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Hair

When I was legal correspondent for NBC television, I was different from almost every other correspondent. First of all, I was young and had actually been a practicing attorney, when most of the other legal talking heads were seasoned college professors or people who had given up the practice of law a long while back. I was also a black woman, the only one, I think, in the club. And then, there was my hair.

I approached hair differently from my other female legal sisters. I treated it as an accessory, which I still do. I changed my hair as I did my earrings, shoes, and handbags. It depended on my mood and what made me feel pretty that day. I wore wigs or hairpieces almost every day—I still do. One day, I’d sport a long ponytail. Another day, I’d wear my hair sort of curly-curly. One day it was straight; one day tied back; the next day swooped to the side. Evolving, different hairstyles made me feel pretty.

One morning, an intense, sober network honcho took me aside with a very grave suggestion. “If you had a consistent hairdo, I think you’d be taken more seriously,” he intoned.

I looked at him. “Consistent hairdo?” I repeated. “Ain’t gonna happen.”

And then, I told him that I knew more about what I was talking about than anybody listening. He knew it was true. “I think the audience can figure out what I’m saying and how seriously they should take this by what I say, not by how I wear my hair.” And then, I turned around and left him and his consistency standing alone.

I refused to fit into the cookie-cutter, plain old Saltine cracker mold of what
a journalist should look like. Conforming was out of the question. And that sort of became my trademark.

Now, this section is about hair, but please take this little story beyond television, beyond any profession, beyond hair. You are allowed, should you be tempted, to refuse conformity. You can work in a dental office or in Waldbaum’s or be a brain surgeon and still look different from your coworkers. That’s style. That’s independence.

I believe that having the courage of your convictions is the truest way to prepare yourself to be the best you can be—so you’ll be ready to meet your mate.

Back to hair.

Weaves, Wigs, and Wonderful Hairpieces

When I first started talking about weaves and wigs and hairpieces, it was a big deal. Now every movie star in the world adds hair extensions and little weave pieces. For that community it’s newish to talk about it, but in my community, it’s been a topic of conversation for a long time. I really enjoy seeing women of every color doing everything from natural braids and close-cropped hair, to wearing long extensions to their butts, like Shakira. My husband loves when my hair’s long and straight—he thinks that’s sexy. He also likes it when I curl it. Most of all, he likes when I shake it all up and change my look. “You’ve been wearing your hair like that a lot,” he’ll say. It’s my cue that I’m getting in a rut and it would be nice to give him something a little different.

If you’ve learned anything at all in getting ready for the man in your life by making yourself the best you can be physically, it’s this: do what feels good to you. I despise people telling me that I shouldn’t wear a straight hair weave because I’m black and “you’re embracing a European style of what’s beautiful.” Wrong. I’m embracing the Star style. If you really wanted to get technical, you’d know that all hairstyles originated back on the continent of Africa—long, short, bald, curly, and straight. Never feel ashamed to express your individuality because someone wants to put you in a box; let him stay in the box, all by himself.

Hair weaves and extensions aside, it all starts with the cut. A great haircut is the secret of really wonderful hair.

Here are some elemental tips on haircuts that are right for you from Vincent Roppatte, hairstylist to the stars and director of the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salons at Saks Fifth Avenue stores nationwide.

How do you know if you have a great haircut?

Vincent says, “Shake your head when you’re out dancing: does the hair fall back into a flattering, swingy, terrific shape? Is it bouncy, does it swirl like a river? You have a great haircut. Look in the mirror after your swim in the pool. The hair’s wet, sure, but after a quick tousle with your fingers, is it still cute? You have a great haircut. Do people stop you in the street and ask, ‘Who cuts your hair?’ You have a great haircut.”

The Fabulous Hairstylist

Here’s the key to it all:

You need to find the fabulous hairstylist who will give you that perfect cut, that hair advice tailored just to your texture, the one who will make your life easy—let alone pretty.

How do you find a great hairstylist? Ask someone on the street whose look you think is stunning the following question: Who does your hair? Even if you have to stop someone at a party or ask the woman next to you on the bus, don’t feel embarrassed—people love to be asked this question.

Before you let a new stylist do anything extreme, see him or her for a few appointments before you opt for the cut. Do you like what he does to your hair when he’s just setting or blow-drying it? Good start. Now, on haircut day, bring him a picture of the way you want your hair to look: any great hairdresser will appreciate that. A mediocre hairdresser will feel threatened by a photograph because he probably knows he can’t achieve it. A good hairstylist will also tell you why a cut would or would not look good on you.

How much should this cost? For a great cut that lasts weeks, maybe even two or three months, be prepared to mortgage your firstborn. Eat less, go to fewer sales, do anything to be thrifty, and save up for that haircut: it’s money well spent. Don’t let your best friend, Vanda, cut your hair, unless her name is really Mr. Vincent.

Cool Cuts for Your Face Shape

A great cut can make your month. It makes your hair easier to blow-dry and style. It takes a great hairstylist to know what’s best for your face and figure—speaking of which, when you’re getting a haircut, don’t ignore your body shape. If you’re very large, a close-cropped haircut can make you look plain silly. But mostly, at haircut time, it’s the shape of the face you must consider.

No one has a perfectly round, oval, or heart-shaped face, but do you come close to any of these categories? Find out by pulling your hair back with a band. Now, standing close to a very well lit mirror, with a wet bar of soap trace the outline of your face onto the mirror. Now you know your face shape!

Remember that none of these suggestions is set in stone. You may try some color extensions that look incredibly good and break all the rules below. And if you get a haircut that is all wrong, don’t freak: hair grows back.

