ShopSmart Hair Poll Gets to the Roots: 60% Like It or Love It, 4% Hate It

Plus, Tips to Get Salon Results at Home for a Fraction of the Cost

YONKERS, N.Y., April 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Love it or hate it, your hair can make you feel sexy one day and frumpy the next. According to a new survey featured in the May 2010 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, many of us try to spend our way to better tresses, snapping up expensive collections of shampoos and styling products and shelling out for haircuts and other salon services. The average woman spends about $195 a year on haircuts and $260 on color alone. But over one-third are trying to save money by going to the salon less often.  

“There really is such a thing as a bad hair day—44% of the women have had a mood affected by a bad hair day and 26% have actually shed tears after a hair cut. And sometimes it’s not just a day. The biggest complaints women have about their hair is the thickness and the color,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “The good news is that hair products can be found at rock-bottom prices and at-home hair color kits have improved greatly. Find out where to shop, which products to opt for and more in our ‘Mane Event’ feature.”

Hairy Issues

• Women are generally happy with their hair, as 19% love it, 41% like it, 5% dislike it, 4% hate it and 30% are neutral.
• Still, many women take steps to change their hair: 49% have naturally straight hair but 10% of them style it curly; 23% have naturally curly hair but 19% of them style it straight.
• Biggest complaint women have about their hair is the thickness (23%), with 17% who feel their hair is too thin or too fine. Other top complaints involve the Type (14%) and the Color (10%).
• Women pay on average $39 for a haircut and $65 on salon color, although nearly two thirds of women have taken steps to save money on their hair in the last 12 months.
• A majority of women (53%) regularly color their hair.
• Women spend on average 15 minutes or less styling their hair and wash it 4 times a week.

Color To Dye For: Top Colorists Share the Best Tips to Get Great Color at Home

1. Choose the Right Color. If you’re a first-timer looking for the right hue, ask your hairdresser’s opinion, browse hair color Web sites like Clairol’s and L’Oreal’s, and choose a semi-permanent color.

2. Avoid Allergic Reactions. Hair color contains chemicals, so in addition to a strand test to check color, it’s important to perform a patch test to make sure you’re not allergic to an ingredient.

3. Prep Yourself. Before you jump in and do the dye job, you should take a few important prep steps. Read and reread package directions.

4. Glop it On. Apply the dye according to directions, making sure to aim the applicator at your head and away from the shower curtain, bath mat, and walls. And set a timer.

5. Fix Mistakes. If your results aren’t what you expected, call the hotline number on the box or check the company site. If that doesn’t help, don’t be shy about turning to a pro.

ShopSmart Hair Poll Methodology:

The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households. 1,031 interviews were completed among women aged 18+. Interviewing took place over January 28 – February 1, 2010. The margin of error is +/-3.1% points at a 95% confidence level.

3 Best Hair Color Kits

Clairol Textures & Tones

2N Dark Brown

$7, 45 minute dye time

L’Oreal Paris Superior Preference

4 Dark Brown Natural

$9, 30 min. dye time

Clairol Natural Instincts

28 Nutmeg Dark Brown

$9, 20 min. dye time

About ShopSmart magazine:

Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports’ celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and “best of the best” lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

ShopSmart is now available 10 times a year. Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

SOURCE Consumer Reports