So what goes into making the perfect haircut?  You'd be surprised!

A woman's perfect haircut involves having two inches cut off, a head massage - and exchanging two pieces of gossip with the hairdresser, a British study has revealed.

Researchers found the ideal hair appointment will also take place around 12.30pm on a Saturday afternoon, and involve reading at least one magazine and the consumption of one tea or coffee.The whole event will also take just over an hour in total and be at a salon less than 10 miles from their home. The stats emerged in a study by Toni&Guy, commissioned to mark the salons' 50th year anniversary.

Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck, Global Creative Director for Toni&Guy, said: "For many women, having their hair cut or styled is a time for them to relax and unwind, even if it's just for an hour or so," he explained. "Many of the women who come through our doors lead such busy lives, either with their job or family, that they relish the opportunity to have a cup of tea, read a magazine or even a chat with their stylist. But these busy lives also mean that women don't want to be in a salon for too long, or go to one which involves quite a bit of travelling."

The study, of 2,000 women found that in an ideal world, the hair appointments will take place every nine weeks and involve a cut or color, or just a trim of two inches off her locks. But rather than just one style, women want to be able to style their hair several ways, wanting a cut which can have at least two different looks. And when it comes to cost, the average women would like to pay £38.56 ($64) for the perfect cut, spending another £6 ($10) on products at the end of their appointment.

Once they are settled in the hairdresser's chair, women want to be offered one drink, with tea or coffee named as the most popular beverage choice. And for the perfect dose of me-time, almost half of women also said that no hair appointment is complete without a head massage while they read a magazine.

Even funnier, the study alsO revealed that women want to hear an average of two pieces of gossip from their hairdresser, with the most popular topics of conversation found to be local news, TV shows and celebrity gossip. However, not everyone enjoys chatter, as almost a quarter would like to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet without any conversation with their stylist during their appointment.

Almost every woman polled also said their perfect hair cut would mean seeing the same stylist each time. The study found that 83% of women enjoy going to get their hair cut or styled at a hair salon, but one in five admitted they would like it even more if they could sit in a massaging chair while having their locks seen too. Another 16% also said their perfect appointment would be complete if they were offered chocolate cake to indulge in. Now these are our kind of women!

"These results show as well wanting to have the perfect style, it's the little things like the drinks and topics of conversation which can make a big difference to their appointment, the stylist said. "We've been welcoming women through our doors for 50 years now, and almost everyone looks forward to settling down with a drink and a magazine, while a stylist works their magic on their hair."

What's your idea of the perfect haircut? Let us know with a note below!