A Good Hair Day is Historically Proven to Boost Your Mood

Most days, my straight hair is tangled, frizzy and best relegated to a ponytail. But every so often, I witness a miracle: My fresh-out-of-the-shower hair dries on its own into professional-blow-out perfection. I’m talking shiny, bouncy, straight-out-of-a-shampoo-commercial strands.

But here’s the real phenomenon: On these unicorn hair days, I feel like I can rule the world. And I’ve learned that I’m not alone. A 2015 survey by Avon shows that 67 percent of American women feel their most confident on good hair days.

All this tress talk might seem silly, I know. But given the history of our hair and the value placed on it, it’s actually not. Here are three reasons why hair has so much sway over how you feel.

1. “Hairstory” repeats itself

In Greek and Roman times, elaborate hairstyles and wigs were a symbol of wealth and status. Hair has always been associated with royalty – just look at Cleopatra’s signature thick, dark locks. Fast-forward to American colonial times, when upper class men and women, as well as politicians and judges, wore curly white wigs as a sign of sophistication. This just shows that, regardless of the era (and the trends that come along with it), having nice hair ranks fairly high on our priority list. Just keep in mind, these everyday mistakes will age your hair.

2. Healthy hair, healthy life

One of the comments that many people make when it comes to newborn babies is how much hair they have on their heads. Those born with thick hair are often viewed as heartier than those with little to none. As children reach adolescence, hair on teen girls becomes a sign of fertility, while facial hair on teen boys is associated with virility. On the other hand (or should I say, strand?), the older people get, the more likely they are to experience hair thinning or hair loss, which is often linked to aging, loss of health and decreased fertility and virility.

3. First impressions matter

Hair is one of the first features that people notice about us (after our smile and eyes) when we meet someone new – hence the reason why this face-framing feature is one that people like to change up and customize every once in a while. Confidence is associated with the feeling of being in control, so when we cut, style or dye our hair, we tend to feel more beautiful than we did before the process.

Next, learn how to properly care for your locks.