Here is the thing about my hair: it looks great when someone else does it. Lucky me. The trouble is that I do not have just one someone.
I am not a standing-appointment person. I go to more than one place for a blowout. Yes, I cheat on my hairstylist. She knows. I tell her. And I am so last minute that having a bunch of stylists on my list is the only way I get a chair when I need one.
So I do hair math, but not the tidy kind. Mine happens the day before, or sometimes the morning of, and it comes down to four questions. Then comes the part nobody warns you about: where I am standing when I ask them, because a blowout in Palm Beach and a blowout in New York are not the same animal.
Hair math is not my term, by the way. Credit to Aly Walansky’s newsletter, where I first saw it.
Shop the Post: slip pillowcase · Blissy pillowcase · Kitsch pillowcase · Living Proof dry shampoo · Batiste dry shampoo · Kitsch claw clips · Splendid scarf · Quince wrap
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My Four Hair Math Questions
Before I book anything, I ask myself:
- How many events am I going to where there will be photos? There are always photos. Always. This one matters most.
- Am I going to see a lot of people? It does not have to be fancy. A yoga class, a challah bake, a mahjong tournament or a golf outing all count.
- Who can get me in? I am last minute, so I call whoever has an opening. That is why I have so many stylists.
- What is the sweat factor? If I am going to sweat, the blowout is wasted. That is exactly why I gave up swimming and spinning.
The Sweat Factor
I will say it plainly: I gave up swimming and spinning because of my hair. A blowout and a sweaty class do not mix, and I picked the blowout.
Palm Beach Math vs. New York Math
And don’t even get me started on Palm Beach. Blowouts there start at $100, if you can even get in. Then the humidity shows up, and that hundred dollar blowout barely lasts three days.
In New York, I can make a blowout last seven days. Eight if I really push it. Nine if I style it with a scarf.
Do the math. Three days for $100 down south, up to nine days at home. Humidity goes in my formula right next to photos, people and sweat.
Why Hair Math Gets Harder With Age
Nobody warns you that your hair stops cooperating on a schedule. It gets drier, finer and more opinionated, and I have stopped taking it personally.
The fix is not more product. It is a better plan: fewer wash days, a good blowout at the right moment, and a backup look for the days in between.
My Between-Blowout Rules
- Sleep on a silk pillowcase. The slip Pure Silk Pillowcase is the splurge. A Blissy silk pillowcase makes a great holiday gift – someone bought me one last year. On a budget, the Kitsch satin pillowcase works.
slip Pure Silk Pillowcase | $120
Blissy Silk Pillowcase
Kitsch Satin Pillowcase | $21
- Dry shampoo at the roots on day three, before it looks like you need it. My pick is Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo. Batiste Original is the budget-friendly favorite.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo | $45
Batiste Original Dry Shampoo
- A claw clip, a headband or a hat is not giving up. It is a strategy. My clip: Kitsch Jumbo Classic Claw Clips, 2pc.
Kitsch Jumbo Classic Claw Clips, 2pc | $12
- Skip the wash on a day with no plans and no photos. Nobody needs to see that one.
- Style it with a scarf. That is how I get a New York blowout to day nine. My picks: the Splendid Libby Scarf, $78 and the Quince Mongolian Cashmere Wrap, $102.
Splendid Libby Scarf | $78
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Wrap | $102
Where I Get It Done
These are my top three in Westchester. Trust me, there are more.
- Paulo’s Atelier in Mount Kisco.
- Hott Blow Dry in Armonk, and go check out their head spa. Book the head spa with my code StacyHottHeadspa.
- Harmonie in Mount Kisco.
Palm Beach is its own list. I like Anushka and Drybar in West Palm. I am looking into Madison Reed for color. Oy.
Then there is Le Bazaar in Palm Beach. I also love the salon at The Breakers, but getting an appointment there is another story.
That is a lot of salons for one head of hair. But I already told you I am not a standing-appointment girl.
Disclosure: I have a partnership with Hott and earn services when you book with my code, StacyHottHeadspa. I only share places I actually go.
Your Turn
What is your hair math rule? Mine: if there will be photos, I am getting a blowout. Tell me yours in the comments. Do you have a standing appointment, or are you a cheater like me?
Shop the Post: slip Pure Silk Pillowcase · Blissy Silk Pillowcase · Kitsch Satin Pillowcase · Living Proof Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo · Batiste Original Dry Shampoo · Kitsch Jumbo Claw Clips · Splendid Libby Scarf · Quince Mongolian Cashmere Wrap
Disclosure: These are affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you shop through them, at no extra cost to you.
