Katharina Buczek
Researchers in South Korea have discovered a lustful link between a woman’s hair length and her love life. Published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, the team’s new study explored the idea that women with longer hair might be more likely to “get lucky.”
The researchers noted how many iconic feminine characters in literature and art, such as Venus from Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and Rapunzel, are depicted with long, flowing hair.
“Such depictions of women with long, silky hair create an image of womanliness, which may be alluring to the perceiver owing to the intricate sense of femininity displayed,” said Jeong Eun Cheon, who led the study.
“The image of an ideal woman often involves her having long, silky hair. However, the dearth of psychological research on hair limits the understanding of how women’s hair functions in romantic relationships.”
So, to determine if a woman’s hair length really influences her love life, the team enlisted 204 straight and married couples. Then, data was gathered on hair quality, length, perceived attractiveness, romantic desire, frequency of romantic activities, and romantic satisfaction.
The findings showed that men had a major liking for longer hair. In fact, women sporting longer, healthier hair were found more attractive by their spouses, leading to a higher frequency of sleeping together.
“Men found women with longer hair to be more attractive, which consequently resulted in heightened desire among men,” the researchers said.
“This heightened desire was again associated with a higher likelihood of more frequent [hookups] within the couples.”
So, the team believes the findings suggest that a woman’s hair may “convey an evolutionary message” to the opposing gender.
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