3. TAKE CARE . . . YOUR HAIR!

Make your hair look alive!

"You have the prettiest hair!" That's the sort of compliment that everyone loves. And there's no doubt about it, the most becoming thing you can wear on your head is your hair—if it's lustrous, soft-looking and clean, clean, clean.

Your hair more than anything else about you reflects your habits of diet, cleanliness and good grooming. Each strand is an intricate construction, not smooth as glass, but a series of over­lapping sections. You can't see these except with a microscope, but if you run your fingers delicately from the end to the root, you can feel the very slight roughness.

Because of its construction, your hair will catch and hold soot and dust, both of which dim its luster. To keep it clean and shining, you must brush it daily. The legend is one hundred strokes a day, but that isn't necessarily true. Fifty or so will probably keep it in good condition. You really should wash it at least once a week—more often if it is oily or if you've exposed it to a lot of dust or dirt or salt water.

Brush for Beauty—

A fairly stiff brush is the best for your hair, not one that is hard and coarse enough to scratch your scalp, nor one that is so soft it will not pene­trate your hair. (Tip-Top makes a beauty! Ex­actly tailored to do a super brushing job!)

Begin by brushing down from the crown, all around. Then hang your head and brush up from the hairline. This stimulates the flow of blood, which feeds the roots and helps your hair to grow strong and healthy. At the same time, it removes dust from the hair and the normal sloughing off of skin from the scalp.

Give Yourself a Professional Shampoo—

A good hairdresser considers the quality of your hair and its condition when he washes it, and chooses the type of shampoo that will do its best for you. You should do the same.

Today's manufacturers of hair-care products have invested enormous amounts of time and money in research so that they may produce ex­actly the right formula for all kinds of tresses— dry or oily, natural or tinted or dyed, baby fine or coarse as a bristle, thick or thin, limp or elec­trically vibrant. It is easy to identify your own hair type.

If Your Hair is Fine as a Baby's—

You'll find it is wispy and fly-away, apt to be full of electricity, dry and hard to manage. It may be shining as silk floss, right after it is washed, but such hair tends to look dull and dusty after a day or so unless it is handled properly. Special shampoos, some which" are blended with egg and milk, are often recommended by experts. If you have hair like this, very soft and very fine, treat it very gently. It is apt to be quite breakable, so comb with a wide-toothed smooth comb that won't yank on tangles. Use only smooth Tip-Top clips and bobby pins—rough edges will break it. Brush, but not too vigorously, up and out. A light permanent will help give body. So will the special rinses that are readily available. Even beer, left to go flat and mixed half and half with water, can be a good body-building rinse and setting agent. Keep it short, and your hair will be easier to manage and have a pretty fluffy look.

If Your Hair is Dry—

You'll find it hard to manage and it will seem dull-looking. It is apt to break easily, which may lead you to think it is falling out. This is not usually true. You can tell by looking at the length of the strands caught in your brush and comb, and by testing the ends of your hair. If there is a definite bulge, the hair has fallen. If it has broken, both ends will be the same.

If Your Hair is Oily—

Hair tends to mat and get stringy. Oily hair should be washed whenever it begins to droop— every three or four days is about average, but you may want to shampoo even oftener. With the proper preparation, it won't hurt a bit. Hair is wonderfully washable!

If You Have Normal Hair—

This presents no problem, just regular brush­ing and a once-a-week shampoo should keep it in good condition.

Choose the Right Shampoo—

Read the advertisements, check the labels on the bottles of shampoo and choose the one that applies to your particular type of hair. If you are troubled with dandruff, there are medicated shampoos on the market that will correct that unhappy condition.

But Please—

Don't just stick your head in a bowl of water and rub your hair with a cake of soap, then half rinse it and expect a miracle of sunny, gleaming hair. Regular soap can leave a sticky scum on your hair that makes it dull and lifeless.

A Brush-up on Washing—

First, BRUSH your hair to remove loose dust or skin particles.

