A Tale of Two Textures
Tyra Manso, 38, has been transitioning from chemically relaxed strands to her natural hair for a year and a half and looks forward to celebrating her curls.

The Issue
As a pediatric dentist, Manso was hesitant to do the big chop, which would involve completely cutting off her relaxed strands. "I worried about people's perception of my hair," she says. So she's been relying on a blow-dryer and a flatiron to smooth her natural regrowth. The result: limp, lifeless hair.


Photo: Peter Rosa

The Fix
Rather than scorching her roots into submission, Paves added some wave to Manso's straightened ends, a far-less damaging enterprise. He spritzed Phytospecific Curl Legend Spray ($28; Phyto.com) on small sections of damp hair and braided it from midshaft to the relaxed ends. After 20 minutes of setting, Paves removed the braids, and voilà: hair harmony that lasts about a week. For days when Manso wants something new, Paves used a bold metal clip to pull back one side of her hair.

After: Top, Self-Portrait, $375, Hairpin, Lelet, $158. Earrings, Jennifer Fisher, $650.

Not-So-Great Lengths
Shanna Marie Wallace, 37, has been trying for four months to grow her layers into an even, blunt look, but it's not happening fast enough.

The Issue
"I'm at the point where I really just want to get it to one length," says Wallace. Until then, she's often putting her hair in a ponytail—she desperately needs some style ideas that don't involve an elastic.


Photo: Peter Rosa

The Fix
On Wallace's thick hair, Paves used a curling iron to first add some texture. "The slight wave helps to visually downplay the choppy layers, so her hair looks more uniform when she wears it down," he says. Then he chose R+Co Aircraft Pomade Mousse ($30; RandCo.com) to give the roots some lift, pulled the hair back, saturated Wallace's wet strands with mousse, and used his fingers to comb it all back and off her face. A light mist of hairspray kept the swept-back look in place.

After: Earrings, Robert Lee Morris Soho, $32.

Fringe Movement
It's been only six weeks since Marissa Maffiolini, 28, got bangs, but she's already yearning for lengthier locks.

The Issue "The bangs are starting to get in my eyes," says Maffiolini. "I'm a dancer, so that doesn't work." She's forced to pin back the bangs to get through her jazz routines—and wait for the day when they'll be long enough to blend with her layers (or be pulled into a bun).


Photo: Peter Rosa

The Fix
When she's at the barre, pins are still Maffiolini's best bet. But for outside dance class, Paves created an easy-breezy look that's simple to achieve. To give her hair lift and volume, he teased it from midshaft to root. Next, he changed Maffiolini's middle part, which had created unflattering puffiness and a cowlick at the crown, to a side sweep that allows the natural curve of her bangs to blend seamlessly with the rest of her wavy hair. A light-hold hairspray like Truhair by Chelsea Scott Extreme Volume Brushable Hairspray ($26; TruHair.com) keeps everything in place. Until Maffiolini's bangs are fully grown out, Paves recommends that she train them to lie flat (and avoid the mushroom look) by wearing a headband at night to literally stretch her strands straight.

After: Top, TSE, $495. Earrings, R.J. Graziano, $38.

Gray Areas
Donna Casali, 56, has been coloring her hair for more than 15 years. But the upkeep is a killer, so eight months ago, she decided to forgo dyeing altogether.

The Issue
Casali is excited to stand out in a full silver mane—"The gray can't come in fast enough," she says—but the undyed strands are sprouting from her head in an uneven, spotty way. It's a common occurrence, says Paves: "Very few lucky people end up with a full head of beautiful white hair."


Photo: Peter Rosa

The Fix
Since much of the gray is cropping up around the front part of Casali's crown, Paves gave her a smooth, sleek blow-out, tucking some of the uncolored sections behind her ears and doing a side part to cover the other patches. The result: a silky style that leaves just a hint of face-framing silver around her forehead and temples. Another option would be to use a temporary root-disguising spray like L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up ($11; drugstores). "Those sprays are great for days when you can't spend a lot of time styling," Paves adds.

After: Shirt, Brunello Cucinelli , $1,775. Earrings, Jennifer Fisher, $495.

NEXT STORY

Next Story