The real effects of a bad hair day: Lank locks can reduce self-esteem, confidence and self-worth, it's revealed

A bad hair day feels like it looms over you all day, but it seems the psychological damage far exceeds having to suffer a day at work with lank locks.

In fact, coping with an unruly barnet can make us feel so out of sorts that many women feel it actually dramatically reduces their self-esteem, confidence and even self-worth.

New research into how the state of our hair affects our mood has today unearthed some intriguing results, with eight out of 10 British women believing their supernatural strength lies in their hair.

And it's not our tresses that power us on either, as many of us also feel our social acceptance and beauty actually lies in how good our hair looks.

The survey showed that the average British woman suffers 20 years of bad hair days in her lifetime, with many of us waking up with unruly hair at least three times during the week.

Each bad hair day can result in us spending at least four hours and 26 minutes feeling moody and depressed too, after numerous failed attempts to try and tame our troublesome locks.

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And it seems the psychological effects could even be career damaging, as 67 per cent of women would mess up a job interview as a result of a bad hair day.

Nearly half of us don't perform to our usual standards in an important meeting or presentation when our locks aren't up to their best either, while a third would actually ring in sick as a result of bad hair.
 
Feeling good about our locks is so key to booming self-confidence that more than half of women feel it's their hair and not a designer outfit, killer heels or great make up that makes them feel confident.

And when we're looking to celebrities for hair inspiration, it's the likes of Cheryl Cole, Holly Willoughby, Kelly Brook, Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian whose big, bouncy manes are giving us hair envy.

Speaking about the research, Shakila Ahmen - a spokeswoman for Travelodge who conducted the study - told us: “Our research has revealed how incredible the impact of a woman’s hair has upon their mood when they get out bed every morning.

"Women feel like entirely different individuals when their hair does not behave. Having unmanageable tresses can make a woman feel tired, grumpy and less confident."

She concluded: "In contrast a great hair day will make a woman feel sexy, confident and ready to take on the world."

The research also found that when faced with a bad hair day, 13 per cent of women try to get away with it by wearing a hat all day, while one in ten women over-do their make-up to compensate.

And thanks to many of us feeling grumpy as a result of bad hair, 12 per cent have had huge rows with our partners as a result - while 14 per cent have snapped at our children.

Top 10 most wanted celebrity hairstyles for 2013:
 
    1.    Cheryl Cole
    2.    Holly Willoughby
    3.    Kelly Brook
    4.    Kate Middleton
    5.    Michelle Keegan
    6.    Jennifer Aniston
    7.    Kim Kardashian
    8.    Kimberley Walsh
    9.    Anna Hathaway
10. Frankie Sandford
 
How do you feel about a bad hair day? Share your thoughts with us over on Twitter, now.