LifeTYME Blog

International Women's Day: Survey Says Women Feel Empowered By Having Good Hair

four girlfriends with interlocked arms laughing and looking into the sun
Happy International Women’s Day 2019!

Here at TYME, we are on a mission to empower all women to take their vision of beauty into their own hands. To provide women with the tools and resources to achieve the looks they want and not the ideals pushed onto them – without spending hours in front of the mirror. Because we shouldn’t have to sacrifice our dreams in order to look good.



And in honor of International Women’s Day, we took the theme of #BalanceforBetter to heart and wanted to explore the connection between how women viewed beauty and success and the role our hair played as part of our identity. In conjunction with YouGov, we surveyed 680 U.S. women and uncovered how women felt about their hair at work, at home, and in their love life. And we were floored by what we found.



29 percent of women reported feeling empowered by having good hair. Whether air-dried or styled by hot tools, we at TYME set out to create products to help women achieve the style they want and in less time.

Especially because… 20 percent of women reported crying over a haircut they didn’t like. And...
  • 1 in 6 women would be embarrassed to go out in public if there’s something wrong with their hair
  • 1 in 10 saying a bad hair day would keep them from going out with friends
  • And over 1 in 3 avoiding being in pictures because of a bad hair day
We want women to be confident so they can participate in their lives!



Here are some key findings from the study, Confidence is in Style:

Our hair has a big ‘role’ in the workplace

For so long, women have been placed into two buckets – smart or beautiful. But in 2019, we want (and deserve!) to have our cake and eat it, too. Us modern women are gorgeous self-starters who aren’t looking to compromise, but rather have it all.

That said, many of us live by the saying, “if you look good, you feel good” and it’s true – our outward appearance can have a positive psychological impact on our confidence and self-esteem levels and our inner confidence radiates out. Hair is one of the main ingredients to our identity – in fact over half of U.S. women (56%) said that being happy about their hair increases their self-esteem or that good hair makes them feel more positive about their day.

But in the workplace, where we build our professional identity, this self-esteem is too often thrown off, impacting our performance and results in a way that we should never allow:
  • 1 in 7 women have received a negative comment about their hair either at their workplace, from a co-worker or from a boss or manager
  • Nearly a quarter of women report their confidence decreases on days they’re unhappy with their hair. Lack of confidence at work can impact the way people present themselves, take initiative and perform on various tasks
  • 1 in 5 agree good hair can add credibility to a person, and in the workplace, credibility is one element that can attribute to others’ impressions
  • 1 in 20 have even spent extra money to fix their hair at work, while another 1 in 20 would decide to cancel a job interview because of a bad hair day


This in mind, feeling good about your appearance and having a positive outlook on any given day goes a long way in the workplace, truly bringing to life that, “if you look good, you feel good” mentality. In fact, a quarter (25%) of women report feeling more productive on good hair days.

As advocates for the modern woman, it’s essential that we take ownership in a professional environment whether we are a boss, manager or coworker, this International Women’s Day, and every day.

How to Mentally Reset

There’s nothing worse than feeling off or down – especially at work. Wherever you show up, it’s important to make sure you are the best version of yourself. When you are your best self, you perform better, you’re more confident and you’re overall happier. But when those moments occur, here’s a quick fix to shake off the bad vibes – take a deep breath and try to clear your head of all thoughts. Like a mental delete button, shuffle all thoughts out until there is peace. Do this for five minutes. By mentally resetting, you’ll feel more prepared to take on situations you’re not prepared for. You’ll be confident because you are truly starting fresh without insecurities.



The Pop Culture Beauty Balance

Work may be a more unexpected place that hangs in the balance between how we look and feel, but pop culture is a much more obvious place that sets the definition of beauty and success.

As we approach this International Women’s Day, many may claim society is more enlightened and supportive of women than before, however:
  • Only 10 percent of women think media and pop culture representations of women are more realistic today than 5 years ago
  • Only 7 percent think media represents a realistic depiction of women’s hair
  • Just 13 percent admire current representation of women’s hair they see in pop culture
  • And a mere 7 percent feel positive about the perceptions of beauty in media and pop culture


With positive feelings about beauty representations in pop culture and media so low, and 22 percent of women saying hair is one of the first things they notice about models, it’s important that we create realistic ideals that we are instilling in women.

It’s important to create a balance between aspirational and achievable, and advocate for women to strive to find that balance instead of having unrealistic expectations!

Be Your Own Piece of the Puzzle

With social media being a huge part of our everyday lives, and a source for endless inspiration, others naturally influence our decisions. But Instagram is not always what meets the eye. Extensions can cause a lot of damage and photoshop has a lot of tricks. Be yourself and embrace what you have – be your own piece of the puzzle not a copy of someone else’s. And while we can’t escape from mindless scrolling (we’re all guilty of that!), fill your feed with women achieving the unachievable. Now that is something to get inspired by. We get lost in a captured moment which can be captivating and inspiring, now reset and focus on being your piece. How do you apply that inspiration to be the best you you can be?

How Loved Ones Can Make or Break Our Hair Identity… And How to Stop It

We have the biggest impact on our thoughts, feelings and decisions and next are the people closest to us: loved ones. If they believe we can do and be anything, generally, we do too. But the opposite can be true as well. In fact, when it comes to hair:

  • 39 percent of women have received a negative comment about their hair from a family member
  • 1 in 6 women (16%) have received a negative comment about their hair from their significant other and
    • Moreover, roughly 1 in 8 (13%) agree that negative opinions have indeed prompted them to change or fix their hair and
    • Another 1 in 8 (13%) report things their significant other has said made them change their hair

Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

Feeling down about your hair and don’t know where to start? Changing something small, such as where you part your hair, feels minor but can make all the difference – without even getting a haircut. And the benefits are substantial: immediate volume and can help your overall hair growth pattern. At the end of it all, only you can choose which comments you let affect you and you are the biggest influencer in your life, so if something resonates with you take action and move forward with confidence!

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