You will feel like you are living it up at a chic lounge bar while you get your hair styled or nails done at the Play salon

They say that getting a haircut is pretty much a therapeutic process. A haircut can make or break you depending on how it turns out.
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It was with this trepidation that I walked into Play, a salon newly opened at a mall in Malleshwaram along with a colleague.

My hair was in that in-between stage of life. A short pixie cut had outgrown into a poky look resembling the hair styles of Bollywood heroes in the 70's.



But as soon as I entered Play Salon I knew I would be in good hands.

Senior stylist Ladoop Lepcha came to meet me and instantly started running his fingers through my hair, the kind of easy familiarity most hairstylists seem to possess where hair is concerned and looked genuinely worried.
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"Your hair is too dry. Don't you use any product?" he asked me accusingly."

At least put some hair serum, your hair will look shiny," he said. My hair was getting judged by a hairstylist and it was feeling terrible.

I was quite surprised when he echoed the exact kind of look I had in mind for my hair. He said, "I think a layered bob with longer, asymmetrical edges will look really good," he said.

The Scalp Trap

He first took me through a scalp test. A dubious looking gadget was placed in my hair for a close up of my scalp. Then the state of my scalp showed up on the laptop screen.

My hair was declared to be thin but healthy. While other fortunate people have a hair or two sprouting out of each follicle, I just have one. Without wasting much time he shepherded me towards the hair washing and shampoo section.

The section is cordoned off from the main salon by a beautiful trellis patterned wooden screen.

While I surrendered my hair to Lepcha, I looked around and admired the simple classic lines of the salon, done up in coffee and beaten gold tones.

Warm wooden floors, eclectic photographic prints on the walls, muted lights and a separate lounge -like area for pedicures and manicures along with separate rooms for spa and massage treatments area laid out in this chic space.

The salon takes care of every little service you will need to look well heeled. Right from pedicures, manicures, haircuts, straightening, waxing, scrubs, facials, scalp and hair treatments, everything is available.

Once my hair was washed I was asked to sit in a comfy chair and then Lepcha went crazy over my hair. His hands worked in great frenzy, a nip here, a tuck there shaping my terribly out-of-place hair.
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Very soon he had managed to tame my hair, giving it lovely shape and my hair was responding back with a spring and bounce.

Perk Me Up Tresses

Lepcha suggested I go for a couple of coloured highlights in my hair. I panicked at once.
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In the name of a review I was supposed to be game for anything but had not bargained for this. My last encounter with colour had been quite a disaster.

But Lepcha assured me that my hair was safe in his hands. After putting on the haircolour, while it was drying, I got myself a manicure done.
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The salon offersu00a0 paraffin, regular and anti tan manicures and French ones too.

The manicure was pretty relaxing with the staff cleaning my hands thoroughly and giving it a perky massage. With much trepidation I sat down for a final blow dry after my hair was washed.

Ladoop soon turned my wet mess of a hair into a slick head of silky hair. He had given me an ultra stylish 1920's Flapper style bob with bangs with little wisps of red highlighted tresses peeking out from here and there.

Needless to say I was more than happy about my makeover. He also explained how I could, simply by changing my parting, perk up my look for a night out and how to do up my hair otherwise.

What's hot

The fact that hair styling and cutting here is like an experience rather than an exercise you have to go through.

The stylist goes out of his way to make you comfortable and really gives a listen to exactly what you want rather than what he or she thinks will suit you.

They keep up an endless chatter, try to find out about your lifestyle, take into account whether you have enough time to tend to your hair every morning before you step into work and then work out a suitable style accordingly.

What's not

We wish the salon introduces some funky nail and toe art in the future. Right now the manicures and pedicures available only involve the application of regular nail varnishes.

Go for the retro look
Basically, big hair, lots of soft curls and textures are in. The ever popular bob is back with a slight twist of asymmetrical and layered styles. A bouffant is the perfect updo for this season.

Just take a section of the top portion of your hair and back comb it till it forms a sort of fuzz and volume at the back. Now take the rest of the hair and pin it on top of this fuzz.
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You can pin it up with jewelled pins and leave the rest of your hair open, or tie it up into a ponytail, a bun or even a plait. It looks great.
Neeru Radhakrishnan, Owner, Play salon.

At Play Salon, Mantri Square Mall. Malleshwaram, Call 2266 7070
For Haircut: Rs 900, Colour Highlights: Rs 1,800 onwards and Manicures: Rs 300 onwards