Square Face

Who has a square-shaped face? Journalist, author, and wife of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver has a classically square-shaped face. You have one also if your face seems wider at the jawline and forehead than the sides—almost as wide as it is long.

Try:
A long cut, but gently layered. If your jaw is particularly square, ask your hairstylist for a cut that will be fuller at the top than at the bottom to deemphasize that square jaw. If your face is widest at the forehead, ask for a cut that can be fashioned fuller at the chin to deemphasize the square forehead. Medium-length bangs cut slightly shorter in the center work wonderfully. A sharp, geometric cut is
not
for you.

Heart-shaped Face

Who has a heart-shaped face? The actress Reese Witherspoon, for one. Also, Eva Longoria and Beyoncé. Lindsay Lohan comes close to a heart-shaped face. You have one also if your face has high cheekbones, a wide-ish forehead, and a pointy chin.

Try:
A midlength (just past your ears) tousled shag. Or ask your hairdresser about a layered bob with extra volume near the chin: that softens your narrow, heart-shaped face. Long, tapered bangs, perhaps swept to one side, also work well. A very short haircut and a center part are
not
for you.

Oval Face

Who has an oval-shaped face? Star Jones Reynolds does. Also Alicia Keys. You have one also if your face looks more oval (egg shaped) than square, round, or long. Lucky girl. Ovals can wear any cut or style.

Try:
Everything! Consider Iman’s wild and wonderful shock of hair, consider the original straight, layered Jennifer Aniston look, consider a mass of long Shirley Temple curls. One of the best looks for oval? A straight, angled-at-the-jaw cut.

Narrow and Long and Angular Face

Who has such a face? Jamie Lee Curtis does. Also Brandy. You have one also if you have a high forehead and a longish chin. Long faces often have great cheekbones.

Try:
A layered cut that doesn’t make your hair high or full at the very top of your head: you need fullness around your face. If your hair is cut above chin length, it will make your face look even more narrow. You might try a side part (it widens the forehead and softens the length). Try wisps around the face, as well. Do
not
get a long, all-one-length cut.

Round Face

Who has a round-shaped face? Hillary Clinton’s face is roundish, and so is Mandy Moore’s and Isabella Rossellini’s. If yours is also, you probably have chipmunk-y cheeks and they dominate your cheekbones. Your chin is wide and full.

Try:
Longer hair—say, shoulder length. Make sure your hairdresser layers it with more height on top to “ovalize” the roundness. A short fringy cut brushed toward the face also works for you because it seems to narrow the face. Do
not
opt for a cut that makes your hair very full and frizzy or curly. Color can seem to change face shapes: An aureole of light hair around a long, thin face widens it. The same light-colored aureole around a round face makes it seem moon shaped. Not a great look. You can have highlights color-painted throughout your hair by your hairdresser to distract from its roundness. Color painting is simply brushing bleach in tiny areas where a frosty light-up would look great.

Some Personal Hair Tips

Have you noticed that…

• brushing the proverbial hundred strokes every night breaks and damages your hair? You’re right—it does.
  
• the sudsiest shampoos are the hardest to rinse out? Also, they don’t do much for cleanliness because the soap residue attracts dirt.
  
• the steam room’s a great place to condition hair with a protein conditioner after shampooing? Steam opens hair shafts, and the conditioner penetrates more deeply.
  
• if you want to straighten your hair, you must use fat, round brushes? Gently pull each section of hair taut away from the roots as you dry around the fat brush; release when hair has cooled down from dryer.
  
• when hair is totally dry, a few strokes with a fat paddle brush further straightens it. Use the dryer set to medium heat, and paddle brush over the hair’s surface from roots to tips for a straight, smooth finish.
  
• if you want to curl your hair, you should brush mousse or gel through wet hair? Divide the hair into small sections and hold with clips. One by one, wrap each section around the bristles of a
  narrow
  round brush, and blow dry. Allow each section to cool before you unroll the brush to go to the next section. For a pageboy, roll the hair under. For a flippy look, roll the hair up and over the brush.
  
• too often, you have errant hair, cowlicks, bangs that won’t settle down? Put cellophane tape across the section of wet hair that’s giving you grief until it’s dry. Problem gone.
  
• television lights do funny things to hair? If you plan to be on TV for any reason, stay away from red highlights or red hair additions—they’ll look hoochie. Try rich auburn instead.
  
• you always have a bad hair day when it’s most important to look great? If you’re planning to meet your future mother-in-law or have a first date with the guy who may be
  it
  and you wake up with a head full of knots, tangles, and hair going every which way, try these:
  
  • Stunning, oversize shades pushed back on your head contain frizzies in an emergency.
    
  • Tie your hair into a ponytail or sweep it up on a humid afternoon.
    
  • Marvelous barrettes, jeweled bobby pins, headbands, or tortoiseshell grip combs do wonders.
    
  • An emergency wig: try one with an attached headband. You can just roll out of bed and go.
    
  • If all else fails, a stunning scarf or cap can look très chic.
    

Show Biz Secret

A vitamin E capsule, broken open, is the world’s best conditioner—even if your hair is not frizzy. Dab the contents of one 400 unit vitamin E capsule (you can mix it with one ounce of olive or soybean oil) on the ends of your hair and on any areas where your hair is damaged. Comb through and apply a warm, wet towel for twenty minutes (or sit under a heat cap, which you can buy in any beauty supply store). Then, shampoo (apply the shampoo and work into a lather before you add the water—oil and water don’t mix, remember) and rinse very thoroughly.