“Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair. Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen. Give me down to there – Hair! Shoulder length or longer . . Flow it. Show it. Long as God can grow it, my hair!”

Long before the musical “Hair” first hit the stage in 1967, hair has been a fascination, even an obsession some would say. What tops the head has been associated with style, politics, social-standing and sex appeal. Classically, blondness has been linked to beauty; poems and myths about the “golden-haired woman” go back centuries.

Hair is truly the crowning glory of the face. I have always advocated that a smile makeover is not complete without a professional hairstyle that complements the patient’s face, skin color and personality. More than 30 years ago, I was pleased to assemble the first beauty-related, inter-disciplinary study group. Members represented cosmetic dentistry, hair, plastic and oral surgery, and orthodontics. Although such collaborations are more common today, my recognition of the role of hair in beauty and facial harmony dates back to that time.

Hair 101
Over the last 100 years or so, hair has undergone an amazing array of styles, trends and transformations. In 1907, a French chemist began manufacturing hair dye in his Paris apartment. A major shift in hairstyling occurred in the 1920s when waist-long locks were trimmed and the “bob” was born. In 1931, the American chemist Eugene Gelb introduced the first shampoo tint and established home hair dye and a company that would become synonymous with it called Clairol. In the 1930s, the Breck Girl, with her soft, light-dappled tresses, came to symbolize romantic, feminine beauty.

Hollywood stars had a huge influence on hair during the Second World War. So, too, did the need for women to have practical styles they could safely wear to work on wartime production lines. The second half of the 20th century saw the beehive, the popularity of orange juice cans as giant curlers, the Afro, the Farah Fawcett look, the Dorothy Hamill cut, the fascination with hairpieces and the on-again, off-again love affair with hair straightening. Presidential coiffures have always been a fascination among Americans, as are the hairstyles of our beloved celebrities and TV news anchors.

Ask the Experts
To answer some of my own – and I hope your – questions on the subject, I polled seven of Atlanta’s most prominent hair professionals. I hope you will find their answers to a series of questions as fascinating and valuable as I did. Our “panelists” are: Jack Morton, of Indulgence The Salon; Todd Suttles of Noland Suttles Salon; Alice Shoff of Kells & Guernsey Hairdressing Salon; Richard Davis of United Artists in Sandy Springs; Steve Hightower of Steve Hightower Hair Artists’ Studio; and Carey Carter and Mitchell Barnes of Carter-Barnes Hair Artisans.

Asked what factors they consider when developing a hairstyle for a client, the experts agreed that diverse components play a role. Jack Morton summed it up by saying, “In regard to physical features, you downplay the negative and accentuate the positive. Then consider personality and lifestyle – does the client want a ‘wash-n-wear’ style or simply one that can be blown dry? And how much time do they want to devote daily to maintaining it?”

Todd Suttles added that the client’s self-perception is also essential to consider. He says the style must complement that personal mental image. Alice Shoff considers the face in thirds and creates a hairstyle that helps even out less than perfectly balanced proportions. For example, a high forehead can be softened by bangs or fringe. Also important is a hairstyle that can be reliably recreated at home without the hairdresser’s assistance. When a new client comes into their shop, Carey Carter and Mitchell Barnes pull the hair away from the face to get a good look at the facial features and assess how a hairstyle can show them to best advantage.

When we asked about the role a hairstyle can play in creating or enhancing an image, our professionals were in total agreement that it can and does. Richard Davis offered the example of an attorney or corporate executive who might choose a conservative ‘do’ that is appropriate for her professional environment. Contrast that with an artist who prefers a bolder, more daring image that reflects and enhances her creative image. Todd Suttles believes that hair is second only to the smile in reflecting values and personality. The part played by hair in our psyches is easy to understand, suggests Alice Shoff. “Just think about your last ‘bad hair day’ and how you felt!”

We also sought opinions on hair straightening. Although the practice has been around for centuries, it’s been especially popular in recent years. Several of our panelists agreed with Jack Morton that the Japanese (thermal) straightening technique now in vogue is among the best that has been developed. Todd Suttles observed that, despite the continuing popularity of the ultra-sleek look, curl, wave and texture are making their way back. Certainly hair straightening is not for everyone and must be performed by a competent professional. As well, straightening should be pursued with caution. Chemically treated hair is more fragile than virgin hair, notes Alice Shoff, and requires more care and special products.

Steve Hightower considers straightening a fad and notes that an increasing number of salons are no longer performing thermal straightening because of questionable results over time. In general, he advises clients who are on certain medications and those with fine or bleached hair to be wary of straightening.

Our experts answered with enthusiasm when we asked about the benefits of hair color. The Carter - Barnes team summed it up beautifully: “Hair color is by far the most beneficial thing a woman or man can do to look younger or eye catching.” Alice Shoff believes that the graying of America has created the biggest boom in professional hair color ever seen. And Jack Morton answers an age-old question when he states: “Blondes don’t really have more fun. But color is more fun!”

As for the long-term damage inflicted by bleaching, our hair pros recommend caution when using over-the-counter products. The key concern, they suggested, is avoiding overlapping the already bleached hair, and removing the bleach once the desired color has been achieved.

Finally, we wanted to hear some advice for women who maintain long hair in an effort to achieve a more youthful look. Does it work?! Jack Morton acknowledged that although long styles can be very aging, they can still work for some older women, as long as the hair is pulled away from the face. “If a woman wants to keep her hair long, it’s up to the stylist to steer her into a complementary cut.” That’s great advice and nearly as pithy as this recommendation from Alice Shoff: “If that shoulder or mid-back length hair has not been addressed by a professional hairdresser since you graduated from college, it’s probably time to rethink your hairstyle!” Finally, Richard Davis observed that because many boomer-and-older women are in such excellent shape these days, they have a more youthful overall appearance that permits them to more successfully pull off a long style. But, he emphasizes, there are plenty of “short, sassy and fun styles that might make you feel just as feminine and sexy as the long tresses.”

Flow It! Show It!
So what’s the takeaway message here? I believe there are several: When it comes to finding the ideal style, be true to yourself and your personality. Get a professional hair stylist on your team. And never underestimate the importance of a terrific hairstyle, wonderfully executed and maintained!

Author of the consumer guide to dentistry, Change Your Smile (Quintessence Publishing), Dr. Ronald Goldstein is a long-time esthetic dentist in Atlanta, whose practice was the first to move beyond the smile and focus on overall facial harmony. With a lifelong interest in beauty, Dr. Goldstein has conducted research on the concept of
physical attractiveness and its role in the achievement of personal success.
He writes extensively on beauty, esthetic dentistry and related topics.

Dr. Goldstein can be contacted by email at [email protected].

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