New Zealand men worried about appearance

This may be due to traditional beliefs that suggest hair is associated with virility, social status, strength and youth.

May 2010

Hair loss, dandruff and weight gain are the three biggest appearance concerns of Kiwi men, according to a new survey.

The Head & Shoulders Hair Retain Survey showed that more than a quarter of men (29%) said they were worried about having dandruff and just over a quarter (26%) were concerned about losing their hair.

The results also show that New Zealand males were anxious about their waistlines. Just under two thirds of Kiwi men (63%) were concerned about putting on weight, compared to just less than half of their Australian counterparts.

The trans-Tasman survey involved more than 2,000 respondents.

Auckland psychologist Sara Chatwin says having hair is closely aligned with many masculine characteristics, so when men lose their hair, their self-esteem often plummets.

"Many men define themselves by the way they wear their hair. This may be due to traditional beliefs that suggest hair is associated with virility, social status, strength and youth.

"When their hair diminishes or gets dandruff (that is perceived as dirty) men may feel less virile, weak, older and generally less attractive."

Chatwin said with this in mind men will often go "the extra distance" to ensure their hair is full, dandruff flake free and healthy looking.

"These days men are taking more time to look after their personal grooming habits and hair maintenance is part of that package," she says.

This may be the case for Kiwi men but when it comes to appearances it seems Australian men aren't nearly as alarmed about certain aspects of their appearance.

Only 13 percent of Australian men worried about dandruff and just 18 percent said they were apprehensive about hair loss.

Kiwi respondents said that when it came to wrinkles they were not overly concerned, with only 17 percent saying it was an issue for them; excess hair was even less of a worry with 13 percent of Kiwi men saying being overly hairy upset them.

Kiwi women were also more concerned about men's hair than any other appearance issues.

Eight out of 10 Kiwi women said dandruff on a man's shoulders was more of a turn-off than thinning hair. Six out of 10 women surveyed also said that unkempt hair on men was a sign of laziness.

Nearly half (47%) of Kiwi women thought men with a full head of hair are generally more attractive compared to 44% of Australian women.

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