Pictures of the hottest hairstyles in Hollywood by the top hairdressers in the industry...

[+] Farrah Fawcett Sexy Hair print ad. "Sexy is the only word to describe hair this shiny, this rich with body. And now sexy hair is just a shampoo away thanks to Farrah Fawcett Shampoo and Farrah Fawcett Creme Rinse Conditioner. Both with vitamins, minerals, protein and herbs. From Faberge."

"Is it just me or is it hot in here?"

[+] Example of hair magazine advertising "sexy hair" as its main selling point.

"Sexy hair" is a catch-phrase often seen on the covers of the latest hair magazines for women. The reason is sexy hair is what women want more than anything. More than modern, beautiful, elegant, feminine, trendy, or easy, according to an online hairstyles survey, women want sexy.

Sexy hair is a top priority because a woman's femininity and identity are wrapped up in her hair. Over 85% believe "your hair is part of your personality." More than half go further and deeper; they believe a woman's hairstyle is "a window to her soul."

Women use their hair style to express their creativity and project their personality. It is a showcase of their essence. They also read other women based on their hairstyles; over 90% admit they have been jealous of another woman's hair. If they get their hair done, but nobody notices, two thirds are offended.

Understanding how a woman views her tresses and the locks of other ladies, it is not surprising that her hair and her confidence are inseparable. Hair, indeed, means a lot to a woman's self-confidence whether she likes her sensitivity to its appearance or not (44% don't like doing their hair).

A great hair day can make her day, 90% admit; a bad hair day, 75% remember, can ruin it. Girls are willing to skip school or even work if they are having a bad hair day, or hide it under a hat.

When some women first learn that they have breast cancer, one of the most upsetting issues to them is the expected hair loss from radiation treatment--even more than a mastectomy. "Both men and women," CNN concluded, "report hair loss as one of the side effects they fear most after being diagnosed with cancer."

In response to the question, "How does your hairstyle affect your confidence?" over 40% of women answered, "extremely influential," or ten on a scale of one to ten; and 85% admitted seven or higher.

Hair is so significant to women, half of them affirmed the bold slogan of a modern hair product ad campaign, "When your hair looks good, nothing else matters." Do you have to bother with makeup if your hair looks good?

"A third of women say their hair is the most important part of their appearance," the Daily Mail reported, "and they spend more time styling their hair than doing their make-up." Total time during a woman's life: 2.5 years. Total money? US$70,063.66.

Why? Why do women take their hair so seriously? Why is it such a big deal? What is at the root of its overarching significance? Is it part of Western culture and the product of continuous aggressive advertising? Or is it simply a natural part of being a woman? Does it come from within or without?

Wonder Woman's voluminous hairstyle (Courtesy BL Productions)

Western culture does place some emphasis on good hair but not to the extreme of its long-running focus on being thin. Hair commercials are on TV in America and Canada every day--does a day ever go by without a Pantene commercial somewhere?--and print ads in fashion magazines show models with nice hair. You would be hard pressed to find a glossy women's magazine nowadays without a shampoo advertisement--or even several consecutive ads--with picture-perfect glossy tresses.

But all this doesn't lead to teen girls doing wild things which risk their health or prompt them to do something extreme with their hair, the way skinny fashion models in advertising have reportedly led to teen eating disorders. It is much more likely that women pay great attention to and spend so much time on their hair because they want perfect hair. It is not because someone else told them, the media harassed them, or society in general applied extreme pressure.

"What is sexy?" is a common generic question asked on the topic of dating, as both men and women wonder how they must behave and look to be attractive. Celebs, the general public, and experts alike all repeat the same popular answer: "confidence is sexy."

"Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can have," observed former model Aimee Mullins in the May 2004 issue of Oprah magazine. "Its much sexier than any body part."

"A great figure or physique is nice," notes Vivica A. Fox, the svelte actress and skilled dancer from Dancing with the Stars, "but it's self-confidence that makes someone really sexy."

"No matter what a woman looks like," offers Paris Hilton, "if she's confident, she's sexy."

