With eye-tracking technology, scientists can observe people’s unconscious behaviours and track their eye plots and gaze times when they look at hair. The places people look reveal their true opinions.
The Study
To conduct this eye-tracking study, scientists from Pantene Pro-V® gathered a random selection of seven women. The women were photographed using controlled lighting and camera focal length, and with hair that was not washed, brushed or styled. Then, they were photographed with hair that was washed and styled using Pantene Pro-V products.
The women’s facial expressions and makeup were closely controlled to ensure consistency in both sets of photos. The participants (pre- and post-hair styling) were assessed by a panel of 36 men and women from a front and back view, and evaluated for hair and facial attractiveness.
The Results
Before the participants washed and styled their hair with Pantene Pro-V, the panel guessed their ages. The average age guessed was 29.5 years old. After washing and styling with Pantene Pro-V products, however, the women were given a younger average age of 25.8 years!
The eye-tracker proved that when someone’s hair is unkempt, people’s eyes linger on the negative spots, such as flyaways, frizz, kinks in hair and dry ends. However, when the panelists viewed the participants after their hair had been washed and styled with Pantene, the panelists’ eyes focused on the faces and the bands of shine around the crown of the heads of the participants. This proves that unwashed and unstyled hair distracts the eye, but when the hair is washed and styled with Pantene, the eye focuses on the positive attributes of the face.
Make Today a Good Hair Day
While unwashed and unstyled hair elicited negative comments about the women’s age and personalities, the hair that had been washed and styled with Pantene Pro-V garnered comments such as: “Good hair makes a girl more attractive," “She looks more professional,” and “She’s someone who cares about her looks.”
This study proved that healthy hair allows a woman’s best assets and personality traits to shine. The study also showed that the face, when combined with healthy-looking, beautiful hair, takes on a new composition and balance, is more pleasing to the eye and is perceived to be more attractive.
