What Your Hair Says About Your Personality
From work to play, hair reveals a lot about how we perceive ourselves and how others view us. The right haircut, color, and style can take us to the top of the career ladder or to the altar, or can help us accomplish any of our professional and personal goals. "Hair has two roles in the workplace," says Paula Jaye, principal partner, Esposito/Jaye Associates, a New York-based management consulting firm. "First, it should project the image you want to achieve. If you work in a conservative environment, your hair should not draw attention to itself but blend in with the rest of your style. Go for a clean, crisp, well-put- together hairdo. If you work in the arts, media, or advertising, you can take more leeway and let your hair make more of a statement. Secondly, hair is directly connected to self-confidence. When hair is in good shape, beauti- fully cut, correctly colored, and you feel good about it, you will project confi- dence and grace. If your work is people-based and you are continuously meeting new clients, interacting with internal clients, and going to meet- ings, then having the right hairstyle can make you feel more confident." Adds Jaye, "Keep in mind, however, that great-looking hair is just icing on the cake. It's no substitute for having competence, skills, and the right tech- nological background. But if all of these factors are in place, great hair will allow you to project more confidence as you deliver your message." "No one ever has a bad makeup day, only a bad hair day," says Kathy Pomerantz, a New York City-based makeup designer. "And because hair is such a major factor in how we present ourselves, it's the first thing we' change when we're ready for a new look." We change our hair when we start a new job, end a relationship, or attend a special event. We even change our hair when we want to showcase a different part of our personal- ity And sometimes the way our hair looks changes our personality without our realizing it. "The emotional relationship we have with our hair and the way in which it ties in with our personality is fascinating," says Ouidad, a New York City curly hair specialist. "Sometimes our hair is tamed, con- trolled, elegant, or easy, but sometimes it's wild and uncontrollable. If we are uncomfortable with its appearance, we can exude a sense of insecurity." Ouidad explains that unrnly hair can cause subconscious mental discom- fort something that is obvious with curly hair that needs a lot of mainte- nance to control. She says even top lawyers feel they can't argue a case if their hair isn't done, and she cites a professor at Harvard who wears her hair pulled back while lecmring so students don't get distracted by her curls Ouidad believes curly haired women have an advantage since they can change their hair from curly to straight with a simple blow-dry and therefore change their entire personality. Yet, interestingly enough, most women turn a cold shoulder to the concept of utilizing modern technology to permanently straighten their curly locks. "Once you take away a woman's right to constantly fight her hair, she feels like she has nothing to fight for anymore," explains the stylist. "Women won't part with their curly hair because they are afraid they will lose part of their personality and a sense of who they are in the process."
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