Inexpensive Hair-Care, a Reprint from Elegant Survival Summer 2008

Elegant Survival Hair-Care

Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008

It’s been many years since I visited a beauty salon to get my hair done, or for any other purpose. There are several reasons for this, foremost among them is that the hair stylists I had, no matter how much money I paid, paid no attention to what they were doing. They were more interested in operating an inquisition into my private life than in the usual beauty operator’s line–cutting my hair in a straight line. Going to Bergdorf Goodman’s salon didn’t make a whit of difference in the quality of my final result. Hair dressers blow-dry and style cut hair with a curling brush in order to conceal the bad job they’ve done. Once you wash the hair, the signs of neglect and poor craftsmanship appear.

My husband enjoys cutting my hair. He uses some very good scissors from France. And he doesn’t spend his energy asking about my private life–he is my private life! Train your husband, wife, or trusted friend to cut your hair, and return the favor. Remember, the higher the quality of your scissors or shears, the better the haircut.

There are many brands of hair color on the market. Target and Wal-Mart carry Revlon Colorsilk, usually for three dollars a box. It is just as good as the more expensive brands. If your hair has already started to turn gray or, as in my case, white, choose lighter colors. I remember bumping into Tony Bennett back in 1980s Manhattan. He was dying his hair black then to look younger, but the effect was reminiscent of a wax museum replica. Now that he has let his hair go naturally white, he looks so much more healthy and attractive. The same is true for ladies. If you are fortunate enough to go white instead of gray, it gives a platinum blond look. White hair is usually much more delicate than gray, and thus is easier to color. Hair that hasn’t yet turned, but is mixed in with white hair, will also dye or lighten more easily. If you have naturally black hair, lightening will be difficult. In your case, blending gray and dark hair with a shade just a bit lighter than your original one will be better than going to the lightest shade, because attempting to bleach black hair usually produces an orange result.  What you ought not to do is try to dye your hair as black as it was when you were young. Nothing is more difficult to keep up than dark hair with white or gray roots. Black hair that is graying can sometimes be successfully enhanced with a natural dark henna. Slightly lighter colors of hair dye will blend with the new growth of hair and give you an evenly pigmented coiffure. At three dollars a box, it is wise to stock up on your shade, because at times they are sold-out, and you don’t want to be caught dead with  the wrong color on your head!

Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2008