A good hairdresser is and always will be a necessity, if you can find one. The importance of a hairdresser in designing a hairdo cannot be overstressed. A hairdress­er's technical knowledge of hair and its ability to retain certain lines and shapes permits him to diagnose and arbitrate with his customer so that she can get a hairdo that is pleasing to her and will involve a minimum of care and upkeep. A hairdresser who has artistic ability and a thorough working knowledge of illusion and proportion, plus the mechanical abilities of hair cutting, waving and pin-curling, can make any hairdo look well on the wearer by giving it the correct amount of width or height or whatever is necessary.

A hairdo that needs minimum care is always essential. The only time this rule is ignored is when a woman's profession makes it desirable—for example, actresses who will wear their hair in certain ways for a particular part because of the costume or period. Even if this re­quires a daily trip to the hairdresser's, it has got to be done, the amount of time or money involved being of secondary importance. The average everyday woman does not have this problem.

Your problem is to find out whether the hairdressers available in your community are (a) good ones or (b) right for you.

A good hairdresser is one who has skill and experi­ence, who listens to his customer's preferences, ex­plaining whether or not they are practicable in relation to her own hair. He is interested in the customer, not only in having her hair look its best (which is good publicity for him), but in giving her a hairdo that is easy to care for and will look as well between her visits to his salon as it does immediately after it has been styled and set. He wants to keep his clients satis­fied over a long period of time; he does not attempt to sell a customer all of the services and products avail­able in his shop on each visit.

There are many good hairdressers but some of them may not be right for you. If a good hairdresser in your community specializes in serving a certain type of client, he may be no good at all for you. Some specialize in coiffures for middle-aged and elderly women, just as others are excellent for the young. If you go to the wrong hairdresser you probably aren't going to be satis­fied with the results. This is no reflection on his skill but rather on your judgment in trying to make him do something which lies outside his special field.

How are you going to find the right hairdresser? The process can be a painful and expensive one. To avoid this, first consult your friends. If you admire hairdos on girls or women you know, make inquiries from them. If the fashion editor of your paper recommends a local hairdresser, call her up for further information about him if you need it. Failing all these, you will of course have to try one yourself and hope for the best. You must be reasonable. You must be prepared to state your tastes, to tell him, for instance, if you like your hair long or short. If the style you have in mind requires pin-curls or some other special care on your part, recognize the fact before you adopt it. It is not fair to the hair­dresser to let him recommend a style that requires a certain amount of upkeep if you aren't ready, willing and able to follow  through.

The ideal customer from the hairdresser's viewpoint is one who knows what she wants, at least basically; she knows how to take care of her hair; and she is willing to listen to reason.

Suitable and easily cared-for hairdos are available for all ages. The mother's hair has a slight natural wave. The top four curls are set in No. 3 pin-curls. The sides are combed casually in a wave, and the back is set in No. 2 pin-curls. The daughter's hair, which has a slight bend at the bottom, is cut exactly the right length so that when the hair is wet the frill is combed into the shape you see. The bottom is simply combed under and allowed to dry, to give the pageboy effect.

IF YOU CANNOT  FIND A GOOD HAIRDRESSER

Now it may be that you cannot find a good hair­dresser in your locality who meets your needs. In that event you will be better off without a hairdresser. The unfortunate fact is that, as most beauty shops are set up today, they need to give permanents, to sell cosmetics and to sell extras in order to stay in business. The own­ers will therefore recommend permanents to customers who don't really need them because the margin of profit is so much greater in proportion to the amount of time expended than the profit on cutting or styling. If you are primarily interested in having a hairdo that follows the natural tendencies of your hair, one that calls for skillful cutting, don't go to a shop where per­manents are the main stock in trade.

In short, you should be sure to consider well before entrusting your head to an incompetent hairdresser or one you have any doubts about. If he does something wrong the results may take months to rectify. If he cuts a strand of hair where he shouldn't, it may take a long time to grow out, since hair grows only six inches a year. A bad dye job can be a source of annoyance to you for an indefinite period. As your hair is a part of you, it cannot be changed as readily as a hat or dress. You have to wait for nature's cooperation to correct the mistake of an unskilled hairdresser.

YOUR   EQUIPMENT

If you do your own hair, regularly or between visits to the hairdresser, be businesslike about your supplies and equipment. Before you shampoo your hair, for ex­ample, be sure to have on hand a plentiful amount of each product you use, whether it is a shampoo brush, cream or liquid shampoo, setting lotion, rinses, lacquer, beer or hair groom.

If you cut your own hair, or even snip at your bangs occasionally, see that you use good scissors and that they are sharp.

Keep your brush and comb immaculately clean at all times, and never let anyone else use them. These are very important points.
Whatever you use in pin-curling—hairpins, bobby pins, metal or plastic clips—be sure they are free from rust and from rough edges that might damage your hair.

There are several methods of setting bangs and pageboys. They can be. rolled over cotton, facial tissues or wire hair rolls. You might try each of these systems to see which is most satisfactory for you.

In using a home permanent kit, a dye or any other manufactured product, proceed according to the instruc­tions on the package.

In short, whatever materials or equipment you may use in caring for your hair, try to approach the job in a professional spirit.

The important thing about hair, of course, is what it can be made to do in enhancing your appearance and drawing attention away from defects. Lovely hair is itself one of woman's greatest assets. My purpose in writing is to help you give yourself this asset.

You may not be able, for reasons of time, distance or expense, to use the services of a good hairdresser. Even those who go to beauty parlors occasionally or regularly, if they understand the basic elements in­volved, can work with their hairdressers more intelli­gently. As I have frequently pointed out, we have our hair with us from the cradle to the grave. I hope that I have enabled you to turn the light of understanding on your hair so that in dealing with it, as you must every day, you can in truth make it "a thing of beauty and  a joy forever."