Pantene research on hair care  ( September '6,2001, HBL)

The Pantene Hair Misdiagnosis Research, conducted worldwide by Procter & Gamble, has revealed that 55 per cent of Indian women are unable to get the hair they want, due to wrong self-diagnosis of hair. The study has analysed why women seem to be failing to get the look they want for their hair. The research, done over the past six months, covers Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and India.

The India-specific findings reveal that healthy and attractive is considered a sign of beauty and good grooming, and getting the hair right is the most important element of a woman's daily routine. This view is shared by housewives, college students and working executives.

More than 80 per cent of women are dissatisfied with the way their hair looks and feels at least once in the whole week, and almost 55 per cent of women in India have misjudged their hair type they have. This results in unpleasant conditions such as loss of potential volume, oil residues, lack of shine and the hair feeling lank or unmanageable, contrary to expectations from shampoo. Confusing product names and the consequent misdiagnosis research has revealed that names like shampoos for oily, dry, normal, or damaged hair lead of wrong diagnosis of one's own hair.