TRENDS Choose an easy-to-manage hairstyle for the holidays

Avoid a coif crisis during the busy festive season by planning ahead.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Now that we're into the holidays, there are plenty of festivities ahead. The big question is how to avoid a coif crisis.
Stylists, beauty experts and one woman offered their holiday hair tips. There was a lot to learn, including: Are buns still OK? Why shouldn't you change your hair color during the holidays? And if you have short hair, why is there so much attention on your part nowadays?
Buns are indeed still beautiful, but to avoid looking bookish, allow a few tendrils to fall loose and frame the face. Women with long hair -- whether curly or straight -- can opt to have half their hair up, half down.
"The adult version of this style has a piece of hair wrapped around the ponytail part or a thin piece of patent leather," says Kristin Perrotta, beauty director at Allure magazine.
What if your hair is short?
"Women with short hair should focus on their part," she says. "Whatever you normally do, part it in a more dramatic way, such as over the arch of the eyebrow."
At same time
Sacramento, Calif., stylist Heath Hamilton says one should consider having hair and makeup done at the same time.
"I like to know what a client is wearing so that the look I give her is an extension of her outfit," he says.
Hamilton, who owns Coif Salon, likes doing fancy twists that are more modern than old Victorian. "Think classic meets rock 'n' roll," he adds.
The one holiday rule of thumb is to be careful with hair color. You're busy, so it's not the best time to make huge transformations.
Marcy Cona, creative director of color and style for Clairol, says women often visualize themselves as redheads in December.
"What I suggest is to try on any color first, before doing it yourself or at a salon," she says.
For example, women can visit the Try It on Studio at www.clairol.com and see what they would look like with lighter, darker, blonder or redder hair.
Do what comes naturally
No matter what time of year it is, no woman should fight her hair's natural inclinations, especially women with curls. Curly hair has its own personality, and curl expert Ouidad says it looks like you're "wearing a uniform if you blew it out."
For almost 30 years, Ouidad has been teaching curly girls how to embrace their hair, whether it's wavy, coarse, kinky or soft.
"Once you understand your curls, you can come up with holiday styles to try yourself," she says from her home in Danbury, Conn.
"I like to leave a little conditioner in the hair so it's easier to work with," Ouidad says. "The key is to let the curls perform naturally. That means avoiding heavy hairsprays, which can gunk the hair and cause it to look frizzy."
Sacramento fund-raiser and actress Anne-Marie Petrie finds that her wavy hair is a blessing this time of year because any style she chooses will hold an extra day or so. That saves precious time washing and drying.
She says she and husband Geoff, president of basketball operations for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, could average three to five social occasions a weekend from now until New Year's. So it pays to be versatile.
Well prepared
Petrie keeps a supply of scarves and ponytail holders on hand, as well as a set of hot rollers.
"Between the cooking, the parties and emptying the dishwasher, we all get jammed around the holidays," she adds.
Perrotta of Allure says it's important to have hair that makes you feel special, without a lot of fuss and folderol.
Keep in mind that your hairstyle is an extension of what you'll be wearing on a given occasion. If it's a casual event (sweater and pants), consider wearing hair in soft waves or a ponytail. If it's full-on glamour, a soft up-do or elegant bun is best.