Asktheexpert - various; hairstyles and high foreheads; hair removal; permed hair falling out - Brief Article

CosmoGirl!, Dec, 2001

CG! has simple solutions to fix your problem fast.

her highness

q I want to pull my hair back into a ponytail, but I have a really big forehead. Help!

Rachel, 17, San Diego. CA

a Well, first of all, we think girls with high foreheads are gorgeous and exotic looking (our vote's for showing off your brow-to-hairline region, Sade-style!). But if you're just not comfortable with it, that's okay, too. Here are the tips you asked for: The most obvious thing to do is get bangs -- they're instant camouflage. Ask your stylist to cut an eyebrow-length fringe across your forehead (like Liv Tyler, above), then gradually taper the sides so they blend in with the rest of your hair. If you're just not ready to make a cut quite that drastic, go for a few soft layers (brow and cheek length) around your face, then, when you're wearing a ponytail, pull out a few shorter wisps. If you'd rather not cut at all, try this trick from celeb stylist Mark Garrison:

stubble trouble

Take a pea-sized scoop of pomade (try Rusk Being Slick Pomade, $12, 800-USE-RUSK), rub it between your palms, then run your hands over your hair to smooth it. Now make a low side part, sweep your hair across your forehead, then use an elastic to fa sten all your hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck (that swoop over your forehead will act like fake bangs). Smart, huh?

q I shaved my arms, and my girlfriend told me the hair would grow back all stubbly. Is that really true?

Kacie, 15, Deltona, FL

a The bad news is your friend's right. According to New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, the hair will grow back flat-headed (a.k.a. stubbly) because you've sliced off its naturally soft, tapered end. But (and this part's good), in about a month the ends will taper off again. (Know how the ends of the hair on your head get thinner as they get longer? Same idea.) To avoid getting stubbly in the future, wax (we recommend going to a salon the first time--it'll cost about $25 to do both of your arms). This will pull the hair out at the root, which means that it'll grow back soft (no stubble), and the results will last about three weeks. But if the mere thought of waxing makes the hair (er, stubble) on your arms stand up straight, then a depilatory is probably more your speed (try Nair Cream Hair Remover, $6, at drugstores). A depilatory will dissolve your hair under the skin's surface, leaving you with a smooth arm and hair that will come in soft and non-stubbly (but expect regrowth sooner than if you waxed --in about two to three days).

EMERGENCY!

q I have long, thick, wavy hair (kind of like Ananda Lewis's from MTV) that I've permed three times in the last six months. Last week, it started falling out. What can I do?

Paresa, 16, San Francisco, CA

a Don't panic. The hair experts we asked assured us that your hair isn't really falling out -- it's just breaking off so close to the root it appears to be coming out of your scalp. The best thing to do is start a deep-conditioning routine immediately, says Damian Santiago, a stylist at the Bumble and bumble Salon in New York City. Choose an intensive conditioning treatment (try Clairol Herbal Essences Intensive Blends Conditioning Balm, $5, at drugstores), and use it at least twice a week (if you have time to do it every other day, that's even better). Then, when you're styling your curls, try to stay away from any heated appliances (like curling irons and blow-dryers) and styling products like spray gels or hair sprays with high alcohol content (that stuff will dry your hair out more). In the future, limit your perming to about two to three times per year--and if your curls get droopy in between perms, just get a trim. They'll bounce right back!