September 2002

Body beautiful -
Hair, There, Everywhere

Lindsey Samuelsohn

As you may or may not know, hairstyles and colors have a tendency to change with the seasons. Depending on what's sashaying down the runways, we might see short and sassy or long and luscious. Hair tends to get shorter in the summer when we don't want to be bothered with blow drying and styling and longer in the cooler months when we are more resolved to having to primp and layer before we walk out the door.

This season, thanks to our friends in the East, it's all about pin-straight, long-as-can-be locks. So put down those scissors and start growing back the sleek, short styles from last year. Go easy on the iron too while you're at it.

In case you haven't heard, the newest trend in taming curly and wavy tresses is thermal reconditioning, a 5-plus hour Japanese process in which hair is chemically straightened with a series of different treatments. Results can last up to 9 months. Be sure to schedule a consultation before undergoing the popular straightening process, as certain hair types are better candidates than others, and risks such as hair loss can result if proper precautions aren't taken.

When it comes to color, reds, soft browns and golden tones are the hues that rule. Highlights are still the way to brighten up mousy browns and dull blondes, but this fall highlights are coupled with lowlights to make way for a more natural look than we've seen in the past.

One way to achieve natural looking color is to leave the underside of the hair darker than the top side. By avoiding an all over monochromatic color scheme, highlights have a much better chance of mimicking natural color, which is typically the goal when going for color.

Speaking of color…The next time you sit down with a stack of magazines intending to bring a picture of your favorite celeb's hair color for your colorist to imitate, don't forget to consider differences in skin tone and any special lighting that may have contributed to the picture. What may look good in a studio-generated photo may not translate well into real life.

So start growing, highlighting and straightening this season, and we guarantee your hair will be just as en vogue as your wardrobe!