Indians prefer long, straight hair on women

When it comes to marriage, every two in three Indians believe that women with long, straight hair have an edge in finding a wedding prospect. No wonder then a massive 87 per cent Indians advise women against keeping their hair short, a study by a beauty brand has found.

It also claimed that a staggering 71 per cent Indians find short, coloured and curly hair less beautiful than long and straight hair. “The results echo a stereotype mindset that is unhealthy and weighs down the choices for Indian women. It is stressful for women to be judged by prematurely greying hair or type of hair before they even enter the room,” said the researchers. Two-thirds of Indians think women with premature greying must dye their hair, the study said.

“As many as 42 per cent people agree that women with coloured hair are not considered to be professional at work place,” it added.

“It is essential to liberate women from pre-defined notions of beauty, embrace the diverse attributes that Indian women have, to enable them to explore their potential to the fullest. As this research highlights, there is a need to change the mindset,” Harman Dhillon, vice-president, Hair Care, Hindustan Unilever, said. —IANS