THE JOURNAL
Mr Jason Bateman in Teen Wolf Too (1987). Photograph by Paramount Pictures/Alamy
I hate my hair for all the wrong reasons. It’s big, thick, luscious and grows rapidly. It’s shiny, an enchanted forest on top of my head. If my hair could speak, it would be Liberace: extremely loud and a lot to handle, but without a full-time topiarist on hand. In other words, it has too much of a personality for it to be tamed. And herein lies the problem.
I’m not saying I’d rather be bald, but having thick hair is not always the boon it is perceived to be. Strong hair comes with big responsibilities and even bigger maintenance to get it looking acceptable. So, whether you want to channel Mr Mel Gibson’s 1980s beachy mullet in Lethal Weapon or Mr Michiel Huisman’s unkempt-yet-dashing hair as Daario Naharis in Game Of Thrones, it’s worth paying attention to the tips below to get the best out of your thick hair.
01.
Getting the right cut
A good haircut can be better than therapy – there’s a reason Mr Marcello Mastroianni, a man blessed with a luxuriant mane of hair, would fly out his barber Guilio to all of his film sets to give him his signature Italian haircut. Failing the means to do that, however, what should the thick-haired among us be aiming for from a trip to the barbers?
“If you've got straight, thick hair, I’d tend to keep the sides short till fairly high up, allow length strictly on top,” says Mr Larry King, celebrity hairdresser with salons in South Kensington and Notting Hill. “Thinning scissors can be used to take out some depth from the top, but proceed with caution, too much thinning out can have the opposite effect.”
Meanwhile, hair that’s wavy or curly can benefit from longer lengths and layering to enhance texture and remove some of the bulk, says King, naming Messrs Bradley Cooper and Dominic Cooper as examples. When it comes to shorter thick hair, such as the kind Mr Zayn Malik sports, King suggests “leaving the top longer, allowing it to fall over sides, this gives the illusion of it being finer. An undercut can sometimes help, too.”
02.
When to wash thick hair
The eccentric fashion editor Ms Diana Vreeland famously said that parents of blond children should wash their hair with champagne. And while we admire Vreeland’s frivolity, when it comes to thick hair, a more spartan approach is advised.
“Your hair is always harder to control immediately after you’ve washed it,” says Mr Luke Hersheson, CEO of London salon Hershesons and celebrity hairstylist, “Just-washed hair tends to do what it wants and is more controllable the day after.”
Larry King agrees: “It’s really important not to wash your hair too often, twice a week is usually plenty. This gives your natural oils a chance to travel down your hair shaft, which will help to naturally tame thick hair. Using good-quality shampoos that are sulphate and paraben free will help.”
If you work out often and are prone to sweating, which naturally dries out your scalp and hair, Hersheson recommends simply rinsing your hair with water instead, or swapping shampoo for conditioner.
03.
How to style thick hair (and the tools to use)
“Using the correct products makes a massive difference – I always recommend using a mousse and a hair dryer with the nozzle attached,” says King. “Mousse helps to swell the hair, making it appear thicker and plump. Add it to wet hair and blow-dry using a round brush.”
A final tip: invest in a hairband. It can help to sculpt thick hair without using any products – I keep mine on while I complete my morning errands and then pop it in my bag once I leave for the office. Throughout the day, I take it out if my hair needs a reshape. Plus, good hair always trumps questionable fashion – to quote Ms Amanda Lepore: “I don’t know much about clothes, but my hair looks fierce!”