Hair, there everywhere

It’s time to say goodbye to ‘Lolakutties’. The popular VJ created a stereotypical image of Malayali women with long, curly and oily hair with a twig of tulsi leaves. Forget grandma’s homemade herbal oils and shampoos and ‘bad hair days’, women in Kerala are ready for stylish haircuts.

“I had thick long hair when I first came to Kochi for an interview. I realised that I should improve my hair and appearance just like my resume. I went for a haircut which made all the difference,” smiles Sharanya, a tour-operator.

Sharanya is only one amongst many Malayali women who believes that an unkempt or uncared hair reflects in one’s confidence. “Though I used to spend a lot on clothes and beauty products, I was never ready to cut my long hair. That was totally taboo. Thanks to the reality show Midukki, it taught me the importance of having a good hairstyle. A good haircut makes one feel bold and beautiful,” says Sruthy Nair, a college student from Thiruvananthapuram.

According to hairstylists and designers, customers are now ready to spend more than Rs 15,000 to have a unique hairstyle that will change their personality. “I am really happy to see the recent change in attitudes of Kerala lasses. They are willing to give us the freedom to experiment with their hair. They want to have an identity and are ready to spend time and money for it. A good hairstyle pumps up one’s confidence level,” says Ambika Pillai, a prominent hairstylist and makeup artiste in Indian fashion industry.

Along with the growing range of fashion choices, Malayali women are also  becoming more choosy. The exposure to media is one of the major reasons for this phenomenon. “Everything is on our finger tips now. I upload pictures in Facebook after having a new haircut. My friends give me feedbacks within seconds. I also prefer to have a different look once in every six months and a change in hairstyle gives me the ‘look’,” says Noora Kamar, a literature student.

If women are becoming trendy,  Malayali men are equally conscious about the importance of hair care. They too have begun frequenting hair saloons for hair treatments. “Earlier Keralites used to think that style and fashion are exclusively for film stars. Now, every individual desires to make  a fashion statement than follow any film star,” says Dr Praveen V., a Ph.D  in hair-specialisation.

Praveen’s beauty parlour for gents and ladies offers special treatments for curly hair management, split-end removal, dandruff and variety of Ayurvedic spas. Customers now ask for a cut that suits their face. “We cannot change anyone’s facial features but we can change their look with a good haircut. Our creativity works to the maximum when they give us the freedom to experiment. All I do is understand the texture of the hair and the work culture and give them a perfect style,” adds Praveen.

Hair designer Viji Kumarapuram, who launched the first hair studio in Thiruvananthapuram, says that Keralites were never concerned about their hair. Their outlook has changed in the last few years. The right style, personalised to one’s individual personality adds sophistication, and even changes, the way your clothes look on you. This is a smarter investment,” smiles Viji Kumarapuram.