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Guys get real about your dyed locks.
By Kylie M. — Last updated on Jan 23, 2023
On a totally superficial level, we know that hair color matters to guys and girls alike. Some people gravitate toward brunettes while some vow to only date blondes.
While at least one study has shown that the majority of men prefer brunettes, we were curious to know more about what they think of women's hair colors.
We asked guys what they think of your locks and if they have a preference for one color over another, as well as if they like trendy dyed hair colors like ombre and highlights.
Do men like highlighted or ombre hair?
Beyond the general base color of your mane, we had to know what guys thought of some of the trendier hairstyles out there right now, specifically ombre hair and highlights.
And after showing them a picture of what ombre looks like — and explaining to them why girls would want to try it out — here's what they had to say about the styles.
"I don’t want to know what kind of guy actually seeks out girls with hair that’s styled like this. I mean, if she has it, fine, but I’m not going to say it’s a deal breaker or maker. Those fad hairstyles are things people always regret," says Dave, 30.
But when it came to highlights, guys were way less forgiving.
"I know girls love them and everything, but highlights look like frosted tips gone too far," Matthew, 28, says. "You're paying for someone to put streaks in your hair. Guarantee in 10 years you’ll look back and laugh at yourself. I know I did when I had frosted tips."
Some men have a definite preference when it comes to hair color.
"I definitely don't think that I would date only girls with a certain hair color, because that'd be really shallow," admits Adam, 26, "but I do ask out a lot of brunettes. I'm not sure why, maybe because they have the same hair color as me?"
Josh, 28, agrees that brunettes are usually his go-to. "Maybe it's because my mom is a brunette," he says, "and so I think that a trustworthy woman is a brunette? I've never really thought about it, but it makes sense."
But York, 31, says that he prefers redheads (and according to the findings of a study from Match.com, he'll be so glad for that!).
He says, "I'm Asian and I like girls that look physically different than the norm, if that makes sense. Like, I'm not looking for a Giselle or Gwyneth copycat. I want someone who striking, visually, and not because she looks like every other girl I know, but because she has much more eye-catching features. Redheads just do that for me."
Despite studies that have shown men and women are generally least attracted to redheads, Christian, 24, also says that, if he had a choice, he'd definitely want to approach a girl with red hair.
"OK, look, I know this will never happen, but if a brunette, blonde and redhead were all waiting for me, I think I'd go with the redhead," he says. "It's not like I'd ever have that situation, but there’s something really sexy about a redhead. They’re pretty uncommon and I like that originality."
"Blondes," says Taylor, 22. "I like blondes and I won't apologize for it! Plus, when you're in college, every girl is blonde or trying to be blonde. You have to pull from what you're being offered, you know?"
Other men really don't care about hair color at all.
Geoff, 31, says that he would hate to be the guy that walked away from a beautiful girl just because he didn't like her hair color.
"As long as she has hair, I'm cool with whatever color it is. I'm much more interested in getting to know her and seeing if there's a connection between us. I've been dating for long enough to know that you have to move past those superficial leanings if you’re going to have a relationship that works."
"Yes, I would like her to have hair," says Benjamin, 27, "But color doesn't matter. I've mainly dated mostly blondes and brunettes in the past but I wouldn't say no to dating a girl with red hair. Would probably be a lot of fun!"
Cole, 29, says that hair color was once a thing that mattered to him — back in seventh grade. "Like all the other prepubescent guys, I thought that I only wanted to date blonde girls, you know, like the ones you saw when you stole the Maxim mags from your dad. Took me all of high school and most of college to realize that I didn't care at all about hair color, and why should I? Meeting someone that is a good person matters way more than the shade she has on her head. I'll be bald soon too, so if a girl can live with the fact that her guy won't have a full head of hair for much longer, pretty sure I can handle whatever hair color she's got, too."
We couldn't agree more.
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Kylie McConville is a freelance writer, editor in chief at Apartment Therapy, and founding editor of Romper. Her bylines have appeared in BDG, Yahoo, Bustle, Elite Daily, Romper, The Bump, and others.