Getting your hair ready for Christmas party season

If you want your hair right for Christmas party season, book your colour and cut for the first two weeks of December, not the last. The diary fills fast and the good slots go first. Party season hair is mostly about planning, not last minute miracles. Here is how I get my clients sorted.

The short version

Book your colour and cut for early December, before the diary fills.

Fresh colour settles after three to five days, so do not leave it too late.

A blow dry lasts two to three days. A hair up lasts the night.

Cut back on heat at home in the run up.

Hair up is �35 to �50, a blow dry is �28 to �35.

Book your Christmas party hair earlier than you think

Every year the same thing happens. The week before Christmas everyone wants a slot and there are only so many hours in the day. If you want a specific stylist, Sabrina, Sheree or me, the closer you get to the 24th the harder it is.

My advice is simple. Get your main appointment in the diary for the first or second week of December. That gives your colour time to settle and leaves room for a quick blow dry nearer the night if you want one. Colour and a cut together is a longer appointment, so those go first. Booking now, weeks ahead, means you get the time and the stylist you want.

Colour: get the timing right

Fresh colour looks its best a few days after your appointment, not the same evening. If you are just topping up what you already have, a root tint at �40 to �47 or a toner refresh at �35 to �40 will sharpen everything up without a full head of colour.

If your blonde has gone a bit warm or brassy since your last visit, a toner is the cheapest way to make it look expensive again. Add a toner onto another service for �20. I would rather see you two weeks before the party than the day before, because if anything needs adjusting we have the time to do it properly.

On the night: blow dry or hair up

This is the bit people leave too late. A blow dry at �28 to �35 will last you two to three days if you do not drench it, so booking it for the morning of the party or the day before works well. A curly blow dry is �30 to �38 if you want more movement.

If you want something that stays put all night, a hair up is �35 to �50 depending on what you are after. Bring a photo of what you like. Pinterest is genuinely helpful here as long as it is realistic for your hair length and thickness. We can talk it through at the start so there are no surprises.

Looking after your hair in the run up

Party season usually means more heat. More straighteners, more tongs, more late nights. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends low or medium heat settings and a heat protectant, because excessive heat can damage your hair. So in the few weeks before, go easy. Air dry when you can and save the hot tools for the nights that matter.

Drink your water, especially around the parties themselves. Hair looks better when you are not run down and dehydrated. None of this is complicated, it just adds up.

Booking for a group

If a few of you are going to the same do, book together. We can line up appointments back to back so nobody is sitting around waiting, and it is far easier on the diary when we know a group is coming in advance. Just mention it when you call and we will sort the timings between us. The same goes if you want mum, sister or a mate done at the same time.

How to book

Have a look at what we offer on our services page and give us a ring on 01582 730381, or book online whenever suits you. We are at Shop 660, Jansel House, Hitchin Rd, Stopsley, Luton LU2 7XH. We are open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 to 8, Thursday 10 to 6, Friday 10 to 3 and Saturday 10 to 4:30, closed Sunday and Monday. Klarna is available if you want to spread the cost.

Get the date in the diary now and you can stop thinking about it. That is the whole point.