What is the full relevance of and true connection between self-confidence and sexy hair? To choose a sexy hairstyle first you need to figure out what kind of hair style will make you confident, or in what kind of hairdo you will express and project confidence. A woman who is confident about her hair is confident about herself; that translates into sexy. Sexy hair and self-confidence, simply put, go hand in hand.

Great hair, of course, starts with healthy hair. Healthy is the foundation to all sexy physical attributes. "Full, healthy hair," says Kristianna Nichols in Pageantry magazine, "is the essence of a woman." Part of the healthy look is a natural clean look. The clean, "just-washed" and just-dried look can appear very attractive to some; whereas others think it looks robbed of its natural oils.

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" summarizes what often seems to be Western caucasian culture's predominant view of the most sexy hair color. The popular fantasy female to the general white male population is blonde. Almost half of women color their hair, and more women dye their hair blonde than any other color. To both men and women alike it looks as if blonde is the color of sexy.

During World War II, the number one pin-up girl was a brunette: Rita Hayworth. Marilyn Monroe replaced her as the next queen of fantasy, the blonde goddess of the 1950s. Is society's blonde obsession her fault, after her reign as pin-up queen and her starring role in the 1953 flick "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"? Is it part of her legacy? Since she became America's leading goddess, blonde has been the hair color that the majority of American men find most sexy, judging by provocative advertising, if nothing else.

However, an online poll of 1,000 women shows male interest in brunettes is virtually neck and neck with blondes, according to the ladies. To the question, "What hair color does your boyfriend or fianc or husband find most attractive," 44% said blonde whereas 42% answered brunette.

There is a saying, "Men prefer blondes but marry brunettes." This idea is similarly phrased, "They prefer blondes for a moment and brunettes for a lifetime." The underlying belief is the convergence of two stereotypes: the "dumb blonde" and the "blonde bombshell." One study indicates men are more likely to trust brunettes and a poll shows almost 75% of women confirm "brunettes get more respect."

Red hair color is also considered sexy by some men and others have a redhead f*tish. It is exotic, they feel, because it is rare. (Only 6% of women say their natural hair color is red.) Of course it is a dramatic color, very different from and more vivid than blonde and brown. Redheads have a reputation for being passionate. Other men find brunettes as sexy or most sexy, so nobody can say one hair color is "the" sexy hair color.

Dark sexy teased hair

Straight, wavy or curly? Long straight blonde hair is a look widely considered sexy. Part of its appeal is its simplicity and the "natural look." Effortless is sexy. Wavy can also look sexy and flirty if not too forced.

Big is sexy. This is such a widely held belief, there is a company called Sexy Hair which puts out a product called Big Sexy Hair. The spokesmodel for Sexy Hair is American Idol runnerup Katharine McPhee. She was a natural choice because you can't watch her sing without noticing her long, beautiful, healthy hair.

Feeling romantic and feeling sexy is virtually synonymous, or at least closely tied together. Women are equally divided about what makes them feel most romantic when it comes to wearing their hair up, down, or half up and half down. In fact, at one time during an ongoing hair poll, the margin of difference was within the margin of error, 33%, 34%, and 33%, to suggest that, interestingly enough, women are exactly equally divided.

When the poll moved to a web page focusing on a slightly younger demographic--teens planning prom--the numbers adjusted slightly, with more girls saying they prefer their hair down (+3%) than up (-3%).

Hot long retro hair: big, soft, and curly with full bangs (Courtesy NBC)

There are three considerations when you are considering a sexy hair style. Do you want a sexy hairstyle because it looks sexy to you? Or to people you are trying to impress? Or to one particular person? If just for you, everyone else's opinion is basically irrelevant. If to the general single male population, for example, you have to know the more common views of sexy hair. If to one person, then you need to know their personal opinion. Just because many or most men think one hair style is sexy, does not mean the person you like does.

There are lots of hairstyles on this site that many women will find sexy. Probably quite a few men will, too. Currently most are the view from the front, but it is a fact that long hair viewed from the back is also HOT! Have hair like in the picture below and see if you can't turn heads.

"Full, healthy hair is the essence of a woman."Kristianna Nichols

Katharine McPhee

Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels

$47,000/year Hair Extensions Video

"I can't really put a price on how it makes me feel." -- Brandi Irwin

Victoria's Secret Models

Alessandra Ambrosio

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