News

Body & mind

For hair that won't scare

By NANCY KIPNIS
Published April 13, 2005

---

If you feel the drops of humidity creeping back into the air then you know it will soon be perpetual bad hair day weather.Fashion forward hair experts Chad Malm and Barbara Forgione at Salon Jack in South Tampa (3215 S MacDill Ave.), Marybeth Vachon of Salon Vachon in St. Petersburg (4601 Fourth St. N), and Crystal Grace of R.O.C.S. Hair Studio in Clearwater (1329 N Highland Ave.) offered some insight on summer trends and how we can all have beautiful locks if we keep true to a few rules.

Spring trends

Spring is all about heavy bangs, lots of curls, good color and just being girly and feminine. The key behind it all is a good cut and proper maintenance. And a good short cut for African-Americans means using fewer products, which can get sticky in hot weather, says Grace.

For fine hair, frequent brushing to get the natural oil of your scalp to run through the rest of your locks is key to healthy, unfrizzy hair, says Malm. The more you wash the more the shaft of the hair is stripped and exposed, causing it to respond to the unfriendly elements. If your hair feels dirty the best thing to do is just rinse and apply conditioner at the ends.

"Bumble & Bumble makes a series of products that are humidity busters and keep your tresses in order," says Chad.

Malm's product picks: Wild Child Curl Conscious Shampoo, Hot Mama Curl Conscious Conditioner, Kinky Chick Curl Creme, Surf Spray.

Colors bloom

In case you haven't noticed, brunettes are back. Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron. Going back to your natural, darker color will save you some serious salon time if you protect it.

Black women have been sporting reds and violets, Grace says, but lately the most popular combination is adding blond to the violet, making a dramatic effect.

"Blond tones are always big when the weather warms up," Grace says, "and a mixture of both those colors is really hot for this summer" among black women.

Forgione, a master colorist, recommends ways to put longevity in your hue.

"Always, always, always, wet your hair with non-chlorinated water before going into a pool. Then apply a protector with SPF in it. It will protect the hair shaft from the copper and chloride in the water that eats at the structure and molecule make up of the hair. This is the No. 1 culprit of hair discoloration and fading."

A whirl of curl

"Curls are back big time," says Vachon. "They are a reflection of the softness of the summer. Bangs are big and side swept. ...

"Men are trending back to longer hair, longer sideburns and casual looks. Severe military is out. They are heavily into products and not just gels."

Grace says African-Americans turn to braids in the summer as "their savior," and the braids will protect the hair even with frequent swimming if the braids are done right.

"But you have to use a clarifying shampoo after you swim."

[Last modified April 13, 2005, 16:07:27]