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With a lot of turning up to do, potential baes to bump into and six-figure paying jobs to land, you can’t afford to be looking and feeling less confident because of your hair on any given day. But it happens sometimes.
And how your hair looks matters – believe it or not, it can actually determine which way your mood and day goes. A hair study by Travelodge surveyed 2 000 women to investigate how their hair affects their mood.
The findings showed that eight out of 10 women believe their glory, self-worth and beauty lies in their hair.
So, we decided to test the theory. We dared 6 colleagues to try that one hairdo that is totally on their “off-limits” list, so see how it would make them feel. Check out what they have to say about the new ‘dos.
READ MORE: “I Didn’t Wash My Hair For A Week — Here’s What Happened”
Megan Flemmit, Digital Intern
“I have incredibly thick, long and curly hair,” says Megan. Usually she wears it in a low bun with either a middle or side path as that’s the one hairdo that takes up very little of her time. “My natural hair takes a lot of maintenance, so it’s easier to just to put it into quick bun.”
Megan got a front twist and bun hairstyle. She loved it! “It looks a lot better than the simple hairstyle I usually have.
I felt as though I was headed to some sort of ball. All that was missing was my tiara,” she adds.
It’s not something Megan would try on the regular as she feels it’s a bit too OTT for the office, but she’s keen to rock it again on occasions that require a formal do.
Confidence levels pre-do: 4 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 7 out of 10
Amy Hopkins, Food And Managing Ed
Amy has fairly thick, straight, flat hair, which she usually wears it in a ponytail or leaves loose.
She says she’d never wear her hair with a middle parting, or brave curls.
After the makeover, Amy loved her bouncy tresses. “I walked out of the salon ready to take on the town,” she says. However, she felt it was a bit too wedding-y and, even though she got loads of compliments, her boyfriend didn’t think it suited her much.
Which explains why she hardly ever goes this route…
Confidence levels pre-do: 7 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 9 out of 10
Alice Paulse, Digital Commercial Producer
Alice has the most interesting hair. “My hair is a combination of thick, messy, dyed blonde with some shaven bits,” she says. Normally, she has it blow-dried professionally.
“I love my hairdo – it’s different and fuss-free, which goes hand in hand with my personality,” she says.
Alice got hooked up with an androgynous punk rock look, which had her feeling like a rock star. She adds, “It’s nice and puffy, cool and edgy, especially for the weekend vibes. It had me feeling like I was about to step onto stage and play a guitar,” says Alice.
Confidence levels pre-do: 2 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 5 out of 10
Michelle October, Junior Writer
Michelle has really curly hair, all day, everyday. Unless she straightens it out, which happens once in a blue moon.
“My hair is thick and curly, and it’s also prone to dryness,” she says. She lets it hang loose most of the time or ties it up into a bun.
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Michelle got a totally different hairdo from her everyday look. It was short, edgy, cool and very expressive.
“I don’t usually have my hair tied, so this style made me feel naked and I didn’t recognise my face.
But it’s easy to pull off and recreate on a bad had hair day. I’ll create a softer version of this look.”
Confidence levels pre-do: 7 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 3 out of 10
Jade Cupido, Lifestyle Designer
Jade has a lot of hair: thick, full and long. So it needs a lot of love, attention and time.
And a woman with a busy nine-to-five job, it’s a luxury she doesn’t always have.
So most days she just lets her hair hang loose or simply ties it into a ponytail.
Jade got bouncy Beyonce curls full of volume, which she adored. “I love the hairdo they gave me at the salon.
It made me feel like a princess and enhanced my facial features.”
She feels that this type of hairdo is perfect for almost all occasions: not too much for the office and just enough for weddings.
“I’ll try this style again. It’s also very easy to do – you just need to invest in a good curling wand.”
READ MORE: 10 Random Daily Things That Are Making Your Hair Fall Out
Confidence levels pre-do: 7 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 10 out of 10
Zinhlezonke Zikalala, Editorial Assistant
After compiling his piece, Zinhlezonke was inspired to try a different hairstyle.
“I usually have my hair styled professionally because doing my own hair is not as easy as I sometimes think it is,” says Zinhle.
If not styled, she always has her hair tied up in a high messy bun, because it’s the simplest, easiest and quickest thing she can do herself.
And it looks fairly decent for any occasion.
Zinhle then took the time to style her own hair: “I wanted to do something that I wouldn’t usually wear, like a slick, laid-back type of hairdo,” she said.
She loved the different style. “There’s so much one can do with dreadlocks, you just need time – and I hardly have that,” she adds.
We think she should find some – because this style seriously suits her!
Confidence levels pre-do: 9 out of 10
Confidence levels post-do: 10 out of 10
Images: James Garaghty
Hair done at Carlton Hair in Constantia
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This article was originally published on Women's Health South Africa.
