Artists show the simple way to fight bad hair days

Artists show the simple way to fight bad hair days

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): Actress, model and singer Desy Ratnasari always
steals the show. As usual, all eyes are on her. This time,
however, for a different reason. The shocking news that she filed
for divorce from her husband of only 13 months, has put her
continuously in the glare of the media. She sent messages to her
fans as she cried on the news, begging for understanding and
singing a new song.

But as one chapter in her glitzy life ends, another duly
opens, and Desy has the look -- and the zesty, cropped hairstyle
-- to prove it.

Desy was once known for her waist-length hair. "It was her
long hair that prompted me to give her an adult part in her first
screen appearance, although at that time she was only fifteen, a
third year student in junior high," recalled movie director Dedi
Setiadi, who introduced Desy Ratnasari to the red carpet of fame
in the TV series Jendela Rumah Kita (The Window of Our House).

"With her new look, she appears fresher now," he added.

Dedi is not the only one who thinks so. Many others share his
belief as many thousands of young girls have been copying Desy's
new hairdo.

"I have about 10 girls asking for Desy's haircut everyday,"
said Annie, a hair stylist at the Johnny Andrean hair salon in
Blok M.

While many follow celebrities' hairdos, others are inspired by
TV commercials.

"One girl asked for a shorter cut, like the soap detergent
girl named Dewi, Si Mantu Bijak (Dewi, the Wise Daughter-in-law)
from a television commercial advertisement," Annie added.

The hairdo is not as short as Demi Moore's in Ghost, or the
one popularized by Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia. It is
trimmed under the ear, covering the length of the nape.

"Short hair is becoming popular again," added Annie, "you can
check it out by looking at the rising number of our celebrities
who have new shorter haircuts."

Some young female stars who used to have long hair have cut it
very short. Singers Dewi Sandra and Kirey are two examples. "It's
so practical to have such short hair because I can just comb it
with my fingers," Dewi giggled. While Kirey, who has just broken
up with her actor boyfriend, Reynaldi, claimed that she needed a
fresh look to celebrate the new millennium.

"It also helps me to fight frequent bad hair days," she said.
This benefit comes about due to the flexibility of short hair as
it is easier to manage.

Senior hairstylist at the famous Sugi Salon Wawa Totty
confirms this rising trend. "Nowadays, most of Jakarta's dynamic
girls prefer short hair," she explained. "They want short hair
because they find it hard to take care lengthy hair."

However, it is possible to rid yourself of those horrible bad
hair days in simple ways. In a hot, dry city like Jakarta, you
need to shampoo your hair everyday to protect it from the
polluted atmosphere around us. What needs to be cleaned is your
scalp. Make sure, though, that your choice of shampoo is based on
the condition of your scalp.

"To avoid the damage caused by hairdryers, dry your hair
thoroughly with a towel before using it," Wawa said.

It is also important to have the perfect shampoo. But,
according to Stephen Knoll, owner of the Stephen Knoll salon in
New York, there is no such magical shampoo that can bring
highlights to the color of your hair, change its thickness, turn
straight hair into curly or vice versa. Shampoo will only
maintain hair color, and its added conditioning element can
loosen up tousled hair. And because shampoo can't change hair
texture permanently, naturally curly hair will stay the same.

In order to make their hair look beautiful, some women have
their straight hair curled. "It helped me by adding extra volume
to my very fine hair," recalled singer Cici Faramida who climbed
to fame with her salon curls. But being aware of the chemical
effect, Cici later bid farewell to the hairdo and was confident
with her natural look.

In fact, curly hairstyles are not trendy today, mainly because
of the demand of hair maintenance. If you still want to have your
hair curled, Wawa Totty has the tips. She said a hair salon can
make curly hair stay for between three to 6 months if it is taken
care of properly, such as not washing it within 24 hours of
treatment. And once the curls have set, you are not supposed to
brush it. Use a comb with big teeth instead. Another important
factor is not to believe the myth that curly hair should not be
brushed frequently in order to get shiny hair. The fact is that
if you don't brush your hair often enough, the roots will become
oily and it will be more fragile at the end. It is necessary to
brush your hair both frequently and properly.