Next, wet your hair thoroughly. If you wash your hair in the shower, a shampoo shield is a good investment, since it keeps water and soap out of your eyes. This is simply a plastic brim that fits around your hairline.

Apply the shampoo, rubbing it through your hair and onto your scalp. Work up a good lather, using the pads of your fingers to rotate the scalp at the same time. Here's brushing again! Tip-Top's plastic shampoo brush will do the trick to work in the suds around your hairline where make­up may have accumulated.

Rinse and Rinse Again—

Rinse out the first soaping, thoroughly, under the shower or with a spray. When your hair squeaks, repeat the first step of applying and massaging shampoo on your hair and scalp. Now, rinse again. And thoroughly, please!

The final step is a cosmetic rinse, one that will add sheen and make your hair more manageable. Many of these are available and can do just about anything needed to improve your hair. Some add body to fine, flyaway hair. Others soften coarse, bristly, unmanageable locks-and make, them easier to set. Still another type will eventually correct an oily condition. And a perfectly wonderful new ''rinse" that you can just spray on win smooth out tangles like magic—a blessing for very curly or over-permanented hair.

Weather wise

Sun, rain, mist, wind, hot or cold weather, any and all can do unkind things to your hair and your hairdo. The sun can really wreck you if you're not careful and vacation problems can involve such things as swimming in salt water and washing in hard water.

Is Your Hair Tinted?

Beware! You may wind up the summer with a color you never expected. Too much sun can turn it strawberry-soda pink or a strong shade of orange ice. Always protect your hair with a scarf or a crazy beach hat when you expect to be in the sun for any length of time, whether it's on the beach, pool side, in the open car or just taking a long walk.

Is Your Hair-color Nature's Own?

Even so, you shouldn't take a chance with sun-bleaching and dryness. A protective cream or pomade will help you to keep your hair glossy, and prevent brittle, splitting ends. It will also help keep away that old dry scalp and other un­attractive symptoms of over-exposure.

What Does Stormy Weather do to Your Hair?

Rain, fog and wind can turn your pretty hair­do into a limp, tangled wig. Be forewarned and weather-warned about such beauty-snatchers. Be­fore you go out into bad weather, tuck a few Tip-Top bobby pins or clips into strategic curls, waves, bangs and tendrils. Then spray them with a liquid net. There are several types that are aimed at your particular kind of hair—whether it's soft and wispy, strong and springy, natural, or tinted. Be sure to let the spray dry before you remove the clips and pins. Meanwhile conceal them with scarf or beret. But if the weather is really wet, cover your hair with one of the gay new plastic rain hoods or scarves. These get prettier every month, and are inexpensive, so there is no reason not to collect a wardrobe of colors and prints to match your clothes.

When It’s Hot and Humid—What to Do With Hair

Keep it clean, of course. Perspiration, salt water, sand, the chlorine solutions from pool swimming—all of these detract from the shining look. And they can turn your crowning glory into a dingy mop. Wash your hair whenever it feels sticky. And don't be too lazy to reset it— even if your date is due in fifteen minutes. Towel it almost dry, or use a hand-hairdryer if you have pampered yourself with such a pleasant luxury. While your hair is barely damp, pin up your curls and waves with your convenient ward­robe of Tip-Top clips, curlers and rollers (see page 155). Spray with wave-set and step out in minutes looking like a cover girl

Small Warning

Don't try a new hairdo if you're in a hurry. Stick with something you know how to do, and don't surprise yourself with an experiment that turns out to have absolutely no resemblance to your mental vision of a glamorous new you!

Weather Forecast—Cold!

For your hair, this can mean trouble ahead Hoods and hats and bundling scarves crush it. Frosty weather discourages curls and waves, straightens even a casual curve on the ends. And it often makes your hair "fly-away," or full of electricity.

To combat these problems, the simplest thing is to carry a small Tip-Top purse brush, with bristles set in a curve, and a little tube or jar of pomade or brilliantine. When you remove your head cover­ing, or simply decide to rearrange your wind-tossed hairdo, put a tiny amount of hairdressing on your palm and stroke the brush across it. Brush your hair up and out, then shape your hairdo. Curve the ends with the brush, turn curls and tendrils with a comb and your fingers.

