Hair style Guide-Free virtual hairstyle

From deep conditioning to the right diet, beautyscene’s experts—stylist Paul Labrecque, dermatologist Fredric Brandt, and nutritional consultant Oz Garcia—reveal what it takes to have the hair you’ve always wanted. By Jennifer Zabel

The right haircut or the right hair color is as individual a decision as what heels to wear. But everyone—young, old, blonde, or brunette—wants one thing when it comes to how that hair looks: Healthy, glossy, shiny.

“Dull, flat hair is one of my clients’ biggest complaints,”says Gary Howse, co-owner of the trendy downtown Seattle salon, Gary Manuel, where local celebs and Microsoft royalty go for up-to-the-minute cuts, color, and styling. Howse says major issues—like hormonal imbalances—are rarely the problem: “Little things—like brushing wet hair too hard or pulling it back too tightly—eventually turn into big problems, like a head full of broken hair.” Broken hair means one thing: very little, if any, shine.          Photo courtesy Gary Manuel Salon; cut, color, and styling by Gary Howse
The biggest mistake people make? “Perms,” says Howse. “The chemicals raise the cuticle and leave irreparable crooks and turns on the hair shaft. It’s like shining a flashlight down a crooked hallway—it’s impossible to light up the entire thing.” For the same reason, he avoids over-coloring already color-weary hair, and seals the cuticle with a color gloss. “It’s my favorite product,” he says. “There’s nothing better for instant shine.”Celebrity stylist Paul Labrecque, whose clients include Natasha Richardson, Linda Fiorintino, and Rosie O’Donnell, believes that brushing (done gently) and less washing are the best ways to keep hair polished and healthy. “Most people don’t allow their hair to get dirty and end up over-drying it,” says Labrecque. “Less is more when it comes to shampooing—too much and you lose essential oils.”Dr. Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist with offices in New York and Miami, prescribes just the opposite: more shampooing, less brushing. “There’s no such thing as washing your hair too often,” he says. “It’s great for the scalp and absolutely does not cause hair loss.” Dr. Brandt thinks it’s how you handle your hair that matters, which means regular trims, very little brushing, and the fewer the ponytails the better.“It’s simple,” says nutritional consultant Oz Garcia, whose high protein, low carbohydrate diets have changed the lives of everyone from Nicole Miller to Robert DeNiro. “If you eat a healthy diet, your hair has more luster. And that doesn’t mean eating only fat-free— people whose diets are too low in fat tend to have dull, dry hair.“On the following pages, our experts offer advice on how to make healthy, shiny hair your own.