Hair an interesting tissue demanding care

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 13

Hair an interesting tissue demanding care

Constantly cropping up in our fashion and beauty classes are questions relating to hair care. This

week I give a few straightforward answers to some of the most common of these queries. After all, we do tend to take our hair for granted; and often it is not until we are faced with a major problem that we give our hair and scalp a good spring clean.

Is hair living or dead? Hair is actually dead, in the same way that the grown-out part of your toe and finger nails is dead. But it must be cared for correctly, and the

scalp and root structure treated with respect. How many hairs do we have on our head? Some 90,00 to 120,000 individual hairs. What is the normal rate of hair growth? On average it is |in per month. In humid climates hair will grow more quickly than in colder climates; also, growth can slow down during a prolonged illness. Does cutting your hair make it grow faster?

No, cutting the your hair has no relevance at all to the rate of growth at the roots. However the illusion of thick hair is gained by trimming off uneven and split ends. Is it possible to stop hair from going grey? No, the pigment that colours your hair is governed largely by heredity. It is possible for hair to go white more rapidly than normal if one has a severe nutritional deficiency or if one suffers a major illness; but there is nothing that can be done to prevent a natural process.

Why is it advisable to have hair trimmed even when growing it? If you don’t have a trim about every two months you run the risk of developing badly split ends. A competent hairdresser can shape your hair so that itt looks attractive during the growing process. Do heated rollers or tongs harm your hair? Not if you use them correctly and with respect. I have used heated rollers almost daily for 10 years and have suffered no ill effects; my hair has never dried out, not even when permed. The answer is to remove the rollers from your hair when still warm, leaving them in for only three minutes or less. An important tip is: always use a conditioner after your final shampoo

and allow your hair to dry naturally in sunshine, as often as you can. How important is diet to hair condition? Feeding the hair from within contributes more than any hair product to the health and visual condition of the hair. However, too many fats (not to be confused with oils) are to be avoided. Foodstuffs with a good source of protein and vitamins are cheese, milk, seafood, eggs, parsley, kidney, liver, fresh fruit, leafy green vegetables and wheat germ. How often should hair be washed? Some heads produce excess quantities of oil and may require washing daily (contrary to general belief, this does not harm the hair). Generally hair should be shampooed two to three times per week. What causes dull, lifeless hair? Any of the following, factors: 1. Not rinsing the conditioner out correctlv. 2. An accumulation of hair products on the hair such as hair spray, conditioner setting lotions, excess bleaching etc. 3. Using the same brand of products too long; it is advisable to change your brand periodically — say, every six months. 4. A badly balanced diet or an illness or emotional upset will often result in dreary-looking hair.

“How can I get a style

to suit? — I’ve had so many disasters.”

This statement is the most common ■of all women’s pleas about their hair. These days the answer lies in obtaining a style that you can manage yourself. This rules out excessively complicated styles.

It is fatal to go into a hair salon with a pre-con-ceived idea that with your new hairstyle you will come out looking like Farrah Fawcet t-Majors, Sophia Loren or any magazine photograph you had hoped to imitate.

Your hair and what it will or won’t do naturally an individual matter: so first you must analyse you- hair, deciding on its potential, and what you yourself can manage. Then, and only then, is it time to seek advice from a stylist you can depend on.

However, some hairdressers seem to set themselves up as creative geniuses attacking your head like an artist would a canvas and even sulking if you don’t want a revolutionery, coloured, frizzed perm. An even more amusing stylist is the one who analyses your hair on your very first visit after you have returned from the basin with hair dripping wet.

Top-class stylists do exist, but finding one can often be a case of trial and error. Asking advice

from friends who constantly show up with attractive hairstyles is one of the best ways of tracking down a competent stylist. When you visit a salon it is advisable to discuss with the stylist the day-to-day upkeep of your style — whether it requires the use of tongs or heated rollers and how to blow-dry it correctly at home.

During my salon visits I always ask a few search-

ing questions; after all, what is the point of sitting in a salon with a false smile, saying or asking nothing, then later complaining bitterly to all your friends that you hate the style and don’t know how to manage it yourself.

Such silent sufferers can unjustifiably damage the reputation of a top-class salon or stylist. It’s up to the customer to make the most of her visit to a hair salon.