Some hair sprays are available in purse-size containers. They are very handy as an away-f rom-home beauty treatment. They will give you that bit of control you need right in the powder room of a restaurant.

A good haircut is half the battle

A professional job is the best bet for most amateur do-it-yourself hair stylists. After all, you don't need a haircut more than once a month, perhaps only every six weeks. So a trip to the salon shouldn't ruin your beauty budget. If there's some special way you would like to have your hair cut and set, take a picture of it with you. But if the hairdresser says "No! That won't work!" take his advice. He can judge better than you. And, more often than not, he will be intrigued with the idea that you want to "handle" your own hair. And, dollars to doughnuts, he will give you advice about setting—and which Tip-Top rollers and clips to use where and when.

Don't Be a Cut-up

Maybe you can cut your own hair. But if you decide to restyle it, go slow. Trim just a little at a time until you achieve the effect you want.

It's easy to cut off, but only time can replace the lock that turned out to be cropped too short.

When a "Pro'' Cuts Your Hair

Particularly if it is a radical change in cutting style, it's a good idea to have the same stylist set your hair, too. Keep a sharp eye out to see how the operator works. Watch the way he directions the rollers, where he uses pin curls, how he curves bangs. Try to memorize the setting pattern so you can do likewise. (Usually he'll give you advice.)

The brushout is almost as important as the set, so remember how he handles the brush and comb when he shapes your new hairdo. (This is some­thing he can rarely explain, so watch his magician hands.)

Are You Permanently Interested?

Even if your hair is wavy, a light permanent on stubborn ends will make them manageable. If your hair is thin and fine, a permanent will give it body. And this is something you can do for yourself, or trust to a friend. Some sections are difficult to manage, like the back of your head. Separation of the hair for each roller should be smooth and even, so ifs a good idea to ask for help here, too.

The actual application of home permanents is so carefully defined these days that anyone who can follow directions will come out with a perma­nent that is just-right—not too tight to look kinky, and not too loose to do any good.

But here are some things you must consider when you decide to do your permanent at home. Just what do you want to achieve?

Do You Want a Soft, Loose Wave?

If so, use the curlers with larger rods, or Tip-Top plastic rollers. These are also right for you if you just want to add body to your hair.

Has Your Hair Been Tinted Recently?

Just wait a minute. Many manufacturers ad­vise that you wait two weeks after coloring your hair before you use a permanent. Otherwise, it may affect the shade. Since bleached or tinted hair usually becomes porous and takes a curl very quickly, you should use a gentle waving lotion.

How Does Your Hair Hold a Regular Wave?

This will determine the strength of the solution that is best for it. If the set comes out in a day, use the strongest. If you have a little natural wave in which the set stays quite well until it's washed out, use a gentle lotion. If, as in most cases, it lasts about three days, use the regular lotion.

Now for the Wind-up

Be firm—but not too firm. Don't get the hair tight on the curler. Be sure every strand is straight and smooth and do not put too thick a lock on the curler. And always make two test curls before you do the entire head.

After the permanent

Wash your hair with your usual special shampoo, and rinse with your conditioning lotion or use the new tangle-resistant spray.

Believe it or not, some hair is too curly!

No one with straight or even wavy hair will ever believe that there can be such a thing as hair that is too curly. But there is—as many a girl with naturally frizzy hair has discovered.

Actually, the girl with too many curls can have her hair tamed to exactly the right amount of wave and ringlet. But this is a beauty shop job. Since your hair grows only about an inch a month, sometimes even less, a de-curling job shouldn't be necessary more than three times a year. It's the curl in the ends of your hair that gives you such a fuzzy effect.

