How Hair Color Really Affects Attractiveness
Dying hair is common — so common that only 18% of women surveyed by the haircare brand Living Proof say they've never changed their hair color (via the Independent). As Michael Shaun Corby, global creative director at Living Proof, shared with the outlet, "Hair shades have a big effect on confidence and we're lucky we can switch from our natural colour if we want to try new things." The brand's poll found that lighter shades of blond were the most common colors to adopt, whether in the form of highlights or a full root-to-tip look.
You might attribute this preference for golden locks to the adage that "blonds have more fun" or the common belief that light hair is more attractive than other colors, but it's not that straightforward. For one, a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science discovered that, though blond locks are viewed positively, people are considered most attractive when their hair color is similar to their skin tone. In other words, many people prefer an au naturel look.
But that's not the only reason the relationship between hair color and attractiveness is complicated. Several other studies have shown that, while people often have their preferences, hair shade is judged based on multiple factors, and some hues are considered attractive in certain circumstances and less attractive in others.
Men approach blond-haired women the most
If it seems like more people flirt with you when you're sporting butter-blond hair, you're not imagining it. A 2012 study published in the journal Psychological Studies gave women wigs in multiple colors and sent them to a nightclub to see which color triggered the most male attention. As it turns out, the blond wig was the most popular, garnering attention from 127 men. Meanwhile, 84 men liked the brown wigs, 82 spoke to women wearing the black wigs, and 29 men engaged women donning red wigs.
So that settles that: Blond hair is the most attractive, at least according to heterosexual men, right? Not so fast. A 2011 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology yielded similar results: Men approached women with blond hair more often than women with other hair colors. However, men in the same study also viewed women with blond hair as being "more needy." This could lead men to believe that light-haired women are more available and less likely to reject their advances, explaining why they're pursued the most often.
Additional research offers more context for why golden-haired girls are often chosen by heterosexual men. A 2017 study published in The Journal of Social Psychology discovered that men associate blond hair with "youth," "health," and overall "attractiveness," which the researchers believed could signal "reproductive potential."
Brunettes are often favored by those seeking a long-term partner
Women with blond hair may be preferred by men looking to procreate, but dark hair is favored by men looking for a long-term relationship — at least that's what the 2017 Journal of Social Psychology study found. Men tended to prefer dark brown or black tresses when choosing women they'd place in the "wife" category.
The 2011 Scandinavian Journal of Psychology study came to a similar conclusion. Although men approached blond women most often, male participants rated brunettes as being "more physically attractive, intelligent, approachable, competent, and arrogant." Putting all other traits aside, it seems that heterosexual men view women with dark hair as being a better match for long-term relationships, even if they have to work hard to win them over. Blond women, on the other hand, are assumed to be an easier pick for a less serious romance.
Heterosexual women also tend to prefer dark hair when seeking a partner, proving there might be truth to the old "tall, dark, and handsome" notion. In a study by dating website WhatsYourPrice (via Good Housekeeping), gentlemen with dark hair received more than three times the number of dates per month compared to guys with blond hair. According to WhatsYourPrice founder and CEO Brandon Wade, this might be because women are concerned that blond men are only looking for fun rather than an emotional connection.
Red hair is the least popular hair color
Of all the natural hair colors, red is the rarest. As the aforementioned wig experiment displayed, men pursue redheaded women far less than women with other hair colors. Moreover, the 2012 Psychological Studies study also concluded that heterosexual women are more likely to reject men with red hair than men with blond or brunette locks. The researchers of the study posited that the rarity of red hair, along with "negative stereotypes," might explain why people tend to find copper-colored hair the least attractive.
As with blond and brown hair, however, there are exceptions and nuances to these findings. For instance, a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychology discovered that women with fire-hued hair tend to be more "sexually active" and have "more sexual partners." More interestingly, the research suggests that folks with red hair aren't actually more promiscuous — rather, they're simply courted "more frequently" by people looking to hook up.
Outside of dating — and compared to how many people have red hair — red-haired folks land a lot of leadership positions, particularly in the United Kingdom. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment noted that 4% of the 500 British CEOs examined had red hair despite a smaller fraction of the overall population having red hair. Translation: From the bedroom to the boardroom, red-haired babes excel, even if they appear to be overshadowed by their blond and brunette counterparts.