It's a figure which will surprise even the most impatient husband - women spend nearly three years getting ready to leave the house.

That's because the average time needed for all those last-minute outfit changes, twirls in front of the mirror and rummages in the handbag is an hour and 12 minutes for every big night out.

And with the typical woman needing 40 minutes to get ready for work every morning as well, the amount of time spent preening adds up to more than two years and nine months over a lifetime.

The bad news for men doesn't stop there - they will spend a mind-numbing three months of their lives waiting for their wives and girlfriends to choose a handbag or try on that last pair of shoes just one more time.

Charlotte Newbert, founder of the Nephria beauty brand which commissioned the study, said: "It's amazing how our daily routine adds up.

"But by the time we shower and do our hair and make-up it can take a while. Many women, and men for that matter, have a strict regime they stick to."

Before a big night out, women typically spend 22 minutes showering and shaving their legs, seven minutes moisturising or applying fake tan, 23 minutes drying and styling their hair, 14 minutes doing their make-up and six minutes getting dressed.

The poll revealed men are left hanging around for an average of 17 minutes and 25 seconds each time they go out with their partner.

It is a similar story when they are coaxed out to the shops, where they will have to sit outside changing rooms for an average of one hour and two minutes each time.

Unsurprisingly, nearly two-thirds of men say they get fed up of constantly waiting - and one in ten has even ended a relationship because of it.