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You may be heading to the salon every one month for a haircut, but you seldom come out happy with the result. And then the sob story starts — you crib to your friends about how you wasted a grand, you defame your stylist and when nothing seems to work, you pick up a pair of scissors and try to snip those unruly tresses yourself.

Not everyone’s lucky with their haircut experiments like Aamir Khan is. The trial and error method doesn’t work with hair-styling. You need to figure out what looks good on you. Hair styling expert Jawed Habib suggests experimenting with products instead. “You can spike it up when you want a younger, funkier look and colour it when you want a change,” he says.
Having said that, we think there are certain things you just should not do. If you are over 40, don’t grow your hair. Remember you’re not a Shah Rukh Khan. Do not sport very long sideburns either. The trend went to the grave with Elvis. Jawed suggests maintaining sideburns till half your ear length. Anything shorter would make you look like a small kid and anything longer will make you look like Shreyas Talpade from OSO.

If you’ve got a receding hairline, don’t even think of spiking your hair. Only your forehead is going to be visible. Coleen Khan suggests letting a little hair fall on your forehead. Now, please don’t think we’re advocating fringes. They look as bad as puff sleeves would on men.

While choosing a haircut, keep your dressing style in mind, says Coleen. “If you normally sport a corporate look, short hair is for you. It should look neat and in place during the day, while you can punk it up at night if you’re going for a party.” If you like dressing casually and your office has no hang-ups with it, you can grow your hair a little and add a touch of colour to it. “But don’t freak out with the colour. Opt for something that’s subtle and you,” suggests Coleen. Don’t ape your favourite moviestar, even if you’re delusional enough to believe that you look as good as him. Haircuts reflect the person you are, so why would you want to be somebody else?

sheena.thomas@mid-day.com

Nalini & Natasha Naegamvalaa
These hair-stying experts run the Nalini Hair Academy at Bandra

8 tips to keep in mind before a haircut
When you go for a haircut, don’t sit like a guinea pig in front of your stylist. Tell him/her what you want. Here are some tips that will help you come out looking fab:
1 Make an appointment with your stylist and allow him/her to properly analyse your hair and give you handy hair care tips.
2 Communicate well with your stylist. Tell him/her what it is you like or don’t like about your hair. Tell them specifically if you have any restrictions with regard to your profession. If you’ve spotted a cut that you like, share it with your stylist.
3 Pictures of haircuts you like are always handy for your stylist but remember that everything you see on TV or in a magazine is styled and does not work on a daily basis. It’s better to get a haircut that fits into your daily life.
4 Always tell your stylist if you have specific requirements about the length of your hair etc. However, you must trust your stylist to bring about the perfect combination of what you want and what he/she thinks will suit you.
5 It is important to find a stylist you are comfortable with. Whether it’s perming, straightening or even a haircut, it’s important to feel confident that the person knows what she is doing. Do not try products off the shelf without asking your stylist.
6 In case of any specific problems like dry hair, dandruff or even lice, don’t be shy to ask your stylist for advice.
7 After hair treatment, don’t forget home-care. Be sure to ask your stylist which shampoo, conditioner and styling product is ideal for your hair.
8 Don’t forget to ask your stylist how you can experiment with new hair styles with your new haircut at home.