We Worry About Our Faces, But Others Look at Our 'Scalps'. A 1,000-Woman Survey Reveals a 15-Year Gap in Impression Age from Behind.

nijito Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; EC Division: Chuo-ku, Fukuoka), which operates the head beauty brand 'haru', conducted a survey on 'interest in scalp care and impression age' among 1,000 women in their 20s to 60s nationwide, as part of the activities of the Kurokami Laboratory.

As a result, it became clear that when comparing photos of women from behind with different levels of scalp visibility, there is a difference of about 15 years in their impression age. On the other hand, only 6.5% of respondents answered that 'hair fluffiness and root lift' is important for improving first impressions and personal attractiveness. While many people are conscious of their face and hair gloss, it has become apparent that the "visibility of the scalp" may actually be dictating their impression age.

[Key Survey Findings]

■ Impression age changes by about 15 years depending on the 'scalp'?
- Back view with a visible scalp: 76.1% answered '35 years old or older'.
- The most common answer was '40-44 years old' at 23.2%.
- Back view with a non-visible scalp: 55.7% answered '29 years old or younger'.

■ Not the face, but the 'visibility of the scalp' dictated the impression age.
- #1 factor for looking older: 'Visible scalp or hair parting' (35.2%).

■ Although actually important... 'root volume' is barely noticed.
- People who answered it is important: only 6.5%.

Worrying about the 'face', but the 'scalp' influences the impression

When asked what elements they feel are 'important' for improving first impressions and personal charm, the top answers were 'clean grooming', 'posture and behavior', 'facial features and skin beauty', and 'hair gloss and smoothness'. Meanwhile, only 6.5% cited 'hair fluffiness and root lift' as important. In everyday beauty routines, attention tends to go to the surface impressions of the face and hair, indicating that the appearance of the roots and scalp is often put off.

However, when a comparative test of impression age was conducted judging only by women's backs, factors like 'root volume' and 'scalp visibility' greatly influenced the impression age. There may be a mismatch between the points people worry about and the points that actually affect their impression.

A 15-year difference from behind. Photos with a visible scalp peaked at '40-44 years old'

In the survey, photos of women's backs with different scalp visibilities were shown, and respondents were asked to guess the age based on the hair.

As a result, for photos with a visible scalp, the most common answer was '40-44 years old (23.2%)', and over 75% answered '35 years old or older'. Conversely, for photos without a visible scalp, '25-29 years old (45.4%)' was the highest, with 55.7% answering '29 years old or younger'. This result showed that even from behind without seeing the face, the transparency of the scalp and the prominence of the parting can create a large gap in perceived age.

The #1 factor for looking older is 'visible scalp and parting'

When asked about the points used to judge impression age, the most frequent was 'visible scalp or parting' at 35.2%. This was followed by 'lack of hair gloss or smoothness' at 23.2%.
Instead of facial features or skin condition, the 'transparency of the scalp' from behind emerged as an element that greatly influences visual impressions.

A gap between 'what we think we see' and 'what is actually seen'

While many are conscious of facial and hair gloss, what affected impression age was the 'scalp from behind', which is hard to see yourself. The parting and root volume are especially difficult to check and tend to be neglected in daily care. This survey revealed an unexpected gap between our own awareness and reality.

[Comment from Kurokami Laboratory]
This survey showed that while many people focus on their face and hair gloss, 'scalp visibility' may have a large impact on their actual impression age. We believe this result will prompt people to pay attention to the 'scalp', which has been largely overlooked until now. In future impression care, the perspective of adjusting not just the hair itself but also the scalp's condition will likely become more important.

[Survey Overview]
Survey Name: Survey on Interest in Scalp Care and Impression Age
Survey Method: Internet Survey
Period: March 23 (Mon) - 24 (Tue), 2026
Target: 1,000 women in their 20s-60s nationwide (collected evenly by age group)
Conducted by: Kurokami Laboratory (within nijito Inc.)
Commissioned to: Rakuten Insight, Inc.

● About Kurokami Laboratory
Kurokami Laboratory is an initiative aimed at spreading the concepts of pro-aging and head beauty to society through three functions: experience, research, and communication. From the perspective of 'Fixing not just hair, but myself', they address scalp care...