Gayle Giacomo knows younger looking hair tips. She has a slew of them.
She stars on The Style Network's hit show "Jerseylicious" and this celebrity hairdresser has a volumizing hair care line, GG Gatsby.
First, I asked her the age-old debate: At what age is a woman too old for long hair?
First of the younger looking hair tips: Look in the mirror.
"Are you over 40 with white hair down past your breasts just hanging there with no style?" Gayle poses.
"Of course, that's horrible!" she says with a laugh. "But the good news is it would look horrible on a young person, too.
"If long hair works with your bone structure, it's fine. Don't cut your hair if you're over 40 and it looks really good. Remember that not everybody can wear short hair," she says.
Gayle started her hair styling career working for Daniel Gianfrancesco at The Gatsby Salon over 30 years ago, where she acquired her techniques and methods of styling hair from directly him. She became part of the ownership of Gatsby Salon when she married Danny, and became the sole owner in 1998 when he passed away.
Her products include Raise Volume Shampoo, Raise Volume Conditioner, Over-The-Top Root Lift Spray, Ultimate Lift Dry Shampoo Powder, and Against Gravity Hairspray.
I asked Gayle for Younger Looking Hair Tips:
*Use Root Lifter.
"As we age, our hair can become thinner," Gayle says. "You don't want your hair flat on your head, so find a nice, light root lifter."
*Don't Use Too Much Product.
"You want your hair to move, especially as you get older. No one wants helmet hair," she advises. "As we age and our hair might be thinner this is really important. You want to give the illusion of volume and too might product will do the opposite."
*Don't Give Up on Hairspray.
"Many women over 40 skip hairspray because they don't want to weigh their hair down. If you have the right spray, there is no problem in using it."
*Fight Frizz with Conditioner.
"Conditioning your hair every single time you watch it is a great weapon against frizz," she says. "Don't go overboard, but the hairspray will keep your style and help you deal with the effects of humidity."
*Deep Condition Every Week.
"I feel that every woman over 40 should do a deep hair conditioner at least once a week. As we age, our hormones start playing tricks on us and we need this boost for shine and manageability," she says.
*Try A Secret Hair Weapon.
"For clients who have experienced thinning, I've suggested using biotin, which is found at most health stores." Get your doc's approval first.
*Give Her Products a Try.
"My products have an exclusive technology that's good for any age," she says. "For over 40 clients, my goal was to create 40 percent more volume and 50 percent more strength."
She adds, "Many products have too much alcohol in them. Mine don't have all that alcohol that strips your hair. My goal was that a product would strengthen the hair."
*Be Careful with Coloring.
"I don't suggest highlights with every color job for over 40 clients," she says. "It's too much for the hair and can cause breakage to do a base color and highlights every single time.
"Plan on doing your highlights every eight to 12 weeks. Remember that you're just highlighting the new growth and not pulling the highlights all the way through. If your colorist always pulls the highlights through then, yes, you'll get breakage."
*Cool It On Shampooing.
"I suggest shampooing every other day," Gayle says. "If you shampoo more then you'll wash out all your hair oils.
*Remember It's All About the Cut
"I really love a strong haircut," Gayle says. "I like strong lines, but that's an individual choice. The point is to find a cut you love and a hairdresser who can create it for you."
You can find Gayle's amazing products at gatsby.
