No matter what kind of hair you have (or how much of it you have), everyone wants great hair. It’s part of the human experience, and like it or not, your hair says a lot about you. Humans have always attached importance to hair (hello, Samson) and have always spent an exorbitant amount of time styling, cutting, coloring, and caring for it.

Studies have shown that how you feel about your hair has a real effect on your mood. The Good Hair Day Effect means that when you think your hair looks good, like right after leaving the barber or when you do an especially good job styling it, your posture actually changes, you smile more, you are friendlier to other people, and you have more confidence. Everyone has experienced this at some point—it’s that feeling when you catch your reflection in a mirror and think, “Damn, I look good.”

That exact phenomenon is why hair care falls under the umbrella of self-care. It’s not just about treating your hair well so it’s healthy or making your hair look good on the outside. It’s also about how your hair makes you feel on the inside and how it can impact your life in a positive way. After all, as self-care teaches you, if it doesn’t make you feel good, why do it?