Hair matters to Chinese men

There was an amusing article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that pointed out that nearly all older, prominent Chinese men seem to dye their hair black. The article also touched, very briefly, on what I thought was one interesting (although not entirely convincing) reason why:

Experts say that obsessing about hair color here may be rooted in modern-day social conditions. Nearly three in five Chinese citizens are under 39, making aging workers easy to replace. “In China, age is a very big factor for promotions,” says Li Yinhe, a sociologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Check out the rest of the article here - it’s a fun read: Chinese Bigwigs Are Quick to Reach For the Hair Color: Politicians and Executives Look for Youth in a Bottle Of Black Dye on the Sly

Eveline Chao