Kiwi Women Torture their Hair in the Name of Beauty - Survey

July 16, 2012

Kiwi Women Torture their Hair in the Name of Beauty - Survey

Most Kiwi women say they have experienced a hair disaster, with many torturing their hair daily with hot styling tools in the name of beauty, according to a new survey.

The findings of The Pantene Torture Test* were released today - a study that investigated New Zealand women's attitudes towards the health of their hair.

And it would seem that healthy hair is not something that comes naturally to Kiwi women, with more than six out of ten (61%) of those surveyed stating they had previously experienced a problem with their hair that they would describe as a "hair disaster".

Almost half of respondents (48%) said they used hot styling tools at least once a week with more than a tenth (13%) saying they used them daily or even more frequently. A further 8% said they used hot styling tools at least once a month.

But it's not just heat styling we inflict on our hair - more than four out of ten (41%) Kiwi women say reaching for the bleach bottle is the thing that would most torture their hair. However, overuse of heated styling tools followed a close second with more than a quarter of respondents (26%) saying repeated use of these tools had the most potential to damage their hair.

Damaged hair is apparent through breakage, according to 40% of women surveyed, who nominated this as the number one sign of tortured or unhealthy hair. Nearly a quarter of women (23%) stated that hair loss was also indicative of unhealthy locks.

Another warning sign of badly treated hair is frizziness, with 16% of Kiwi women saying they would recognise frizz as an indication of hair damage. A further 14% of respondents claimed dryness to be symbolic of unhealthy hair. However thinning hair doesn't seem to bother us as much, with only 6% of those surveyed recognising this as an indication of torturous hair practices.

The hair habits of Hollywood celebrities were also in the spotlight, with Lady Gaga top of the list for inflicting damage on her hair, according to 36% of women surveyed. Rihanna came in second (14%), followed by Britney Spears on 9%. A further 8% suggested this dubious honour would go to Katy Perry.

To combat the damage unleashed on their locks almost half of respondents (48%) said they use hair treatments at least once a week. Of these respondents nearly a tenth (9%) said once a day or more often, a fifth (20%) said around three times a week, and a fifth said around once a week. A further 12% said they use hair treatments once a month (12%). Four out of ten respondents (40%) said they us them only on special occasions or "never".

The Pantene Torture Test was carried out in conjunction with the launch of Pantene's new range of products to restore hair health.

*The online omnibus survey was conducted by an independent market research company in June 2012. The sample size consisted of 561 females throughout New Zealand.

ENDS

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