Hair Color Tips for Men		[photo: Banana Republic]	Real Men
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Dear Sharon: I'm into my 30's and my hair color is starting to look a little murky. I'm in a creative business where you are judged by your appearance and need to keep up with the young guys. I know it's cool for men to color their hair, but I'm still timid to visit a salon and get my hair colored. I wouldn't even know what kind of salon or barber to go to for starters… it would seem weird to go to the same hair colorist as my girlfriend. I'm willing to try something different, but I guess, I need the encouragement to take the plunge. --Color Me Manly (Philadelphia, PA)


Dear Color Me Manly: Beauty rituals are no longer reserved for women. Men know that looking polished means going that extra round in the grooming department, particularly when lasting impressions are made after one brief mental snapshot.

Waxing back hair, no problem.

Trimming chest hair, takes two minutes.

Hey, we even know about all those he-men who swear by wearing pantyhose… no comment!

Hair color for men is a skyrocketing segment in the hair color industry. Even pre-teen boys are adding bleached out blonde streaks to their top layers! According to Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works, "Men's home hair-color sales reached $113.5 million last year, a 50 percent increase in just five years." So then, what's a little hair dye advice between buds in the locker room?

Let's face it, some men gray in a gorgeous manner and others just get murky. So why not help nature out?

Try a progressive method of hair color by gradually going back to your original color or just dive in and dye your hair back to the shade it was when you were a teen.

Keep in mind, that highlights do soften the face and as we age, lighter is better. Never oversaturate a dark color or you'll end up looking like one of those oddballs who work in a pawnshop by day and a porn shop by night.

If you just want to go funky, try lightening the tips of a spiky hairstyle a la Ricky Martin or go totally crazy and color your hair a completely different shade. At least, paint a few well-placed highlights so you'll look like you spent some spare time surfing.

There are plenty of do-it-yourself home hair color products for men. And if you goof up, at worst, you can shave your head and be riding another fashion hair trend for a while. Although hair is hair, there's no difference in haircolor for either sex except that men may feel more macho if there's a guy on the package rather than a girl-- oh your manly egos.

With this in mind, testosterone feeding Maxim Magazine has teamed up with Just For Men to create Maxim Magazine Hair Color to prove that you needn't be a wuss to care about your appearance. Their web site has a great how-to color your hair video, complete with a babe in a bikini.

Most salons that style men's hair also offer a colorist. Book an advance consultation to avoid any big surprises and then stop ruminating about it. Just think how much more confident you'll feel once you look better and only you and your hairdresser will know for sure.

--July 24, 2002

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