Cheryl Cole L'Oreal hair advert complaints rejected

The advert said Cole was "styled with some natural hair extensions"

An advertisement for a L'Oreal product has been cleared after complaints that singer Cheryl Cole was wearing hair extensions, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said.

In the advert she said her hair "feels stronger" and "full of life", with a "healthy shine".

The ASA received 40 complaints that the effects shown could not be achieved since Cole had extensions.

But claims that the product's benefits had been exaggerated were rejected.

The ASA noted that consumer testing, conducted by L'Oreal, appeared to demonstrate that the results were achievable by consumers who did not wear hair extensions.

'Results would vary'

It said: "We considered most consumers would interpret the ads to mean the product would have an effect on the look and feel of hair that was weak, limp, lifeless, dull or straw-like.

"However, they were likely to understand that individual results would vary according to their own hair type."

L'Oreal said results of its consumer tests on participants had found that the benefits of the product were achievable and had been recognised by the average consumer who did not have hair extensions.

The company said the adverts had not been intended to promise that consumers would look exactly like Cheryl Cole.

It added that the average consumer would understand that the effects would vary according to hair type and the style adopted.