Roots of protest?
THE PULLED-BACK CROYDON HAIRSTYLE MAY BE CHIC AND TRENDY, BUT HOW SAFE IS IT FOR THE LOCKS?
Hairstyles aren’t any more about killing time in a salon; they bespeak a person's character, confidence, and most importantly, creativity. The Croydon facelift has been around for some time, women resorting to it when wanting to iron out those lines and wrinkles. Deepika Padukone is one star who’s renowned for sporting it often at award functions and film launches. Most recently, actress Lily Collins was sighted with a Croydon facelift bun at Paris Fashion Week in a sort of tribute to supermodel Kate Moss who was walking the ramp!
The event had everyone’s attention for all the right reasons. But how do models in India feel about the pulled back look?
The hairstyle that Kate Moss frequently adopts and is named after her home town, Croydon, has its pros and cons. Natasha Lazarus, professional hair technician at L’Oreal, Bengaluru, who points out that it is also known as the ballerina hairstyle for its tendency to give a natural facelift. “It also gives the face a thinner look, highlighting the cheekbone. It does also add to a person’s versatility and sophisticated look,” Natasha says. But, it is a tedious hairstyle to effect even for a professional hairdresser, she adds. For those who worry abut its cons, she explains, “Neither the roots of your hair nor your forehead will face any changes. Use minimum amount of mousse and pins to keep it intact.”
Hairstylists do grant that it has enormous versatility. “It can be pulled off by everyone, with a little patience,” says Sylvia Aailyen Liu, a Delhi hairstylist. “It works well for all occasions, be it a casual daytime occasion or a glamorous night out. The style gives an illusion of height, enhancing the face structure and uplifting the face. By just accessorising with the right clips, bows, etc, depending on your taste, you can have a hairstyle that gets everyone looking.”
Meanwhile, top model Urvashi Rautela has a rather different reason to adopt the hairstyle. “It’s been my lucky charm throughout my career,” she says. “This hairstyle goes well with dresses. For me, it’s the essence of classiness. From the very first time I tried it I was sure that this was the hairstyle I was going to go with for everything in the future. It jelled so well with my personality. It brought out my features, made me feel more beautiful. It’s also a favoured hairstyle at all the high-profile pageants. So, why go for a botox when you can go natural?”
But others like Pooja Bhamrah feel botox is better compared to such techniques which might permanently spoil the hair. “I’m young, so haven’t had the need to try it yet. But I definitely feel botox is safer, and it’s also easily available and inexpensive these days.”
The Croydon may tighten the face, pull up the eyebrows, give one's face more definition, sure, but how kind is it on the locks? Can the hair roots take such pulling and reining in? Researchers in American universities have found that it can damage both the hair and scalp, leading to hair breakage and loss of hair from the root. Does one have to pay such a price for beauty?
Botox is definitely a safer option. It’s also easily available and inexpensive nowadays
POOJA BHAMRAH, Model