Blond ambitions -- hair coloring to dye for

By Bruce Emond

JAKARTA (JP): Small-boned, tawny-skinned "Anita" wanted to try something different with her shoulder-length hair.

She did not want to let it grow out, nor did she feel like having it bobbed.

Instead, she opted for highlights.

"I wasn't thinking about being more beautiful or anything like that," the 24-year-old secretary said. "I wanted to try something different, without being too radical."

She was satisfied with the results of an application of burgundy highlights along her bangs. "I feel that it enhances my looks and opens up my face. I like how it looks."

Following the lead of entertainers like actress Peggy Melati Sukma (platinum blonde) and comedian Hughes (golden streaks), many local women and some men are coloring and highlighting their hair in a rainbow of shades. Hair coloring was rare in the past, except among Western expatriates and older women who wanted to say goodbye to sprouting gray.

"The trend now is back to the late 1970s and 1980s, when the coloring of hair was common," said stylist Peter Saerang. "I have a lot of businesswomen and some businessmen coming in for coloring."

He said clients, especially entertainers and those in the fashion world, were trying out a range of colors "which stand out. There is blue, green, red, violet. Red is really coming in now".

Roy Casmito, who has been a stylist for 15 years, estimated there was a 50 percent increase in the number of clients opting for color in recent years.

"It's part of the trend from the West, and people want to try color in their hair," said Roy, adding that 80 percent of his clients were women. "If the color is right, it gives people a fresh-faced look."

Roy, who works at the Leo Stephen Salon at the Grand Hyatt in Central Jakarta, advised people coloring their hair for the first time to consider their options. Those not daunted by the prospect of a complete overhaul in their look may find coloring to their liking, while highlights may be a better choice for people seeking a subtle change.

It is important to choose a color which is suitable for one's skin color, he added. He advised people with darker skin to stick to earth and rust tones, but those with lighter complexions could try light brown and more golden shades.

"If the color is unsuitable, it gives a woman a vulgar appearance. Or if it is too light, it can make her skin look washed out."

Peter said that the "blond ambition" of some of his clients was an error in judgment.

"To go really blond is very difficult as people get older, even for Western women. When you're young, it's still OK, but it can be very harsh with older skin."

Still, it can sometimes be difficult to dissuade clients who are set on a particular color.

"I try to tell them that the color they want may be too much for them," Roy said. "If they insist, I try to reach a compromise in a color that is close to what they want, but not too much."

What to do about botched bottle jobs?

Roy advised dissatisfied clients to return to the hairdresser in an attempt to put matters right. If that fails, he said they could seek help at another hairdresser's.

"I'm never going to tell a client who comes here that 'yes, that really is a terrible job'. We have a professional code of ethics, so we're not going to bad-mouth other stylists. All I'll say is 'how about trying something a little different?'."

Coloring

Roy said the best hair for color treatments was neither too coarse nor too fine, and that Asian hair was more difficult to treat than Caucasian locks.

"Basically, all hair can be color-treated. If you have very fine hair, then it may take a few intensive conditioning treatments to prepare it for coloring."

It is also important to take care of the hair once it is colored. Roy recommended that people with colored hair have weekly intensive "creambath" conditioning treatments in the first month after they dyed their hair, and twice monthly treatments thereafter.

Despite the attraction of putting a little or a lot of color into one's life, Roy said people should realize that the texture of hair was irrevocably changed once it was colored.

"If people come to me and ask whether they should color their hair, of course it's OK if they want to, but I would say it's in their hair's best interest not to. When you color your hair, you're using chemicals that strip the shaft. Unless you are willing to have your head shaved in the future, then you have to think about the consequences."