The Hair Styling Scenario

Since time immemorial, styling has been a preoccupation for most people. Great attention was paid as elaborate styles for clothes and hair were conceptualized and executed. Hours were spent as women laboriously worked at making complex arrangements of the hair. Heavily decorated hair clips were used along with oils, and sometimes even wax to keep the hair in place. Essences of rose and jasmine were also used in the hair to enhance its fragrance. References have been made to the hair-dos of Cleopatra, and even to Indian queens and other mythological figures.

First it was apparel fashion that caught our fancy. Of late, there has been an increase in the attention paid to the hair. Salons affiliated to international brands have begun to gain popularity, as the local parlours have almost gone obsolete. Simple trims, plain hairstyles are all passé. And no longer does the term ‘barber’ or ‘hairdresser’ exist. We are now attended to by designers and stylists. And getting a hair cut is no longer just a job we have to get done. It is now an ‘experience’.

We are faced with a plethora of options – not just as far as styles are concerned, but with products for the hair as well. Let’s first take a look at hair styling.

It’s no longer about your hair being long or short. We seem to have achieved the impossible – having long and short hair at once. Uneven, unkept locks are the order of the day. The more bizarre the style, the more trendy the look.

Men are by no means left behind. In fact, there is much more to experiment as an array of textures, styles and looks are up for the taking. Fringes, shorn looks and even grunge – anything will work today.
Hair care products are today a complete industry. From shampoos, oils, gels, mousses and texturizing creams – the choice is almost maddening. These are enough to transform ordinary looking hair to works of art. Stiff spikes, soft curls, shiny soft hair and extra bounce are all possible within the confines of the dressing room. It has become so much easier to achieve different looks without too much effort. Not to forget accessories like the curling tongs, rollers and crimp. Almost any look is possible. Now no one is saddled with one hair type for life. Variety is the name of the game.

With the feverish pitch that hair styling has caught on, it looks like its here to stay. Hopefully it won’t be ‘hair today, gone tomorrow’.