You can take out some of this yourself, with­out recourse to special treatments. When you set it, use large Tip-Top rollers and be absolutely double sure that you wind smoothly, without twisting. When it is dry, brush your hair flat— don't tease it—and lift with the end of a rat-tail comb to the head silhouette you have in mind. Using the comb in the same way, separate any tendrils or wisps you want. Then use a bit of setting spray, but don't try to make your hair look like a plastic wig. Too much spray can be much worse than none at all. Hair should look soft and caressable, not harsh and artificial.

Operation—Revival!

For a beauty-in-a-hurry, here's a rescue act. Even with the best intentions, no one can look her best all day, every day. Into each life an unexpected date will fall (thank goodness!), us­ually at a time when your mirror says you're the leading mess of the Western Hemisphere. Don't despair! Try these quick pick-up tricks for differ­ent types of hair.

Did You Mean to Wash it Last Night?

But something more interesting came up? Or you were too tired? Well, here are several clean­ups that don't involve your regular kind of shampoo.

For Oily Hair

1. Be a cotton picker: An oily condition can be freshened in several ways. Dampen cotton with cologne or witch hazel. If you use cologne, be sure to choose a light scent—heavy perfume and hair are not friendly. Part your hair, back to front and rub the cotton lightly over your scalp at inch-wide intervals. Next, part your hair from side to side and repeat. Discard cotton when it looks soiled. Use a fresh piece. Do not scrub! STROKE! With fresh damp cotton, wipe the length of your hair gently, separating it into fairly thick locks.
2. Pack your hairbrush: Use cotton, or put several layers of cleansing tissues or a piece of cheesecloth over the bristles. Now brush thoroughly down from the crown, all around and then, with head hanging, up from your hairline. Don't skimp. Be really sure that every hair has been wiped with the oil-absorbing material on your
   brush.

You'll be amazed to see how lively your limp locks look after this simple treatment.

3. A dry Turkish bath: Take a nice soft, fluffy (and most of all clean) bath towel and rub your hair energetically, as if it were sopping wet. Part it and wipe your scalp, too.

0f course, none of these ways is as good as a real shampoo, but any of them are good "make-dos" and will pep up hair that is oily, limp and stringy.

For Dry Hair

Unless you're troubled with dandruff, a good brushing with a little grooming ointment on the brush will probably be enough to make your hair behave like a lady instead of a fly-away flibber­tigibbet

But if four scalp is dry and flaky, moisten cot­ton with a curative tonic. Then; part your hair first from back to front and next from side to side. Now, in paths about an inch apart, rub your scalp clean, discarding cotton as it becomes soiled.

For Normal Hair

This seldom suffers in looks if it goes a day or so over your usual shampoo schedule. If for any reason it feels a bit sticky or lifeless, rub it with a dry towel and then brush thoroughly.

The Jet Hairdo

Tip-Top rollers can be a girl's best friend— aided and abetted by a few squirts of hair spray, of course.

Actually, in about ten minutes you can make your hair look (to the boys) as if it just grew glamorously—naturally. And (to the girls) as if you'd spent two hours with Monsieur Magnifique, le coiffeur supreme.

Get set: Take out your beauty wardrobe of Tip-Top rollers and clips and set your hair. Set it dry—no lotion—to achieve the hairdo you want. (See Pages 48 to 127 to find the styling and how-to-do directions of your choice.) Even with a dry set, your hairdo will look better and be easier to comb out if you use paper end-wraps around each section of hair you wind on Tip-Top rollers.

Go: Now, spray each roller and curl with the liquid net that is the right formula for your type of hair. Not too much though! You want it to stay set, but not like plaster of Paris. These sprays, which once upon a time were heavy with lacquer that turned into a kind of dust eventually, are now so designed that, although they hold your hair in place, they will not become powdery. Since you have analyzed your hair—fine, coarse, me­dium, limp, dry and so on—there's no trick to choosing the right kind. Just read the label!

Now, allow the spray to dry: You're ready to do the brush-out when it does not feel a bit sticky. Check the directions for the hairdo you have chosen on pages 48 to 127. Remove Tip-Top roll­ers and pins.

If you have chosen a full effect, you will need to "tease" the hair. In many of today's styles, teasing is necessary to support the silhouette.

