Summer Hair

I bet you thought that my time away was going to be all play and no work. Not so! It’s been quite the opposite the last couple days and I was able to catch up with hair stylist, Anita Papatsoukis, for a quick interview. She is a super chic hair stylist outside of Athens and works out of her home near the beach, so she gets several tourists along with those bummin it for the summer. Lots of shiny manes walk through her door and others, with grim tresses. We sat on here balcony drinking coffee and I asked her just a couple of general questions.



Q. What is the biggest mistake women make regarding their hair during the summer months?

A. Well this time of year is tricky. Girls (especially Athenians) don’t want to compromise looking their best. Because of this their hair becomes dry and brittle due to over sun exposure, over washing, over use of heating products, salt water, and in many cases not wearing a hat. This is the time of year when you should take a more natural approach to styling. I’m personally amazed when I see girls with long hair, who obviously spent an hour curling and spraying, only to have a sticky gross mess on top of their head. It’s 98 degrees, and uncalled for!

Q. What is the best style for the beach or for every day?

A. For the beach, depending on length, if you can braid it and pin it up, do it! It’s the best way to preserve hair from the salt and wind. No need to get fancy, just swoop it up and wear a hat or a chic scarf on your head. It does not matter what part of the globe you live in. I’ve traveled far and wide and the girls with the healthiest hair keep it covered at the beach! If your hair is short then wearing an elastic head band to keep it out of your face with a hat on top will do the trick.

Also, if you plan on getting your hair wet, saturate it in fresh water before you go in the ocean or a pool, and add a little leave in conditioner. When hair is already wet, it can’t absorb chlorine and salt water. As far as every day goes, it’s good practice to only wash every other day. If you can, try every three days! Leave styling for the weekend and add a little anti frizz serum to keep your mane looking smooth. If you want some extra body, braid hair the night before and let it loose during the day. Or while it’s wet, add just a tiny bit of mousse and scrunch it. However the idea is to keep product usage at bay, so you don’t have to wash it.

Q. So women should forget about heating tools altogether in the summer?

A. Like I said, leave styling for the weekend. If you can deal with drying hair and not straightening it or letting it dry naturally and straightening or curling it, your better off. We underestimate how much damage the sun and heat, in general, can cause. One last thing; leave in conditioner is your best friend during the summer (coincidentally in the brutal winter as well)! Use it at the beach and a couple times during the work week.

Also once a week, use a heavy oil based conditioner or just plain olive oil. Put a plastic shower cap on and circulate a hair dryer over the cap for five minutes (this is when the heat works in your favor). Leave it in for an hour or so. Then wash normally. Getting a new stylish cut in Mid-June is also a great idea. It keeps a fresh look and takes some weight off the head.

Q. Do you have a favorite product?

A. I only use Kerastase on my clients. It’s pricy; however their line is the crème dela crème of hair care. (I couldn’t agree with her more on that one)