OK, admit it. You were one of those with HUGE 80s hair. Bleached beyond recognition, damaged ends. And I'm not just talking about women here. There were plenty of guys running around with that "Flock of Seagulls" look (if you need proof, go rent "The Wedding Singer" this weekend).

I'm as guilty as anyone. During the 80s, I sat in the sun for hours upon hours, my naturally brown curly hair soaked with a popular sun-activated hair lightener. Instead of the "gorgeous blonde highlights" I thought I'd get, I wound up with a mess of orange frizz. Oh, and did I mention that AFTER I'd trashed my hair with this heat-activated peroxide stuff that I'd go inside, wash my hair and blow-dry it as straight as possible? Yes, it was not a pretty picture.

Today's Trends

Fast-forward to 2002. In the area of hair color, less is definitely more. "People are starting to catch on and are staying away from the heavy, bleached highlights," says Amy Edwards, daughter of Hollywood's Stylist to the Stars Allen Edwards (who was first made famous after creating Farah Fawcett's signature feathered hair in the 1970s). These days, his salon is the hot spot for such celebrities as Jenna Elfman, Renee Zellweger, Julianne Moore and Christine Lahti.

Edwards, based at her father's Studio City, California, salon, says that the biggest trend in hair today is health. "Blonde strips away the integrity of the hair," she says. "When you go darker with the hair you are not opening up the cortex of the hair as muchwhen you go lighter, you are stripping the strength out of the hair."

Last summer's "beach blonde" look has faded into this year's trend toward more depth in hair color. People are choosing to use a little bit of blonde to accentuate specific areas of the hair, rather than bleaching the entire head, Edwards says.

One of the newest techniques stylists are using to achieve this look is called hair painting. Edwards says that rather than using foils to apply highlighted color, the stylist "paints" the desired color directly onto the hair. "For example, if you had really dark, rich brown hair, you could break it up by painting dark brown and blonde pieces of hair for contrast," she says. It is one less step than a traditional coloring with foil (also known as a weave), Edwards says, so the client gets in and out of the salon a little quicker.

Hair painting is a great way to add a bit of oomph to your hairnot to mention hiding those ubiquitous grays that seem to pop up when you least expect them.

But hair color isn't just for covering gray, says , a stylist based in Valencia, California. "Hair color is a great way to add dimension to hair," she says. "When you have a great haircut, great color should go with it." However, Kiester says, gray hair tends to be very coarse and a bit difficult to work with. By coloring the gray hair, she says, the hair becomes more manageable.

Color Types

If you're looking to make a color change, you have a few options. Semi-permanent colors, sometimes also called glosses, last approximately six weeks and are used to brighten and enrich hair color. "This type of color makes your hair look and feel great, and does not damage the hair," Kiester days. The biggest catch: Semi-permanent color cannot cover gray hair. But on the flip side, you won't have to worry about unsightly roots showing up as your color fades. So if you have only a little gray (the semi-permanent color can help blend a few grays into the rest of your hair), this is a great option.

To cover gray, both Kiester and Edwards say a good permanent color is the key. However, permanent colors can dry out hair and cause damageunless you use good, moisturizing products to circumvent this damage. Tricomin Restructuring Conditioner is a good one to try. And reducing your blow dryer time can also help maintain the strength of your hair. After completing your shampoo and conditioner, wrap your head in an Aquis Microfiber Hair Towel - Pink and let the cloth act like a natural wick to dry your hair. You'll still have to style with the dryer but you've just bought your hair some precious moments clear of the potentially damaging heat. Of course, your stylist will typically recommend a regimen to keep your color, and your hair, bright and healthy.

Do-It Yourself?

Professionally applied, salon color can have an amazing effect on your hairand your appearancebut it doesn't come cheap. While prices vary greatly and are dependent on many factors, including geographic location, type of salon, products used and the stylist, expect to spend some money for a good coloring job. In a typical upscale salon in Los Angeles, for example, a basic coloring can cost $50 or more.

So what if you want to forgo the fancy salon and color your hair yourself? If the variety of home hair coloring products on the shelves is any indication, loads of people take the do-it-yourself approach to hair color. This is one project I've yet to engage in, probably because I still have flashbacks of my mother and one of her friends destroying towel after towel as they applied each other's hair color in our kitchen. Now, this was many, many years ago and home hair coloring products have certainly come a long way. Today, there are lots of choices. Home hair color comes in creams, gels and good old-fashioned liquid. The trick here is knowing what to expect before you put the color in your hair.

