First Baby Haircuts

Snip-tips From a Professional

Oh, that precious little head of hair! Whether your baby was born bald or with a head full of locks, the time will eventually come when he’ll need that first baby haircut.

Some parents opt to do it themselves, but most bring baby in to a salon. Judee Norton-Andrews, a professional hairdresser in Allen Park, Mich., for over 30 years, explains.

“It’s hard enough to keep hold on a squirming baby, much less try to do that with one hand and cut hair with the other,” she says. “When a mother brings her baby into the shop, she can hold him or calm him while a professional takes care of the rest.”

As for keeping baby calm, that’s a story in itself. Most babies that come in for their first cut are around a year old, says Norton-Andrews, and about half are criers and half not. If mom or dad is unsuccessful in calming a crier, there are other distractions at hand.

“We always have something to get babies’ attention,” she explains. “Waving a brightly-colored balloon or stuffed animal usually worksBaby Haircuts Need Not be a Trauma. The best is if you can get baby to look in the mirror, though – he’ll think he’s looking at another baby and it’s fascinating to him.”

When it comes to the actual baby haircut, some babies are held by their parents, while some are content to sit in the booster chairs, which fit onto the regular salon chairs, without a fuss. Then, the hairdresser lightly sprays baby’s head with a mist of water, and trims quickly and precisely – before the little one gets too antsy.

“In most cases, babies’ hair is fine and makes for a quick cut,” says Norton-Andrews. “There’s not much to it – just a basic haircut to get the hair out of their eyes and keep them looking well-coiffed.”

That is, until they’re old enough to decide what hairstyle they want to wear. The debate is still on as to whether it’s easier to get baby to accept a haircut or a teenager.

Hair Color Trends, Getting Rich

After years of super-streaking and platinum galore, deep, dark hair color trends are staging a comeback.

By Nissa Botthoff

As long as women want to enhance their complexions, cover their gray, or just change-up their look, hair coloring will never go out of style. Which of the countless options to choose, however, is another, constantly evolving story. For the past several years, sun-bleached blondes and chunky high lights have reigned dominant among the hair hip. Recently, however, we’ve begun to see a shift in hair color trends. High-profile blondes like Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson have been getting in touch with their darker sides, while diehard streakers Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Richie have been enriching their lives by going monochromatic. Even legendary blonde Deborah Harry has gone red, which may officially signal the end of the platinum age.

Hair Color Trends, Beyond the Pale

If today’s prevailing hair color trends can be summed up in a phrase, it would be “get rich–quick.” In fact, according to the American Board of Certified Hair colorists’ national survey, for the first time in recent history, blonde has been dethroned from its top spot on the hair color popularity pyramid and is now the third most sought-after hue. Brunette has taken the hair color trend lead, with red following closely behind. Colorists polled cited that the celebrity hair color shades most requested by their clientele are now those of darker-haired beauties, such as Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, and Catherine Zeta Jones, as well as redheads Julianne Moore and Debra Messing. Now that it seems blondes are no longer the only ones having fun, hair color trends are also moving away from almost a decade of dizzying streaks toward solid, continuous colors. “Today’s tones are monochromatic, so I’m doing a lot of single processes lately,” says Simone Sanchez of New York City’s Warren-TriHair Color Trendscomi Salon.

In addition, the fall fashion shows featured a stunning array of dramatic ravens, warm walnuts, and radiant reds. And it’s no wonder: These vibrant hair color tones provided the perfect ladylike balance to the season’s Bohemian spirit. “There’s something so classic about solid hair color,” muses Sanchez. “It’s very reminiscent of the 1930s.” Today’s runway makeup trends also call for rich, glossy hair color. “In beauty, it’s always a good rule of thumb to mix textures,” explains celebrity makeup artist Malika Borghese. “Matte skin and creamy lips are very big this winter, and bright, shiny hair really complements that.”

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