Here's how to tease without breaking or knot­ting your hair. Strand by strand, hold up your locks, beginning with the underneath layers. You can keep the upper layers out of the way with a flat Tip-Top clip. At the front of the strand, stroke down towards the roots with Tip-Top's brand-new teasing comb. Don't tease the very ends. Flip each lock into position as you go along. When the job is complete, run your brush lightly over the top and arrange waves and wispy bangs or curls with your fingers. Use the end of the comb to lift the teased hair from the scalp to give the silhouette you want. Now spray again—and you're all set!

If your hair doesn't look too bad—that is, if your set is only beginning to give up—you can revive it quite easily by using Tip-Top rollers and pin curls in the key spots around your hairline. Spray them lightly. Then comb and brush your hair into place. You'll be amazed at the difference.

If you have teased your hair, never yank a fine-toothed comb through it. Brush firmly and use a wide-toothed comb to get out the tangles, other­wise you'll be apt to break it off.

What you eat conditions your hair

If your diet is all wrong, your hair will tell on you! A girl who thinks a Coke and a chocolate bar is just right for lunch will show it in her complexion and her hair. So look at yourself and if you're fault-finding, consider what you've been eating. The solution may be right there.

Too oily? Fat, greasy foods will show on your head as well as your hips. Keep away from any­thing that is fried, cut down on butter and cream and rich candy. A diet of fruit, milk, leafy vege­tables, broiled or baked meat and fish should help to get you back to normal

Too dry? Well, how do you feel? If you've lost your pep and enthusiasm, your hair has probably lost its bounce too. Maybe you need a tonic or some vitamins. Check with your doctor if your head is more like a hay field than a come on for "Hey! Hey's!"

Falling? Everyone sheds a few hairs daily, sometimes as many as one hundred hairs a day, particularly in the summer. But if it seems to be coming out in hunks, there's something wrong with you. Better make a date with the doctor.

Very thin? Have you been drinking your orange juice regularly? Vitamin C might be the answer that will start your hair growing again. Eat yel­low vegetables and fruit.

If you've been ill, even with a common cold, it will be reflected in your hair, temporarily. You can make this period even shorter by using the treatment recommended for the current condi­tion, whether it is dry or oily, lack-luster or just plain droopy. Brush regularly, wash with a con­ditioning shampoo and use a corrective rinse. You'll soon be shining and bright again.

How about your hair color? Your Most Becoming Color

Very probably the natural color of your hair is the best for you. But a bit of lightening, a bit of brightening may turn it into a more becoming shade. But some people can make a really drastic change and still look divine.

If you are a brunette and long to be a blonde, consider your skin, your eyes, the color of your eyebrows.

Anyone with an ivory skin can really choose any hair color, from ash blonde through amber to smoky blue-black. Even Titian red goes with this complexion, no matter what color the eyes may be—bluer gray, hazel or brown.

If it's that heavenly rose-flushed olive, .most probably your hair is naturally dark. This may be tiie best shade for you, but if it is dull-dark, you can easily give it a lot more life. Perhaps a hint of red, or a touch of blue-black like a raven's wing, will turn you from drab to dashing. Perhaps you should try it just a bit lighter.

With dark hair and olive skin, the color of your eyes becomes very important. Blue eyes suggest blue-black hair; brown eyes will be more flash­ing if there's a touch of red in your hair; hazel eyes sparkle with dark amber.

If you absolutely long to be a blonde, you may look quite natural if you have light eyes—blue or gray.. But remember blonde hair can be an absolute jumping-up-and-down nuisance. Your hair grows on the average of a half-inch or more a month and there are few things less attractive than blonde hair with dark roots. You must re­member to keep them touched up, even if it means a session with your hair lint once a week. If you decide that this is worth the effort, select a soft, ashy blonde or a subtle tawny color. A golden or brassy tint will make you look hard.

Of coarse, if your blonde whim turns out to be a mistake, you can always change back to a darker shade, using one of the new semi-perma­nent colors; more about this later.