"When people buy color from the drug store, they look at the picture on the box and think, 'Oh, I like that color.' But if it was that easy, I wouldn't have a job," says Kiester.

Edwards agrees: "I've had some people throw some [color] in their hair to highlight their hairthe work that we have to do to get that hair to look natural again costs the client much more money [than a professional coloring would have in the first place]," she says. "They try to save money, but they end up coming back to usand it costs them more money."

Kiester says that at-home color tends to be oversimplified. "You can't go from having level one black hair to level 10 blonde hair in one process," she says. "There are a lot of factors that go into coloring hair, and they all need to be taken into consideration."

Both Kiester and Edwards say that if you really want to color your hair at home, stick with some of the better-known brands of semi-permanents, or glosses. "There's less damage that way," Kiester says.

"Put your money into a good hairdresser and good products," Edwards adds.

Buyer Beware

"Anyone can say that they are a 'color specialist' but, obviously, that's not always the case," Kiester says. "All stylists need to have continued education. There is something new to learn with color every day." When choosing a stylist, Kiester says, it's important to see their work. If you see someone with a cut or color you like, as her who did it and then check out the stylist for yourself.

All of the experts agree that price should not be your main guide when selecting someone to color your hair. Go to a reputable salon. This way, if you are unhappy with the results, you know you can have it fixed the right way.

One word of caution: Kiester says that people who take a lot of medication often should not color their hair. If you have any questions, it's always best to consult your physician (or at least bring the issue to the attention of your stylist).

Adding On

If you own hair just isn't doing what you want, there are lots of ways to "fake it." Wigs are making a big comeback. Yes, you read that correctly: I said wigs. Ever wonder how your favorite actress goes from short hair on Tuesday to long hair on Saturday? Chances are she's wearing a wig.

Today's wigs can be made from synthetic or human hair and can cost as much as $3000 for a custom-made item (though most of these special wigs are made for children and adults with medically related hair loss). Even more popular are hairpieces and extensions.

Extensions are exactly what the name implies. Pieces of human or synthetic hair are "extended" onto the natural hair to add volume and length. Ironically, though, extensions work best on people with strong, thick hair. "People who benefit most from extensions are those who already have thick hair but want to change their look," Edwards says.

Here's why extensions can be dangerous for the fine-haired set: The extension hair is attached tightly to the natural hair, either by braiding it in (the typical method) or by applying them with a special glue (a faster but not as secure method). Since the extensions are attached so tightly, Kiester says, there is a danger of breakage to the natural hair over time.

One of the trends Edwards sees is the use of synthetic extensions to create a funky, colorful looklike a few pink dreadlocks attached to the natural hair. For a more natural look, human hair extensions are best. She says that she is seeing more use of the so-called hairpiece extensionssuch as ponytailsrather than the more traditional whole-head extensions right now.

As your natural hair grows, the extensions are removed, washed and rebraided. The nice thing is that home care is the same as for your natural hairwash, dry, style and go.

Extensions are not an inexpensive way to change your look. Figure on spending about $100 per hour to have them done (as a point of reference, a full head of extensions can take from four to eight hours). Of course, you can always buy your own extensions from a third-party and take them to your stylist. Lots of companies sell hair via the Internet (synthetic and natural)so that's another option and one possible way to keep down the cost.

Clipping and Cutting

Even with the popularity of extensions and wigs, when it comes to the cut of natural hair, short is in, says Edwards. Soft, short cuts, not the boy-like cuts we saw a few years ago, are making headlines. Edwards says that once Calista Flockhart (of "Ally McBeal" fame) cut her hair into a short bob, women across the country were flocking to do the same. The hair is off the shoulder, off the neck, but soft and feminine, like Winona Ryder's style. She says that Halle Berry was one of the biggest trendsetters for the new short set. Her classic, sophisticated look has given lots of women the inspiration for chopping off their own locks.

Of course, if you do cut your hair short and want to wear it long for a special occasion, there are always extensions and wigs.

Remember, when it comes to hair, nothing is permanentnot even your so-called permanent color.

Robin Heinz Bratslavsky
DERMAdoctor Staff Writer

(Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.)

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