The Effect of Hairdressing on the Self-Esteem of Men and Women

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of enhancement of physical appearance through hairdressing on the self-esteem of men and women. In a pilot study, 20 clients (equal genders) of a hairdressing salon completed a 33-item questionnaire on aspects of self-esteem, prior to having their hair dressed, and the same number did so after hairdressing. Later, 100 clients completed 20-item parallel-form versions of the same instrument both before and after hairdressing. Women initially scored significantly higher on the self-esteem measure than did men, and they also achieved a significant gain following hairdressing, whereas men did not. There was a small but insignificant gain in inherent self-esteem with age for women, but not for men. Our finding of a higher initial self-esteem for females runs counter to the majority of previous results, but the gain following physical enhancement is in line with earlier studies. Possible influencing factors include the psychoanalytic view that haircutting (for men in particular) may symbolize bodily loss, that the social ambiance of the salon may have played a part, that social comparison may be involved, and that hairdressers may play a counselling role. Key Words: Self-esteem, hair, hairdressing, physical beauty, narcissism, gender differences, behavior therapy, adolescence There is much evidence to show that we tend to be favorably biased toward people we perceive as being physically attractive, and that this is at least partly due to a generalized assumption that what is beautiful is also good (Brehm, 1985). The present study was conceived to investigate whether or not this relationship also applies to the way in which we regard ourselves. If we like they way we look, are we likely to have a positive self-image, and will this in turn boost our self-esteem? Shavelson and Bolus (1982) argued that self-- concept is not homogenous, but is multi-faceted. They suggested that there is both an academic domain and a non-academic one, the latter comprising social, emotional, and physical self-concept. Within the latter there are aspects of both physical abilities and physical appearance. Research by Brown, Cash, and Lewis (1989) on women with eating disorders, found that marked body image disturbances resulted from negative evaluations of appearance, coupled with the belief that being physically attractive is a psychologically salient goal to be strived for. A study on the possible relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and subjective well-being was carried out by Diener, Wolsic, and Fujita (1995) on an apparently normal student population. Their findings showed that there was indeed such a link, but that the effect was small. Moreover, the relationship was unidirectional in that high attractiveness was related to positive affect but, in contrast to the work of Brown et al. (1989) with binge-purgers, low attractiveness was not linked to negative affect. The finding of Diener et al. (1995) serves to confirm the observation of Abbott and Sebastion (1981, cited in Brehm, 1985, p. 71) that one's physical appearance has only a small impact on optimism and confidence. Casual observation of those with whom we come into contact might suggest that there are gender differences in the importance that outward appearance has for people. A study by Abell and Richards (1996) investigated whether or not the relationship between a person's feelings about their body, and their overall self-esteem, was as powerful for young men as it was for young women. Their findings revealed that members of both genders reported a significant, positive relationship between overall body image and self-esteem. However, the men were significantly more dissatisfied with their weight than were the women, due to a desire of the former to be heavier. On the other hand, higher self-esteem scores generally correlated with figure satisfaction for women but not for men. If the outcome of the study reported above seems to be rather contradictory, it is apparently because satisfaction or dissatisfaction with one's body does not necessarily have an effect on self-concept. …