rut.
Results revealed that 64 percent of those surveyed have felt bored with their appearance.
And it’s hair that seems to be the leading category of beauty and style that continues to stay the same throughout the years. A whopping 58 percent feel like their hair is stuck in a rut — with women leading the charge over men as 66 percent of women feel like their hair could use a major change while just 49 percent of men feel the same way.
Habits are hard to break. And those surveyed feel this the most when it comes to their hair, grooming habits, and beauty products. In fact, 38 percent of Americans revealed that they’d be hesitant to change their hair style and hair color because of habit.
Another 28 percent admitted to being afraid to do anything different with their wardrobe simply out of habit.
Over a quarter of those surveyed would not want to do anything different to their grooming habits while a further 23 percent are hesitant to even switch the brand of soap and deodorant they use.
Changing things up can be scary. But why are people so afraid of getting out of their ruts? Turns out, 47 percent simply like to stick with what they know works.
Another 39 percent worry that any change in their appearance will make them look unattractive while a further 23 percent just don’t like change in general.
Although 57 percent of Americans are stuck in a fashion rut while further 51 percent claim to be in a fitness rut, Americans have made changes to their look in the past — with mixed results.
“There continues to be a strong demand for at-home color products. Our survey results also revealed that two in five people usually color their hair at home instead of a salon, and an additional one in five people color in both the salon and at home. That’s why we’re always striving to release new and innovative products to help everyone achieve the look they want, with the convenience of coloring at home,” added Kevin Shapiro, Vice President, Marketing - Clairol.
With hair being the most commonly criticized as being stuck in a rut, what are the different ways that people are choosing to change things up?
It turns out that the top hair change is getting a haircut — with 69 percent revealing this is a way they’ve changed up their look.
Other hair change-ups include growing hair out (54 percent), getting hair colored (46 percent), adding highlights (34 percent), and getting a perm (29 percent).
In fact, when it comes to hair changes — bangs are always a controversial topic. Of the women surveyed, 76 percent have had bangs at some point in their life.
But it just so happens they aren’t the only ones. At one point or another, 39 percent of the men studied admitted to rocking bangs as a hair style.
With bangs comes the reasoning behind the chop. One in nine women decided to get bangs after a breakup and 34 percent of men decided to get bangs for that same exact reason.
Wanting to change up their look was another common reason for going with a bang look — with men doing so more than women (62 percent v. 59 percent).
The results revealed that when it comes to hair color, 62 percent of those surveyed have ever colored their hair- with 59 percent currently coloring their hair.
And it just so happens that women tend to be the ones who get their hair colored more than men –– with 81 percent of women revealing they currently are rocking some color in their hair compared to just 41 percent of men.
But how often are people coloring their hair? It turns out that the average American who colors their hair does so every eight weeks.
In an effort to switch up their look, Americans are turning to hair color as a way to make a change. For those who color their hair, nearly half (49 percent) revealed that they dye their hair a different color than their natural color.
“With regard to their appearance, the results of our survey revealed that the average American feels most stuck in a rut about their hair – in fact, they show that the average American hasn’t changed up their hair color in 5 years," stated Kevin Shapiro, Vice President, Marketing - Clairol.
TOP 10 FEMALE CELEBRITY HAIR GOALS
1. Angelina Jolie
2. Selena Gomez
3. Kim Kardashian
4. Jessica Alba
5. Katy Perry
6. Megan Fox
7. Carrie Underwood
8. Reese Witherspoon
9. Halle Berry
10. Khloé Kardashian
TOP 10 MALE CELEBRITY HAIR GOALS
1. Brad Pitt
2. Tom Cruise
3. David Beckham
4. George Clooney
5. Bradley Cooper
6. Robert Downey Jr.
7. Chris Hemsworth
8. Ryan Reynolds
9. Jon Bon Jovi
10. Zac Efron
TOP 5 HAIR CHANGES
1. Cutting my hair 69%
2. Growing my hair 54%
3. Changing my hair color 46%
4. Adding highlights 34%
5. Getting a perm 29%
TOP 5 RUTS
1. Hair 58%
2. Fashion 57%
3. Fitness 51%
4. Health 40%
6. Skincare 38%
