Hair

Hair

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" the prince hollered.

Rapunzel, in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, did as she was told. From the top of the tower, she unwound her crowning glory. The prince grabbed hold and--

Right there, the story might have taken a bizarre turn. Did Rapunzel ask the prince how much he weighed? Did she pause to consider what would happen if all her stressed tresses suddenly snapped?

Fortunately, hair is strong enough to support even a heavy date. Theoretically, a fullback-size prince really could climb a dangling hank of hair, since each hair on our heads can support almost three ounces, and we have 100,000 or so. Very theoretically, an 18,000-pound prince--or a whole platoon of princes--could have inched up Rapunzel''''s braid.

Hair is more often praised for its beauty than its strength, however. "Hair is very important psychologically. It displays femininity or masculinity, and it can be a sign of one''''s individuality and image," says Susan Detwiler, M.D., dermatopathology fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The fact is, when your hair looks damaged and lifeless, you might start to feel the same way. When a glimpse of your hair in the mirror gives you that "Oh no!" feeling, it''''s probably time to do something about it. Fortunately, there''''s a lot that can be done.

Raising the Dead

Hair is just hard, dead protein. Even so, a healthy head of hair looks vibrantly alive, says Diana Bihova, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center in New York City. "That''''s the interesting thing. It''''s smooth. It shines. You almost want to touch it."

The outer layer of each hair is made up of overlapping shingles of keratin cells called the cuticle. When our hair is clean, and when we don''''t torture it with perms and dyes, those shingles lie flat and reflect light--so hair is shiny. Dirt and damage from hair dyes or permanents can rough up those shingles. That''''s when our hair looks dull or lifeless.

Trim Your Own Bangs

Why trek out to the hair salon when it''''s only your bangs that need trimming? You can do it yourself. Here are some tips from hairstylist Louis Gignac, owner of Louis-Guy D Salon in New York City and author of Everything You Need to Know to Have Great-Looking Hair. * Use a good pair of sharp hairdresser''''s scissors. They''''re available at beauty supply shops for a wide range of prices. * Make sure your hair is dry. If your hair is wet, it will dry an inch shorter. * Avoid frowning while you cut--it changes the bang length. Gignac recommends that you use a piece of plastic wrap as an aid in trimming your bangs. Cut a piece that''''s long enough to fit across your forehead and tuck above each ear. Then follow these steps. 1. Comb your hair back and center the strip of plastic wrap across your forehead, securing it behind each ear with hair clips.

2. Starting one inch forward from the center of your scalp, comb your bangs forward in a triangle effect. 3. Start trimming your bangs from a point one-quarter inch below your eyebrow line. "Always start below your eyebrows, never above," Gignac says. That''''s because movement can make the bangs appear shorter. If you decide you want them shorter, trim the bangs again following the same line. 4. Follow the slight arch of your eyebrows as you trim. Gignac advises against cutting your bangs straight across--which could give you a dowdy look.

For healthier, gleaming tresses, gentle washing and gentle conditioning are the keys. That''''s why shampoos get so much attention in the hair-coddling world. Here''''s what experts say about using them.

Brush up your technique. The first step to a good shampoo is a good brushing. "This loosens excess grooming products, dirt and natural oil as well as stimulates your scalp," says Damien Miano, top hairstylist and co-owner of New York''''s Miano/Viél Salon and Spa. Begin by brushing just the ends of your hair to detangle it. Then gradually work your brush in toward your scalp. If you brush in one stroke from the scalp out to the ends, the force of brushing can damage the oldest part of your hair--especially if you have long hair--and cause split ends.

Don''''t brush too long or too strong. "You''''ll traumatize the hair if you brush it 100 times, like the old adage says," warns Dr. Bihova.

Select a smart one. Shampoos are becoming more and more select, with many new products targeted to treat specific hair types. For example, blonds with fine hair can pick thickening shampoos to add body. The label may say "thickening," "volumizing," "remoisturizing" or "body-building." Other shampoos are custom-made for processed hair that''''s been dyed, bleached or permed.

Hair isn''''t predictable, and you can''''t go entirely by the label. Even baby shampoos aren''''t as gentle as they''''re touted to be, says Marty Sawaya, M.D, Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Florida Health Science Center in Gainesville.

So how do you test them out? Dr. Bihova recommends that you audition shampoos. Buy sample sizes until you find ones that you like.

Do the ol'''' switcheroo. "Don''''t get stuck with one shampoo; keep switching them often," says Dr. Bihova. "This is especially important for people with scalp problems like dandruff, psoriasis or dermatitis." You''''ll know that it''''s time to switch when the shampoo is less effective than it was when you first started using it. This doesn''''t mean that you have to buy a new brand every week. "Keep two main brands around and interchange them. For normal hair, switching gets rid of buildup."

Wash out a myth. The old saw that washing your hair every day dries it out is untrue, says Philip Kingsley, owner and founder of Trichological Centers in London and New York and author of Hair. "If you get the correct shampoo, it does just the opposite. And it''''s a misconception that daily washing dulls your hair. It makes those cuticles lie down flat and tight and shiny."

The more frequently you wash your hair, the less shampoo you''''ll need at each washing, experts say. A nickel-size dab is the maximum amount for a daily shampoo, and one application will do the job.

Condition hair into shape. After shampooing keep the water running and work in a conditioner. Many conditioners are targeted for your hair type just like shampoos are. Use a lightweight conditioner on fine, thin hair and a heavier conditioner on coarser or curly hair, Kingsley advises. (Using a heavy conditioner on fine hair could make it limp and greasy, and a light conditioner on heavy or curly hair won''''t condition sufficiently.)

If your hair is chemically treated or damaged, look for a deep conditioner to apply once or twice a week. Some deep conditioners are applied before you shampoo, allowed to set, then shampooed out. Others are leave-in versions. You work them into your hair after you shampoo, while it''''s still wet. As for how much you should use, that''''s a matter of trial and error, according to Kingsley.

The Thin, Gray Line

Most women don''''t change their hair as dramatically as Madonna does. One-third of American women do color their hair, however, especially as they start to go gray.

If you''''re happy with gray hair, there''''s no reason to dye it. But hair dyes can not only add color, they can also fluff and roughen hair cuticles, which makes thin hair appear fuller. That can be an advantage. Even luxuriant hair can start thinning around the time you''''re age 40--or earlier. So there may be a time when you want to try dye. (But remember, while dye can make your tresses appear fuller, the coloring also damages your hair.)

Once you''''ve decided to color your hair, what''''s the best way? It helps to consult a good hair pro. She not only can tell whether you should color your hair, she can also actually look at your hair and tell you the percentage of gray in it. That number can help you make some decisions.

"If you''''re more than 50 percent gray, you''''ll need permanent hair color to cover it," says John Corbett, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and technical affairs for Clairol in Stamford, Connecticut. If you''''re just 30 percent gray, you can use semipermanent hair dye. Semipermanent color is gentler on your hair. It''''s easy to use at home, too. Semipermanent dyes only last through 6 to 12 washings--but that''''s a plus if you''''re undecided about color choice.