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f you think hair styling is a modern fixation, think again: perceptions of beauty have varied not only across decades but dynasties. Take, for example, the humble redhead. A symbol of nobility to the Egyptians, who used henna, berries and insects to achieve a red mane, by the Middle Ages ginger hair – a relatively rare genetic characteristic – was viewed as a sure-fire sign of demonic alliance, only to be revived and popularised by Queen Elisabeth I’s auburn tones a century later. Before the use of hydrogen peroxide for hair lightening, which seemed to emerge in the 1860s, it had always been much easier to darken hair than to lighten it using natural pigments. During the classical period, much attention was given to agents which could camouflage developing greys, evident from a surviving Roman recipe dated 100AD consisting of chamomile and indigo. In later eras, metallic and salt solutions were used to create a purple-based tar to conceal silvering strands. Owing to its relative rarity (blonde hair arises from a recessive gene and contemporary statistics suggest just two per cent of the international population is naturally blonde), history has typically regarded blonde women curiously – and negatively. The Roman Empire insisted that those working in the sex trade must wear wigs and bleach their hair, not before
a trend for making wigs from the hair of Northern Europeans saw the elite gradually sport a fairer appearance themselves. By Renaissance times, blonde hair had come to be seen as a golden halo, desired by the Venetians who wore crownless hats to lighten the hair’s pigment with the sun’s rays and lemon juice, but the courtesans of the 18th century soon gave rise to the irresistible – but vacuous – image of a blonde seductress, which still appears in modern satire. Thankfully, although minor stereotypes might remain, hair colour no longer prompts such dramatic connotations, giving contemporary women the opportunity to change hairstyles as they wish and reap the psychological and lifestyle benefits of a new look, whether it be permanently with colour or with a change of length or tools. “A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life,” Coco Chanel once declared. With this in mind, the importance of choosing a great hairdresser cannot be underestimated and according to the most recent statistics available from The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association, British hair salons contribute around £404m in value to a beauty industry worth £8.26bn. In what is described as an “undeniably difficult time for the industry,” this figure was one of the few to hold across 2011 and 2012, as other personal care sectors suffered, with shampoo and
Tinted
conditioners increasing their market share more than any other product category. Unsurprisingly, London offers rather exclusive opportunities in the field, not least for the affluent and glamorous. See this as your gateway to some of the most renowned experts in the hair care industry: read on and prepare for a fabulous new look this season…
approach to A couture hair colouring London’s hair stylists are offering to control daylight, just so the fussy habitual highlighters amongst us can admire every hue from every angle for the perfect finish. Josh Wood Atelier at Liberty, Regent Street, debuted Wella Illumina Light Bar technology – a workspace where stylists can modify the flow of daylight as they add their magic to the hair of clients including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Elle Macpherson. Elsewhere, described by American Vogue as “the best tinter on the planet,” Jo Hansford has been credited with attending to the highlights of British and Hollywood royalty – a list on the salon website lays claim to the locks of HRH Duchess of Cornwall, Gwyneth Paltrow and Elizabeth Hurley, amongst others, while Jo herself judges the L’Oreal Professional Colour Trophy Awards as far afield as South Africa, Australia and India. Our advice? Ask for Zenda Atkins who tends to Hansford’s own highlights at her Mayfair salon.
Josh Wood Atelier, Regent Street, W1 020 3393 0977
LOVE Jo Hansford, 48 South Audley Street, W1K, 020 7495 7774
Dare to do something different with your hair. Gabrielle Lane looks at what unique services London’s top salons have to offer