How People Judge You By Your Hair Color

Studies show the color of your hair can make people think you’re needy, temperamental, or deserving of a high salary.

1. Blonde

2. You are approachable.

In a 2012 study by researchers Viren Swami and Seishin Barrett, men approached blonde women more than they approached brunettes or redheads. Actually, they approached the same woman more often if she was blonde — researchers had a woman dye her hair and then visit different bars to see how men responded.

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3. But people think you’re “needy.”

In a related study where men were simply shown photos of the woman with different hair colors, they rated her as most “needy” if she had blonde hair.

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4. And they might be afraid of you.

Because, at least according to one study of college students, you’re more aggressive and focused on getting what you want than brunette or redheaded women. Said the lead study author, “Many blondes exist in a kind of bubble where they have been treated better than other people for so long, they may not even realise they are treated like a princess. What we did not expect to find was how much more warlike they are than their peers on campus.”

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5. Redhead

6. Doctors might hate you.

Redheads have a reputation in the medical community for a low pain threshold (necessitating more anesthesia), a propensity toward hernias, and — perhaps most disturbing — “excessive bleeding.” A 2010 study found that this reputation was mostly unfounded. But other research suggests that genes that produce red hair may also change the way the body perceives pain. So you probably don’t need to freak out about going to the doctor, but you do have an excuse if you stub your toe and want to get out of gym.

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7. People think you’re “temperamental.”

In the 2012 study on the woman with dyed hair, men rated her as most “temperamental” when she was redheaded. According to Psychology Today, “this seems to be a manifestation of the ‘fiery redhead’ stereotype.”

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8. But they want to have sex with you.

According to a 2006 study conducted in Germany, women with red hair had sex more frequently and with more partners than women with other hair colors did. The study author told the Daily Mail, “Even women in a fixed relationship are letting their partners know they are unhappy if they dye their hair red. They are saying that they are looking for something better.” This seems specious, but if you dye your hair and your partner reads the Daily Mail, be warned.

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9. Brunette

10. They like your tattoos (kind of).

In one study, participants generally judged tattooed women harshly — they rated them as less attractive than the un-inked, and more likely to drink heavily. But brunettes were less vulnerable to these judgments — respondents were somewhat more forgiving of their tattoos than they were of body art on blondes and redheads.

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11. They think you’re smart.

Men in Swami and Barrett’s 2012 study rated the woman as smartest when she had brown hair. And in a separate study conducted in 2005, where men were shown pictures of the same model with brown, blond, or red hair, 81% said the brunette version looked smart.

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12. And they want to pay you a lot of money.

In a 1996 study [pdf], researchers gave subjects an applicant’s resume with either a brunette, blonde, or redheaded photo attached (they were digitally altered versions of the same woman). Those who saw the brunette rated her as more capable than the ones who got her redheaded or blonde doppelgangers. They also recommended a higher salary.

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