Found: the hair tweak that turns back the clock— and it’s free!
WHEN people talk about ‘antiageing,’ they are usually talking about skin. And, yet, fashion’s favourite hair stylist, sam McKnight, argues that it’s your locks that really give away your date of birth. He says that wearing the same look day in, day out, puts years on us.
You’ll remember when he gelled, then cut, Princess Diana’s hair back off her face in the early 1990s, ridding her of premature middle-age — a revenge cut ahead of that revenge dress.
As sam tells me: ‘Wearing the same style all the time is like being stuck in a time warp. You don’t wear the same outfit day after day, year after year, because you’d look outdated, old-fashioned, boring.
‘It’s the same with your hairstyle. Use it to keep your look modern and youthful.
‘Your hair also changes as you age. It becomes finer, drier, more prone to frizz and in need of extra attention. The style that looked great five or ten years ago might not be as flattering today.’
sam recently commissioned a survey that found a third of British women wear the same ’do daily: 44 per cent of those over 55, and more than half of those 65 and above.
‘How long have you worn your hair like that?’ he inquires. ‘since the age of three,’ I confess.
‘At 17, I had Carol Decker layers put in, which felt seismic. At 41, I had a fringe, which lasted 20 minutes before it was gripped back. Otherwise, there have been no changes, save the odd bun in the bath.’
That’s 51 years with two minor variations. There is a tumbleweed moment while this sinks in.
Even a mere tweak — a tinkering rather than a dramatic cut — will keep you looking current. And a tweak comes cheap.
FIrsT off, you could ask your hairdresser to cut some layers in around your face. ‘These can be transformational, rejuvenating,’ says sam. ‘They frame the face, giving movement, volume and texture. If they’re carefully placed, they can lift your entire style.’
The other day, he did precisely this for actress Jodie Comer, who popped round to his North London kitchen for a 1990sinspired refresh.
Changing your parting is another great reboot. ‘If you always wear it on one side, flip it to the other — you’ll be surprised how much difference this makes,’ says sam. ‘It will also give your hair added volume.’ That’s always a good thing, given that it lifts your face up rather than dragging matters down.
‘And if you haven’t worn a middle parting before, give it a whirl.
It will make your hair look cooler, effortless and a little less done.’
Use revolution Creaseless Clips (£6, revolution beauty.com) to hold hair in its new position while it dries without denting it.
JVN Hair’s Complete Air Dry Cream (£7 for 30ml, spacenk.com) will help finish your style.
Having fun with texture is also a good way to keep things modern. ‘Experiment with heated styling wands, tongs, and/ or brushes,’ encourages sam. ‘The Babyliss Curling Tong (from £35, babyliss.com) is one of the most used devices in my kit.
‘Just try something different. If you don’t like it, you can brush it out.’
Go 1990s supermodel with a set of hot rollers: Babyliss ThermoCeramic rollers (£50) are fabulously Claudia schiffer.
For a budget take, try the sibel 61mm Velcro rollers (£3.20 each, sallybeauty.co.uk) plus a Curlformers softhood (£16.59). scrunch in L’Oreal Professionnel Tecni.ArT Full Volume Extra Mousse (£10.50, lookfantastic. com) before drying and you will end up with the biggest bounciest curls.
Alternatively, go down the heatless route with sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist (£25, sammcknight.com). simply spray into roots and through lengths for instant tousled insouciance a la Kate Moss.
Or go truly low-tech and just move things about a bit. sam maintains that the best styling tools are your fingers — use them in place of a comb or brush. ‘Don’t aim for perfection,’ he counsels. ‘Perfect is dull. Play, experiment, and enjoy your hair, because good hair is the ultimate accessory.’
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