29 is our crowning glory - the age we reach hair perfection

A woman’s hair looks its best when she reaches the age of 29, it has been revealed – researchers polled 2,000 women in a detailed study of hair habits and found that once a female reaches her late twenties, she has more disposable income to spend on hair care and has ditched the experimental phase of her teens.

And a third of women said they only realised what hair style suited them when they were approaching their thirties.

The study, commissioned to coincide with the launch of new luxury haircare treatment Kérastase Densifique,  found 45% admitted that they spent much of their twenties damaging their hair through styling and heat damage.

The research found that one in ten women regret three of the hairstyles they have sported in their lives, with the 1980s being declared as the worst decade for hair.

More than half of women (59%) experimented with a perm, one in three (34%) crimped it, and 36% admitted they straighten their hair on a regular basis.

And 40% of women have gone through the phase where they refuse to cut their hair at all as they are trying to grow it out.

Other experiments the average women has tried include bravely cutting her hair herself, ironing her hair and even sleeping with hair in plaits or rollers to achieve a curly effect.

Kérastase Ambassador Luke Hersheson of Hersheson’s said: ”Most women will be able to relate to these findings.

”As we enter our late teens and twenties, most women have yet to find their signature style. They are happy to try different colours, experiment with different lengths and use various tools like tongs, rollers and hair straighteners to achieve a certain look.

”Certain hairstyles come and go in fashion like any other trend and it’s only natural that women try and replicate the latest look. Having said that, constantly changing styles and hair colour can take its toll and as we age our hair density and condition can be affected

”As women move in to their thirties and beyond they tend to invest more in their hair and look after it using the right treatments.  Most of them reach the age where they want their hair to look healthy, full of body and thicker, rather than opting for the trendiest hair which has come straight off the catwalk.”

The research also found 51% of women admitted to experimenting with their hair a lot when they were younger, with more than half adopting styles such as a sleek bob, a shaggy perm and a sleek and straight look.

More than a quarter also sported the layered ‘Rachel’ cut made famous by the Friends’ character in the late nineties.

A brave 36 % even pulled off a pixie crop in their younger years.

On average the typical British woman will have sported four different hair colours, and will have sported seven different styles to date – three of which she’ll regret.

Nearly half of the women  that took part in the study said they spend more money on their hair as they have got older – 70% of those said they needed to look after it more the older they got due to loss of density and wanting more voluminous hair.

A more lavish 24% simply said they love splurging on good quality products.

And 37% said they spend longer on their hair in the mornings than they do on clothes and make-up.

When asked if they could change one thing about their hair, 41% said they would like much thicker and fuller looking hair – nearly half of all women who took part in the research (44%) said one of the worst aspects of aging was hair thinning and losing its vitality.

Although women feared going grey, 18% said the overall density of their hair was their biggest concern.

Luke Hersheson added: ”I frequently get asked questions about hair thinning and what’s the best way to treat it.  Many women are really worried about the loss of their hair, the loss of volume, and the fact that they don’t have as luscious locks as they did when they were in their early twenties.

”Stress, diet, hormones and pregnancy are all factors that can affect the health of the hair and scalp.

”With the introduction of Kérastase Densifique, this new treatment is set to help alleviate this problem.  It has an instant densifying action on the hair fiber, boosting the number of hairs on our head and the quality of these new hairs directly at scalp level. It’s set to be the holy grail for a lot of women – and men.”