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Why now?
"I've been wearing my hair long forever. My son is in high school now, and I want to feel like a hot mom again," says Cara, 37.
Cara went short
What we did:Paul Labrecque, owner of three eponymous New York City salons, cut Cara's hair into a graduated bob, accentuating the body and wavy texture hidden under all that weight. "Her hair is a foot shorter than when she arrived!" Labrecque says.
Could you go short?
"There's a short cut for everyone," Labrecque explains. "Focus on a feature you love: Open up those cheekbones, show off that jaw, reveal your beautiful neck. Stop hiding behind your hair and just do it!"
Why now?
"I used to have some blonde highlights, but that was two kids ago," says Jen, 35. "I want to get my spunky, pre-kid look back."
Jen went blonde
What we did:It took two veteran colorists from NYC's Pierre Michel Salon — on two separate days — to take Jen to this sun-kissed blonde. "Giving her hair a few days to rest in between lightening helped prevent breakage," explains colorist Angela Cosmai, who highlighted tiny sections all over Jen's head. In the next step, colorist Ludovic used an oil with a touch of peroxide to remove ashiness, then painted on another round of highlights.
Could you go blonde?
Try wrapping different light-colored towels around your head (white, cream, tan), suggests Ludovic. When your skin and features pop, you've found your tone of blonde.
Why now?
"I haven't seen my real texture since elementary school," says Angela, 23. "I want to explore my natural roots."
Angela went natural
What we did:Angela had been hiding her relaxed, damaged hair under a weave while she tried to grow it out. Natural hair guru Dickey, owner of NYC's Hair Rules salon, removed Angela's weave and cut off the relaxed ends of her hair. Then he did a moisturizing treatment on her hair and scalp. "That's when we saw her beautiful curl pattern emerge," Dickey says. "Angela's new style is wash and wear, but she still has the option to blow it straight."
Could you go natural?
"If you like your [unrelaxed] curls when your hair is wet, you can go curly," Dickey says. "Find a stylist who won't try to talk you out of it and who is open to taking that journey with you."
