Happy new hair!

ONE of the fastest, easiest and probably least expensive ways to have a new look this New Year is to cut, color or perm your hair.

According to Yale University professor Marianne L. France, Ph.D., people base their first impression of us from our hairstyle and not the facial expression or clothes we wear. Studies show that:

• Women sporting short hair are viewed as confident, outgoing and efficient.
• Those with straight or curly medium length hair are perceived to be friendly, flexible and more people-oriented.
  
• Long straight hair conveys elegance and sex appeal.
  
• Carefree curls make the wearer appear adventurous or fun loving.
  

Get a haircut!
When you go over your pictures and discover that you have been wearing the same hair length and hairstyle for centuries now, it's time to get THAT hair cut.

Take time browsing hairstyle magazines, find the cut you like, and go to a reputable hairdresser along with your magazine. Most high-end salons specialize in giving sophisticated cuts and their hairdressers are trained to be receptive to clients' needs and concerns. Ask your hairdresser whether your chosen hairstyle suits you, if s/he has other suggestions on how to cut your hair, and if s/he has done that cut before. Sensing your concern with the outcome of the cut, the trained hairdresser will be very careful in snipping your locks.

Surely, you may have to pay double than your regular fee, but from experience, this is money well spent considering the added pizzazz a stylish haircut will give to your appearance. Besides, you could have that style maintained by your regular hairdresser thereafter.

TIPS: When browsing magazines, focus on models with the same face shape as yours. Remember that one hairstyle will look differently depending on one's face shape.

Whether you have wavy, straight or curly hair, the trend now is geared toward layered cuts that give the hair body and bounce. Studies also show that those with layered cuts appear bubblier, friendlier and sophisticated.

Color your hair!
The art of hair coloring has been recorded as early as the 4th century B.C. Grecian heroes were said to lighten or redden their hair by using harsh soaps and bleaches from Phoenicia. First century Romans, on the other hand, favored dark hair and the dye they used were made of boiled walnuts and leeks. Early Saxon men supposedly dyed their hair and beards blue, red, green or orange. During the era of Elizabeth I, reddish-orange hair was the trend while pastel shades of blue, pink, violet, yellow and pure white prevailed during the time of French tyrant Marie Antoinette.

It was in 1909 in France when the first commercial hair color was born.

What color is best for you? What differentiates temporary, semi-permanent and permanent colors? These and other questions will be answered in the next issue. Happy New Year! *

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