"[How about] the time I stupidly accepted an offer to participate in a hair show where the 'mane' attraction was a new cut called the 'halo,' a reverse bowl cut that lopped off the top of your hair and left the rest long? That cut resulted in a lot of tears and a trip to the liquor store, where the man who ID'd me mentioned that I looked much prettier in the license photo. Oh God, that took me to a very dark, scary place ..."
R.D., Boston
Alex Iacobacci, owner of Avanti Salon (11 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.267.4027), is nearly speechless when we relay this one, and doesn't know if it would look more like a mullet or a Rod Stewart look. Either way, we can’t imagine R.D. looked her best. When his shock finally wears off, Iacobacci offers up three possible solutions: taking scissors to the cut, playing with color, or changing the texture. For a change more drastic than the “halo,” Iacobacci recommends opting to lose more length to help blend the top and bottom, making the contrast less dramatic. A shorter ’do, however, could induce more tears; if someone is set on keeping locks long, try highlights. Since the crown tends to be lighter in color than the layers below, “just lighten up the base color underneath — the longer part — but leave the top part a little deeper. That will blend the haircut, also.” The third option is a body wave, which can mask the unevenness of the cut. Texture can be achieved chemically, as well as with a curling or flat iron.
Iacobacci also proposes some quick fixes: either a) blow-dry those lopped-off locks forward and straight, or b) diffuse the ’do and wear it in messy curls. We wholeheartedly support the idea of a little cocktail therapy, too.