Off the Cuff - Carson Kressley [46]
In order to have great hair, you need a great stylist. You should take as much care in finding the right hairstylist as you would in selecting a doctor. It’s that important. Good haircuts do cost more money because these people are trained professionals. The good news is you don’t have to spend a million dollars on your hair every time you get it cut. But once or twice a year, go to an excellent salon and get a really great cut from a true hair care professional—or HCP, if you will.
TIP
Fairy Godstylist Carson
A lot of men are guilty of overwashing their hair, especially if you’re an active guy going to the gym a lot. Shower daily, please, by all means. That’s fine. But you don’t have to use shampoo every day. Every third day don’t use shampoo, just use conditioner. It will allow some of that natural oil to accumulate. You know why mink looks so great? Because the fur is brimming with natural oils. When you wash your hair too much, you strip all that away. Big faux paws. I mean pas.
Now here’s the trick: In between visits to your HCP, you can go to a good quality barber for haircuts. As long as you don’t have a really tricky haircut, a barber can maintain the shape and texture of the haircut created by your HCP.
When you find the right cut for you, it will appear very natural. If you have curly hair, embrace the curl, don’t fight it. If you have straight hair, do the same. Find the cut that naturally makes you look your best. And don’t forget to maintain it. You really need to go about every five weeks for maintenance. Otherwise it’s just going to lose its shape and start to look sloppy.
Product: The Final Frontier
The hair care aisle at your local drugstore, supermarket, or high-end beauty supply boutique is treacherous territory, even for those who’ve been through the rigors of beauty school. There’s a reason so many men fear hair products. Too much of them is a bad thing. But products are out there because they help people. I don’t know how we lived without them. I ask myself this question often. Looking at photos from the days of yore, I ponder, “How did they do that without the benefit of gels, creams, and foaming pomades?”
Anyway, it’s very easy to find the right products: Just leave this one to your HCP, depending on the texture, cut, weight, density, etc. of your hair. Everyone’s hair is so very different that I can’t make one sweeping generalization or recommend any specific line or brand. So trust in your HCP to set up a hair care regimen (henceforth known as HCR) specially designed just for you.
Losing Your Hair: On Your Head, Not So Good. On Your Back, That’s a Different Story Entirely.
It’s just a sad fact of being a man that some of us draw the short stick in the genetic lottery and lose our hair. But with hair, as with just about everything but penis size, it’s all about quality not quantity. If you find yourself losing your hair, just get a good cut and go with it.
I can’t endorse any of the common “fixes” to going bald. That bushy Krusty the Clown do with tufts on either side? You end up looking like Princess Leia or like you have earmuffs on all the time. Please don’t fall victim to the lure of the combover. Combovers make me want to scream, “Hi! Your reality check bounced! You’re not fooling anyone!” You’ll look like “The Donald” with “The combover.” And as a general rule you don’t want to look like anybody with “the” in front of their name. Think about it. The Grinch. The Hamburgler. The Joker. I rest my (attaché) case.
And whatever you do, do not let me catch you wearing a rug. Rugs are for floors. Toupee, shmoupee: It’s a wig.
And wigs are just not an option. Besides, bald guys are hot. Think Telly Savalas. Hot! Bruce Willis. Hotter! Vin Diesel. Don’t get me started.
If your hair is thinning and