have short hair. One of the possible
reasons may have to do with the
economy where short hair is easier to
manage and cheaper to maintain.
The other may have to do with the
weather because it’s too hot; in fact
2015 was the hottest year ever. You
realize that ladies have interesting
ways of responding to the weather,
the short hair trend may have
something to do with the global
warming which is said to be one of
the greatest threats facing the earth.
Short hair may also be a fashion
statement with most of the East
African First ladies Jeanette Kagame,
Janet Museveni and Margaret
Kenyatta setting the trend with short
hair.
They all graced the 2016 First Lady
Marathon in Nairobi, again running
involves a lot of sweating and short
hair may also mean active living is
dictating the short hair trend.
My friend cut her hair short and
posted the picture on facebook, she
tells me that someone asked her
whether she has been dumped. When
a girl cuts her hair, she is probably
on a mission, it sends an assertive
message.
A research by Yale University found
that women with short hair were
more confident and outgoing. Those
with sexy hairstyles were perceived
as less intelligent. Perceptions also
varied based on hair color and length.
Those with long blonde hair were
perceived as more affluent and sexier.
The ones with darker medium size
hair were viewed as smarter.
Men are Not Spared from Hair
Stereotype Problems
The Yale study found that men
are also faced with hair stereotype
problems. Recently, I heard men
tease each other in a local pub about
unkempt hair and beards.
10 MAL 11/16 ISSUE
A razor brand in Europe has started
a campaign equating long beard to
a rodent on a man’s face. There was
the Jamaican boy whose parent sued
Rusinga School over his birth right
to have dreadlocks.
According to the school rules this
hair style is not permitted impl ying
some negative association with it. The
school won the case.
Similarly, an employer can terminate
the services of an employee over
wrong dressing or even posing nude
in social media.
I guess that if a school does not
permit dreadlocks then even the
workers or teachers in the school may
not be allowed to have them.
School rules about hair styles may
have something to do with the
assumption that freedom of hairstyle
would be associated with indiscipline.
Still, the idea for uniformity can limit
the growing creative mind, which is
why there is a trend of doing away
with uniforms in some schools.
The Yale study found that men with
short hair that is longer in the front
were perceived to be sexier and
confident but more self-absorbed.
Medium hair parted at the back
was a cue for an intelligent and
competent man who is narrower
minded.
Men with extremely long hair were
seen as less intelligent but more good
natured.
There are so many Whatsapp
messages with Donald Trump hair
style, which means he has used his
hairstyle as an icon for his brand.
While President Nixon in the 70s
was portrayed as a mad man with
his finger on the nuclear bomb by
his handlers, if Trump becomes US
President, his handlers would not
need to work hard to send the mad
‘‘A research by Yale
University found that
women with short hair
were more confident
and outgoing. Those
with sexy hairstyles
were perceived as
less intelligent.
Perceptions also
varied based on hair
color and length.
Those with long
blonde hair were
perceived as more
affluent and sexier.
The ones with darker
medium size hair were
viewed as smarter.’’
man foreign policy message.
Does the hair have something to do
with it? I think so!
Hair style is a very powerful tool
in creating first or even second
impressions.
When you don’t want to change your
hairstyle but it can work against you,
consider enhancing your clothing
and accessories to send a less biased
message about your personal brand.
Boniface Ngahu is a seasoned marketing
research expert and runs the Talking
Point column in Marketing Africa
magazine. He is the Marketing Director
of SBO Research. You can commune
with him on this or related matters via
email at: [email protected], or
follow him on Twitter @bngahu.