If you have medium skin: If your skin has neither a blonde nor a brunette tone, the light, bright brownette color is for you. Try temporary rinses to determine which shade you like—red­dish, golden, deeper brown. There's no necessity to make a major change—your naturally light brown hair will look just right if you add a touch of color to give it radiance.

If you have milk-white skin—You're an excep­tion! This is one of the loveliest complexions in the world, but it is delicate and needs to be pam­pered with very flattering shades of hair. Soft, silky, blonde hair usually goes with this sort of skin, and if it is the color of spun gold you'll look like a fairy princess. Remember, though, to keep the hair tint soft and your makeup pastel so the whole effect is delicate and dreamy.

What type of hair coloring for you?

Temporary Color?

Many tones are available in rinses, color sham­poos and sprays. They are marvelous if you want to try a slightly different color, without coming to the agonizing decision of a complete and sudden change. Such hair cosmetics will add sparkle from one shampoo to the next. The color washes out completely so if you hated that bronze tint, you can try gold next time, or red or ginger.

Color treatments like these, however, will not lighten your hair. They will add highlights, or darken blonde shades, but there is no bleach in these temporary treatments. And to lighten hair, there must be a bleach, no matter how mild.

Semi-permanent Color?

This is the way to make the natural color of your hair sit up and sing. It doesn't change the shade, simply enhances it. It is also called a color conditioner, because it repairs any damage that has been done by exposure to wind and sun or such things as a permanent that was too harsh for your particular type of hair.

To find the real color of your hair, look at the roots; that is, the shade that appears in the first two incites from your scalp. You might be as­tonished to find that this part of your hair is much prettier than the older-—that is, more grown out—sections.

One blessing of this "semi-permanent" tint is that it matches the original color and, as it grows out, you will find no demarcation line as new hair comes in. No roots' to touch up.

Complete Color Change?

Permanent tints can alter your hair shade com­pletely, turning it from pale blonde to brunette; from practically black to nearly white; from brown to red. In fact, you can change your hair to any color you want. But this is such a drastic step, particularly if you decide to lighten it, that you really must consider carefully. Dark hair, to be lightened and changed in color, has to be "stripped." That means that all your natural color must be bleached out and the new tint applied. In time, this can dry your hair and make it brit­tle and breakable. As the hair grows out, the darker roots must be bleached and recolored. But you can get back to your regular color fairly easily by using the semi-permanent color-tone.

If you want your hair darker than it is by nature, don't use a permanent tint. Growing out pains will be horrible—this is assuming that you're sot covering up white hair! If you are prematurely gray, choose a becoming color and keep it up.

Hints for tinters: Try one hairdo that has no part for the time when the "growing out" begins to show. Use a color spray at the temples and blend it softly into the rest of your hair if patches of your natural color begin to shout "Look at me!" If you've done your hair darker than nature in­tended, even a touch of mascara will do a cover-up job.

And before you really change the color of your hair, wrap a switch or a scarf or a pouf of tulle, in the color you think you want, around your face. Be sure to cover your hair line. Don't decide on the spur of the moment; really consider if you like what the color does for you. If you believe, after viewing it with a cold clear eye, that this is the most becoming thing you can possibly wear —go ahead. Sometimes it's such fun to change your type!

Streaking and Tipping

Streaked hair was the "rage" two or so years ago. Then sunny-tipped ends became the "thing." These gave you the look of a little angel with a halo of brightness. Both are still used by many and can look very, very attractive. It can be done in two ways.

If you would like a single light-colored stripe in yours, moisten it in vinegar or lemon juice and expose it to the sun. Be sure, however, to coddle this one blonde lock as you do the rest of your hair with a good shampoo and cosmetic rinse.

If you want a completely streaked or tipped hairdo, have it done at a beauty salon. This is a complicated procedure in which each lock to be bleached is drawn through a hole in a cap and treated with a special formula. The process is difficult to handle at home and not recommended f or do-it-herselfers.

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